I admit it….I LOVE CHRISTMAS! Opening presents! The chaos! The food! The fun! Lot’s of noise! More noise! And then more noise! Isn’t it great? There’s nothing like getting together with those you love. Each year we have a tradition that on Christmas morning all our children and their families come over for Christmas brunch and then we open presents and spend the day playing games, eating and just enjoying being together. Once again everyone came Christmas morning and gathered around the table, ( actually three tables as our family is getting so big.) Sitting there I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude for God’s incredible blessing to me . . . my wife; my three children; their spouses; and my incredible ten grandchildren! I felt so blessed! This was definitely a “do over" day for me!
Since that time as we've entered this new year, I’ve spent a lot of time rehearsing the goodness and the faithfulness of God in my life. It’s so easy in the midst of a hectic, fast-paced lifestyle, and pressures that life brings; to forget to give thanks to God not only for today’s blessings but for God’s past faithfulness in our lives. Why is this so important? Because God’s faithfulness in the past casts a shadow of hope for our future! So, now that Christmas is over and we're beginning this new year, why not grab a cup of Starbucks, a pen and paper, and take the time to think back as far as you can in your past; and list every detail of God’s faithfulness in your life. Remember . . . God’s faithfulness in your past casts a shadow of hope for your future.