Good morning, world! What a great day to wake up and praise God. I started out with the Upper Room as usual and noticed a story rather familiar to all Emmaus folks. Odd how those little devotionals seem to always be appropriate for that particular day.

I recently finished another Max Lucado book titled "In the Grip of Grace." At the end of the book, he finishes with a series of questions. A couple of those really got me to thinking, so I thought I would pass them along.

For those who are super-active in your church: Do you live in fear of never doing enough? Or, do you live in gratitude, knowing enough has already been done? The other, very similar question is: Do you do good deeds to be saved? Or, do you do good deeds because you are saved?

These are questions I ask myself often. I sometimes doubt my own motives. I pray for the latter while fearing the former. I know in both my mind and my heart, that Christ died for me and that should always be enough, but do I do things to win "points" from above?

Another point made in the book that is well worthy of note: Can you remember when you first allowed Christ into your heart and felt saved and became a child of God? What a great feeling that was!! (For me, it was when I was baptized at the age of 12 and just knew that I was "right" with God.) As life has gone along, have you experienced hardships and felt that your prayers were no longer of any importance to God and just maybe you've done things that have separated you from His love?

Think again, my friends! When you first accepted Christ, and He accepted you, didn't you feel forgiven for all you had done? If God knew of your sins beforehand, and if God knows everything that will happen until the end of time, which he does, don't you think He forgave your future sins also? He knew of them then and STILL took you as one of His own.

Ain't our God just super-awesome!!