Christmas happy...

My sister posted this the other day about her trip to Target with my three year old nephew Garrett. It's too cute not to share...

Christmas happy: We were at Target last night picking up some additional lights, when G looks over and says," OOOh, look at all the pinata sticks mommy!" I turn, confused,"They are cool, but no G, that's wrapping paper".

I think they've lived in South Texas too long haha!

Do You Believe That God Wants Best...

A dear friend reminded me this morning...Do you believe that God wants best for you? That he isn’t with holding anything from you that you need? You may be frustrated that you aren’t getting what you want in the moment, but do you trust him?

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to death.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 84: 11-12 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

As we grow in the Lord our way of life will change. It has to change. Everything changes. Previously we’ve done things our way and love feeling as though we are in control. When we start to lose that control, and finally allow God to lead our lives and start to follow, it can be a tough transition. So much of our lives we’ve chased after what we want and done things our way, but where has that lead us? Hurt, heartbroken, empty, or maybe realizing there has got to be something more. So often we become dependent on ourselves and others that we aren’t dependent on Christ as Savior of our lives.
Do you believe that God wants best for you? That he isn’t with holding anything from you that you need? You may be frustrated that you aren’t getting what you want in the moment, but do you trust him? Are you taking time to truly know God?

2 Peter 1:2-11

2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Forgiven People are in Heaven.

JESUS TALKED MORE ABOUT HELL THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN THE SCRIPTURES COMBINED. HE SPOKE MORE ABOUT HELL THAN HEAVEN...think about that.

JP brought it last Tuesday. While writing The Porch News this week I become teary eyed thinking about how bad we miss it. By “it” I mean understanding what Jesus, our SAVIOR, did for each of us. We could never imagine how good our God is, and therefore can’t even begin to imagine how bad hell is.

“There is no pain in this world that compares to hell.” Hell is real, it is not a joke, and it is not a party. What breaks my heart is that we, ourselves, are what is going to keep us from eternity in heaven with our Father. “What prevents us from all the goodness God has for us? Ourselves.” (Matthew 10:39, John 3:30) Who should end up in hell? Everyone. We have all run from God. (Mark 10:18)

Romans 3:9-12 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all!... As it is written:“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away..."

“Addictions to sex, porn, attention, spending, relationships…all those things are born out of an addiction to ourselves.”

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Think about some hard truth JP shared Tuesday:
*We are called to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-39).

We often respond, “nah love me”.

*The opposite of loving God is not worshiping Satan, it is worshipping self.
*We love His stuff and so often just want to bargain with him to get what we want.

I pray so much that you all would experience what I have in the moment where I “got it”…I need JESUS, I need a SAVIOR! I finally understood that my way of life, no matter the temporary happiness, will ALWAYS lead to death (Proverbs 16:25), and keep me from this indescribable life I’ve now found with Christ.

“Good people and bad people end up in both heaven and hell. The difference is those who are forgiven are in heaven."

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. -2 Corinthians 7:10

Praying you all would experience His amazing grace~

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