Christmas Is For Those Who Hate It Most

Taken from The Gospel Coalition Blog
Matt B. Redmond
Christmas Is for Those Who Hate It Most

We are by now accustomed to hearing about how Christmas is difficult for many people. The story of Scrooge and his—ehem—problems with this season is no longer anecdotal. It is now par for the course. Maybe it always has been. Maybe the joy of the season has always been a thorn in the side of those who can scarcely imagine joy.

Not too long ago, I heard from someone about how difficult Christmas would be because of some heartbreak in their family. There was utter hopelessness and devastation. Christmas would be impossible to enjoy because of the freshness of this pain. It's been a story very hard to forget.

I get it. I mean, it makes sense on the level of Christmas being a time in which there is a lot of heavily concentrated family time. The holidays can be tense in even the best of circumstances. Maneuvering through the landmines of various personalities can be hard even if there is no cancer, divorce or empty seat at the table. What makes it the most wonderful time of the year is also what makes it the most brutal time of the year. My own family has not been immune to this phenomenon.

But allow me to push back against this idea a little. Gently. I think we have it all backwards. We have it sunk deep into our collective cultural consciousness that Christmas is for the happy people. You know, those with idyllic family situations enjoyed around stocking-strewn hearth dreams. Christmas is for healthy people who laugh easily and at all the right times, right? The successful and the beautiful, who live in suburban bliss, can easily enjoy the holidays. They have not gotten lost on the way because of the GPS they got last year. They are beaming after watching a Christmas classic curled up on the couch as a family in front of their ginormous flat-screen. We live and act as if this is who should be enjoying Christmas.

But this is backwards. Christmas—the great story of the incarnation of the Rescuer—is for everyone, especially those who need a rescue. Jesus was born as a baby to know the pain and sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus was made to be like us so that in his resurrection we can be made like him; free from the fear of death and the pain of loss. Jesus’ first recorded worshipers were not of the beautiful class. They were poor, ugly shepherds, beat down by life and labor. They had been looked down on over many a nose.

Jesus came for those who look in the mirror and see ugliness. Jesus came for daughters whose fathers never told them they were beautiful. Christmas is for those who go to "wing night" alone. Christmas is for those whose lives have been wrecked by cancer, and the thought of another Christmas seems like an impossible dream. Christmas is for those who would be nothing but lonely if not for social media. Christmas is for those whose marriages have careened against the retaining wall and are threatening to flip over the edge. Christmas is for the son whose father keeps giving him hunting gear when he wants art materials. Christmas is for smokers who cannot quit even in the face of a death sentence. Christmas is for prostitutes, adulterers, and porn stars who long for love in every wrong place. Christmas is for college students who are sitting in the midst of the family and already cannot wait to get out for another drink. Christmas is for those who traffic in failed dreams. Christmas is for those who have squandered the family name and fortune—they want "home" but cannot imagine a gracious reception. Christmas is for parents watching their children’s marriage fall into disarray.

Christmas is really about the gospel of grace for sinners. Because of all that Christ has done on the cross, the manger becomes the most hopeful place in a universe darkened with hopelessness.
In the irony of all ironies, Christmas is for those who will find it the hardest to enjoy.
It really is for those who hate it most.

The Jesus I Need

A lot of you know me, yet I'm pretty sure very few of you have heard my testimony. You might think that I can say that the Lord kept me free from the world because I was raised in a Christian home, was homeschooled and very involved in church and church camps, was highly active in my youth group and went to 2 years of Bible college plus stayed a third year to work on staff at that Bible college.
You might guess that the Lord saved me at a young age and spared me from a lot of things that many young people go through. Well, I guess I could say that I am very blessed to have been raised in a Godly Christian home where my parents were careful to protect us from worldly influences. I can say that God did spare me from quite a bit just from placing me in this home.
Yet, I still have a deceitful heart and was led astray for some time. This led me into a time of deep guilt and great saddness and even depression. But you know what! God used that sinful time in my life to draw me to Himself in a way I never knew Him before. I can relate to the woman in Luke 7:47 where Jesus says that she loved much because she was forgiven much. God has to bring us to the point where we realize our desperate need for Him before we can understand His forgiveness and His great love in a way that changes us never to be the same again. I wish that I didn't have to learn the hard way. In no way am I glad that I sinned against my Lord. This is how God did it for me, and I am so thankful that He used my disobedience to cause me to fall in love with Him in a way where I'm not sure that I would have otherwise. Thank you, Father!
I was listening to this John Waller song, and it just made me cry because I realize that this is the Jesus that I have and the Jesus that saved me!
He didn't save me because of anything I did or could ever do. He saved me because He is a God of grace and love and mercy and EVERYTHING else!


