New Every Morning

Just a few hours into a brand new year, the baby was hysterical, the boys were uncooperative, I was yelling, and the whole lot of us were running late to church.


What a start.


It was at that moment the musical Christmas clock that had been overlooked when we put up decorations the day before chimed directly into my ear, "Joy to the world, the Lord has come."


I hustled us on out the door trying to remember the JOY of Christmas we had celebrated just days before.


Greg met us in the parking lot at church and helped herd escort everyone to their perspective classes.  Sitting down for the first time since breakfast I feasted on a Sunday School lesson from Romans 7.  You know... the good ol' "what I want to do I don't and what I don't want to do, I do."  (a lot more fun if you read it out of the KJV) ;).  Much encouraging conversation stemmed from our lesson on our sin nature, the impossibility of doing any good in our own flesh, and the hope of Jesus in us (John 15).


The morning wrapped up with a worshipful song service followed by a sermon from Matthew chapter 1.  Yes, the 'begats'.  Have you ever taken the time to notice who's who in that cast of characters?  A lot of failure and sin in that history.  But the good news, the encouragement, is that God can use us in spite of our family history, our own failures, and our present circumstances.


What a relief.


What a blessing.


What a morning surrounded by God's reminders of His goodness.


Praying to carry these blessings into tomorrow as we begin a new year, a new week, and a new day.


Happy New Year to you all!