The Love of God

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 NKJV) God loves you and you are very important and special to Him. God loves you so much that He sent His son into the world to suffer and ultimately die for us, in our place. If you do not "get" anything else this Christmas, get this: God loves you so much that He gave up His only son for YOU. Christmas, and this time of year, is all about love, God's gift of love, and how much He loves you. You are so important to Him, and He loves you so much that, "the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matthew 10:30 NKJV) Love came down at Christmas, and God meant it for each and every one of you. Be blessed!! Love, Beau

(not) Beau's Sunday Sermon -- A Baby's Hug

This was sent to me and is being circulated through the internet right now, but it makes a perfect modern day story of the Christ child, and how we all should be and live...so it is my sermon for today: We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?' Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.' Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.' Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.' Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.' I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran
for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.' I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom
of God, we must become as little children.' Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most
importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are. Love, Beau

A Gift to be Thankful For

"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.' ..I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly....Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (Matthew 1:21-23; John 10:10b; 2 Corinthians 9:15) As we go from a time of thanks giving and remembering our blessings to a time of celebrating the birth of Christ, love, and being with friends and family, we need to remember to stop and be thankful for the biggest blessing and Christmast gift of all...the birth of Jesus Christ. He came to take away our sins, so that we "might have life and have it more abundantly." CHRISTmas is a time of incredible love, miracles, and faith. So have faith, believe in miaracles..and be thankful! The gift of Jesus, God's only son, is the greatest gift of love of all! Love, Beau

With Thanksgiving

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;...And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive...for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him..”" (Phillipians 4:6; Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; Matthew 6:8) God wants us to not worry about anything because He will provide for all our needs, and whatever we ask of Him, He will give IF it's within His will for us. But more importantly, God wants us to ask for it with THANKSGIVING knowing, and having faith, that whatever we ask of Him it is already ours. He even knows what our needs are before we even ask Him, so He is already at work fulfillinf those needs! So the next time you need something, remember God is already at work taking care of it and be thankful IN ADVANCE!! Praise God!! Love, Beau

Not Ordinary

"David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them. So David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine...Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand," (1 Samuel 17:39-40, 45-46a) When Goliath was slain God did not make a major, prophetic display of it. Instead, he took a teenage boy with five smooth stones and a slingshot and this teenage boy slew the giant with only his stones, not with sword or other weapons. You see, God takes ordinary, everyday, average people and does extraordinary things through them. So, the next time you think you can't do something, remember you CAN do it if you only allow God to work through you. Who knows what you can do then!! Love, Beau

I Am With You Always

"...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age...I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Matthew 28:20b; Revelation 22:13) God is not going anywhere. He was with you before you were born (He made you even), and He is with you when you go through your entire life, when you die, and through eternity. You are never alone. And, God is in control. Isn't it great that the one who is in control is always with you?! I find it very reassuring. No matter what happens in life God is right there with you controlling things...and you know everything is going to be alright and be for the good." Praise God!! Love, Beau

Centering

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33 NKJV) When you get up in the morning what is the first thing you focus on? Is it fixing breakfast, the office meeting you have, getting the children to school, or is it your blessings? Too many times we're so busy, rushed, anxious, and worried over things in our lives that we fail to see the many blessings we have. Thing is, the thing or things that we focus on the most is what direction we will take in our day, and greatly affect how your day, and future days, goes. If you focus on that meeting you're worried or concerned about, you're going to stay anxious and stressed; but, if you focus on your blessings you are going to feel blessed and therefore probably more content and happier. So, are you willing to center your thoughts on the blessings God has given you...this day and every day from now on?? It is a chance to celebrate God's gifts to you...your friends, family, the world around you, nature, your talents, your opportunities. And, don't forget your own life. You're a miraculous, beautiful, wonderful, unique creation of God. You have tremendous worth and importance. There is a story we read once we read where a woman, off the streets, found God, and even after she was attaced and hospitalized, her words were, "I am a child of God, dearly loved, and beautiful to behold." We should all remember this. Give thanks for ALL your gift and SHARE them. Today is the perfect time to begin!! Love, Beau