Matthew 1

Again, I took a break from writing.  Not because I didn't want to!  Many days I thought about it, yet allowed my blog writing to slip through the cracks while Parenthood took over.  I just love my son so much and have to watch him every moment he is awake....and some moments while he is asleep.  He is just so, peaceful.  I wonder if God's peace that He has given us is supposed to look like a peaceful sleeping babe to the outside world?

Yesterday I finished my year long (+ a few months) read through the Bible chronologically.  How great it was!  I learned things I hadn't known before, and reaffirmed my faith in so many ways.  My view of God's sovereignty has grown exponentially!  While reading through the New Testament, I decided I couldn't wait to get to the end and begin again...in the New Testament.  Of course I will read through the Old again, but I really want to share with you, and me, each chapter of the New.  (I probably won't tackle Revelation though in this blog....we will see how God leads.)

So, Matthew 1:  The genealogy of Jesus Christ, fulfilling prophecies of Him being born of a virgin, in the line of David, from the seed of Abraham.  And then the birth of Jesus Christ!  Our Saviour.  He came to this world for the reason of redeeming His children.  His story does not end in Matthew 1.  Nor does it begin there.  His story began at the beginning of time.  All of creation waited for this moment, looking forward to the Messiah.  A song was being written since God created the heavens and the earth, and the birth of Christ was adding a new melody to His sonata. 

After Mary was found to be with child, Joseph resolved to divorce her quietly, since she had conceived before they wed.  Yet an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him to fear not, but that Mary had conceived this child by the Holy Spirit, and that He would save the people from their sins.  When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did as the angel commanded.  And Mary gave birth to a son.  They called Him Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. 

Thankfully Saved

This past week was Thanksgiving, which my family spread out over 4 days.  2 days were spent with my husband's family and 2 days were spent with mine.  I love Thanksgiving food and I love going around the table telling what we are thankful for.  I wish that we could keep going around the table for hours sharing what all God has been doing in our lives but alas, not everyone likes that tradition.

During my reading this morning of Colossians and Philemon, Thanksgiving kept being brought up.  Not the holiday, but the reaction to what all God has done for us.  How thankful we should be.  How boldly we should share.  Paul was encouraging the church (and therefore us as well) to conduct themselves in such a way that they would be thankfully sharing how Christ had redeemed us.  Through our joy and thanksgiving, through sharing our faith, Paul was praying that it would become 'effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ." (Philemon 1:6)

If we are saved, then we of course are thankful.  We have to be.  There isn't any other option.  If we have been saved we should be overflowing with such joy that His light pours out of us.  And if being redeemed brings us such joy, we should be sharing.  So go.  Be bold.  (I'm speaking to myself as well.)  Let's share our faith and what God has done in our lives to those who desperately need to hear the gospel.  Be thankfully saved! 

Two Months

It has been two months since I experienced just what the Bible means when it repeatedly says "pangs of a woman in labor."  I don't regret a moment of my labor.  My birth story is beautiful, overflowing with God's grace.  I don't know what I was thinking believing that the pain couldn't be THAT bad.  I was wrong.  Still, feeling every contraction and pushing out my beautiful blessing from my Father was and is indescribable. 

But, this isn't to talk about my labor.  This post is to talk about the beautiful gift that God allowed my husband and I to create.  The beautiful gift created by the beautiful gift of love.  All because God, in His grace and mercy, looked down from above, fearfully and wonderfully knitted me together in my mother's womb, planned my life, and predestined this girl from Knoxville to fall in love with an incredible man from Chattanooga, vow before God, family, and friends to love each other through thick and thin, and then He generously allowed our love to make a beautiful baby boy. 

Breathtaking.  I am in awe of God.  I am humbled.  I did nothing to deserve the life He has given me.  But He wanted to give me this life anyways.  All I can do in return is seek Him first, let Him pour into me so fully that I overflow Him into the lives around me, and live every day as a Song to my King.