Joy to the world!

Today for the first time ever Zoe and Nathan have been sleeping for over an hour at the same time. (YAHOO, play the Hallelujah chorus!!!) So, for the first time since Zoe was born, I had some quiet afternoon moments to read Scripture and reflect on the past year. In our MOMS group at Brookhaven, we've been reading the book Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life by Emily Freeman. By the way, if you ever have a chance to read this book--READ IT! I'm only half way through, but the Lord has been challenging and convicting me through every page. Today as I was reading through a chapter the Lord took me on an incredible journey through His Word, highlighting His amazing gift of love and grace, and I just can't help sharing one very awesome passage of Scripture with you today. So in light of this Christmas season as we celebrate the amazing gift of Christ's birth, here are the words of peace, love, and joy that the Lord overwhelmed my heart with today.


Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 5:1-10 (NLT)

Today I am SO SO SO thankful that "while I was utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for me." Let's rejoice in God's deep love this Christmas season :-).