JOHN WALLER
THE JESUS I NEED

She was desperate
Down to her last hope
Now she crawls on her hands and her knees
Through a crowd on a dusty road
If she could touch Him
She knew He could make her well
Reaching and straining she touched His garment
Healing fell

Chorus:
And this is the Jesus I want
Friend of the broken and weak
What He did for her
I know He'll do for me
This is the Jesus I want
Giver of life and peace
Still today He's reaching out to you and me
This is the Jesus I need

Verse 2:
Tormented
He had lost his mind
There was nothing but evil and anguish
There in those cold, dark eyes
But the day would come
Everyone would know
That the words of this Jesus
Could set free the captive
And make them whole

Chorus:

Bridge:
More than a story book fable
He is alive and He's able
To rescue anyone who believes

Chorus:
And this is the Jesus I want
Friend of the broken and weak
What He did for them
I know He'll do for you and me
This is the Jesus I want
Giver of life and peace
Still today He's reaching out to you and me
This is the Jesus I need

What Are You Hanging Onto?

These are some of my thoughts just after the earthquake that we experienced on Tuesday and can also be applied to the hurricane that is on it's way up the East coast...

After the earthquake on Tuesday, people were saying that I will never experience that again in my lifetime. But nobody can guarantee that. We cannot predict that it will or will not happen. Only God knows. This was an opportunity to share with others how I believe that there IS a God and that He controls all things.

I had a few Spiritual conversations with my co-workers and with customers that afternoon, but there was one conversation in particular that inspired me to write this- or at least to title it as I have. This lady in my drive thru said to me after our talk of the earthquake, "If it happens again, hang onto something!" My reply was, "Oh, I am! I'm hanging onto something!" She was driving off before I had the chance to explain how that something that I will hang onto and AM hanging onto is God. He is my Rock.

"On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God." Psalm 62:7

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Blizzards, Tornados, HURRICANES, and other natural weather-related disasters...These are some of the things that man cannot control no matter how hard they try. How should we feel about this? Well, I don't know about you, but I praise God that I know Him. I know the Almighty God who controls all things. NOTHING happens outside of His will or Sovereign plan for His glory and for the good of His people.
He is our peace amidst the storms of life.
For me, I am actually more at peace knowing that nobody can control these things but Him. Who better to trust than the Lord!

In Matthew 8 we read about how Jesus and His disciples are on the boat during a storm. While Jesus is asleep the disciples are terrified of the great storm in the sea that is rocking their boat and threatening their lives. They run to Jesus to awaken Him and to ask Him to save them because they thought they were going to perish. I love Jesus' response to His disciples, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then Jesus rises up to speak to the winds and to the sea. The Bible says that Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea and that there was a great calm. It says then that the men marveled saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him?"
In Matthew 14 we read about Peter walking on the water. Peter gets out of the boat to walk on the water toward Jesus and everything is fine until he looks around himself and becomes afraid because of the wind. This is when he starts to sink and cries out to the Lord to save him. Jesus immdediately reaches out His hand to Peter and takes hold of him saying, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Then they get into the boat and the winds cease.

In both of these stories, we see that without faith in Jesus the people were terrified. Jesus is the only one who can rid them of their fears and calm the storms.
Not only does He calm the storms around us, but even more He calms the storms within us.
Matthew 11:28-30 says:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

He will give you rest. Nothing and no one else can.
Sooo...who or what are you hanging onto?

Put your trust in Him and Him alone. He will give you the peace that you need and long for. Not just peace amidst the storms around us but also peace amidst the storms and trials in life.

Isaiah 26:3-4
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock."

Psalm 62:5-8
"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

The Christian Life is Like a Yo-Yo?

"I once heard a very helpful illustration of what the Christian life should look like from counseling professor David Powlison. He said the pattern of Christian life and growth is like a yo-yo: up and down, up and down. That is pretty depressing, but also pretty true. One day I feel as if I have sin beat; the next day I feel as if I am back at the beginning.

But there is more, Powlison said. The pattern of Christian life and growth may be like a yo-yo, but it's a yo-yo in the hands of someone walking up a flight of stairs. That is a much more encouraging image. In the day-to-day, we are acutely aware of the yo-yo feeling, the ups and downs of the battle against sin. But we miss the larger picture of growth and maturity that God is graciously working in us- He is carrying us up the stairs. Even our low points now are higher than our high points used to be."

