A free gift

Christmas time is here. As the retailers decorate with garlands and ornaments, competing for your every last penny, Jesus waits to give you a free gift. Yep, you read that right, a FREE gift.

Naypong: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2617

How can that be? There's got to be a catch, you might be thinking. Well, guess what? There are no strings attached. Jesus is willing to give you the free gift of life.

I'm already living life on my own and everything's going just fine, you might also be thinking. I'm happy for what I have and what I do and what my life is like. I've lived this long on my own and things are fine.

Hmmm, well, things might be going great right now. There's always something that could be better. Yes, you are living a life right here and now. Jesus wants to give you an eternal life, a life full of joy, peace, love, patience, gentleness, and self-control.

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." ~Romans 10:9-10

All you need to do is now down and pray:
Jesus, thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for dying on the cross so that I may live. Without you, I am nothing and this life is meaningless. Fill me, Lord, with your goodness. I desire to know you. Holy Spirit, lead me. I pray these things in the name of Jesus, amen.

It doesn't need to be these exact words. but something similar to acknowledge Jesus as your Savior, thanking Him for His sacrifice and ask Him into your heart.

If you've prayed that prayer of salvation today, recently or many years ago, I encourage you to dig into the Word. Begin in the Gospels. Or simply join me in the Book of John, beginning Dec 1. Let's read a chapter a day and discuss what we got out of it each day. I look forward to hearing what you're getting out of it, too! So, please, add your comments!

starting the morning

the alarm goes off. turn it off, snooze it, or hide under the pillow? get out of bed or stay tucked in? go to work or play hookie?

from the moment we wake up, we are faced with choices. many times we just follow our usual routine and thoughtlessly start the day. some of us have children that make each morning a challenge. some of us even have pets that dictate what happens each morning, yet even pets follow routines.

how do i start my morning? usually, the alarm on my phone goes off and i stay in bed. i choose whether i'll play on my apps or read my bible. on my quest to read through the bible from cover to cover in a year has its downfalls every several days for me, then i force myself to catch up. skipping my morning reading is all about the choices i make when i wake up. sleep in or wake up and read? selfishly do what i feel like or work on that relationship with the Almighty God? it all depends on what day it is, how much rest i got the night before, and what the plan is for the day.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,    for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;    great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;    therefore I will wait for him.” ~Lamentations3:22-24 NIV

renew yourself every morning by spending time with your Creator God. he wants a closer relationship with you and He wants to bless you with heavenly blessings. new to reading the bible? a great place to start is not page 1, actually, it's in the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. the first three basically have the same information from their own perspectives. the Book of John actually shares the life of the Son of God here on earth. i've often heard that this is where beginners should start. John has 30 chapters, so if you read a chapter a day, you'll be done in 30 days.

prayer before reading is highly recommended by many. ask God to clear your mind and speak to you during this time you want to get to know Him better. and when you're done reading, pray again. this time, share with God what you got out of it, what you learned, how it affects your current situation or helped you realize something from the past, whatever comes to mind.

if you're willing to go through the Book of John with me, i'll be starting it again on december 1st. feel free to subscribe or stop in to see how this book speaks to me and share your own thoughts as well. i'd love to hear your thoughts!

winnond: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1970