Trivia:
Well believe it or not San Bernardino, CA. is the home of the very first MvDonalds Drive-In opening. Sorry for alll off your guesses but, as was I, wew were wrong. It opened in 1948 by Richard and Maurice McDonald.
Which U.S. state is known as "The Copper State? Nevada; New Mexico; Arizona; Utah, make your guess.
Congratulations are in order to Lindsay & Kevin Winterton - they had a baby girl last night Vivian Rebecca at 9:46pm and all is well.
Challenge:
Psalm 85:4-7 "Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. 5 Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? 6 Won't you revive us again. so your people can rejoice in you? 7 Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation."
Have you noticed how many times our Heavenly Father forgives us? How many times He administers His mercy to us? When we come to Him in a heart of repentance, He "Restores us" and in that moment forgives our sins, then He immediately removes our punishment. Then we are reminded of His unfailing love, and His salvation that we are granted continuously from Him.
Verse 5 recounts how that any time that we face, away from the Lord's presence and renewal comes pouring in misery. Several times the nation of Israel rebelled against the Lord and faced persecution which sometimes also resulted in dispersion.
Any time that we walk away from Him in our life the joy that we once knew, is halted, and only when we call out to Him for forgiveness and renewal does He return our joy. Have you noticed that when our fellowship is broken, how our heart song is silenced? You see; It is because rejoicing and unconfessed sin can't coexist. I don't know if you have noticed this fact, but every great revival always is accompanied by song.
Oh how gracious & steadfast is His love for us, though we may wonder off from His ways, whether through disobedience, or mistaken misdirection, He restores His love to us! In Israel's history when they rebelled against God's guidance, there came consequences, of a myriad of ways, dispersion, captivity, affliction, powerlessness, but always unhappiness.
SO GO WITH GOD for He always returns His forgiveness and then He flows back into our lives, "The joy." The lose of joy is a reminder to us that we must have taken steps away from Him, so an about face is needed for us to take. Oh, the joy of our salvation it is new every morning when we draw our selves to Him and His ways.
Utah