Taken from "Am I Really a Christian?" by Mike McKinley.

Temptation: Fighting the Urge

disclaimer: I am still editing this note before an official publish.
There is a lot of Scripture I need to add...

What I have written below has been taken from one of CCEF's small booklets of resources for personal change. I haven't copied it word for word, and much of the booklet is left out. I highly recommend getting your hands on this if temptation is something you find to be overcoming you and really hindering your walk with the Lord.

I found it to be very helpful for myself and felt the need to share it on my blog so that others might be helped as well.
This is a topic that each and every one of us struggles with daily.
Please take the time to read it.


"I can resist anything but temptation" -Oscar Wilde

How many times have you tried to change a behavior or attitude only to find yourself doing the same thing again?
Each of us faces some kind of temptation every day. And, even though our temptations are different, our struggles are similar. We all have daily battles with temptation that stretch into monthly and yearly wars.
Can these battles against your particular temptation be won? God, in His Word says, "Yes."

You can't win a war against an enemy that you don't understand.
Soo...
Where do our temptations come from?
It's easy to think that our temptations come from our circumstances...
James tells us in his book that we succumb to temptation because of what's inside of us(what we want, desire, don't want, fear, etc...) not from what's outside of us(our circumstances).
In the first portion of James chapter one, James tells us that God sends circumstances into our lives to test us, so we will grow in grace. James also says that God never sends these circumstances to trap us.
So what makes the difference? It's the inner condition of the person in the midst of the circumstance.
JAMES 1:14

No external circumstance makes you sin. You sin because what you want leads you into sin.

What are the elements of temptation?
-The world
-The flesh
-The devil(1 Peter 5:8)

Be aware of your enemy and his schemes. The way the devil works is quite simple. He uses the external world and your sinful inclinations to trap you into sin. Then he accuses you of being a helpless case.
Thankfully the Spirit says something completely different.

Understanding all the elements of temptation is critical in helping you fight temptation.

STAGES OF TEMPTATION
Another important truth about your temptation is that they don't just appear in your life- they come in stages.

from James:

first stage is seduction- "He is dragged away and enticed"
...begins with your desire life.
You want something more than you want Christ.
You believe you need something in addition to Christ to be happy, satisfied, or okay.
It could be ANYTHING.

second stage is conception- "after desire has conceived"
When temptation moves to this stage, the initial desire is lodged deep in your heart.
What you want is becoming more important to you than your relationship with God.

third stage is birth- "it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death."
The end result of your desire for something besides Christ is being caught in full blown sin, both in attitude and action.

At any time during these stages, you can run to Christ and repent and learn from your failure how to stand against temptation instead of giving in to it.


Practical strategies for change.
Fighting against temptation begins by noticing what's happening underneath the surface of your life every time you give in to temptation.

Here is an important truth to remember as you struggle with temptation:

You don't behave your way into sinful responses, so
you can't behave your way out of sinful responses.
You worship your way into sinful responses, so you
must worship your way out of sinful responses.

Worship has everything to do with our temptations because whatever we worship(whatever is most important to us)changes our behavior.

In moments of sin, something else is more attractive to you than God and His love for you.
You are worshiping something or someone besides God.

Admit to God that your behavior is the result of forgetting your identity in Christ and finding your identity in what you believe you need besides Him.
Don't be discouraged...Name what it is that has captured your heart instead of Jesus, confess your sin to God, and ask for forgiveness. Remember 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Remind yourself that even though you have loved something more than God, Jesus is still completely committed to you. He lived, died, was raised, and sent His Spirit for you. Right now He is praying for you, and one day He will come to rescue you completely. You are not a slave to sin; instead, you belong to Christ. He is far more committed to you than you are to yourself.
He is far more satisfying and attractive than anything else in this world.

Christian change only happens in relationship with God. So getting to know Jesus as your friend, brother, and Savior will change your desire life and give you the power to resist temptation.

A fall into sin develops over time.
Every day a ware is raging for your heart and affections. In any given hour of your day, there are many things that can take your gaze off of Christ. Be vigilant in the little moments of your life. This is where the battle will be won or lost. Your goal should be to cultivate a normal, regular, moment-by-moment awareness of your relationship with God and your need for His grace and power.

So live wide awake.

Knowing Jesus better will lead you to live a vigilant, hopeful life as you face temptation every day. Genuine fighting of temptation begins as you take your eyes off yourself and readjust your gaze on Jesus and what He has done and is doing in your behalf.
Don't lose heart; look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith(Hebrews 12:2).

