Hope through God's grace...

We praise God for Christ

and for hope through God's grace

for those who by faith

His salvation embrace.

Maybelle Smith

This is part of a poem written by a former pastor's wife and I like how she connects hope to God's grace.  Before we go any further, I think a definition of grace is in order because we need to understand that which we are learning.  I have discovered that when I assume I know what something means, I miss out on so much of the riches contained in God's Word.  What does grace really mean? If I am a child of God (for those who by faith His salvation embrace), what does grace look like in my life?

Grace - (Vine's Expository Dictionary) "the pleasure or joy God designs for the recipient; thus it is set in contrast with debt, with works and with law...divine favor."  Ok, so I usually connect grace with God letting me off the hook for disobedience, especially those times when I don't do something He has prompted me to do.  I think that is part of God's grace, but there is so much more!  In Bible college, I learned this definition - unmerited favor - which is a shorter version of the above definition.  There is nothing we can do to earn His grace.  It is something He decides to give us because He is good. 

So, when you are out Christmas shopping and a parking place opens up close to the store doors, thank God for His grace.  When you wake up on a weekend morning and it is beautiful, snowy and calm outside and you have time to sit down with a cup of coffee and your Bible or your spouse, be grateful for the pleasure He is giving you.  When you cuddle with a small child whom you love on Christmas morning while Papa is reading the Christmas story from Luke 2, drink in the joy that God is bestowing on you and your family.  Use the opportunity to teach the children (and the adults, too) to be aware of God's grace.  We don't deserve it...He gives us grace because He loves us.

Monday, we will look at how grace produces hope.  

Gift Wrapping

Did you know that you don't have to use "Christmas" wrapping paper and gift bags to wrap Christmas presents?  Ok, I know that seems pretty obvious, but it didn't cross my mind until this year.  Plus, you can use the same wrapping papers all year long without having partial rolls of Christmas paper that don't get used.  It's good stewardship!  

This year, I decided to go with black and white paper and bright green and white curling ribbons.  I also opted to use a bright green and black design paper to make "ribbon" for the boxes I wrapped.  It is cheaper and you can make the "ribbon" whatever width and length you want.  I also watch for wedding supplies to go on sale at Hobby Lobby and buy the big spools of wedding tulle in various colors.  Three to four layers of tulle make a super easy nice ribbon and bow for a package.  If you notice the second picture, the "bow" on top of the package needs to be pulled up and cut shorter to make a nice poofy bow.  I'll get on that!

The guys in my family aren't in to poofy, so I wrapped their gifts a little more simply using the houndstooth paper and four layers of bright green curling ribbon, which I spread out and curled the ends after tying.  I have a bunch of scrapbook letter stickers, so I simply put their names on their gifts.