Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Colossians 3:15 NIV

Life itself is just an amazing journey, when you think we all start off in the same place, as new born babies. No matter what nationality or language, for most of us we start off being cared for so that we fall in love with our parents all of which gives meaning to our relationships.  But we all discover that many of our relationships become tense, which will affect our attitudes and emotions. So in the beauty of God's grace we have to learn something, it is called “Let.”  For this to happen we have to desire the will of God. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.  This can start us off again in a new place where we can learn joy in the midst of our life. Since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  It is here where relationships can be healed with the grace of peace. Today let in the peace that our Lord has for you.    Allow your will to be refreshed in his peace and you will have expressions, emotions and words that bring encouragement to others as well as thankfulness to you.  Enjoy!

I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.  I will sing your praises among the nations.  For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.  Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 57:9, 10 NIV

If we are willing to start our morning by being thankful to the Lord, we will find our afternoons filled with praise. I will thank you, Lord, among all people. I will sing your praises among the nations. It is refreshing to be aware of God's grace and find our life being thankful at the beginning of each new day. Something always takes place in our life when we are willing to open our mouth and give thanks to the Lord.  Why are we willing?  For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.  Today before everything else starts to get your attention, open your mouth and let your heart express your thanks and praise to the one who is always faithful to you, always loving you, then watch what happens. (Psalm 37:4) Enjoy!

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 NIV

Being overwhelmed by God’s grace through Jesus Christ is a transformation that takes place within the desires of our heart.  Instead of words, tones or deeds that are less than refreshing, grace gives a new desire of expressing in whatever we do with our words or with our deeds thanks to God. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Words and actions of grace will refresh and encourage others through their life.  Emotions that live in grace are always renewing and bring a great relief of thanksgiving.  Today, may the life of His grace come out of your mouth very naturally and be expressed on your face.  The joy you will experience and the refreshment it will bring will absolutely delight you. When this verse is a description of who you are, then you will have an outstanding day, and your relationships will have an emotion called joy. Enjoy!

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  Romans 3:23, 24 NLT

 We are entering the beginning of the Christmas season.  This verse is God’s description of His gift to us, while we are in a less than stellar situation.  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard which means we all have found in our nature the results of that.  Jealousy, lust, irritations, anxiety, anger, feelings of criticism along with all forms of judgment concerning ourselves and others have come to us naturally.  There is not enough money or education in the world that can remove these things from how we feel.  But when we take God at his Word and receive his gift of grace (undeserved kindness) that is given to us in Jesus the Christ all things begin to change. Through Jesus Christ it is God who declares that we are righteous.   Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. Righteousness first gift is deliverance from guilt and then deliverance from the power of our own sin. In righteousness emotions of condemnation end and grace replaces it with new emotions of encouragement, peace and joy. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. In grace there is a blessing of joy that can be lived and experienced through our life. Today enjoy the life of grace that is yours because of Jesus Christ.  Let your mind experience the emotions of joy as your words and tones express rejoicing and praise.  If you are willing to receive his undeserved kindness through Christ Jesus, you will understand the blessing of his compassion and your life will become a wonderful fragrance to your family, your friends and those you meet.  Enjoy!

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work.  Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 NLT

One of the great benefits of the grace of Jesus Christ is that it gives us the ability to find thanksgiving in the everyday things of life. So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work.  Just look at our newspapers, our news channels and think how much complaining, grumbling, stress and anxiety go on in our time so that we forget how to be thankful and enjoy what we do have. We were meant to enjoy the simple things such as eating, drinking and all those taste buds in our mouth that are just waiting to express themselves.  Grace can celebrate these individual moments with an attitude of thanksgiving and that changes everything from how we feel to how we think.  Today let yourself find pleasure in the smallest things along your journey.  You, your family, your friends and those you come in contact with will be renewed through your attitude of grace.  Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.  Enjoy!

Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises?  Absolutely not!  If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it.  But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.  Galatians 3:21, 22 NLT

What is so amazing about God’s promise is that it gives something to us that we cannot ever accomplish or obtain by ourselves. If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. So we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.  It is called grace and known as a new life.  This new life is given through what God promised his grace would do through Jesus the Christ.  Sin is the conflict of our soul and it has no ability to love; it can only lust because it is always self-seeking.  The law says do, Grace says done!  The freedom of God’s grace lets us choose how we will respond to our opportunities.  We can now see clearly the difference between new life (freedom) and being a prisoner to our sinful emotions.  Today let your heart be refreshed in who you are because God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.  His grace lets you choose what direction your thoughts and emotions will go.  We now know why we sing – “Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me.” Enjoy!

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.  Jude 24 NLT

So many men and women who believe all the right things about the Lord Jesus Christ are still struggling with who they are.  How sad to have a faith that only focuses on who we are instead of on who God is.  Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away.  That is meant to bring great joy to our life because all that we are has been given by God and sustained by him.  Who will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.  Hallelujah!  If we can believe that Jesus the Christ died and rose again for us, then we can take God at his word in what he says here as true.  Today in everything you do, give glory and praise to God.  It will release the character of a new creation that has been given to you in Jesus Christ.  You will truly find joy and discover that the joy of the Lord is your strength. There is no one like the Lord!  Now all glory to God!  Enjoy!

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world.  It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace.  Colossians 1:6 NLT

What a beautiful picture of what the grace of Jesus Christ does.  This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives… God's Good News is that his grace changes lives which can be seen in renewed thoughts, refreshed emotions and transformed desires. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.   The Holy Spirit through Paul gave a word picture of the results of God's grace in a man or woman's life when he wrote to the Galatians.  Grace is called there the fruit of the Holy Spirit which produces changed lives that are now full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  There is no law against these things.  Galatians 5:22, 23 NLT. God’s wonderful grace changes lives which bring with it a freedom that makes you and your family new.  Today may you choose to enjoy a changed life given to you by the grace of Jesus Christ; it will bless you and overwhelm those around you to want to know about this Good News. Enjoy! 

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans 1:21, 22 NIV

Here in the Word of God are the results of a sinful life that says it knows God, but does not live like it knows God.  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him.  It is one thing to know that there is a God, but a belief in God that produces no love, no thanksgiving and no desire for God is a futile belief. But their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  God’s grace is His love given as a gift, so that we are delivered from our own guilt and the power of our own sins addictions. Grace is meant to change how we view God and bring about a new creation in us which changes how we feel and think about ourselves. Grace lets us know God in a way that renews our desires and then produces emotions of thanksgiving.  The man or woman that lives thankful in grace, automatically gives glory to God and knows his joy. So today may you know who you are by your own actions.  Choose to allow yourself to delight in finding ways to be thankful.  Let God's grace express through your attitude the life of a thankful heart.  In this place you will always be known for your kindness and your blessings.  Some of the most difficult situations are changed with a heart of thanksgiving.  Enjoy!

May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O LORD, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me.

Psalm 69:6 NIV

Our lives really can really make a difference, for good or bad to our family, our friends and those around us.  Our response to situations has a great impact on the lives of those who know us. Living in God’s grace that is given in Jesus Christ can change our focus on life.  May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O LORD, the LORD Almighty!  God’s Grace is full of life and joy!  There is no regret of any kind when we let the grace of Christ give direction to our responses. May those who seek you not be put to shame because of me. Today enjoy the blessing of eternal life that is in you, it is called God’s grace. Here you will find no embarrassment of any kind; in fact what you will experience is life that is rejoicing, light hearted and a sweet relief to you and those around you.  Enjoy!