Sunny&80The Wreath (#jammed daily devo, day 359)
Posted on December 25, 2018
December #jammed: Grace, gifted.
Day 359, Merry Christmas!
“ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.” Luke 2:6
Merry Christmas, readers! On this morning, how can we not reflect upon the beautiful 
baby Jesus? For, as today’s verse celebrates, “the time came for her baby to be born.”
The time came! In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon lists that there is time for every human emotion and activity under the sun. But what we cannot ever get a grip on is God’s timing. The Author of time will reveal everything in His time.
The Christmas wreath that hangs on my door each Christmas season welcomes everyone at my doorstep into Christmas wonderland. There are baby Jesus’ and Santa’s everywhere! The Halls are Decked! But the intriguing thing about that wreath is it’s circular shape.
It’s a circle.
Christmas kicks off the biggest celebration of the circle of life in all of history. Finally, after an entire Biblical testament of prophesy, Jesus splashes onto the page in the flesh. Right on schedule. Right where God said He’d be. Just how it was supposed to be. We could study the Bible our entire lives and God would never run out of new things to reveal to us through it.
That circular wreath symbolizes everlasting life. In a circle. Whether we are running around on earth or skipping happily through heaven, life since Jesus’ birth means death isn’t the end for Christians. It’s, in fact, only the beginning.
Maybe this is the first time you’ve looked at Christmas this way. Commercialism has had you in it’s grip and you’ve succumbed to the “why are we skipping Thanksgiving for a retail holiday” hum drum. Don’t. Don’t let anything steal away from Christmas. It only can if you allow it to. Because Christmas is Christmas. It’s Jesus. It’s Him coming to earth to live and die for our sins so that we can go to heaven. It’s all about gifts. His gifts. The gifts He gave us. Grace, Heaven, to be in the presence of God, and to live with the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us.
Yes …freak out a little. It’s cool!
The Gospels of Luke and Matthew record Jesus’ birth. You can read them here (LUKE MATTHEW) if you’re not familiar with the story. Welcome Him in to your Christmas story. Welcome Him into your life. The magic of Christmas never fades when Jesus takes up residence in our hearts.
I’d like to pray for you, specifically, today.
Father, Praise You for Christmas, and the miraculous circle of new life that began when Jesus came down to earth. His birth means everything to us, and we thank You for sending Your one and only Son to us. Father, there are people reading this today who have never heard or read the Christmas story before. Ignite their hearts as they discover who You are through the birth of Your Son. Help them to ease into conversation with You, asking Jesus to come in and take over their lives …vowing to follow Him all the days of their lives and onto heaven. We praise You, God. Thank you for loving us for who we are, right now, and always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Merry Christmas!!!
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Times (#jammed daily devo, day 256)
Posted on September 13, 2018
September #jammed: Free Grace.
Day 256: Grace in time.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11
“I can’t tell time,” my nine-year-old stated. 
She typically doesn’t have study much at all to maintain straight A’s. So, when she runs into something that doesn’t come naturally, she’s not sure how to swim through the effort it takes most everyone else to learn things. Telling time doesn’t come naturally to her, so she’s alluded by it a little. But time isn’t going away.
“There’s no out-running time,” I explained, “eventually you have to be able to show up for work on time, plan how long it takes you to get to dance, and to know when things open and close …how long it takes to complete things …it’s not going away.” (eye roll.)
Today’s verse seconds that motion, doesn’t it? The entity of time isn’t going away, and our ability to tell it is pretty crucial. Though God doesn’t reveal the mysterious exact time that Christ will come again …we know He will. We anticipate it and recognize the passing of days.
His timing is our very existence.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There was a time for Christ to walk this earth. A time to witness His miracles. A time for His death on the cross. A time for our grace. Each life walks the earth in His time.
Each of us have something that seems a little too hard to conquer in our lives. The key to sailing over our hurdles is to allow Christ to lift us over them. The magic of understanding why comes in letting Him have control.
Father, Praise You for time. Thank You for the way You organize each day and stretch the minutes of our lives. We confess that we don’t always take the time to thank You for the day we are living in, and pray that You allow us to cherish life in Your time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Timing,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Right Time (#jammed daily devo, day 248)
Posted on September 5, 2018
September #jammed: Free Grace.
Day 248: Who’s timing …
“Mom,” my just-turned-nine-year-old motioned for my attention from the passenger seat, 
“do you know what a drag queen is?”
As always, I wasn’t ready to discuss this topic … The production she was a part of for her upcoming recital was a story about a man who saves his father’s factory by manufacturing stilettos healed boots for drag queens.
I teared up along with Cyndi Lauper as I watched her speak about why she wrote the music for Kinky Boots, and yielded her passion for making sure that those that are left out of society are loved.
“Do you know what a drag queen is?” I asked my sweet faced baby girl that day.
“Well, yeah,” she responded. “I do now.”
Her passion for dance, writing, and music is creative and beautiful. She has a heart for people ...all people …but especially for those that feel left out. The new kids in school. Her baby sister in a group of older kids. God moved my heart in way I can’t fully describe.
“We have a choice to set a precedent right now, on how we will deal with the world impending upon her innocence,” I said to my husband as I filled him in on the news.
