Would You Like a Snowman??

 Merry Christmas friends! 

I’m popping in to share with you an idea for a gift which I’m sure you’ll love. Whether you live in a state where you will enjoy a snowy white Christmas, or whether you live in a state where the temperature is far from cold, here’s a snowman you can enjoy all year long!

This one-of-a-kind wood snowman makes the perfect accessory to your winter outfit. It looks adorable as decoration both on your shirt or jacket, or around your house. The best part of this snowman is that it comes with a magnet on the back so you don’t poke any holes in your shirt or sweater. Since it’s magnetic, you can also place it on your refrigerator or anywhere else magnetic in your home. Each comes ready to wear with the magnetic attachment for the back of the snowman. They are only $20 each, and we would love to send you your very own. They also make fabulous gifts.  Leave a comment below or use the contact form on the right side if you’re interested!

And if you're looking for larger snowmen as decoration around your house or as gifts, check out Deborah's shop. The particular snowman listed on her website is not available, but there are more similar ones! Wood cutting boards and surfboard necklaces are available as well.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Psalm 31:19 ~ Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Hello friend! Happy Thanksgiving to you! I hope you have a wonderful time today celebrating the goodness of God with friends and family. There are so many blessings God has loaded each one of us with that we could go on and on counting them, but I'll just list 3 that I have been thinking about recently. 

1. The precious family God has blessed me with.

2. The Bible. It is such a blessing to have a complete translation of the word of God so freely available in our language, and I'm very grateful for it. 

3. The way the Lord works in the smallest details of our lives, the details that would not seem important to anyone else but us, and to know that God cares is such a sweet comfort.

Now it's your turn! What are three things you are especially grateful for today? 

Isaiah 25:1 ~ O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day! 

President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day after the armistice was signed at the end of World War I. In his speech, he said, "the anniversary of Armistice Day should stir us to a great exaltation of spirit because of the proud recollection that it was our day, a day above those early days of that never-to-be forgotten November which lifted the world to the high levels of vision and achievement upon which the great war for democracy and right was fought and won." 

An act on May 13, 1938 by Congress declared Armistice Day as a legal holiday. Then on June 5, 1954 Congress changed to Veteran's Day. In his speech, President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "I...do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain." 

Even though this post is going out later than I would have liked, I just wanted to say how thankful I am for the veterans of this country. Freedom originated with God, and I am so grateful for the men and women who have served God and served our country by fighting for the freedoms America enjoys today. I'm so thankful for this solemn holiday that reminds us that freedom comes at a great sacrifice, and may we never take it for granted. To all the veterans, thank you for your service. It shall never be forgotten. 

"O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,

Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation!

Blest with vict'ry and peace may the heav'n rescued land,

Praise the power that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, 

And this be our motto- "In God is our trust,"

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

New follow by email widget

 Hi Friends! 

I just wanted to pop in real quick and share an update. Blogger sadly removed their Feedburner 'follow by email' option, so you will no longer receive posts through that venue. I decided to sign up with MailChimp for email delivery. Linda from My Fairy Blog Mother kindly helped me set up the new form, and I am so grateful for her assistance. If you notice the posts on your email looking a little different, now you know why. :) 

Hope you are having a great week! 

A Prayer: I Need Thee Every Hour

How are you doing today, friend? No matter where you are in life, this beautiful song can be a prayer for each of us, for we all need the Lord to help and guide us. I hope the words encourage you. ❤️

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like thine can peace afford. 

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to thee. 

I need Thee every hour, stay thou near by;

Temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. 

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to thee. 

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain; 

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. 

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to thee. 

I need Thee every hour, teach my thy will; 

And thy rich promises in me fulfill. 
I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to thee. 

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;

Oh, make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son. 

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to thee.

January-August 2022

Hello and happy August! 

I can't believe that this month is almost over and there are only four months left in this year! I had intentions of blogging more throughout the summer, but that obviously didn't happen. I stayed at college and worked at the Hut which serves ice cream, pretzels, nachos, smoothies, coffee, and frozen drinks. For most of the summer we were swamped with serving people who came each week for Teen Extreme camp. It was tiring but SO much fun. 

Since I haven’t posted a picture update in a while, here is one from January to the present. 

What I’m thankful for: 

~ This book that talked in depth about Calvinism and its dangers. I learned alot and would highly recommend it.  

~ This fascinating book that told the history of the King James Bible and how it came to be written. 

~ Flowers from my sweet Sunday school teacher as an object lesson

~This book I read over the summer. 

~ This team I worked with at the Hut during the summer. 

~ During a day of teen extreme week this summer, we made a new record!

~ A beautiful rainbow after a rainstorm. 

~ Coffee stop on the way home with Sarah for my one-week vacation in August. 

