First Words

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Galatians 3:26-27

Do you remember the first words you spoke as a baby? Probably not, but odds are your parents do. According to a recent survey, 87% of you began speaking with some variation of “dada” or “mama.” The third most common word was some variation of “Hiya!” 

First words are important. They establish relationship. They greet and welcome. They set the course for what is to follow.

And so it continues into adulthood. “Good morning, mom!” “Welcome home, honey!” “Glad to see you, brother!” “How can I help you, sir?” “What do you want?!!!” “Where have you been?!!!” “Excuse me, in what aisle can I find the aspirin?” 

Every time you see someone, you exchange first words, for better or for worse, and the course of your interaction is set. When we pray to our God, it is no different.

My first prayer each day always begins with these words: “Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord, Holy Spirit ... Thank you for this new day of your creation. Your grace and your mercy are fresh every morning.”

I love these words. They identify my God as triune: my father, my lord, and my guiding spirit. When I give thanks, my heart opens to receive what God has prepared for me on this new day. In recalling his grace and his mercy, I am freed from my past sins and clothed again with the light of Christ. As a shower cleans the body, so these words clean my soul. 

What are your first words for God when you wake up in the morning?

Luke 1: 26-38 The First Christmas Mother

"The Birth of Jesus Foretold" is the name of this section in my bible. Chills surged throughout my body as I read again, of this incredible moment in Mary's life when Angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth with the most important message of all time! "Do not be afraid. Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High......." Can you imagine?!

As a mother, I have been on my knees many times thanking God for the undeserved blessings of my children. Words cannot express the incredible gift that dwells within that tiny being when born, or the deep, deep love that walks down the aisle with them, arm in arm on their wedding day. It is an intense love that only a mother can know. Thank you once again my God, for giving me the opportunity to serve you through motherhood. I am honored.

We experience joy, strife, happiness, uncertainty, great excitement and even greater pain when raising children. The intensity of those emotions while being a mother to the Son of God must have been overwhelming to say the least. I can see Mary overflowing with pride when Jesus healed, fed the masses, and gently carried out the Lord's plan to save the world. I can only imagine the anguish and total misery her heart ached with, as he carried that cross. Even when we know that in the long run things will be better because of an experience our children have, it still hurts us incredibly to see them suffer. Praise God for the gift of our sons and Daughters, and for the best Christmas present of all, Jesus, the son of Mary.
Jesus the Son of God!

No Grandkids In Heaven Matthew 3:1-10

When did you become a Christian? For all of us the experience is different. Some can remember a specific time and place where we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Others of us have come to faith over time. Maybe we grew up in the church and always believed in God but as we grew in knowledge, realized we now understood our need for a relationship with Christ.

Our scripture text today has John the Baptist addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees, warning them that they cannot ride into eternity on Abraham’s coattails. He says, “And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.” He does not want the religious leaders to fool themselves by believing they don’t need the Savior.

The same is true for us today. God does not have grandchildren. I have heard from countless people when I ask them if they are a Christian that yes, their parents are Christian so they guess they are too. It does not work that way. We all need a personal relationship with Jesus, so if you can't remember when you committed your life to Him, why not make it today!

Read today passage on Biblegateway Matthew 3:1-10