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I'll try to keep this short. For many reasons this was probably the most difficult year (last 7 months) of my life in many ways. I won't go into all those details but I do want to share something that I look at differently now then I ever used to. We reached a point where we had no choice but to ask for help. This year my family found out how it was to be blessed by a food shelf, an anonymous gift, assistance from our church or help from our friends and family.
There will never be words to express the kind of humbleness and gratitude these experiences bring. Walking out of the local food shelf, for example, with two bags of food for our family was an experience I will never forget. I never realized how others must feel when they receive what is given. I will try to never take what we have for granted.
Our family, no matter how little it may be, will never let a year go by without doing something. It might not seem like much but it's a start and I hope everyone finds the joy and satisfaction giving brings, even to someone you may never meet. I have been brought to tears more than once by even the seemingly smallest act of love shown our family.
So to all those who gave in some way, big or small, to allow families like ours to be blessed in times of need, thank you. It's true that you start to realize what is really important in life. And because of that I know we are truly blessed!
Embrace what is truly important and remember the most precious gift we have been given as we celebrate the birth of Christ. What a glorious time to remember the forgiveness and eternal life we are given when we submit to follow Him.
Merry Christmas!
PICTURE SLIDESHOWS
Coming soon: pictures of the kids!!
One Last Thought From Me
Why not remember this act of love and sacrifice daily rather than just at Easter? Yes, this event is an indescribably joyous one because Jesus did rise from the dead but we should never forget how and why He suffered unimaginably before defeating Death and Hell itself on our behalf. He did so while thinking of you and me. In doing so he personally took on our sin, our pain and a debt we could not pay in order to provide a way to complete forgiveness and redemption. The truth is, either way death is not the end and being a “good person” isn’t a substitution for being truly forgiven.
God tells us that by simply believing Jesus rose from the dead, confessing and turning away from our sin and making the Bible the true foundation of our life, we will be forgiven for our sins and live eternally in Heaven.
As you may know, I am far from perfect and if you have doubts about that I’m sure you can find a multitude of people who can confirm that. I have made countless mistakes and bad judgments and will again in the future despite my best intentions. It is because of this that I am exceedingly thankful I can go directly to God and ask for help, ask for forgiveness and know that God's mercy is new every morning as I continually work to keep my foundation on God's Word. Truly accepting God's love, mercy and a true freedom offered in a life firmly anchored in His Word is something there simply aren't words to describe.
I have to admit that I regularly take that for granted and listening to the words in a song like “Via Dolorosa” is one way to help remind me of the sacrifice Jesus made on that cross. Deciding to live for Christ was without a doubt the best decision I made in my life. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t solve all my problems and make my life perfect. But I have a peace and hope only God can offer and I know in God’s eyes He sees a child forgiven rather than condemned. Now that I am a parent I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like for God to watch His children exercise their free will when they chose to reject Him rather than embrace the salvation He offers each of us.
Regardless of your feelings on God and Jesus I hope you enjoy the power of the images and music I posted. And thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts about what can be a very sensitive issue.
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