Category Archives: peace

This Child of Grace

THIS CHILD OF GRACE

This Child of Grace of Christmas fame

was sent to us who fail at life,

who struggle to find peace and hope,

but spend our lives in sin and strife.

This Child of Grace, one sent from God

for love of men who do not know

that through His grace this Child gives hope,

that life with peace from Him could grow.

This Child of Grace, the perfect One,

this Child of Grace, the worthy One,

who left His throne in heaven above—

this Child of Grace, God’s only Son.

(2018)

THANK YOU JOURNAL

Gifts. So many of them. Sometimes I miss them because I am not looking. I took the challenge from the Christian writer, Ann Voskamp to find 1000 gifts from our Creator God. This is my “Thank You Journal”.  I  list my gifts and find I have lots to be thankful for. They aren’t major gifts. One day it was a sunny day after a lot of winter days. Another day it was simply peanut butter or half a grapefruit. Some days it is that I feel really good or I don’t hurt. I have given thanks for water that comes to my house so easily when I have read that clean water is available in some countries. My grandchildren, my car running despite many miles on it, a hot cup of coffee, a day at home after a busy week are all marvelous gifts. The other day I wrote tacos. I had been wanting to have tacos but since I live alone, I wouldn’t be able to buy just enough make only one meal. When I was at my daughter’s the other day, they had tacos for dinner and I got to stay.

I have made a commitment to put down five things I am thankful for every day. It may seem silly to some that I write down these simple things as gifts. But doing that reminds me that God is interested in even the little events of my life. When things aren’t going well, they remind me that God is there and He is taking care of me. In the really bad times which we all go through, I can have peace.

This isn’t the first Thank You Journal I have kept. But it is the prettiest and probably the least expensive. But inside are words of gold. So I add, thank you, Father in Heaven, that you give me gifts that show me you care. Not big ones most of the time, but small ones I can tuck into my heart. I love you.

PEACE ON EARTH

Christmas. The angels proclaimed Christ’s birth with joyful songs and “peace on earth, good will to men!” But do we see that? There is no peace on earth. There are wars and rumors of war. Terrorists threaten everyone. There are lonely, grieving people. Death touches so many lives. What do we have to rejoice about?

But we misunderstand the peace God offers to man. When Adam sold the world into sin and Satan’s power, the relationship with God was broken and there was no peace on earth. Ever since, man has been at war with God, wanting to run their own lives, and finding frustration and unrest, not peace. Because Jesus (who is God) came to earth, lived, died, and rose again, he restored man’s relationship with God and through the relationship with Jesus. Even though everything about me is chaos and in tatters, I can have peace with God, true peace. And I rejoice. I have life with God, not just now, but for eternity.

BECAUSE OF LOVE
Glory could not hold him
when love called out his name
His Father bade him change his
clothes of glory’s reign.

The Son of God left heaven
to don a servant’s life
to dress in human skin to
serve those lost to strife.

Because of love he suffered;
because of love he died.
Because of love he rose that
with God we could abide.