I am far too often the author of terribly poor decisions. Yet I must rest in the unalterable fact that God says I am far better than what the sum total of those decisions would ever suggest.

My goals exceed the reach of my energies, but my God exceeds the reach of my goals.

The worst of me is the raw material from which God molds the best of me.

Although it pains me, I must admit that I have never found what I ‘need.’ And I am in this place because long ago I took it upon myself to decide what I ‘want’ to need, verses surrendering to what I ‘need’ to need. And thankfully I have realized that God made Christmas everything that I ‘want,’ but more so He made it everything that I ‘need.

After enough failed attempts to rescue myself, I finally realized that I am my own worst first responder.

Despite all of our incessant tinkering, we can’t manufacture the things we most desperately need. And if perchance we do, they will never be more than pathetically emaciated facsimiles that will leave us emaciated. And until we finally realize that we can only ‘find’ these things, we will never sense any compulsion to ‘find’ God.

Men can dig wells, but they can’t create water.

Christmas embodies everything that I need. However, everything that I need is often made up of a lot of stuff I don’t want.

I am far too weak to help you. But God is not too weak to use me to help you.