May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions. ~Joey Adams
My New Year’s resolutions usually last…
As long as I don’t make any. (Aren’t they for old people anyway?)
All year … but I’m also the type of person who measures my milk for my cereal every morning.
“The implications of the name ‘Immanuel’ are both comforting and unsettling. Comforting, because He has come to share the danger as well as the drudgery of our everyday lives. He desires to weep with us and to wipe away our tears. And what seems most bizarre, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, longs to share in and to be the source of the laughter and the joy we all too rarely know.” ~ Michael Card
God, the Author of life, came down to earth to be Immanuel, “God with us.” Jesus gave up His home, and willingly laid aside more power than we ever could comprehend, to become a human, starting as an utterly helpless baby. He went from ruling heaven to being laid in a feeding trough. And He did it all for us.
He did it all for you.
He wanted to be “God with us,” the God who shares our lives, even the mundane details. The God who cries with us. The God who fills our lives with true joy. He gave up everything to do that for us.
He gave up everything for you.
So what do you think?
How does it make you feel, knowing that God values you that much and wants to share your life? Does that change how you view Christmas?
Could you ever give up that much for someone you love?
Tell us what you think!
It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.
~ Mark Twain
courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty (Merriam-Webster, 2009).
So what do you think?
Is Twain right? Is moral courage rare? Is physical courage common?
Look at examples of courage around you and in the news. Do you hear about or see courage, and if so, is it physical or moral courage?
How about you? Is it easier for you personally to be physically or morally courageous?
Would it be easier for you to stand up to a bully (physical courage) or report a friend who cheated on a test (moral courage)? Why?
We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Jesus is God spelling Himself out in language that men can understand. –S.D. Gordon
Even songs we write today, if you really listen to the lyrics, it can be about love songs, but it’s also about our relationship with God. It’s simple. We’re Christian guys in a rock ‘n’ roll band.
-Joe Jonas of ‘The Jonas Brothers’
3rd place finalist on “American Idol,” Season Six
Released “Melinda Doolittle” Album in 2007
Released “Coming Back to Youth” Album in Feb. of 2009. Currently 3rd on US Independent Chart.
“I was tone deaf all the way up until 7th grade. The chorus teacher would invite me to sing because I looked like I knew what I was doing. They’d tell me to stand in the middle and just mouth the words. ‘Don’t you dare sing out loud!’ I loved music so much; I would pray that I got better.” Melinda Doolittle, The Winning Edge Interview
Derek Hanisch, RTF Staff Writer
Most people recognize the name Bono. Famous with the band U2. He’s also a famous humanitarian. One may argue that he’s one of the most well know Rockers in the world. It may surprise some to find out that Bono is a follower of Christ. Below is an excerpt from an interview he had. I really liked the perspective he had on Grace.
“I really believe we’ve moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace…You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics-in physical laws-every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It’s clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it.
And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that ‘as you reap, you will sow’ stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.
If only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my sin and everybody else’s. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question.”
I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity. (more…)
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank
These are great ideas from the Do Something! campaign.