Merry Christmas!

Where is the snow? It is really almost Christmas?  While I have missed the snow and some of the busyness of Christmas, I realized that this year I have had a greater appreciation of the true celebration of Christmas.   As I think about this past year, a theme I see clearly is grace. I have heard about grace my entire life yet I did not realize until recently how little I have actually understood of grace. It's the difference between knowing it in your head and experiencing it in your heart. A year ago I read the book "Abba's Child" by Brennan Manning. I realized that I often feel like I can accept God's love when I'm living a good christian life and feel like I have things together. Yet, when I am face to face with my sin and my brokenness... at those very moments to realize God loves me and delights in me simply because I am His child... wow, talk about grace.

 "Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. God's love for  you and His choice of you constitutes your worth. Accept that, and let it become the most important thing in your life." I have seen how my natural inclination when I see my sin and brokenness is to want to hide in condemnation. I can relate to the prodigal son. It feels comfortable to dwell in the muddy grime of shame and condemnation for that is what I deserve. Instead, to go to my Abba Father and receive lavish grace, love, and compassion... to be honored as His child... how much greater faith that takes on my behalf. It takes courage to walk in my identity as His beloved child. It is a conscious choice to believe His glorious truth. That because of Christ Jesus, I am now seen as holy, blameless, pure, and righteousness. Every sin is washed away and I now belong to God. My Abba Father takes great delights in me, rejoices over me with singing, and declares that I belong to Him. Nothing can ever separate me from His love.

My Bible study recently has been in the book of Hebrews. God continues to show me His grace. I have gained a fresh appreciation of the new covenant. To imagine living in the Old Testament and to have to continually offer up sacrifices for ones sin. To constantly have ones guilt before them. To not be able to enter into the holy of holies. Oh the glorious truth of the gospel. The reason why we celebrate Christmas. That Jesus Christ would come to this earth and to die for us- the perfect sacrifice- to rise from the death and to now sit at the right hand of God. We now have a perfect sacrifice. Simply through believing in Christ Jesus as our Savior, all our sins are washed away. We can approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive help in our times of need. Our high priest declares on our behalf that we are holy, righteous, forgiven. Simply because we believe in Christ, every sin has been washed away. We are declared righteous. There is no need for us to earn righteousness for it has already been given to us at salvation. There is no  need to earn grace or forgiveness but to simply learn to accept the gifts that God has given us. 

This year I have seen my brokenness and because of it I have realized anew my need of a Savior. Grace has never been so amazing. This Christmas season I have had a newer and deeper appreciation of the gift of Christ Jesus. That is how much our God loved us. Through Christ Jesus we can receive and walk in grace and freedom from all condemnation. 

This radical thing called grace is something I am simply beginning to understand and embrace. I am grateful for the many ways God has allowed me to experience His grace. He has surrounded me with a community of friends and a church family that continue to speak this truth to me and to show me this beautiful gift. I look forward to a new year.To walk more firmly in my identity as His beloved daughter, lavished in grace. 

I pray that this Christmas each of you will take time to rest in His love and grace. May you be filled with joy as you celebrate this Christmas that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is Immanuel- God with us!

Merry Christmas!!

"I am my beloved and His desire is for me." Song of Solomon 7:10

 “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." Zephaniah 3:17

"In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us." Ephesians 1:5-8