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A Book Review of Educated by Tara Westover

Some books I read and while I enjoy them, I don’t remember them for very long. Then there are books that I continue to think about long after I finish reading them. Educated is a memoir by Tara Westover that I will remember for a long time.

Tara Westover was raised in Idaho by separatist parents. Tara’s father dominated their family with his anti-government beliefs. He was convinced that the Feds were coming to get them and that the end of the world was coming soon. He had the family store away food, gasoline and other supplies in preparation for the end times. They were not allowed to go to doctors even when they suffered life threatening injuries.

While some of her older siblings received some public education, Tara never attended school. They told people they were home schooled, but there was very little schooling that occurred in her home. She watched as other kids went to school and eventually one of her older brothers left their home and went to college.

As an attempt to get away from an older brother who abused her, Tara realized she needed to go to college. With the encouragement of the brother who went to college, Tara decided she would take the college admission test to get into Brigham Young University. Over time Tara taught herself enough math and science to pass the ACT. She was admitted to BYU and at seventeen years old she walked into a classroom for the first time in her life.

Can you imagine your first education experience taking place in college? When she gets to college Tara begins to understand how little she knows about world events. In a startling scene in one of her college classes Tara was introduced to the Holocaust for the first time. Tara went on receive a high level education while dealing with many family conflicts.

This book will amaze you as you read about her attempts to separate herself from her family and follow her dreams while trying to remain connected to them. This book brings to light the importance of family, but the challenges that family can sometimes present.

If you enjoy reading memoirs I think you will enjoy Educated by Tara Westover.

I would love to hear what you think if you get a chance to read this book.

God Gives Grace to Mothers Too

I recently posted a question on Facebook where I asked mothers about their frustrations, challenges and worries. One thing I noticed about the responses was how mothers are worried that they will do it wrong. One of our biggest concerns as mothers is that we will mess things up so bad for our children that they will be scarred for life. We fear that our children will be laying on a couch years down the road telling someone they have paid to listen, “Let me tell you about my mother.”

I just want to remind tired, frustrated, worried moms that God gives grace to mothers. The fact is, there is not one of us who will parent perfectly and we need to remember that God forgives our mess-ups.

We will make mistakes. We will raise our voices too often, we will let them eat too much junk food, we will let them watch a lot of TV, we will give them too many things. Cereal will be the dinner of choice too many times. We will have times when we discipline too harshly and times when we will not discipline enough. We will not always be the spiritual example we need to be.

And when they get older, our children will make decisions that make us question everything we did. We will hear ourselves saying things such as, “Didn’t I teach you better?” We will second guess how we raised them and we may even have regrets that keep us up at night.

It is at this time we need to remember that we have a kind, compassionate, loving Father who gives grace for our mistakes and shortcomings. Micah 7:18 “You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” We serve a God who delights in showing us mercy.

God’s mercy allows us to forgive ourselves and wake up the next day and do it better.

Giving Grace to One Another

We need to remember that God gives us grace, and we also have to remember to give grace to one another.

It can be a temptation to look at other mothers and see their mistakes. It is easy to judge the mother at McDonalds who screams at her children, or the mother at church whose child is the terror of all terrors. We wonder what a mother did wrong when her teenager rebels and makes poor decisions.

We need to give grace and remember that there may be things going on that we don’t know about. Maybe someone doesn’t discipline like you do because they were not raised the same way you were. Maybe they are having a bad day and you see them at their worse. Maybe their child has needs and challenges we don’t know about. Maybe that mom is tired and worn out because she doesn’t have the support at home of a loving husband.

Just as God delights in giving mercy to us, let’s learn to give mercy to one another.

“But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

Psalm 86:15

Do you struggle with remembering God’s grace and forgiveness?

Do you worry about parenting perfectly?

The Thin Line Between Crazy and Courageous

I love the Olympics, but some of the events are crazy.

I want to know who came up with that double luge thing? Have you seen it? It is the luge event where one guy is laying on top of another on a small sled and going down an icy track at, I don’t know, 150 miles per hour or something like that.

