"Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence." Psalm 42:5. Let's all be happy again today. We shouldn't let ourselves be in despair. Why? Because God loves us, and we are His. That should be joy enough within itself.

"You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things." -Romans 2:1. Judging is a sin. God sees all sin as the same. When we judge and condemn others for their sin, we are committing a sin of the same magnitude. Judgement stems from pride. When we think we have it all together and right, we start thinking we can dictate others. But what many fail to realize is that God is the ONLY one with that kind of authority. We should embrace others and show them love when they stumble. That is what we're called to do. We're not called to be Bible police.

"Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on! Hold fast! Hold out! Patience is genius." -Georges L.L. de Buffon. This quote speaks for itself. Just because we don't recieve what we want immediately, it doesn't mean God has said no. He will give you an answer in time. Sometimes it happens right then, others it takes a while. But God's timing is perfect, and eventually you will see why He timed it the way He did. Something that my mom told me once when i was upset about something is that you shouldn't look at bad situations as God's sign to give up. Look at it as an opportunity to be patient and not give up.

"Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me." -Psalm 23:4. No matter what scary situation we're in, God is with us every step of the way. I know I talk about this a lot, but we all should constantly remind ourselves that we're not alone. He's our constant support. In any and every situation. If you're going through something, repeat this verse to yourself until it becomes you. Know that He cares for you more than anyone. You will get through it with Him.

It may be cliche to say, "Jesus is the reason for the season." But as we celebrate Christmas, try to look past the crazy, fast paced shopping and stress and decorations and food. Let's remember why we give gifts- because Jesus gave. But let's take "Jesus is the reason for the season" one step further. Let's make Jesus the reason for EVERY season. Merry Christmas everybody.

"....do not be discouraged, for I am your God....." Isaiah 41:10. I didn't put the whole verse because there was one point i wanted to emphasize. Do not be discouraged. We can allow ourselves to be completely down about life at the drop of a hat. But when we get discouraged, that doesn't make things better. Sometimes it seems like there's no light at the end of the tunnel, but the Bible urges us not to get discouraged, because He is our God. He'll bring us through, every time.

"Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3. Pastor Chris tweeted this this morning. Let's ask God to help us speak kindly. When we pop off and use vulgarity, it never leads to anything good. Let's be lights to the world and try to keep our speech pure.