Thank you all so much for following “Today’s Encouraging Thought!” It is a blessing to hear ‘your’ encouraging feedback and I am truly more blessed by you than you can imagine. In light of the verse below, I believe the Lord is inviting me to take a little time off from ‘daily posts’ to rest in Him, reflect on all He has done and listen for what is next. If that is something that resonates with you, I invite you to take a break and visit a quiet place as well. Either way, I will see you back here in a few weeks. Have a blessed January.

P.S. I should also mention that this was not an easy decision, and I do believe it is important to ‘not’ fall off the face of the planet as far as communication goes, so I will continue to use “Messenger” and email! :):) I will miss you all!

Only the Lord knows His plan and He has promised to give us a future and a hope! We are to simply look to Him, listen to Him and follow His lead. I can’t think of a better way to begin and live out this New Year! I pray this will be so for you today and always!🙏🏻💖

There is no better feeling than to end one year and begin another with a heart that is resting and settled, united with the Father through His Son Jesus Christ…the One who makes our sins white as snow! Thank You, Lord!!!

God says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Me.” He responds to our faith…not simply what He can do for us, but who we believe He is. As we prepare our hearts to enter 2019, this is a great time to ponder and affirm who God is to us…with faith!

Our own sin, failures and mistakes can weigh us down and render us useless, but Jesus came to redeem us…to set us free from the weight of our sin and shame. When we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and, yes, to break every chain!!!

A few bits of Christmas-wrap, tissue paper and ribbons are the visible reminders of a long-anticipated, joyful Christmas Day celebration…and with it, we have the comfort and joy of knowing the ‘True Gift of Christmas’ is with us yesterday, today and forever!

The angel delivered the most amazing gift to Mary, wrapped in a promise, and she willingly believed and trusted that the Lord would unwrap and fulfill it. Thus, she was called blessed, and surely she was as she kissed the cheek of her infant Son and Savior!

Mary’s faith was strong because of Who she put her faith in – the God of the Universe, the Father of all Creation! She believed the Angel’s promise and God miraculously empowered her to conceive, carry and bare His precious Son, the Savior of the world!

Sweet as it was, Jesus came for more than this blessed birth, He came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. God’s perfect Son lived a perfect life and gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Precious Lamb of God, how eternally grateful we are!

Good news can be wonderfully surprising and, surely, it was all that and more for the shepherds when they heard of our Savior’s birth from a host of ANGELS! Yes, Jesus is still the Good News to all who welcome Him into their hearts and lives.

All of God’s promises are fulfilled in and through His Precious Son Jesus. His Word held true then, it is true now and it will hold true forevermore. Praise God He came to be with us now, to the very end of the age and throughout all eternity! Hallelujah to the King!

“Wonderful Couselor, the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God is He; Saving me and keeping me for all eternity. How can I help but give Him all my heart, live for Him alway? He is the Mighty God, the KING OF KINGS! Christ Jesus is His Name!” Ruth E. Turnwall, C.E.F.

Mary was chosen to carry the promised Messiah….and even as she faced the trials of unwed motherhood, she knew it was  a great privilege. Thus, she rejoiced and glorified the Lord regardless of the repercussions! Yes, with God, nothing is impossible, even this!

God created the rising of the sun to come packed full of the promises of a new day, as does every promise He spoken to us in His Word. Mary was called blessed because she believed, and we who believe will be too!

The wise men gave us a wonderful example of the true Spirit of Christmas. Before they presented their gifts they presented themselves to the newborn King. We quickly forget the things wrapped in pretty packages, but we never forget the presence of loved ones!

Some have counted that the Bible says not to fear 365 times, one for each day of the year. Sometimes we need to remember this 365 times a day! The angel’s announcement may have made it one of those days for Mary…And we know how wonderful that turned out!

The One who came to bring peace on earth and goodwill to all men knows when our minds and lives reel out of control, and He will give us peace that passes all understanding even in the midst of chaos. Simply focus and trust…you have a Helper!

This season pulses with racing hearts rushing to the next event, waiting in long lines and sitting in traffic jams. And so it was amidst the chaos of tax collecting in Bethleham…there was no room for the Savior but room was made, and may it be so with us!

Do you know that God lavishly loves you? Give yourself the gift of His love this Christmas! He is patiently waiting for you to see and know it. Bathe in it, wear it, inhabit it as a beloved son or daughter of the Most High God! His love for YOU endures forever!

Sometimes this joyous season can also be one of the most difficult times of year, especially after the loss of a loved one. But even in this, our Savior promises to comfort and bless us… Ah yes, He is the Promised One, Emmanuel, God with us!

Christmas is a time for new decorations, new ugly Christmas sweaters, new recipes and new traditions! And the ‘Ancient of Days’ came to make all things new in our hearts and lives…His love, grace, mercy and faithfulness are beautiful and new very morning!

Passing love on to one another all began with the Father’s love for His Son Jesus, who passed it on to us. Love is the greatest gift we can give anytime of year, but this season brings on new meaning as we celebrate the Love of God coming down in human form.

El Roi, the God Who Sees, was with Hagar – a used, abused, rejected handmade – and so He is with us in our trials…and blessings! He compassionately sees and, yes, He is with us…to comfort, strengthen, guide, protect, forgive and LOVE us! He sees!

As the angel announced to Joseph, Jesus would be called Emmanuel, God With Us. He is the Living Word, the walking, talking, living image of the Most High God…as is His Holy Spirit that lives within us. He IS God With Us, and will be forevermore!

It’s been said that laughter is the sweetest music that ever greeted the human ear. God’s children laughed and talked so joyfully that it brought Him glory! How incredible would it be if we – especially during this Christmas season – laughed contagiously!!?!

He is Wonderful in all He sacrificed for our salvation, our Couselor to guide our lives, our Mighty God who is powerful beyond our imagination, our Everlasting Father for all eternity and the Prince of Peace who redeems our souls and restores our lives.

Someone once said, “Attutude is every thing, pick a good one!” And we certainly can choose to be grateful or grumpy…or during this season, we can choose humbug or hallelujah! 🙂 How much better to lift our souls in joyous praise to the Lord…and who knows, it might just be contagious!

We can approach the Throne of Grace expectantly every morning. It is there that we will find love, compassion, grace, mercy and help flowing from the very heart of God! Each day, His faithfulness is as new, crisp and fresh as a long walk after a good rain!

Rest may be the farthest thing from our minds during this busy season, but it is singnificant to our attitudes, energy and productivity. As we rest in the Lord, in His Word and in communion with Him, He restores it all! Rest!

Thank God He doesn’t love us because we do everything right, He loves us because we are His children. We receive God’s amazing love, grace and mercy by faith in His Son, and since we can’t earn His Gift of love and affection, we can’t lose it either!

God is working His purposes and His grace in daily lives. From before the beginning of time itself, nothing has ever or will ever surprise our eternal all-knowing, ever-present, all-powerful God. He knew all about today yesterday, and He was already here!

To see it is to believe it…a lake as smooth as glass, a mountain higher than the clouds, Niagra Falls or the Grand Canyon. It is much the same with our Savior, as we explore His Word, His Story…. Once we truly see HIM, we believe!