Do you think maybe a guy got his most vulnerable and needy friend and told him, Lay down on the sled and I am going to lay down on you and we are going for a ride? And when the friend objected he said, Don’t worry, it will be okay. You won’t be able to see a thing. And when the friend objected again he said, You can breathe again when it’s over. It won’t take long because we will go really fast and we will either crash or we will make it to the finish line.

And the vulnerable, needy friend said, Okay, I will go. I kind of like the idea of going down this icy track with you. And after it’s over can we go get lunch, just you and me?

Some crazy person came up with this event and now hundreds, maybe thousands of people participate in it, and millions watch it. That’s crazy!

CRAZY OR COURAGEOUS?

There is a fine line between crazy and courageous. God doesn’t call us to be crazy, but he does call us to be courageous even though courage may look a little crazy. Before the Israelites went into the promised land they were told by Moses and by God, “Be strong and courageous.” Over and over they were given this message because they were going to face some things that took courage. They were going to fight battles and fight their fears. They were going to face death, disease, and discomfort. They needed to be courageous to do what God told them to do.

Shortly before King David’s death he was handing over the reign to his son Solomon and leaving the huge task of building a temple to God. David said, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished (I Chronicles 28:20).”

I have times in my life when I need to hear these same words, “Be strong and courageous and do the work…for the Lord God, my God, is with you.” When life feels overwhelming, be strong and courageous. When marriage gets hard and raising kids feels so frustrating, we need to hear these words. When life gets hard, when tragedy strikes, we need to remember that God has promised to always be with us.

This Christian walk takes courage. It takes courage to love our enemies and care for those who don’t care for us. It takes courage to minister to people in our neighborhood, our city or even a foreign country. It takes courage to tell people about Jesus when we know they make think we are crazy. It takes courage to love like Jesus loved.

One of the greatest examples of courage we have in the Bible is Peter. Yes, Peter, the man who denied Jesus. After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter grew into a courageous proclaimer of Jesus. Shortly after Jesus had returned to heaven, Peter was taken before the Sanhedrin and told to never speak the name of Jesus again. Peter responded, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must me saved (Acts 4:12).” We are then told, “When the Sanhedrin saw the courage of Peter and John…they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Where is God calling you to be courageous?

Do you need to face an issue with addiction or a destructive habit? Do you need to reach out and get help with something? Do you need to have a hard conversation? Do you need to begin doing something that God has called you to do? Do you need to step out of your comfort zone?

What courageous thing do you need to do?

To learn more about Peter check out my Bible study Called by Christ.

Learning to Wait and Persevere Like Olympians

I love watching the Olympics. I find it exciting to watch the different Olympic sports. Watching people get on a board, lay on their back and slide down an icy track is so exciting to me. Maybe that’s because it looks absolutely crazy. And then there is the ski jump. Who was the first one to decide they would go as fast as possible down a hill and then jump off it? I don’t know, but I will watch. And that whole curling thing. Who thought there would ever be a sport where the broom like the one in your kitchen could be used in a sport? Who doesn’t want to watch grown men sweep ice? For some women this may be a rare time they get to see a man use a broom.

While the events are great, what I love most of all are the athletes. I am inspired by two qualities in these athletes – the way they wait and persevere.

WAITING

Lindsey Vonn is one of the most decorated female skiers of all time. She has won four World Cup championships and she won the gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. Due to a long list of injuries, Lindsey has had to wait eight years to get another opportunity to compete in the Olympics.

Eight years seems like a long time to wait, especially in a culture where we don’t like to wait on our microwave popcorn.

I think I can safely say, waiting is hard for most people. We don’t like waiting in line, or waiting on food. We hate waiting in traffic and we don’t want to wait at the DMV.

God, in all his wisdom, has told us that there are times in our lives when we need to wait. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 33:20 says, “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” Psalm 119:166 says, “I wait for your salvation, Lord, and I follow your commands.”

As Christians, we wait for answers to our prayers. We wait for the the fulfillment of God’s promises, some of which we will never see fulfilled here on earth. We wait for Christ’s return. We wait for God’s will to be done. We wait for people to change. We wait to see God working in our world. We wait for God’s salvation. We wait on God’s timing which often is not our timing.

Waiting can be hard and frustrating, but like athletes who continue to train, there are things we can do while we wait.

First, we pray. Prayer is the best training we can do while we wait. Sometimes, prayer can feel so helpless, but it is the most powerful thing we can do.