~ This sign I saw at Buc-ee's. 😅

~ Supper from Buc-ee's with Sarah on our road trip home. 

~ Gracie being all cute. 

~Getting to bake while at home. 

~ zucchini banana bread

~ Delicious Chinese food (coke chicken, fried rice, and dumplings) and sweet fellowship with friends

~ Getting to visit Petland and seeing this adorable rabbit. 

~My friend came back to the area for college last week, and I spent Monday and Tuesday (8/22-23) with her and her mom and sister. We stayed at a house in Perdido Key and went to Johnson beach both days. 

Johnson beach is in a national park, and it was just gorgeous. The water was clear and warm with small waves. Even though it rained a little on Monday, we enjoyed ourselves very much. 

Such a beautiful beach. 

~ Goodies from my sweet sister and a friend. 

~ And I’m also thankful for all the things I don’t have pictures of: getting to go jet skiing with my family on my vacation, the smell of roses, spending sweet time with my sisters, going on walks, magnificent sunsets, seeing God’s hand at work, times of rest and refreshment, and new blessings and mercies from the Lord every single day. 

And now that the summer is over, a new semester of classes is about to start. 

What have you been thankful for recently? 

love, 

Ashley 

Psalm 104:33-34 

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. 

Have You Talked to Jesus Today?

Have you talked to Jesus today? What I find is that it’s sometimes easy for me to read the Bible but skip over prayer, as if spending time in the Word is enough. But it is not. Sometimes we get so busy living life and attending to the myriad of things that are calling for our attention left hand and right. Prayer might accidentally get pushed out the window. But how can we grow in Christ properly and be conformed to the image of His Son unless we daily commune and spend time with Him? Daily prayer is vital and necessary for a child of God. Martin Luther recognized, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Though most people probably won’t be spending three hours in prayer at the start of their day, talking to the Creator and Savior of our souls should be of the highest priority. I heard this hymn called “I Talked to Him Today” and wanted to share it. Hope it encourages you. 

He was lead to Golgotha on the outskirts of town

Then nailed to a rugged cross, as the mockers gathered round. 

The sky spoke like thunder when He finally bowed His head 

He who had given life now hung there dead.

Then His mother and some friends came, to carry him away 

They were trying to speak through a broken heart, but only tears could say.

The sun said cast no shadow on the world's darkest day 

And with one last look, they laid Him in the grave.

But I talked to Him today, and my cares all fell away 

He made me feel like life had just begun.

He said all of my trials can be turned into triumph 

Through the victory that He's already won.

And I talked to him today, and the comfort that He gave 

Filled me with desire to tell the world, that on Calvary he died 

But right now He is alive, I know because I talked to him today.

Mary Magdalene came breathless to the place where Peter lay 

He was searching through his broken heart, trying to find the faith to pray.

But as he heard her joyful story, his sorrow could not stay 

And his hope sprang out through the words he heard her say.

She said I talked to Him today, and my cares all fell away 

He made me feel like life had just begun.

He said all of my trials can be turned into triumph 

Through the victory that He's already won.

And I talked to him today, and the comfort that He gave 

Filled me with desire to tell the world, that on Calvary he died 

But right now He is alive, I know because I talked to him today. 

Here’s the music if you want to listen. If the video doesn’t show up, 

click here. 

Psalm 5:3 ~ “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

 

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July, friends! As today marks the 246th year of America becoming a nation, I have so much gratitude in my heart. 

Gratitude for: 

*the blessing of being born and living in the United States of America. 

*the privilege to attend church weekly. I was talking to a friend from China, and she told me she attends the underground church. The underground church doesn’t mean the believers literally meet under the ground, but that their church is not registered with the state/state recognized religion, so it’s kind of a secret. What a blessing Americans have that we can choose to go to a church that believes and preaches the Word of God, and aren’t forced to go to one that is run by the government. 

*being able to publicly witness and pass out tracts. I don’t often think about this, but when my Chinese friend and I saw some people out witnessing along the street, she was amazed because in China, a person would get arrested for doing that. I am incredibly thankful Christians can spread the gospel of salvation without fear. 

*holiday celebrations and fireworks. 💥 Even though I’m sadly not getting to see any fireworks, I still love them! 

*so many freedoms we enjoy.

*America being founded on godly principles and the Bible. 

Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” Anyone can look through the history of this nation and see God’s blessing on it. As long as a nation keeps the Lord as its God, it will be blessed. But sadly, America has been rejecting the Lord and embracing false gods. Satan is doing his best to get rid of the Lord as the god of this nation, and the effects are devastatingly sad. 

*patriotic music! Speaking of which, here’s one for you to enjoy. 

If you’re viewing this post on your email and the video 

doesn’t show, click here. 

