Standing by my Miracle

We went to visit family this weekend and had a great time. Sunday morning we were able to attend church at Pinelake reservoir campus (www.pinelake.org). It was awesome. This is where we went to church after our marriage "earthquake" hit on August 2011. It was a very helpful place God used to bring us healing.

This Sundays sermon was part of a series called Miracles. Powerful sermon on Joseph's perspective as the father of Jesus and the difficulties of His coming. Forgiveness was the overarching theme and "miracle." God forgiving us through Jesus and reconciling us to Himself was the greatest miracle of all. In turn, as an overflow of grace and obedience, He leads us to offer forgiveness and seek reconciliation with others, including family. This is a critical BUT very challenging task that usually takes tremendous faith and courage to accomplish. I struggle to do it well.

Chip Henderson concluded the sermon by pointing out Gods work in families all throughout the building, and said "You may even be standing by your miracle." I, in fact, was standing by my miracle - my wife Amy and our children, and even her family. I was flooded with emotion as I looked back on the journey we've been on. "But for the grace of God, where would I be?" kept going through my mind.

I am grateful I get to celebrate this Christmas with my family. God performed a miracle in our life. He allowed us to participate in it, and continues to prove His faithfulness and love. It is a merry Christmas for sure! Regardless of life's stresses and other uncertainties, we are blessed beyond measure. I pray that I will daily find ways to "pay it forward," starting at my home with Amy and the children, and then beyond.
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Matthew 1: 18-25 - The Nativity of the Messiah

¹⁸ The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
²⁰ But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus,^[i] because He will save His people from their sins.”
²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

²³ See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name Him Immanuel,^[j]

which is translated “God is with us.”

²⁴ When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her ²⁵ but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son.^[k] And he named Him Jesus.

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Merry Christmas Eve Eve!!