Tim has a ruptured patellar tendon so he will be on a slow trajectory of recovery for awhile.
I did not share this because he asked me not too. But my younger son was told he had either lung cancer or TB. After weeks of exams all results show he has neither. Dottie and I are so happy. He does have spots on his lung so needs continued prayer.
The children always ask me what I want for Christmas and of course having them and my natural children is all I need. But Sunday I was blessed when over 20 teenagers getting saved–giving their hearts to Jesus. For years I have said that I am the richest and most blessed man I know.
The meal for the girls was a success as always. They have so much fun, eat too much, laugh continuously and love their gifts. We played games and each girl ws able to win an extra gift. The boys served and then cleaned so that was a gift from them to the girls.
Wednesday evening we will have the Lord’s Supper and Christmas will be complete. The 25th we will just rest. Marjorie is back from the hospital so that is a gift to all of us.
There are so many words concerning Jesus to describe the Christmas season. Love, joy and peace are three words used often but I would like to share with you about the Boomerang Beatitutude. Matthew 5:7 tells me “Blessed are the MERCIFUL for they shall receive MERCY”.
Mercy is the beatitude that when you give it away it comes back again and again. Feeling sorrow for someone is not mercy. Being sympathetic to their plight is not mercy.
James 2:15-16 teaches us that when we see someone who has a deep need and we only acknowledge that need “I will pray for you” then we are failing in the area of mercy. Mercy is not a feeling. Mercy is an action comong forth from your relationship with Jesus.
Mercy is not kindness and mercy is not justice either. Ephesians 2:4 says “Jesus is rich in mercy”. Titus 3:5 says “I am saved by His mercy”. Mercy literally means to “wash over” or to “whitewash” or “wipe out”or “cancel a debt”.
You find a way to help a person and then you wipe it from your memory. You cancel any debt incurred. That is exactly the way God treats us.
Mercy thrown in the name of Jesus returns a hundred times to you.