How are you celebrating today?  🇺🇸 🎇 

love,

Ashley

Happy Memorial Day

 

I am so thankful for this day that is set aside for us in the United States to pause, remember, and be thankful for the personal sacrifice thousands of men and women were willing to pay for freedom.  I am reminded that freedom is not free for a nation to enjoy -- it comes with a price. The flag flies free because of their sacrifice, and may we never forget.

I am also reminded that a Christian's freedom in Christ is not free either. It came with the sacrifice of God's only Son, Jesus, and how grateful I am for his willingness to lay down his life for me.  

I hope each of you have a blessed Memorial day! 

love, 

Ashley

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." ~ Hebrews 10:10

Three Crosses Woodcraft

Three Crosses Woodcraft's website is officially live!!!!! 

You may remember from this post that Deborah was starting up her business making and selling cutting boards. She has been working so diligently on starting up her business, and now you can shop Three Crosses Woodcraft. She also makes surfboard necklaces and rolling pins. There are some new, beautiful cutting boards available that you definitely need to check out. :)  On the website, you can sign up for emails/alerts when new products become available, and you can also follow her instagram page.

I am so proud of Deborah and all the hard work she has put into this business. She ships items all around the country and even internationally. If you live locally, she will deliver your products to you. Feel free to share with friends and family and on your social media pages.  Click here to check out the new website and see all the awesome products that are available. 

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see, 

for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me. 

Happy Easter!!!

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.         ~1 Corinthians 15:20

Hebrews 7:24-25: "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

Happy Easter!!!! It is awesome that there is a day set aside where we especially reflect, remember and give thanks for the resurrection of our Lord. His resurrection is so vital because without it, we would have no hope of eternal life. 

Crown him the Lord of life, who triumphed o'er the grave,

Who rose victorious to the strife for those he came to save. 

His glories now we sing, who died, and rose on high, 

Who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I will praise my dear Redeemer, his triumphant pow'r I'll tell, 
How the victory he giveth over sin, and death, and hell. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I know a fount where sins are washed away, I know a place where night is turned to day;
Burdens are lifted, blind eyes made to see; There's a wonder working pow'r in the blood of Calvary. 

I have a Saviour, he's a faithful friend, one who is with me, will be to the end. 
He, now in glory, intercedes for me. 'Twas his precious cleansing blood that once flowed on Calvary. 

I have a hope, my Lord will surely come, all his redeemed ones shall be gathered home. 
With him in glory evermore to be, then we'll praise him for the blood that was shed on Calvary. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I know that my Redeemer lives! What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead; He lives, my ever-living head!

He lives triumphant from the grave; he lives eternally to save;
He lives all-glorious in the sky; He lives exalted there on high. 

He lives, all glory to his name! He lives, my Saviour still the same. 
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives! 

~~~~~~~~~~

And can it be, that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood? 
Died he for me who caused his pain, for me who him to death pursued? 
Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me! 

He left his father's throne above, so free, so infinite his grace! 
Emptied himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race. 
'Tis mercy all, immense and free, for o my God, it found out me! 

No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
Alive in him, my living head, and clothed in righteousness divine. 
Bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own. 

Amazing love, how can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me!
Amazing love, how can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me!

