• Because God is all-powerful…He can help me with anything.

• Because God is ever-present…He is always with me.

• Because God knows everything…I will go to Him with all my questions and concerns.

• Because God is sovereign…I will joyfully submit to His will.

• Because God is holy…I will devote myself to Him in purity, worship and service.

• Because God is absolute truth…I will believe what He says and live accordingly.

• Because God is righteous…I will live by His standards.

• Because God is just…He will treat me fairly.

• Because God is love…He is unconditionally committed to my well being.

• Because God is merciful…He forgives me of my sins when I sincerely confess them.

Because God is faithful…I will trust Him to always keep His promises.

- Dr. William R. Bright

C – Compassion = concern, kindness, consideration.

A – Appreciate
Show appreciation in an intentional and specific way to someone whom the Lord highlights on your radar screen today. Be genuinely appreciative. Say “thanks”.

R – Reach Out
Don’t wait for others to take the first step to greet, speak, say or do something. Be ready to reach out in the moment you become aware of the choice. Go first.

E – Encourage
It costs nothing to say a sincere and encouraging word. Be aware today that you have the power of life and death in your tongue. Bite your tongue when careless words want to spill out. Ask God to fill your mind and heart with His goodness toward others. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Use your words to build.

Why do I buy gifts for people? This is a question I have often asked myself. My aim has been to please and make happy those for whom I am buying the gifts, but so often I am unsure if the gift will actually be what they wanted. I feel like have failed when I see the expression of disappointment on their faces.

Through the years and especially this year I have struggled with the whole idea of giving gifts if I suspect the recipient won’t like it. Should I bother spending the money?

Another thing I struggle with is should I buy a gift at all because most North Americans have so much more than we need.

This year I have talked to the Lord a lot about giving gifts to those we love. And He has given me a new perspective. He reminded me that He loved us so much that He gave His most precious gift – His Son. Not because we deserved it, or were overjoyed with the Gift. He gave because He loved us.

Most of us don’t appreciate the Gift very often, many people don’t believe in the Gift at all. Some reject the Gift. But God doesn’t stop loving us even when we are ungrateful (even though He values our gratitude). When we are ready to receive the Gift. He fills us with the most amazing joy, peace and love–He has been waiting to give it to us.

I asked God, “How does what You have done for us relate to my gift giving?” Simple answer. Give gifts because you love not because they deserve it or need it or appreciate it. The greatest gift we can give anyone is our love.

And if they don’t like the gift?  Then God will grant us the grace to love them still.

Father, thank you for giving us your precious gift, Jesus Christ.  We didn’t deserve it, nor are we thankful enough for this Gift. But you love us still. Now would you please give us hearts to give precious gifts to our loved ones because we love them, not because we want to be appreciated. Amen.

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“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Proverbs 25:2 (NIV)

It’s the only bumper sticker I’ve ever really liked: WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM. I like it because it says at least two things.

1) Those who seek God are wise. God affirms the dignity of the searcher and the search. The fact that God has set it up this way “has concealed His matters and invited us to search for Him” confirms our nobility. It says we have enough smarts to look for Him and recognize Him when we find Him. In fact, the proverb puts the searcher in the realm of kings. It’s a noble task to seek after God.

2) Those who seek God are given the benefit of the doubt, that if they seek Him, they will find Him. This is actually a promise in scripture: “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). This is why those of us who already know Him don’t have to jump all over those who don’t when they get something wrong or don’t put it in exactly the right words. If they are truly seeking, it will be God who opens their eyes anyway. We need to respect the search of those we know who are seeking and not get impatient with them or think of them as stupid for not seeing what we see. When it’s time, they will.

This may mean you might have to bite your tongue a little bit and not say everything you know all the time. Better to listen for those parts of the truth the seeker has already found and affirm them. Jesus didn’t spill all the beans as soon as He started preaching. He let a little bit out at a time. He talked in code (parables). He asked a lot of questions. He protected the search. He didn’t give what was sacred to dogs or throw out pearls to pigs. He always said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” and then He went on to not say everything. He made them hang on His words and come back for more. All of this protects not only the dignity of the search and the searcher, but also the dignity of the truth.

So you can’t put all that on a bumper sticker, but you can put:
WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM.”

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You have prepared your gift list. You have begun preparing your house for the holidays. Take time to prepare your heart to make room for the One whose birthday we celebrate. My purpose in writing this devotional is to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

Read Luke 2:1-20. Open your eyes anew to really see the Christmas story. Through these questions, meditate on its present-day personal applications. What does it say about God’s ways and your response? Ask God what he wants to reveal to you. You may want to do this meditation over a period of several days.

Luke 2:1-5 Examine the setting: Jesus came to a city. How would Jesus like to come to your city?

Luke 2:6 Compare this verse with Galatians 4:4-5, the Christmas story according to Paul. What does this say about God’s timing? Ask, What do I need to surrender to Your timing, Lord?

Luke 2:7 Reflect on the words “no room.” Where are your “no vacancy” signs?

Luke 2:8-9 Note that ordinary people were doing everyday things, and they saw the glory of God. Where do you need to see the glory of the Lord shine in your regular routine?

Luke 2:10 Fear not and joy no matter what! Ask yourself, How is this real for me?

Luke 2:11 Meditate on the third verse of “Silent Night.” How personal is the phrase “born for you?” Have you seen Him as Savior-babe as well as Christ the Lord?

Luke 2:7,12 Compare this description of Jesus with the one in Hebrews 1:2-3. What does this say about humility?

Luke 2:13 How can you praise God as a lifestyle?

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth- Have you ever seen the world vision in the Christmas story? What will it take for the glory of God to be seen in all the earth? What will it take for everything in your life to say “Glory in the highest?”

Luke 2:15,16a Instant obedience. The shepherds saw Jesus because they obeyed immediately. What has God shown you lately that calls for instant obedience?

Luke 2:16 Surrendered expectations. The King of the universe came into this world in a smelly stable! What expectations of how God is working do you need to surrender?

Luke 2:19 Do you have a “Mary heart“? Do you ponder God’s ways in your heart?

Let God prepare your heart with fresh joy, anticipation, renewed peace, vision… with whatever you need most.

As you sing “Joy to the World” this season, really hear the words. Don’t let the familiarity of this great carol lull you into neutral. Receive your King who has the right to rule in the hardest circumstances of your life. Submit, bow your knee to Him, and say, “Yes, King of my life, I prepare You room and receive You. Reign in the midst of the world’s temporary insanity of the season and beyond. Rule in my heart and my family with truth, grace, righteousness, wondrous love, and glory.”

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp–
The thieves, the liars, the sinners, the alcoholics and the
trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade who swiped my lunch money
twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor who never said anything nice.

Bob, who I always thought
was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, ‘What’s the deal?
I would love to hear your take.
How’d all these sinners get up here?
God must’ve made a mistake.

‘And why is everyone so quiet,
so somber – give me a clue.’
‘Hush, child,’ He said,
‘they’re all in shock. No one thought they’d be seeing you.’

JUDGE NOT!!

Remember…Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any
more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST…
Every sinner has a FUTURE!
Now it’s your turn… Share this poem.
Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil…
It has no point!

MCCALL STYLE & BEAUTY

I would call it Antoinette's