Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Colossians 3:15 NIV

Life itself is just an amazing journey, when you think we all start off in the same place, as infants. No matter what nationality or language, for most of us we start off being cared for, which gives meaning to our relationships.  But we all discover that many of our relationships become tense, so we continue to change relationships, which all affect our attitudes and emotions. So in the beauty of God's grace we have to learn something, it is called “Let.”  For this to happen we have to desire the will of God. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.  This can start us off again in a new place where we can learn joy in the midst of our life. Since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  It is here where relationships can be healed with the joy of peace. Today let in the peace that our Lord has for you.    Allow your will to be refreshed in his peace and you will have expressions, emotions and words that bring encouragement to others as well as thankfulness to you.  Enjoy!

I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.  I will sing your praises among the nations.  For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.  Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 57:9, 10 NIV

If we are willing to start our morning being thankful, we will find our afternoons filled with praise. I will thank you, Lord, among all people. I will sing your praises among the nations. It is refreshing to be aware of God's grace and find our life being thankful at the beginning of each new day.  Why are we willing?  For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.  Today before everything else starts to get your attention, open your mouth and let your heart express your thankfulness and praise to the one who is always faithful to you, then watch what happens. (Psalm 37:4) Enjoy!

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  I John 3:1 NIV

Talk about grace, God has lavished his love on us so that we may know, not guess or wish for, but know that we are children of God.  This is not a theoretical concept but a very real life that comes from his love. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us.  He is a Father who loves, who brings joy and who gives life that is called eternal.  We see all this through his grace on the cross of Jesus the Christ.  Today enjoy your life as a man or woman of God because of Jesus Christ.  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, so let his peace, let his joy, let his kindness and let his encouragement have its way in your thinking, actions and emotions.  Praise his name in everything you do and allow yourself to be lavished in his love. Your day could be renewing in all the right ways.  Enjoy!

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord... who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:8, 9 NIV

When God's grace comes to us there is a result of a holy life. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord… not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.  To be holy we must begin with Jesus the Christ.  He is the root and beginning of all holiness. The way to be holy is to come to him by grace through faith and be joined to him.  He not only washes away our sin by his own blood, but he also delivers us from the power of our own sin. The result - he puts a new love in our heart (holiness) and that makes us practically a man or woman of God.  Today, enjoy being relaxed in the grace of God's love for you.  Actually living in his grace will bring refreshment to your life which will be a blessing for others who live and work around you.  Your very breath today can bring praise to God. Enjoy!

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  Romans 5:3-5 NLT

The only way we can rejoice, when we run into problems and trials is because of God’s grace given through Jesus Christ. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. It does seem that most everything that will bring some long lasting satisfaction to our life requires endurance of some kind.  Endurance seems to go hand in hand with at least some form of pain, it may be emotional, mental or physical.  Think of the effort of fine tuning of our physical body, or the challenge of education for the right career and even a good marriage requires the working of a love that at times feels like pain.  When God’s grace is allowed to give direction in our thinking and emotions our experiences through problems produce an attitude that will be a blessing to us as well as those around us.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. Today trust his Word so that you will not have that horrible feeling of disappointment and overall depression.  Grace will let you not only believe but experience his love for you on this brand new day.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  His love is refreshing in some of the most unbelievable circumstances.  Take a good deep breath of his grace and then verbalize your thanksgiving and praise.  You will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Being overwhelmed by God’s grace through Jesus Christ is a transformation that takes place within the desires of our heart.  Instead of words, tones or deeds that are less than refreshing, grace gives a new desire of expressing in whatever we do with our words or with our deeds thanks to God. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Words and actions of grace will refresh and encourage others through their life.  Emotions that live in grace are always renewing and bring a great relief of thanksgiving.  Today, may the life of His grace come out of your mouth and be expressed on your face.  The joy you will experience and the refreshment it will bring will absolutely delight you. When this verse is a description of who you are, then you will have an outstanding day, and your relationships will have an emotion called joy. Enjoy!

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  Romans 3:23, 24 NLT

For everyone has sinned, which means we all have found in our nature the results of that.  Jealousy, lust, irritations, anxiety, stress, feelings of criticism along with all forms of judgment concerning ourselves and others have come to us naturally.  There is not enough money or education in the world that can remove these things from how we feel.  But when we take God at his Word, in what he says about his grace (undeserved kindness) that is given to us in Jesus the Christ all things begin to change. Through Jesus Christ it is God who declares that we are righteous. Righteousness first gift is deliverance from guilt and then deliverance from the power of our own sin. In righteousness emotions of condemnation end and grace replaces it with new emotions of kindness, peace and joy. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. In grace there is a blessing of joy that can be lived and experienced through our life. Today enjoy the life of grace that is yours because of Jesus Christ.  Let your mind experience the emotions of joy as your words and tones express rejoicing and praise.  There you will understand the blessing of his compassion and your life will become a wonderful fragrance to your family, your friends and those you meet.  Enjoy!

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work.  Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 NLT

One of the great benefits of the grace of Jesus Christ is that it gives us the ability to find joy in the everyday things of life. So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work.  Just think how much complaining, grumbling, stress and anxiety go on in our time so that we forget how to be thankful and enjoy what we do have. We were meant to enjoy the simple things such as eating, drinking and all those taste buds in our mouth that are just waiting to express themselves.  Grace can celebrate these individual moments with an attitude of thanksgiving and that changes everything from how we feel to how we think.  Today let yourself find pleasure in the smallest things along your journey.  You, your family, your friends and those you come in contact with will be renewed through your attitude of grace.  Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.  Enjoy!

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.  Galatians 5:13 NLT

We are a nation that is all about freedom. For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. Yet as a nation we seem to be losing our freedom and becoming enslaved to actions, attitudes and emotions that are destructive to our families, our neighborhoods and our nation. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.  It isn’t just alcohol, drugs, food and all forms of immorality but also violence in attitude and actions. What is ironic is the more someone asserts his or her self-centered so called freedom, the more he or she becomes enslaved to their own sin. But there is a prescription for freedom, it is the grace of God found in Jesus Christ. So if the Son of God sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36. This freedom of grace is not a belief system; it is a life that penetrates the very foundation of our emotions and it is called a new creation. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.  Today enjoy the freedom of grace that has been given to you through Jesus the Christ. Let your day to be free in grace so that you know your old habits and addiction are no longer a definition of who you are or were. Your freedom in Christ will bless you and bring delight to everyone around you.  Enjoy!

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.  I do not conceal your love and your truth from those I meet.  Psalm 40:10

What happens to the heart of a man or woman who has received the grace of God? I do not hide your righteousness in my heart. Your righteousness in my heart gives us a beautiful view of our life without condemnation in our emotions or our thinking. I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.  With that in place, our faith in our Lord brings about a joy in our journey and others are then blessed with his love through us. I do not conceal your love and your truth from those I meet. When God’s righteousness has become what we are, relationships can be rebuilt and renewed. Today let his grace and love continue to overwhelm you as you speak of God’s faithfulness and salvation.  In his grace you can say – I do not conceal your love and your truth from those I meet.  Those you meet today will be very blessed to experience God’s love for them through you. Enjoy!