“I want her to know two things above all else about us as her parents:
1. That she can ask us anything. No topic is forbidden and all questions are always welcome.
2. That loving everyone is the most important part of life. It’s what we’re put here to do. Love each other. When faced with someone who is different than her, I want her to see Jesus first …and love that person like He would …for who they are, right where they are at, right now.”
I’m sure my girls will ask lots more questions before her dad and I are ready to answer them. And let’s face it, we may not have the answers to all of her questions. But we can help her find a way to love anybody, and everybody.
Jesus’ words echoed in my mind that day, as they often do, for I share that same love for people.
“You should not judge by outward appearance.”
“…search for what is right and just.”
Let’s not act like love excuses bad behavior, but let’s also realize that we aren’t privy to judge it. We are called to SEARCH for what is right and just. In every person, there is good. If we search for that good, we will find it. When we find it, our disagreements fade into the background where they belong, allowing God to judge as only He justly can.
Father, Praise You for all people. Thank You for the diversity we are blessed to dwell amongst on this earth. Forgive us for letting our love be overshadowed by our disagreements. Help us to live in love the way You designed us to. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Loving …
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Wreath (#jammed daily devo, day 359)
Posted on December 25, 2017
December #jammed: Grace, gifted.
Day 359, Merry Christmas!
“ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.” Luke 2:6
Merry Christmas, readers! On this morning, how can we not reflect upon the beautiful 
baby Jesus? For, as today’s verse celebrates, “the time came for her baby to be born.”
The time came! In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon lists that there is time for every human emotion and activity under the sun. But what we cannot ever get a grip on is God’s timing. The Author of time will reveal everything in His time.
The Christmas wreath that hangs on my door each Christmas season welcomes everyone at my doorstep into Christmas wonderland. There are baby Jesus’ and Santa’s everywhere! The Halls are Decked! But the intriguing thing about that wreath is it’s circular shape.
It’s a circle.
Christmas kicks off the biggest celebration of the circle of life in all of history. Finally, after an entire Biblical testament of prophesy, Jesus splashes onto the page in the flesh. Right on schedule. Right where God said He’d be. Just how it was supposed to be. We could study the Bible our entire lives and God would never run out of new things to reveal to us through it.
That circular wreath symbolizes everlasting life. In a circle. Whether we are running around on earth or skipping happily through heaven, life since Jesus’ birth means death isn’t the end for Christians. It’s, in fact, only the beginning.
Maybe this is the first time you’ve looked at Christmas this way. Commercialism has had you in it’s grip and you’ve succumbed to the “why are we skipping Thanksgiving for a retail holiday” hum drum. Don’t. Don’t let anything steal away from Christmas. It only can if you allow it to. Because Christmas is Christmas. It’s Jesus. It’s Him coming to earth to live and die for our sins so that we can go to heaven. It’s all about gifts. His gifts. The gifts He gave us. Grace, Heaven, to be in the presence of God, and to live with the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us.
Yes …freak out a little. It’s cool!
The Gospels of Luke and Matthew record Jesus’ birth. You can read them here (LUKE MATTHEW) if you’re not familiar with the story. Welcome Him in to your Christmas story. Welcome Him into your life. The magic of Christmas never fades when Jesus takes up residence in our hearts.
I’d like to pray for you, specifically, today.
Father, Praise You for Christmas, and the miraculous circle of new life that began when Jesus came down to earth. His birth means everything to us, and we thank You for sending Your one and only Son to us. Father, there are people reading this today who have never heard or read the Christmas story before. Ignite their hearts as they discover who You are through the birth of Your Son. Help them to ease into conversation with You, asking Jesus to come in and take over their lives …vowing to follow Him all the days of their lives and onto heaven. We praise You, God. Thank you for loving us for who we are, right now, and always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Merry Christmas!!!
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Times (#jammed daily devo, day 256)
Posted on September 13, 2017
September #jammed: Free Grace.
Day 256: Grace in time.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11
“I can’t tell time,” my nine-year-old stated.
She typically doesn’t have study much at all to maintain straight A’s. So, when she runs into something that doesn’t come naturally, she’s not sure how to swim through the effort it takes most everyone else to learn things. Telling time doesn’t come naturally to her, so she’s alluded by it a little. But time isn’t going away.
“There’s no out-running time,” I explained, “eventually you have to be able to show up for work on time, plan how long it takes you to get to dance, and to know when things open and close …how long it takes to complete things …it’s not going away.” (eye roll.)
Today’s verse seconds that motion, doesn’t it? The entity of time isn’t going away, and our ability to tell it is pretty crucial. Though God doesn’t reveal the mysterious exact time that Christ will come again …we know He will. We anticipate it and recognize the passing of days.
His timing is our very existence.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There was a time for Christ to walk this earth. A time to witness His miracles. A time for His death on the cross. A time for our grace. Each life walks the earth in His time.
Each of us have something that seems a little too hard to conquer in our lives. The key to sailing over our hurdles is to allow Christ to lift us over them. The magic of understanding why comes in letting Him have control.
Father, Praise You for time. Thank You for the way You organize each day and stretch the minutes of our lives. We confess that we don’t always take the time to thank You for the day we are living in, and pray that You allow us to cherish life in Your time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Timing,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
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