OUR FINAL BILL

I opened my email today and almost had a heart attack! My daughter's electric bill was in my email and it was over $200!! She had actually had a credit for the last several months so it came as quite a shock!

Of course, I immediately suspected the bill was in error so I called the electric company. After having to punch several buttons and then holding for quite a while, my frustration level was growing by the minute! I finally spoke to a representative who seemed to be frustrated that I had called about my bill! Well, after several minutes and frustration on both of our parts, she finally was able to explain that this was a correct bill! The bills from the months before had been estimates and now reality had set in - this was for actual usage!

After praying for God to help me calm down and relax - after all, it is only money!! - I started thinking about how there are people who live their lives like this bill - estimating on how it will turn out and then when the "final bill" comes, they have to face reality!

God is the only one who can give us a wonderful "final bill", the best reality we could ever ask for! Our salvation can only be found in Him! We don't have to guess what our "final bill" will be as long as we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour!

Thank you, Lord, for giving us a glorious "final bill"! Thank you for giving us the assurance of a blessed eternity with You!

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

JESUS MAKES US NEW AGAIN!

Every four to six weeks, I am forced to "wash the gray right out of my hair"! Today as I was completing this task that makes me feel so old, I began thinking of how lucky we are that Jesus washed our sins away when He died on the cross for us and makes us new again. All we need to do is ask Jesus into our lives and our sins are washed away! It doesn't mean we won't sin again - none of us are perfect. But it does mean that Jesus is always with us. We do need to ask Jesus for forgiveness for our sins but He will always be with us.

Unlike washing the gray out of my hair that makes me feel so old, Jesus makes me feel so new! Every day is a new day with Jesus! Every day is sweeter than the day before! I can see the gray hairs that I hate and wash away. But even though I cannot see Jesus, He fills me with such joy and peace!

Thank you, Lord, for washing away my sins and making me new again!


Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1Peter 1:8-9

AMAZING GRACE

One of my all time favorite hymns is Amazing Grace. This song has touched the hearts of millions of people, been song in millions of churches and recorded in many different versions of the song, but the meaning is still the same. We are all saved by the grace of God!

Amazing Grace was written by John Newton, a slave trader, who had lost his soul in the search for power, money, and pleasure. When, out of the blue, grace came into his life, he changed completely and was moved to write, "I once was lost but now am found; was blind but now I see." Before his moment of grace, he could not see the truth of love, compassion, and kindness. But after he found his soul, he saw the light! And it was truly an AMAZING GRACE!!

Let us remember during this holiday season as we are out shopping and finding the perfect gift, that we have truly received the perfect gift - the gift of salvation and grace from God!

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8