Day 17: Live The Best Day

Every story begins with

ONCE UPON A TIME

that takes you to the very beginning~

whether you are watching it on the big screen or little screen

or reading it on the first page of a book

or in hearing the cries of a newborn.

ONCE UPON A TIME

is the perfect beginning to every STORY,

but isn't the STORY really about what happens after those 4 words?

Or is the STORY really about what happens on the very last page of the book

or right before the movie credits begin to scroll on the screen~

THE END.

IT IS FINISHED.

IT IS COMPLETE.

There is no going back.

So final isn't it?

It doesn't matter whether you like or dislike the ending,

there is nothing that you can do to change it once

THE END has been written.

ONCE UPON A TIME when the crying words

"IT IS FINISHED"

ended the agony on the Cross,

ending the beautiful manger scene of Christmas

when

ONCE UPON A TIME

JESUS made HIS first cry on earth.

From HIS first cry to HIS last cry

just to give each one of us

the perfect ending to our perfect beginning.

As we are all living in the middle of our stories~

all so different, yet uniquely tailored to each one of us~

doesn't the middle depend on the ending?

How would you live your day today

knowing your

STORY

will end not so good?

Would

fear & anxiety & frustration & despair be your companions?

How would you live your day today

knowing your

STORY

will end

HAPPILY EVERY AFTER?

Would

PEACE & JOY & HOPE & LOVE

be your companions?

Think about it.

Just what if

"we have been born again, because GOD raised JESUS CHRIST from the dead"*

Would you

"live with great expectation"*

Because you

"have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay"*

Just because

"through your faith, GOD is protecting you by HIS power until you receive this salvation,

which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see"

Just what if

you were in control of your THE END that will finish your STORY in the here & now?

What if your life depended on it?

Oh ONCE UPON A TIME

is not just the beginning of a childhood fairy tale~

because it is yours & mine & everyone else.

Even though we are all living in the middle

of different chapters with different characters,

yet

when we know that our STORY will

end

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

the moment

you & me & everyone else

make the choice to become

part of

HIS STORY~

"If you, __________ (put your name) declare with your mouth,

'JESUS is LORD', and believe in your heart that GOD raised HIM from the dead,

______________ will be saved" (Romans 10:9)~

Oh how we can live in the middle and

"So be truly glad"*

because

"There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while"*

Thank you GOD for being the author of our STORY

and thank you JESUS for being the finisher of our STORY

no matter what the middle may bring~

"All praise to GOD the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. It is by HIS great mercy that we have been born again, because GOD raised JESUS CHRIST from the dead.

Now we live with great expectation..." *(I Peter 1)

Because

"THERE WILL BE DAY" (listen to the song below)