This morning at church, Pastor Gary shared with us a story of his children and how they've begun disciplining them as of late.

He and his wife, Leslie have come up with a "Job Jar", out of which the children are to pull a respective job anytime they've misbehaved. (He said he sure has appreciated this system, as he has had a LOT more help around the house!)

At any rate, they've been using this system for some time now and the other day, as Gary came through the door, little Mitchell was just so excited, repeating "Daddy, Daddy! Guess what job I pulled from the jar! Guess what job I pulled from the jar!..."

Gary stops and thinks: What job could possibly have Mitchell this excited?

Mitchell says "Grace!"

Unbeknownst to Gary, Leslie had tucked a couple of "Grace" slips in the "Job Jar".

It was an opportunity for Gary and Leslie to acknowledge and address the wrong-doing, and yet demonstrate the act of grace and mercy.

How much more excited should we be, that our Heavenly Father knows of all our wrong-doing, and yet shows us unrelenting grace and mercy! The verse that so often gets overshadowed by its predecessor, John 3:17 tells us~

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

No judgment. No punishment. No condemnation. Just unconditional love and unending second chances. "How great the Father's love for us"!!

Father~

In this season of Thanksgiving, I would just like to take the opportunity to give thanks to You for your incomprehensible love for us. A love so deep we could never either earn or even realize the extent of. Please help us to simply receive this blessing of love on us and in turn, continue to strive to show that love and light to all of those on our paths, extending that same grace and mercy to others that You've so graciously shown to us. ~Amen.