I hope and trust that you all had a great time with your family and friends over this Holiday Season. Did you make lasting memories? Was it all you expected? Was the food good? Did you give a gift that mattered to someone? I truly hope that this Christmas was a special one for you; that you were blessed in a special and unique way this year.............
Jesus, Messiah
Name above all Names
Blessed Redeemer
Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners
The ransom from heaven
Jesus Messiah
Lord of all
This was the chorus to a song we sang at out Christmas Eve service that brought tears to my eyes. It hit me that night that we usually sing this song to remember our Lord's death and what impact that had on the bondage of sin but that this song means so much more.
I said in my last post that Jesus is the true reason for the season and this rings true now more than ever. In fact, I venture to say that Jesus is the true reason for our lives. Gods gift of Jesus wasn't a gift that was opened on Christmas morning, played with and put in a cupboard to be taken out occasionally or when family comes over. We see throughout Jesus life that it was a gift that kept on giving long after the "moment" was just passed.
My Jesus, perfect in everything, gave up perfection to take on the form of a imperfect human being and allowed himself to be personally impacted by the sinfulness of this world. That gift is the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place.
...........Yes, my Christmas was good. I made some great lasting memories and ate a lot of great food. And I really, truly, hope that I gave a gift to somebody this season that made a lasting impression on someone's life. Maybe it was only a hug or words of encouragement to someone. Maybe it was a present or the gift of time spent with someone. Remember, its not the size of the gift that matters to someone......it the thought that counts.
I know it sounds like a cliche but when we understand what Jesus has given to us, it puts it into a whole different perspective.
God Bless and have a blessed New Year.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Seasons Greetings
I just wanted to take a quick second out of what will be a busy Christmas Day to wish you and your family and friends a blessed Christmas. Between church, dinners, family get-togethers, and gifts may we all remember that Jesus is the true Reason for the Season.
We will be off to church in a while to gather with our church family this special day where we remember and celebrate how much God loves us and how he showed his love for us by sending his son. My pastor, yesterday said something that stood out to me. He said, "There is something that sets Christianity apart from any other religion in the world. That something is GRACE. All other religions have people trying to work their way towards God. How great is it that when we cannot reach God through our good deeds, God is willing to come to us."
That is truly the greatest Christmas present of all. On our way to church yesterday, my children were talking to each other about presents. One mentioned how they wished they would have more presents, that they only had a few. While it made me sad to see how materialistic we as humans are, I thank God for the teaching moment He provided.
Yes we might not have much money and yes we might not be able to buy you the most recent and greatest toy or video game but that does not change how much I love my kids and family. Would I like to be able to give my children lots of presents, yes I would. However, the amount of presents or the monitary value of what I am able to offer does not change anything. I love my family the same either way.
This Christmas has been put into a great perspective for me this year. I am glad that I am really able to offer and recieve what really matters. God's love and his special gift of Jesus. I pray that you too may experince this great joy this holiday season!
We will be off to church in a while to gather with our church family this special day where we remember and celebrate how much God loves us and how he showed his love for us by sending his son. My pastor, yesterday said something that stood out to me. He said, "There is something that sets Christianity apart from any other religion in the world. That something is GRACE. All other religions have people trying to work their way towards God. How great is it that when we cannot reach God through our good deeds, God is willing to come to us."
That is truly the greatest Christmas present of all. On our way to church yesterday, my children were talking to each other about presents. One mentioned how they wished they would have more presents, that they only had a few. While it made me sad to see how materialistic we as humans are, I thank God for the teaching moment He provided.
Yes we might not have much money and yes we might not be able to buy you the most recent and greatest toy or video game but that does not change how much I love my kids and family. Would I like to be able to give my children lots of presents, yes I would. However, the amount of presents or the monitary value of what I am able to offer does not change anything. I love my family the same either way.
This Christmas has been put into a great perspective for me this year. I am glad that I am really able to offer and recieve what really matters. God's love and his special gift of Jesus. I pray that you too may experince this great joy this holiday season!
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Pressing the reset button.....
Its late and I just got home from work. The house is quiet, save for a cat that is determined to headbutt me into a migraine and the pacing of a little dog trying to quietly raid the trash cans for used tissues. I have the house and my thoughts to myself..........
There are alot of things that spin through my mind, sometimes so fast I can barely process one before I'm 2 or thoughts behind. So much has changed and so much will change in the next few days, weeks and months. Oh the changes! Sometimes they are positive and sometimes they seem so negative, but they are changes none-the-less. They have shaped our family and changed our outlook on life.
Why would I want to push the reset button you ask.......the answer is not as obvious as it may seem.
With so many changes that we have experienced it would be so easy to be a Jonah. It would be easy and to some people righteous sit and pout and ask God why so many "wrong" things have happened to us:
"I work a full time, second shift job where I hardly see my family during the week."
"I have to wear a shirt and tie even though I hardly see anyone during my 8 hours of work."
"The apartment is cluttered with papers, toys, and dishes all the time."
"We had to move out of our house and start renting an apartment closer to the city but further from family."
"Lucy (our Saint Bernard) and Princess (our cat) have found new homes thanks to our new living situation."
"Isabelle is fighting colds this fall and winter."
"Isaiah was sent home today with a stomach ache, the nurse said the flu is going around."
"We had to sell or give away many of our things to be able to downsize to fit into a 3 bedroom apartment."
"Everything is more expensive and the cost of living is only getting worse."
"We pay over $1,000 a month for childcare expenses (even with me working second shift)."
"We could have saved $500 in childcare each month but Jes' work is unflexable."
Should I go on?...............
RESET BUTTON!
This is what I mean when I mention the reset button. Sure I could dig myself into a deep pit of dispair with everything that has happened, but amazingly the opposite has happened to us. I don't need a reset button of my life.....I have been given a reset button of perspective.
