Cole is 3 years old and is one if the absolute funniest little boys you will ever meet. He had been in the other room watching a super hero show. He must’ve heard us guessing each other’s sentences and naturally thought we were playing a game. He runs in and screams, “Ok. It’s my turn. It’s an animal. It buries its food and then digs it up and eats it.” Totally knowing the animal he was describing, I scrambled for an answer and said, “Uhh… A squirrel?” His answer? “Yesssss.” Then he ran off again. :)
Later in the evening, we had an iPod photo shoot, followed by a message that told me we’d better slow down on the fun for the night and hit the hay. It was a fun night!

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance (Psalm 32:7).

You might recognize the Golden family in some of these pictures. I took pictures of their beautiful family in this post.

We finished up our drinks and then headed to Jason’s office. We jammed for a bit and by the end of the night had recorded a cover of Majesty by Delirious. My favorite lyrics are, “Here I am. Humbled by the love that you give. Forgiven so that I can forgive.” Can’t imagine what my life would be like without that love. A great end to a wonderful date night with my hot hubby!

Check out more of Jason’s covers and originals on youtube!

I couldn’t help but think of how messed up my life can be. I fail time after time, then guilt sets in and the tiny bit of growth I had, seems to all of sudden turn brown. I become a shriveled mess, just like my plant. That’s when I need to remember what Jesus did for me. How do I so often forget?

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:6-15, emphasis mine).

As you and I begin our New Year’s resolutions, let us strive to accomplish them in light of this: we have to “walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith.” And when we fail, let’s be reminded that all of our trespasses have been forgiven. Jesus himself set it aside, “nailing it to the cross.”  This year we can walk in God’s grace, knowing that in Christ we are new creations. And through Jesus, our shriveled up messes can start to sprout new life. What a beautiful thing!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17, emphasis mine).