The other thing we do while waiting is to get to know our God. Just like any other relationship, the relationship we have with God grows when we spend time with him and learn more about him. Spend time in his word and when you do ask, “What does this scripture teach me about God?”

PERSEVERANCE

Cross country skiathlon may not be one of the most watched events in the winter Olympics, but the story of the gold medal winner in this years Olympics is a story of perseverance. Simen Kruger went into this Olympics as a favorite to win a medal. He had a World Cup win in December, but his Olympics did not get off to a good start. Shortly after the race began, Kruger fell and two other athletes fell on top of him. As all the other skiers took off, Kruger was at the bottom of a pile of skiers, skis, and poles. It was a tangled mess of people, poles and skis and in the pileup Kruger broke his pole. After untangling from the mess and getting a new pole, Kruger was in last place. Gradually, Kruger caught up with the rest of the field. He then passed all the other skiers and won the gold medal. Kruger said that after the initial fall he thought his race was over, but he got up and kept racing.

The writer of Hebrews says, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” It takes perseverance to run this Christian race. Perseverance means we keep going when tragedy strikes or when trials come our way.

No one plans to fall during their race, but we will all fall at some point. Getting up after we fall and continuing the race is what God calls each of us to do.

When you watch the Olympics, think about the athletes had to wait and persevere to make it to the Olympics. Remember, wherever you are and whatever God has called you to in this Christian walk it requires waiting and perseverance.

What other lessons have you learned from Olympians?

How good are you at waiting and persevering? Which of these is more challenging for you?

Are You More Interested in Being Right or Being Jesus?

Most of us like to be right, I know I do. I like to be right about sports predictions, I like to be right with my children, I like to be right about people, I like to be right about the Bible. Recently I heard Bob Goff, author of Love Does, say, “I’m not trying to be right, I’m trying to be Jesus.”

What would our world look like if Christians were trying to be Jesus rather than trying to be right? How would our world be different if we stopped debating, stopped arguing, stopped demanding our rights, and just acted like Jesus?

When we look at Jesus we see him doing a lot of things that we can learn from, but being right was not one of them. If Jesus had been interested in being right we would see him debating and arguing with the religious leaders of his day. Instead, we see Jesus caring more about people than caring about being right. If we want to be like Jesus here are two things we can learn from him.

LOVE THE UNLOVABLE

The first thing we can do is to love the unloveable. You don’t have to look very hard to see how Jesus loved the unlovable, the outcast.

Jesus spent time with outcasts such as, Samaritans, lepers, tax collectors and women. One memorable occurrence was the day Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well. This woman who had several strikes against her – she was a Samaritan, she was a woman and her record with men was not great. It is easy to see in this story how shocked this woman was that Jesus wanted to talk to her. Jesus spent time with her and it changed her life as well as the lives of many in her town.

Jesus calls us to love the outcasts in our world. Think about those in your community who Jesus would spend time with if he was here. Would he visit the homeless shelter or hang out with the guy on the street holding the cardboard sign? Would Jesus visit the sick in the hospital? Would he visit the widow in your neighborhood who feels so alone? Think about who Jesus would spend time with in your community and make a point to talk to them, visit with them, say hello and let them know you care.

EMBRACE THE INTERRUPTIONS

I hate interruptions, especially when I have a lot to do.

I think one big, maybe huge, difference between me and Jesus is that he embraced interruptions.

Jesus woke up every day knowing he had a lot to do. He was sent to this earth with some very important objections. He came to show us God, he came to show us how God loves the world, and ultimately he came to redeem all of mankind. When we read about Jesus days on this earth we see that he was constantly interrupted.

One of those times Jesus was interrupted is recorded in Mark chapter 5. Jesus was on his way to heal a young girl. There was a high powered man whose daughter was sick and Jesus was headed to heal her when he was interrupted by a sick woman. Jesus was walking through a very crowded area when he stopped and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” It was a crowded area and it could have been a number of people and that is what his apostles pointed out to him. But Jesus knew that someone had touched him and they were healed immediately. That is when the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years stepped forward and admitted it was her.