We currently attend Grace Church in Eden Prairie after leaving our Buffalo Covenant family as a result of the move. I do admit that things have been a challenge for us since mid summer but our move to Grace Church was the exact thing our family needed at the time. Our pastor just finished a series on the Lord's Prayer and is currently leading us through Philippians 4. The Lord brought us to Grace to speak directly to us and our situation.
This experience though has given me a different perspective on things though. Pastor Troy Dobbs has challenged me not only in my relationship with God but also to in his power to provide and care for our family. We have been encouraged to approach our situations/challenges with a different attitude. In order for my attitude to change, I need to change my relationship and understanding in the power and provision of God.
I have so much to share with you and so many stories of how my God has provided for our family over the past few months. Stay tuned for those stories in some of my coming posts. I will leave you with this though: Remember the list of changes I gave you early on in this post? Let me share with you how God has pushed my reset button lately.
"I have a full-time job that pays well and has overtime that is more than available."
"I am learning to maximize my time with my kids and wife on days off and weekends."
"My shift is perfect for my sleep schedule (I am a night owl)."
"I work at a company where professional appearance and behavior is encouraged."
"I have only a 12 minute commute to work and our family time has not really been impacted"
"Lucy and princess went to good homes and are well taken care of."
"Isabelles colds have not impacted her mood and our family has been fairly healthy as of late"
"I got to spend time with Isaiah today and still worked a full shift."
"We were able to not only sell some things that we didnt really need or use as well as help others who were in need."
"God has provided greatly for our needs and we have been able manage well with what we have been given." (More stories to come)
"Isabelle is enjoying preschool and playing with kids her age and Isaiah and Audri have a great afterschool sitter"
The RESET button........sometimes a reset is just what is needed.
There are alot of things that spin through my mind, sometimes so fast I can barely process one before I'm 2 or thoughts behind. So much has changed and so much will change in the next few days, weeks and months. Oh the changes! Sometimes they are positive and sometimes they seem so negative, but they are changes none-the-less. They have shaped our family and changed our outlook on life.
Why would I want to push the reset button you ask.......the answer is not as obvious as it may seem.
With so many changes that we have experienced it would be so easy to be a Jonah. It would be easy and to some people righteous sit and pout and ask God why so many "wrong" things have happened to us:
"I work a full time, second shift job where I hardly see my family during the week."
"I have to wear a shirt and tie even though I hardly see anyone during my 8 hours of work."
"The apartment is cluttered with papers, toys, and dishes all the time."
"We had to move out of our house and start renting an apartment closer to the city but further from family."
"Lucy (our Saint Bernard) and Princess (our cat) have found new homes thanks to our new living situation."
"Isabelle is fighting colds this fall and winter."
"Isaiah was sent home today with a stomach ache, the nurse said the flu is going around."
"We had to sell or give away many of our things to be able to downsize to fit into a 3 bedroom apartment."
"Everything is more expensive and the cost of living is only getting worse."
"We pay over $1,000 a month for childcare expenses (even with me working second shift)."
"We could have saved $500 in childcare each month but Jes' work is unflexable."
Should I go on?...............
RESET BUTTON!
This is what I mean when I mention the reset button. Sure I could dig myself into a deep pit of dispair with everything that has happened, but amazingly the opposite has happened to us. I don't need a reset button of my life.....I have been given a reset button of perspective.
We currently attend Grace Church in Eden Prairie after leaving our Buffalo Covenant family as a result of the move. I do admit that things have been a challenge for us since mid summer but our move to Grace Church was the exact thing our family needed at the time. Our pastor just finished a series on the Lord's Prayer and is currently leading us through Philippians 4. The Lord brought us to Grace to speak directly to us and our situation.
This experience though has given me a different perspective on things though. Pastor Troy Dobbs has challenged me not only in my relationship with God but also to in his power to provide and care for our family. We have been encouraged to approach our situations/challenges with a different attitude. In order for my attitude to change, I need to change my relationship and understanding in the power and provision of God.
I have so much to share with you and so many stories of how my God has provided for our family over the past few months. Stay tuned for those stories in some of my coming posts. I will leave you with this though: Remember the list of changes I gave you early on in this post? Let me share with you how God has pushed my reset button lately.
"I have a full-time job that pays well and has overtime that is more than available."
"I am learning to maximize my time with my kids and wife on days off and weekends."
"My shift is perfect for my sleep schedule (I am a night owl)."
"I work at a company where professional appearance and behavior is encouraged."
"I have only a 12 minute commute to work and our family time has not really been impacted"
"Lucy and princess went to good homes and are well taken care of."
"Isabelles colds have not impacted her mood and our family has been fairly healthy as of late"
"I got to spend time with Isaiah today and still worked a full shift."
"We were able to not only sell some things that we didnt really need or use as well as help others who were in need."
"God has provided greatly for our needs and we have been able manage well with what we have been given." (More stories to come)
"Isabelle is enjoying preschool and playing with kids her age and Isaiah and Audri have a great afterschool sitter"
The RESET button........sometimes a reset is just what is needed.
Greetings!
Hi all. I figured that since everyone is jumping into the cyber world feet first I should at least get my feet wet. I'm not into twitter or the whole checking in part but if you want to find out whats going on in out my life and with my family feel free to stop in and find out.
I feel that there are so many things that are happening in our life right now and am excited to share with you how much our lives have changed. Join me on this journey and see how God is working in our lives. I look forward to giving you a look into our lives
Jose
I feel that there are so many things that are happening in our life right now and am excited to share with you how much our lives have changed. Join me on this journey and see how God is working in our lives. I look forward to giving you a look into our lives
Jose
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)