The Wonders of His Love

It's a simple yet stunning truth. The love of God, which compelled Him to step down from heaven to become the Bridge to eternity, is a miraculous wonder I still have difficulty wrapping my head around--particularly when I'm having one of those days.

Maybe, like me, you wonder why on earth God continues enduring you. I think of my sometimes not-so-good attitude, my failures, my shortcomings, and I wonder...how, Lord? How do you keep loving me?

Yet He does.

My heart is confounded and radiant at the same time. And this messy love which makes no sense in my mind but causes my heart to soar will will never diminish--it will never cease. Because love never fails. {See 1 Corinthians 13:8}

And so though I stumble and fall and mess up spectacularly, His love for me continues. All I can do is inhale it, accepting His love in spite of not deserving it. And as I breathe in love, I breathe in God, because God is love. {See 1 John 4:8}

This Christmas, I invite you to contemplate the wonders of His love.

And this Christmas:

May the reality of Christ's love overwhelm you.

May His fiery gaze capture yours.

May His fierce love utterly captivate your heart.

Even when you're having one of those days.

{WINNER of the $10 Starbucks gift card is Terri Tiffany! Congratulations, Terri! Please email me your snail-mail address so you can enjoy a cup of Christmas cheer!}

Unwrapping Peace and Joy

Sometimes the holidays can feel like a scary ride on a rickety old bike down a treacherously steep dirt road— there's violent shuddering while you try to hold on, it’s hard to steer, and there’s usually a large plume of dust involved.

I can’t control how fast this season zooms by nor the fact that my to-do list seems to expand while I sleep. But instead of allowing the inevitable stresses of the season to create more kinks in my already knotted neck, I’ve decided to unwrap a couple of Christmas gifts early.

That’s right. I peeked under the tree, shook the boxes, and heard the Holy Spirit whisper Go ahead, open them now!

So I did.

And now, when a crazy man in a snazzy Mercedes convertible cusses out my husband and I in the Target parking lot,

I can hold my peace.

When our dishwasher decides to stop working, I can smile—and mean it.

When I’m folding my 20^th load of laundry from all the company at our house over Thanksgiving weekend, I can feel joyful.

When my hubby sprains his ankle, our Australian Shepherd runs off three times in one day, and our teen daughter has an attitude, I can still have amazing peace and joy. And instead of worrying, groaning and fuming, I can smile. Heck, I can even laugh!

And that, sweet friends, is an amazing, priceless gift at this most wonderful time of the year.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and indulge—unwrap God’s precious gifts of peace and joy early.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27, NLT)

I love Christmas! To celebrate, I'm giving away a $10 Starbucks gift card, randomly selected from those who leave a comment. You must either (1) have a blog with your contact information or (2) leave me your email address to qualify. That way I can contact you if you win.

Merry Christmas!