Bountiful -

I often overlook God's amazing abundance of grace in my life and the life of my family. He has provided for our physical and spiritual needs and has allowed us to partake of provisions exceeding our needs. God has graciously bestowed upon us that which our culture generally refers to as "normalcy" in terms of ability to function in this world. We have known good health and safety from serious harm. We have, do, and will continue to enjoy the great blessing of marriage and now parenthood. Most measuring sticks would probably show my wife and I both to be "above average" in general intelligence. We were both raised in homes of relative privilege, materially, though neither of us knew excessive wealth. It should suffice to say that we have absolutely no excuse for grumbling or complaining about our circumstances.

But, as I opened this entry with "I often overlook...", I do indeed find myself grumbling and complaining about my circumstances. My thoughts do not rightly reflect my ever-increasing love for my Father in Heaven; my unrest does not rightly reflect my faith in the finished work of Christ; my ramblings do not properly show forth my confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit to continue the work of conforming me more into the image of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Consistency. Standing strong in the faith relates directly to the constant renewing of our minds by the Word of God as we are reminded of His bountiful lovingkindness toward us. God will never forsake His children, and we ought to immerse ourselves more regularly into the riches of His revealed will in the Holy Scriptures.

All honor, praise, and glory be to the One, True and Living God.