When I read that story I notice that Jesus does not treat interruptions the way I do. He was not upset with the woman, he did not treat her like she was a bother or unimportant. Jesus stopped and said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

Doctors appointments, illness, broken things, upset people, telephone calls and many other things can all be interruptions in our days. Interruptions usually mean a change in our plans. The interruptions in our lives may be God’s way of getting our attention. The next time your plans are interrupted, stop and ask God to let you see what he wants you to see or learn in the interruption.

If we want to be Jesus in our world we need to learn to love those who are outcasts and embrace the interruptions that come our way.

Which of these do you struggle with, loving the unlovable or embracing interruptions?

To read more about some of the women Jesus encountered check out my book Changed by Jesus.

A Book Review for Historical Fiction Fans

I love reading historical fiction. It is fun to learn a little history while reading a great story at the same time. I recently finished a great new historical fiction book by Susan Meissner, As Bright As Heaven. I have read several of Susan’s book including Secrets of a Charmed Life which I highly recommend, but I think this was my favorite of her books.

This story is set in Philadelphia in 1918 as the flu epidemic is sweeping through the city. Meissner says she chose Philadelphia as the setting because over twelve thousand people died and it was one of the hardest-hit American cities during the flu epidemic.

I found this book very interesting because the father and the uncle in the book are in the funeral business. I haven’t read many books where the profession of the central characters are morticians. It works so well in this book because death and the toll it takes on so many is an important message in this book.

This story is told through the mother, Pauline, and her three daughters. I think you will really like the four women in this book.

Meissner is an excellent writer who writes a great story in a historical setting. I highly recommend As Bright As Heaven if you love historical fiction with strong female characters.

Let me know what you think if you get a chance to read this book.

Feb 2
Dana
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Book Review
As Bright As Heaven, Book review, historical fiction, Susan Meissner

3 Ways to Help Make Gratitude a Habit

What would you do if I told you there was a way to lower your stress level and improve your health both physically and emotionally? Would you want to know more? It is not a pill, and it is not a diet plan, but it is a new habit. This thing that can improve your life in so many ways is gratitude. According to the book The Power of Thanks, gratitude can help us achieve more, it can help us sleep better and it can make us more resilient to trauma.
I love when studies confirm something that God told us in His word. First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It sounds like it could help us all if we made gratitude a habit.

Here are three ways to help make gratitude a habit in your life.

1. Write it down

I want to challenge you to begin your day by writing down three things you are grateful for. By starting our day this way it helps us remember what bring us joy and some days we desperately need that reminder.
Writing those things down also helps us learn to be intentional about gratitude. Writing things down helps us to slow down and be intentional about whatever we are writing.
Writing things down also helps us remember what we are grateful for. If I need to do something and want to make sure that I don’t forget, I write it down. Writing down what we are grateful for will help us remember especially when we are struggling during the day.
Start your day by writing down 3 things you are grateful for and see how that helps you focus on the good things in your life.

2. Say thank you

When was the last time you received a thank you note in the mail? How did it make you feel to go to the mailbox and see your name on an envelope? We live in an email, texting world where it is easier and much faster to send a thank you note through our computer or over our phone. I appreciate receiving a thank you anytime and in any form, but it feels a little different to get a note in the mail. Maybe it is because we know it took a little more time and effort to write a note, address it, put a stamp on it and make sure the mailman picks it up.
Another way to express our gratitude is to tell people thank you. I know in my life that I get busy and it is easy to forget to tell people thank you. Tell people thank you when they help you. Tell them thank you when they encourage you in some way. Tell a stranger thank you when they do their job.
Take some time this week and write a note, maybe two, to someone and express your gratitude to them.

3. In all circumstances

Did you notice in the scripture from first Thessalonians Paul did not say, “Give thanks for all circumstances?” Paul’s instructions were to “give thanks in all circumstances.” We all go through difficult times in our lives when it is hard to be grateful, but giving thanks in those circumstances will help get us through the difficult times.
During the cancer treatment we can give thanks for the kind nurse. While going through difficult times we can be grateful for the loving friend who is willing to listen. When we are grateful in all circumstances it changes our attitude. Gratitude is God’s solution to getting through difficult times.

In her book Write it Down, Make it Happen Henriette Klauser says, “When you remember to say thanks, when you live your life in a spirit of gratefulness, life will present you with even more things for which to be grateful.”

