It snowed

OK, I guess I am not telling you anything you didn't already know. This last Friday, we had a snowstorm move through. By the time it was "done" on Saturday morning, we had 9 inches of snow here in Troy. I loved seeing it snow. I enjoyed watching the snow as it began to add up. The grass was covered, the drive started to be snow packed.

Then folks had a terrible time on the St. Louis highways. People took hours upon hours to get home. I have to say, was at home, watching on the news. I felt sorry for the folks who were struggling to make it home. It was not good for them. I thought what it might be like to be sitting in my car, sitting still, while the snow was piling up around me. Think about it, sitting in your car for hours, wondering if you would ever make it home. Yes, you know that you will, but to be stuck like that, would be overwhelming.

I looked out at the snow and thought to myself. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow." Can you imagine, sins that are terrible, are forgotten. No, not forgotten. Forgiven. Forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ who is the Savior, the One who went to the cross, who suffered, who died and who rose from the dead. Through His blood, He has washed you clean. It is like the snow that covers over the brownness, the deadness of this winter world. When the snow covers everything, it is so clean looking. In Christ, we are more than made to look clean. We are clean. Cleansed from our sins. Completely and totally. That is amazing. That is the good news that we have in Christ Jesus.

Our lives are like the winter. Covered with snow. Made clean and pure. Then the snow begins to melt. It starts to turn dirty, brown. And then is gone. The brownness is back. Winter returns. And it looks so, dead.

Our sins find a way to come back as well. Even as a baptized child of God, we find that we are tempted to sin. And will often give in to that temptation. Sin is back. Lostness is back. The joy is knowing that love of God, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit is with us each day. In Christ, that forgiveness does not wait for the next cold front and low pressure system to come together and cause it to snow. We are forgiven day after day though the grace of God, given forgiveness of sins.

All praise and thanks be to God. Think of that, as you look out at the snow.

New year, new thoughts

Welcome to 2019. Wait a moment, it is already January 8th, how can I welcome you to a new year? I can do this because it seems like the year just started and here we are already moving into the 2nd week. Can you believe it? I can't. Where has the 1st week of 2019 gone? It is in the history books.

I talked with many different people over the last few weeks, and they have all agreed on one thing. 2018 went mighty fast. Seriously. It seems to have flown by. We were starting the year and suddenly we were at the end, getting ready to great a new year. What happened to the year?

It passed into the history books. We can come up with all sorts of reasons for the seeming quickness of the year, but the fact is, it wasn't any shorter or faster than any other year. Each day still had the same 24 hours. Each hour still had the same 60 minutes. Each minute still had the same 60 seconds. There were the normal 365 days in the year, 12 months, and each month had the correct number of days. Each week lasted for...wait for it...7 days! Amazing!

So what happened? I don't know. I can't answer that question. The year "seemed" to fly by. Maybe because I was busy. Maybe because I was trying to do too many things. Maybe because...I don't know.

I do know one thing, the Lord's love was in all those days. Each and every day, the Lord was the same Lord. Each day His mercy was new and fresh. Each day He still held me in His hand. each day was a blessing from Him. Were the days perfect? Nope. Were there struggles? Oh yes. Was there pain, physical and emotional pain? Yes. But through it all, there was the Lord Jesus Christ.

He was with me in all I did. Yes, He was there in my struggles and in my joys. He was there when I was following His will and when I was not following His will. He was there, giving me strength when I faced temptation and He was there with His forgiveness when I gave in to those temptations. he is amazing, wonderful, loving, caring and a whole host of other descriptive words.

As you go into 2019, and that is where we began this little journey today, know that the Lord will be with you in all that you face. Live in that very faith in Jesus Christ. Let Him be the One who fills your heart with hope, your struggles with strength and your craziness with peace. How is this done? Through faith in Jesus, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the One who has promised His love and presence each and every moment of the day.

Will you be frustrated this year? Probably. Will you have struggles? Without a doubt. Will you sin? Oh yes. Will you need His help because you are weak? Yep. In all things, you need Jesus Christ. you need Him in joy and sorrow, in health and in sickness, in strength and in weakness. You need Jesus in 2019. Period. You need Jesus.

So let us get on this horse of 2019 and ride him to the end of the trail. What does 2019 bring to you? to me? I have no idea. But I do know who does! Jesus Christ. Trust and follow Him.