~~~~~~~~~~

Hebrews 2:14 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"

~~~~~~~~~~

Hallelujah, Christ arose! Because he did, we do not have to fear death, and I am so grateful for that. 

How are you celebrating today? I’d love to hear in the comments. 

Rejoicing in the Lord, 

Ashley

Teltelestai - It is Finished.

 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”  - John 19:30

On Sunday we will celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. However, without Christ’s death, there would be no resurrection. After Jesus said “it is finished,” he died. Jesus' death was vital because without the shedding of blood, there is no atonement for sins. I don't know about you, but I appreciate so much the ramifications of Christ's death. I am so thankful for his statement of, “It is finished.”  Immediately afterwards, the veil of the temple was torn. Matthew 27:51-52 says “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,” With Jesus' death, the old covenant of the law was abolished, and the new covenant was issued in.  The veil that separated man from God in the temple was torn. Believers now have free access to God. Hebrews 4:16: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."  Some ramifications of teltelestai, it is finished, are: 

    - The death of Jesus no more required there to be a temple for the people to worship God in. Our bodies are now the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” And 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

    - No more sacrifice for sins was needed. Hebrews 7:26-27: "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." Jesus was that perfect and complete sacrifice that paid for sins once and for all. Now when a person gets saved, he should offer his body continually as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Romans 12:1 says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”  And Hebrews 13:15-16 say: “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praises to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”  

    - No more priests going to God on man’s behalf were required. 1 Peter 2:9 - “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:” We as children of God can go directly to our father with Jesus ever interceding for us, and what a sweet privilege that is.

Here's a lovely song called "It Is Finished" about the salvation Christ has made available. 

Long ago I saw my Savior bearing shame upon a tree;
Then my heart was touched with sorrow, for I saw he bled for me.
It is finished, loud he cried; Oh what love for me he died. 
In my stead he bled on Calvary; once for all Christ rescued me. 

Lo, the sky was veiled in darkness; Suddenly trembling shook the ground
As the angry crowd was jeering, mocking Jesus all around. 
It is finished loud he cried; Oh what love for me he died. 
In my stead he bled on Calvary; once for all Christ rescued me. 

Then my Savior called to heaven as I saw his love anew, 
O my Father, please forgive them, for they know not what they do. 
It is finished, loud he cried; Oh what love for me he died. 
In my stead he bled on Calvary; once for all Christ rescued me. 

Free salvation now he offers; take his gift, oh, hear his plea;
On the bloody cross behold him, join his shout of victory. 
It is finished, loud he cried; Oh what love for me he died. 
In my stead he bled on Calvary; once for all Christ rescued me. 

Up Calvary's mountain one dreadful mourn, walked Christ my Saviour, weary and worn;
Facing for sinners death on the cross, that he might save them from endless loss. 

Blessed Redeemer! precious Redeemer! Seems now I see him on Calvary's tree; 

Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading, blind and unheeding, dying for me! 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend as you remember the death of Christ on your behalf. 

love, 
Ashley

Hebrews 10:12 "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" 

Encouragement for Your Heart from the Bible ~ How Firm A Foundation!

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? 

"Fear not, I am with you, o be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

E'en down to old age all my people shall prove my sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when grey hairs shall their temples adorn, like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Psalm 37:28  "For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off."

I wanted to share something beautiful that thrills my heart every day, and hope you find encouragement in it as well. :) This hymn, "How Firm a Foundation," is one of my favorites and one I have sung many times. But I recently learned something that gives this song a greater depth of meaning. The final words of the last verse, "I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!" come from the last half of Hebrews 13:5: "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." If you count the negations in the song, there are 5. Never, no, never, no never. However, in the Scripture verse, there are only 2 negations: never and nor. This is where the interesting part comes in. 😊 I'm learning koine Greek, the language the New Testament was written in, and this is what Hebrews 13:5 actually says in Greek: οὐ μή σε ἀνω, οὐδ' οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω. "I never, ever would detach you from me, nor would I ever, ever abandon you." There are actually 5 negations in this text: οὐ, μή, οὐδ', οὐ, μή. Isn't that so neat?! This is such a comforting and lovely thought, that God will never temporarily walk away from us nor will he ever permanently abandon us.  

 "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;"  ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, oh, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me. 
All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing. 

Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick and lead the blind. 
Just and holy is thy name, I am all unrighteousness; 
Vile and full of sin I am, thou art full of truth and grace. 

Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within. 
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee; 
Spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity. 

~~ from hymn "Jesus, Lover of my Soul"

I hope you have an awesomely wonderful week, and happy valentine's day! 😀

love in Christ,

Ashley

 "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of they wings." ~ Psalm 36:7

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." ~ 1 John 4:9

Do You Have Buttons?

The last few months of 2021 I spent learning about anger and how to handle it properly. I was in an unpleasant circumstance which was not easy to deal with, but in hindsight I am so thankful God placed me in that situation because he taught me a lot through it. Perhaps you have heard people use the phrase, "he/she pushes my buttons." This means that the person is probably short fused, their emotions are as breezy as the wind, and they get angry quickly. I’m not talking about righteous anger, or the anger someone feels when they have been wronged. Anger is an emotion everyone experiences and in itself is not wrong. However, it can become sin if we fail to practice self-control and let it get out of hand.  As followers of Christ, we would do well to not even have any "buttons" in the first place that could easily get pushed that cause us to become angry. The Scriptures have quite a bit to say about the topic of anger. Let's look at a few verses. 

 Proverbs 14:17 - "He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated."

Proverbs 14:29 - "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."

Proverbs 15:1 - "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

Proverbs 15: 18 - "A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife."

1 Corinthians 13:5 ~ talking about love: "Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil:"

Galatians 5:20 ~ talking about the works of the flesh: "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies," 

Ephesians 4:2-3 - "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Ephesians 4:31 - "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"

Colossians 3:8 - "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."

James 1:19-20 - "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."

1 Peter 2:21-23 - "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:"

1 Peter 3:8-9 - "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing."

We are not ignorant of Satan's devices; we know he is out to destroy, and allowing anger to get a foothold in our life will quickly cause us to drift away from God. Being quick to get angry is a work of the flesh that needs to be crucified so the fruits of being filled with the Spirit can be evident. Longsuffering is a trait that needs to mark every Christian. So......Forgive readily. Keep short accounts. Love God, and love the brethren. 

Together let’s become better people and a little more like Christ this year by learning to be slow to wrath. 

❤️ Ashley