How has gratitude made a difference in your life?

How are you currently making gratitude a part of your life?

5 Books That Will Make You Laugh, Cry and Inspire You

What books did you enjoy in 2017? Here are five of my favorite books that I read last year. Not all of these books were published last year, some of them have been in my to be read pile and I just got around to reading them in 2017. I read different genres so on this list you will find both fiction and non-fiction. Maybe you will find a book you would like to read in 2018.

A Book That Will Make You Laugh

I don’t know about you, but I always judge a book by it’s cover. I originally picked up Melanie Shankle’s book Church of the Small Things because of it’s cover, but I enjoyed it for more reasons than the cover. This book made me laugh out loud. Melanie has a way of writing that is easy to read and easy to relate to. Over and over I found myself laughing because I could relate to what she said.

My favorite part of this book was chapter 13, To Exercise or Not to Exercise? That’s Not a Real Question. I thought this chapter was so funny that I read it out loud to my mom and sister. It is even funnier read out loud, so get some of your girlfriends together and read this chapter out loud.

This book will make you laugh, but it will also help you appreciate the small things in your life.

A Book That Will Make You Cry

I don’t cry very often when reading a book. Watching a movie or hearing a great story and I can cry at the drop of a hat, but when reading I don’t often cry. While reading A Man Named Ove, I laughed and I cried. This book by Fredrik Bachman was one of my favorite fiction books last year.

It is the story of a cranky, depressed man who rediscovers a reason to live. I loved the eccentric characters in this book who come alongside Ove and help him rediscover a purpose for living.

The Swedish movie version of this book is out and Tom Hanks is going to make an American version, but remember the movie is never as good as the book.

A Book That Will Inspire You

Several years ago I watched an E60 story on ESPN about the sports broadcaster Ernie Johnson. After seeing that special I thought he needed to write a book. In 2017 that book, Unscripted, was released.

Ernie and his wife Cheryl have six children, four of whom are adopted and one of his sons has special needs. It is his relationship with that son and how he cares for him that caught my attention in the E60 special. In the book, Ernie talks about his career as a sports broadcaster, his relationship with his father, his relationship with his wife and children, and his battle with cancer. This book will inspire you to persevere even in those Unscripted moments in life.

A Book That Will Give Insight

When I read this book my first thought was that every woman over the age of 40 needs to read this book. I picked up this book to for research about women and friendships in midlife. What I found was a book that brought insight to so many areas in my life. Life Reimagined: The Science, Art and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty was probably the most insightful book I read this year.

In this book, Hagerty discusses happiness, purpose, friendship as well as memory and what happens to our brains in midlife. Hagerty approaches the topic of midlife like an investigative reporter and the research on Alzheimer’s disease is fascinating. I don’t read many books a second time, but I will read this book again. My recommendation still stands, if you are over the age of 40 you need to read this book.

A Book That Will Bring You Closer to God

It doesn’t take long to look around this world and see a lot of suffering. Whether it is terrorism, a shooting in a small church in Texas, disease and cancer, broken relationships or mental illness, there is a lot of suffering in this world. What Does the Bible Say About Suffering by Brian Han Gregg was one of the most important books I read in 2017.

In this book Gregg looks at 12 Biblical approaches to suffering. There is not a simple answer to the many questions we have about suffering and Gregg does not suggest a simple answer.
Most of us have questions about suffering and this book goes a long way to answering those questions. This book is worth reading on your own, with a group or in a Bible class.

I hope you find some time in 2018 to read some really good books and maybe this list will help you decide what to read.

What books did you enjoy in 2017?
Which of these look interesting to you?

4 New Habits for the New Year

How do you feel about New Year resolutions? Do you make them? Do you break them? Do you feel guilty because you don’t make them or because you make them and then break them?
People make resolutions because they want something to be different in their life. It could be that they want to accomplish more in their job, or they want to improve themselves or improve a relationship. The reality is that most resolutions are broken long before they are ever achieved. January comes and we decide we want to do something different, but by February many of us have gone back to our old habits and life resumes with all of its busyness and our old habits return.
I have a suggestion. If you want something to be different in your life this year, rather than making resolutions, try making new habits. F.M. Alexander said, “People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.”

