July 26, 2016

Dear Grandchildren:
Congratulations to Moses and Alexis for the birth of their new son, Eli. Steven and Karly and Nick and Rachel are expecting their babies very soon. Greg and Sommer and Kyle and Jaclyn are preparing for their upcoming weddings this summer.

These happy events are wonderful and they will each bring a smile to your face. But they are not what I’m talking about when I talk about a joy-filled life.

Remember our letter last month; we said that joy is an outward sign of inward faith in the promises of God. In simple words, keep your thoughts and focus fixed on God.

Here are four steps to living a joy-filled life.

Step one: Remember God is your true source to true joy. Ephesians 2:10 remind us that we are his masterpiece! “We are His masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he has planned for us long ago”.

Also remember there has never been and never will be anyone just like you. Your life here on earth is your special opportunity to fulfill God’s vision for your life.

So agree with your Creator! He knows everything about you, and he still loves you. So your love for yourself should mirror his love for you. This is critical because you will receive only what, deep down, you believe you are worthy of having.

Step two: Forgive others without exception and mean it. You must forgive everyone in your life, past and present; for everything they’ve ever done to you, both real and imagined.

You cannot feel terrific about yourself when you feel poorly toward others. 

Because no one is perfect, forgiveness will be an ongoing process. Make forgiveness a daily routine, with no exception.

Step three: Forgive yourself early and mean it. Practice forgiving yourself regularly and acknowledge your mistakes and accept God’s forgiveness. Remember Jesus paid the price, so we could receive forgiveness daily.

Step four: Focus on your God-given strengths. No one has your unique design and God has a purpose for how he made you. As a child of God, you already have everything you need to be successful. Lose yourself on serving others. Never compare yourself to others but challenge yourself to become a better person daily.

Try to eliminate negative self-talk and focus on the positive things in your life. Begin to speak words that will help you accomplish your goals and dreams. You may have to start programming your mind by first disciplining your words.

As I write these words, I know first hand that it’s much easier to write these words than to live them. So together, let our effort match our desire in becoming a joy-filled Christian.

Until next month,

Love,

Grandpa