Only God can forgive sins...

Wow! November came quickly this year.  The holiday season is just around the corner! It is fun to decorate and prepare traditional foods, but I most look forward to spending time with family.  Ok...enough of that - I'm feeling sentimental.

Back to the Lord's Prayer - Forgive us our debts... Some translations use the word transgressions, but both words refer to "an offense, a trespass which makes reparation obligatory."   The Bible says that we all have sinned against God and therefore have a debt we owe him.  Because He is a loving God, He provided the perfect payment for that sin through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

God is the only One who can forgive sins.  According to Dr. Zodhiates' Complete Word Study New Testament, "The expression to forgive sins means to remove the sins from another. To forgive sins is not to disregard them and do nothing about them, but to liberate a person from their guilt and sin's power.  We are to ask God to forgive us our sins, remove them away from us so that we do not stand guilty of them or under their power."

I believed in Jesus to save me when I was a little girl.  That was a very very long time ago and I can definitely look back over my life and see how God has and continues to bring me freedom from the power of sin, especially the stronghold of worry, just as He is always faithful to forgive me when I confess my sins to Him.  I am so thankful for His forgiveness!

Play Time

I really enjoyed the last three days with our granddaughter.  I prepare activities for her before she comes, because a bored preschooler is asking for trouble!  When I was searching for a new bed skirt for the guest bed, one of the stores I went to was Bed Bath & Beyond.  I didn't find a bed skirt, but I did find this great playhouse for $20!  Yep, you read that correctly; it was only $20. It has a door on both long sides along with shutter windows on all four sides. My honey, son-in-law and I put it together in about ten minutes and our granddaughter had a great time playing in it, with her creative imagination. We did put a strip of packing tape on the peak of the roof at each end to keep it from coming apart.  I'm pretty sure it will be just as easy to take apart and put back in the box to have for the kiddos to play in at Christmas.  When the kids get older, they will be able to color the playhouse, too.