White. . . pristine. . . holy. . . . covering a multitude of UGLINESS!!!

Last night. . . I went to bed and a beautiful blanket of white purity covered the night.  It covered the ugliness of the day.  It covered the awful crevices created by a long harsh winter.  It covered the awful remnants of half a year, gone cold.  It covered a lot of dirtiness that was not very pleasing to the eye.  It covered it - and made it look pure.  Pristine.  BEAUTIFUL!  Those dark spots that winter had created. . . that winter had cast it's long dark shadows over. . . . it covered it all.  The snow.  A cloak that covered it all. 

Today as I woke, I thought about how Christ does that for us.  It's not like He doesn't know what's in us.  It's not like He doesn't know about each angry, misdirected, ungodly thought, but He doesn't hold it over our heads.  He covers it with a fresh blanket of holiness.  He gets rid of it forever.

While I am not a big fan of winter, and this one truly has gone on long enough, I was lured by the thought that like the blanket of snow, Christ covers our sins.  We just have to bring them to Him and they are gone - covered.  The big difference is that by the end of the day, the snow is gone - but Christ's forgiveness is limitless.  He doesn't unearth those dark spots in our lives.  He gets rid of them forever.  It is me who sometimes can't let go of those sins.  I might ask for forgiveness and He forgives me, but so many times, I realize it's ME who needs to forgive ME again.  It's me who struggles to get rid of the cold awful heart, the darkness of my negative thoughts, dark shadows of sin in my life.  Christ forgives me FREELY!  He covers them. . . and they STAY covered. Pure, holy, forgiven!  But I am the one that seems to be unable to keep them covered.  And I go to the places where Satan loves to see me go - looking at myself as unworthy.  Unforgivable.  Undesirable. Unwanted.  But all those things are what Satan is telling me.  He is trying to get me to melt that holy forgiveness away and expose those things. That's not Christ.  He has promised to forgive those things.

It's hard.  To believe that God can do that.  That God can not only cover those sins, but really take them away and remember them no more.   It's a tough thing sometimes, but let's remember to take a look at ourselves the way Christ sees us.  The white pristine holy child of His.  He loves us.  He died for us.  And that's what I need to focus on.  He did it for me.  It's already done.  HE LOVES ME!

Happiness is a decision

So i've been struggling a bit lately with finding the joy.  and as i looked out my window today and watched the snow fall down - YES - the snow (April 24!!!) i was struck with how pretty it looked despite the fact it was almost May. it really was so pretty.  i know i've talked about perspective and this was one of those times.

however, i also realized that so much of how i feel is a choice i make as to how i am going to react.  as i was thinking about that fact, i came across this video on facebook that changed my day completely.  it just made me smile and made me feel happy.

hope it lifts your day today too!

if you liked that one, i'm sure you'll appreciate this one too.

He's Risen. . . now what?

It's Monday. . . the day after Easter. . . the day after Christ rose from the dead.  The day after life forever changed.

And now what? ? SO what? Today as I told the story of the two walking to Emmaus I was struck by how life didn't seem to have changed for them.  They were still sad.  Jesus was not real to them.  Rumors of His resurrection had been only that to them - rumors.  Nothing real.  Nothing tangible.  Just the terrible sadness.  The feeling of being let down.  Betrayed.

And then. . .  just like that. . . He was there.  He was in the middle of them - breaking bread.  Changing their lives forever.  Causing them to believe.  Imagine their shock!  Imagine their sheer joy when they realized that their beloved Savior was indeed ALIVE.  Oh how that simple fact changed their lives.  They raced back to Jerusalem.  Shrieking the news to whoever would listen.  They had experienced Him.  They had encountered Jesus!!!!

I wonder this Monday after Easter how our lives have changed.  This day after the Resurrection.  The day when forever history was altered.  How am I different?  How has His Resurrection altered MY life?  Lent is over.  He is Risen. . . but so what?  What difference does that make to me?  How has my life changed because He is ALIVE?

I think sometimes I go about life living it as though that weren't the case.  I do not mean to be sacrilegious.  But really.  Sometimes I go about my life as though Christ dying and rising from the grave for my sins makes no difference.  Some days it does.  Some days I'm really aware of what Christ did for me.  For all the things He died for in my life.  But then Monday comes around. . . and what. . . life takes over and I forget.  I focus on the wrong things.  I focus on today, instead of "yesterday" - Easter.  I forget that the fact that JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE should be an EVERY day life changing concept.  It should alter how I go about every single day of my life.

So He's risen. . . Now what?   How is my day going to be changed by that one thought?  How am I going to change my day because of that very thought????  It had BETTER change my day - because His resurrection changed HISTORY!!!!  and I am a part of that history.  I am a part of the reason that Jesus willingly died and carried my sins.  He's Risen. . . what am I going to do with that????  What are you?