Here are four suggestions for new habits to make this year.

1. Gratitude

Practicing gratitude helps us gain perspective in our lives. Life has a way of feeling overwhelming and at times it is easy to start looking at what we don’t have, what we want. When we make gratitude a habit it helps us recalibrate our lives and remember all of the blessings in our lives.
If you want to make gratitude a habit, start by listing three things everyday that you thankful for. As this becomes a habit, it will help you see the many ways God has blessed you.

2. Spend time with God

Another great habit to incorporate into your life this year is to spend time with God on a regular basis. Make it a priority to spend time with God through Bible study, prayer, or even silence this year.
Some people spend their year by reading through the Bible. You may want to do that or you may want to read a devotional book or Bible study that leads you to God. No matter how old we are or how many years we have been studying the Bible, we can always learn something new about our God and what He desires for His people.
I need to be more intentional in my prayer life this year and make prayer a priority. I also want my prayer time to include more silence and listening to God. In her book The Cultivated Life Susan Phillips says, “Through listening, relationship is cultivated and refreshment received.” If you want to grow your relationship with God this year make a habit of spending time in Bible study, prayer and in listening to Him.

3. Serve Others

Another great habit to develop this year is the habit of serving others. This past year I helped begin a new ministry at my church that serves the homeless in our community. Serving the homeless has brought more joy into my life than anything I have done in a long time.
Maybe you have a neighbor you need to serve or maybe you can volunteer in your community to serve the poor. I challenge you to make a habit of serving others this year.

4. Try something new

It is easy to get in our routines and not try new things. Making changes in our lives often means that we need to try something new. We are often hesitant to do new things because they make us uncomfortable and they challenge us to get out of our comfort zones.
Maybe your new habit this year is to volunteer for a ministry that you have not been a part of before. Maybe its time to try something new by taking a college course or even getting a new job. Maybe you can read a new book or try an art class. Maybe it is time for you to go back to church and reconnect with godly people. Make this the year you try something new.

If you want next year to be different start by making some new habits.

What new habits do you need to make this year?

Gift Giving and the Best Gift of All Time

GIFT GIVING AND THE BEST GIFT OF ALL TIME

Mikayla, my 15 year old, told me about her friend who was shocked to find out that her mother buys all her own Christmas gifts from her husband and then acts surprised when she opens them on Christmas day. I find this hilarious. I am not surprised that someone would do it, I find it so funny that the teenager would be so shocked.

Gift giving and receiving have always been very important to me. On my love language score receiving gifts is at the top. That is all good and great until you marry someone whose gift receiving love language is at the bottom. I have to say Kent has gotten better over the years because he knows it is important to me.

When gift receiving is important to you it is very easy to be disappointed at Christmas, or birthdays or anniversaries or any other time of the year. It is important for us to know we are loved and that is expressed through gifts and we find it frustrating when we don’t receive good gifts. For those of you who gift receiving is not important I know you are saying, “Just get over it and go buy your own gift.” And most of us do. When shopping for Christmas I often operate on the one for you and one for me principle. My daughter, another gift receiver person, operates the same way and I can’t blame her. I heard a statistic that said 27% of people buy gifts for themselves while out shopping for Christmas. All I have to say is, what’s wrong withthe other 73%? Most of them must be lying.

So, what’s the point? The point is, for those of us who love to give and receive gifts (and even for those who don’t) it is important to remember the greatest gift ever given – a Savior, Jesus Christ. Isn’t that the point of Christmas, to remember that God gave us all His Son as the gift we needed the most?

Jesus describes God as the Father who gives “good gifts” (Matthew 5:11). God the Father is the best gift giver ever. There is nothing that mankind needed more than a Savior, someone who took away our sins and restores our relationship with God, and God gave us that in His Son. What a great, awesome and perfect gift!

So, as you are out shopping, whether you love it or hate it, remember that you have been given the most perfect gift, and it wasn’t your George Foreman grill, it is Jesus who came as a baby and died as a man for you and for me.

What do you do during this time of year to help you remember this great gift?

Dec 15
Dana
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Christmas, Jesus, Qualities of God
Christmas, Gift Giving, Qualities of God