For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. Colossians 1:20-22 NLT

Many times along our journey through life we will hear someone say, "If God is so good why does he let bad things happen?" Well, bad things happen because that is the nature of sin in which our world exists. It is while we are living in this condition that God poured out his grace for us through the blood of Christ on the cross. Grace brings us to life so that we may believe, enjoy and love God and his Word. Grace gives reconciliation to our emotions and thoughts concerning ourselves and how we see others. Grace by nature encourages, trusts and blesses and therefore relationships are strengthened and refreshed. Today may you be renewed in how you feel and think because of the grace of God. Do not let your old habits from your old nature have any place to express themselves in or through you. May your very presence bring peace and blessing to all who come in contact with you. On this day you are absolutely free to choose to rejoice and delight yourself in the Lord.

Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right. Proverbs 20:11 NLT

What we call character is what either builds or destroys relationships. Character is more than just a family name; it is the foundation for building life in a family, a neighborhood, a community or a nation. For some it can be about them first, how they feel, what they want or how they see things. In this place no one is really happy and wounded emotions take individuals down roads of adultery, divorce, drugs, drunkenness and over eating. Here families are wounded and broken, businesses fail and communities are in disarray. God’s grace given in Jesus Christ is much more than saving someone so that they may go to heaven someday. Grace brings a new character which is called eternal life. It is the freedom of life that becomes a blessing to all who know you. It has no jealousy, no bitterness and no regret. It is described as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in Galatians 5:22, 23 NLT. Today let yourself enjoy the freedom given to you in and through Jesus the Christ. His character is now yours, right now in the place where you find yourself. Your freedom is at hand, his blessing is now yours and you can be the blessing of God to your family, your business, your neighborhood and your community. Today is a good day to live the salvation of your character. Enjoy!

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

There is something absolutely beautiful and enjoyable when we find ourselves in a place where we are loved and respected. In this place there is no stress, anxiety or feeling of walking on egg shells. We find ourselves relaxed and refreshed so that we have the freedom of expression, especially the giving of gifts of encouragement, blessings in the details of people’s lives and helping in however we can, even financially. God's grace allows us the freedom to live this way twenty four seven, Wow! Talk about being refreshed, how about actually living in a place, no matter where we are found, where love is given and expressed without condemnation of any kind. Grace puts a smile in what we say and in what we do. Today, is a day that has never been nor will come again and may you find yourself overwhelmed with his grace. Praise and thanksgiving will naturally flow from your mouth as well as your hands. What you find to do today will bring joy to you as well as everyone around you. God's grace just makes a good day and allows you to see and hear with new eyes and ears. Feel free to have tones in your voice and expressions from your face that cause others to be refreshed as you have by his grace.

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered. Psalm 139:16,17 NLT

One of the beautiful benefits of God's grace is that it gives us the ability to relax and rejoice all at the same time, in some of the most awkward opportunities. Living overwhelmed by his grace gives us better hearing, of what is really around us and much better vision as to the situations we are walking through. Grace changes our values and choices which automatically impact our attitude for the day we find ourselves in. Living in a grace condition removes fears, anxiety and much of our mistrust about others. It gives the freedom to know that our Lord is involved in the details of our life and therefore we do not need to be offended so easily, we can enjoy encouraging others along their way as we have been encouraged by our Lord. Today let his grace put you at ease and enjoy his attitude of kindness as it will be seen and heard through you. You will be pleased at the way you process info and so will those around you. This is a good day to smile and give thanks to the one who has overwhelmed you with his grace, enjoy his thoughts, bringing praise and refreshment through you.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Psalm 63:1, 3

There may be moments in time when we can be in a great throng of people and yet feel weary and alone. It is as if we are in a dry and weary land where there is no water. There in that place we discover emotions that never give any life, they only seem to take. We name them as hopelessness, despair, sadness and depression. But right in that moment our God gives his grace which is water for our soul. It is his love that quenches all our thirsts and brings hope, joy, refreshment and an abundance of kindness. That is why his grace is called amazing and overwhelming. Today may you know the sweet relief of his love and grace. Let your emotions and thoughts be renewed in his presence and compassion. Allow yourself the sweet freedom of thanksgiving, praise and rejoicing in your soul and you will find your lips will glorify him; you will live in the beauty of his life where there is no regret or weariness.

Imitate God, therefore in everything you do because you are his dear children. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and course jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. Ephesians 5:1,3,4 NLT

What is commonly called salvation in Jesus Christ is the freedom that his grace gives to our character. If the things listed here in God’s Word were so outstanding, we would have stayed in them and rejected the freedom of his grace. Here we can experience the refreshing nature of grace as it renews our values, our thinking, our emotions and our attitudes towards God, family, friends and co-workers. Today may you celebrate the freedom you have in his grace to live in the joy of thanksgiving. Here, you and everyone around you will experience a delight in relationships with the Lord and each other. As you live and imitate God in the freedom of his grace, no one around you will be irritated, hurt or ashamed. Transparency, kindness and integrity will just be who you are.

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:25 – 27 NLT

Somehow along the journey of life, stress and worry show up and seem to make their home in our hearts. With them being resident in our emotions and thoughts habits begin to form so that our conclusions of where we are or where we might be in the future are much lesser than a blessing. Then tension shows up and our world does not seem to be enjoyable. Here in this place grace can be seen and felt. You see God’s grace in Jesus Christ replaces stress and worry with thanksgiving and praise. There is a great freedom and power in thanksgiving and praise, for where they are stress and worry cannot come or even express themselves. Oh, and by the way, tension is never found in grace. Today let your emotions and thoughts feel and experience the freedom of his grace. Let your heart express thanksgiving and praise through your mouth, with words and tones that will bless you and your family. Because of his grace you have been given a new life and it is yours to live.

Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God. Psalm 50:22,23 NLT

Sin has no desire for God or his path, and lives only for wanting, not thanksgiving. If left to itself, it will tear apart the individual, the family, the community and a nation. Yet, in this place the grace of our Lord can be found. Here in his grace is love given without limit or condemnation. His grace makes us new and in that place everything changes, from living a constant consumning life, to a life that gives thanks to the Lord and esteems others as more important. Living in the grace of Jesus the Christ renews us, our family, our community and even our nation. It is a life of rejoicing. Today may you choose the joy of our Lord as you consider your ways. May you find many varied ways to give thanks for the life you have, for what he has put into your hands and for the freedom that is yours to be an encouragement to everyone around you. There is no regret, no brokeness or tearing apart in the grace of our Lord.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:8, 10

At times life can and will seem a little hectic with all our opportunities that are before us. When those moments come we often feel emotional pressure which may express itself in an unfavorable way through our thoughts, our words, our tones of voice and even our expressions. But it is right in that moment where God’s grace in Jesus Christ gives us a freedom, that I like to call taking a breath. While there may be pressure and even disappointment, grace brings life in us so that our thoughts and attitudes are relieved with what is known as the joy of the Lord. Real freedom is his grace expressing through us the kindness and encouragement of his life. Today may you let his grace enjoy your situation with you. Grace brings no hectic pace, no regret and no sorrow with it. You will be blessed by all the various forms of his grace that will be expressed through you today, oh and by the way so will everyone around you. Enjoy!