Dear Family and Friends,
Christmas has passed again, but the gift remains eternal. The gift of His son Jesus started with a child in a manger, but ended with the death, resurrection and the gift of eternal life to all who believe.
Forgiveness is something that we mortals have a hard time really understanding. I remember the translated quote “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” What does this really mean?
I am sitting here watching “It’s a Wonderful Life,” too late for a normal work-day, but okay since I don’t have to work until next Monday. What a message this movie brings. What if we had never lived? What if those we love and through our love have brought forth new life, had never occurred because we had never been born?
I really like to watch “Christmas Vacation” every year around this time. Although I like this movie, perhaps I should be watching over and over again “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Why? Because it is a message of HOPE and PURPOSE! Not humor related to things we laugh and sometimes cringe about, but heart pondering of what if? What if I hadn’t been born? What if we hadn’t gotten married? What if…?
I have no regrets with my life, other than I didn’t practice forgiveness and teaching others how to forgive as much as I should have. As I sit here tonight I realize it is a wonderful life, but I wish I had been able to see what would have been if I hadn’t so I could be more forgiving and know when and how to keep my mouth shut and just listened.
I told Annie the other day how I wished my words could be recalled like an errant email can be. Unfortunately, words, once spoken, never can be recalled. Paul speaks of the tongue:
JAMES 3:1-12 (web)
Control of the Tongue
- 3:1 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.
- 3:2 For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word,
the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
3:3 Indeed, we put bits into the horses‘ mouths so that they may obey us,
and we guide their whole body.
3:4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds,
are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.
3:5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things.
See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!
3:6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue,
which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature,
and is set on fire by Gehenna.
{Gehenna is a name that describes a burning Hell with rotting bodies and unclean things in it}
3:7 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing,
and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind.
3:8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men,
who are made in the image of God.
3:10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing.
My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
- 3:11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
3:12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs?
Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
As we move from this Christmas to the next, I pray that I may learn more how to forgive and be forgiven. I also hope I learn how to think more about others and put myself last.
May God Bless you all. I hope you had a great Christmas and have a great New Year.
Love,
Jimmy