Are you lonely?

“Aloneness doesn’t have to mean loneliness; it can actually be the path God uses for my soul to find its rest in Him."

The Gospel Coalition Blog posted this today. It will be helpful for anyone who has struggled or is struggling with loneliness. As a single, this was a good reminder for me that marriage isn't ever going to be what fills any measure of emptiness that I might feel. Only God can fill and satisfy.

Lonely Me: A Pastoral Perspective

The Rich Single Life

These are some thoughts I've had floating around in my head lately that I've somewhat placed together here to hopefully encourage others.

I recently finished reading a book by a pastor, Andrew Farmer called "The Rich Single Life." It's not a book on HOW TO get married, but how to best glorify God during your time of singleness. It was encouraging to me as I am in this moment of waiting on the Lord for a husband (should it be His will for me to be married in this life). Sometimes it can get very discouraging being 28 and still single watching all of my friends getting married and now having their second or third child. Not only that, but now "kids" younger than me are getting married!

This pastor says, "You'll always have the gift of singleness as long as you're single. When you get married, you wont need it anymore." I like that. :-) He also says, "Singleness & marriage can be viewed as parallel states- each having their own particular joys and sorrows."
I have many reasons to be thankful that I am still single, one being that I am not married to the wrong man as I very well could have been had I gotten married when I wanted to be married. By the grace of God, He did not allow that to happen. So for that I am thankful. Also, I have had opportunity to become close to several older married couples and observe their relationships with one another as well how they raise their children and their interaction with them. A few of my closest friends are married, and I've been able to see firsthand that it doesn't get better or easier in life just because you're married. As I quoted from this book, marriage and singleness DO both have their joys and sorrows. They both have their good and bad times. It's just as easy to be discontent being married as it is being single. Another blessing for me today is being able to spend time with my parents and sister. We have been able to become closer and grow together and get to know each other in ways not everyone gets to experience if they're married and have moved away from home.

Also from the book: "The gift of singleness can make certain things possible that being married could not do." I was very encouraged by this book! It helped me to think through the stage that I am in where the Lord has placed me for this particular time. I've examined my own life and considered the different things that I am using my "free" time for. Am I using it purely for myself? Am I using it wasting away in sad thoughts of how I wish I were married? Am I forgetting all the blessings that the Lord has placed in my life? Something else that stands out in my mind that I remember reading in this book is how flexible singles can be. This is the time of my life that I can be most flexible to do whatever in the world I want to do. How can I best glorify God today?

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

One more very important thing that was noted in this book that I had never considered in this way before...
"Singleness is not just a gift to the individual believer, it's a gift to the body of Christ, and always has been." Farmer goes on to name several individuals who lived most of their life(or at least a good portion of it)as a single. Many of these people were missionaries who were able to do particular things that someone who was married wouldn't quite have the time for.
I've seen in my own life how the Lord has placed opportunities in front of me of things I can do because of my flexibility that I wouldn't be able to do otherwise. One of these things is babysitting. I don't do it often enough, but when I do it's just as much a blessing to me as it may be to that family. It has provided opportunities to get to know families and children in ways I wouldn't otherwise. This reminds me of the section of Paul's passage in 1 Corinthians about singleness.

1 Cor. 7:32-35 "I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord."

closing thoughts...

So not only do I have all of the blessings I've already named, but MOST IMPORTANTLY I have more time to spend with the Lord. As I meditate on that for a moment...am I really using my time for Him? Have I secured my undivided devotion to the Lord? Who or what am I devoting my time to? Will I one day look back and think of all the time I've wasted that could've been spent with the Lord in His Word or on my knees in prayer? Did I pass the time doing meaningless things that I could have been spending drawing nearer to my precious Savior?

Yes, I still struggle with being content with where the Lord has placed me; but it's a comfort knowing that God is in control and He won't keep me single a day longer than He has planned. He knows me better than I do and what is best for me. I have to trust Him. I must ask Him moment by moment to remind me of this and to help me rest in Him and live for His glory and not for my own pleasures and desires.

After all...it's not about me. It's about Him!!

The Jesus Storybook Bible

I thought this was really beautiful. It's an excerpt from Joshua Harris's book, "Dug Down Deep" as he is quoting from one of his children's books.

The Jesus Storybook Bible
by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Now, some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should do and shouldn't do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn't mainly about you and what you should be doing. It's about God and what He has done.

Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you'll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren't heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose). They get afraid and run away. At times they are downright mean.

No, the Bible isn't a book of rules or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne, everything to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this story is—it’s true.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle—the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

Every Race is Runnable

By Ray Ordlund:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/2011/05/29/every-race-is-runnable/

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

The amazing believers of the past — their lives make this undeniable statement: Every race is runnable.

We think, “My life is more than I can bear. God is asking too much of me. I’ve grown and changed and repented all I can. So, I’ll settle down. I’ll manage a church-going status quo. I’ll even call it ‘faithfulness.’” But that isn’t faithfulness. Not as Hebrews 11 defines living by faith. Not by a mile.

If we are feeling weighed down and exhausted, the problem isn’t Jesus. He is unfailingly an energizing presence. Nor is the problem the race he has called us to run. The problem is something else, even something non-sinful and allowable, but it prevents us from running an unleashed, all-out race. Getting clean rid of it, because our hearts are reaching for the promises of God — that is living by faith.

Living that way, we’ll be surprised at how near the Lord is and how much we can keep growing. Life will become an adventure again.

Purification

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

Purification

Lord Jesus,
I sin-
Grant that I may never cease grieving because of it,
never be content with myself,
never think I can reach a point of perfection.

Kill my envy, command my tongue, trample down self.
Give me grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure, peaceable,
to live for Thee and not for self,
to copy Thy words, acts, spirit,
to be transformed into Thy likeness,
to be consecrated wholly to Thee,
to live entirely to Thy glory.

Deliver me from attachment to things unclean,
from wrong associations,
from the predominance of evil passions,
from the sugar of sin as well as its gall;

that with self-loathing, deep contrition, earnest heart searching
I may come to Thee,
cast myself on Thee,
trust in Thee,
cry to Thee,
be delivered by Thee.

O God, the Eternal All, help me to know that
all things are shadows, but Thou art substance,
all things are quicksands, but Thou art mountain,
all things are shifting, but Thou art anchor,
all things are ignorance, but Thou art wisdom.

If my life is to be a crucible amid burning heat, so be it,
but do Thou sit at the furnace mouth
to watch the ore that nothing be lost.

If I sin wilfully, grievously, tormentedly, in grace
take away my mourning and give me music;
remove my sackcloth and clothe me with beauty;
still my sighs and fill my mouth with song,
then give me summer weather as a Christian.

Grace

Hungry for God's Word? Why or why not?...

Reckless Abandon: Hunger For God’s Word
Taken from “A Man Worth Waiting For” by Jackie Kendall

Reckless abandon impacts every aspect of a person’s life, including his or her relationship with those things that entertain and distract from eternal focus.

It astonishes me how many Christians watch the same banal, empty, silly, trivial, titillating, suggestive, immodest TV shows that most unbelievers watch- and then wonder why their spiritual lives are weak and their worship experience is shallow with no intensity. If you really want to hear the Word of God the way He means to be heard in truth and joy and power, turn off the television on Saturday night and read something true and great and beautiful and pure and honorable and excellent and worthy of praise. Then watch your heart un-shrivel and begin to hunger for the Word of God
I think we followers of Jesus need to be as concerned about the famine reflected in the souls of too many of God’s children.

Philippians 4:8 ”Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

KNOW what you NEED to do to LIVE for Him and DO IT!

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." Ephesians 6:11

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1,2

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8

Little children, guard yourselves from idols!

"And He said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'" Matthew 22:37

questions to consider:

-WHAT MUST I HAVE FOR LIFE TO BE MEANINGFUL AND HAPPY?
-WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS, DESIRES, LONGINGS, AND EXPECTATIONS?
-WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF MY JOY?
-WHAT IS THE PRIMARY LOVE IN MY HEART?
-WHAT AM I TRUSTING IN TO MAKE ME HAPPY?
-AM I LOVING THE LORD OR SOMETHING/SOMEONE ELSE?

Power of Christ in me

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Morning by Morning

LAMENTATIONS 3

21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him

26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

I Surrender

I Surrender
by Leslie Ludy

Lord, I know You see this fear in my heart
Of what my future holds
I feel You softly ask if I can trust You more
And give You control
So I kneel before You now
And I offer everything
Come and be the Lord of all
All I am or ever hope to be

I surrender, I surrender
To the One who loves me more than life
I surrender, I surrender
Here is my heart
I open it wide
To the One who cannot be unfaithful
I now offer You all that I am
I surrender, I surrender
From this day on
I'll be in Your hands

I've been living for myself
And now I want to live for You alone
Come and help me when I'm weak
And when my path seems so unknown
You will be beside me still
I know You want whats best for me
So when I want to take control
Lord, please come and help my unbelief