Peace

What a thought: To have peace with God. What does it require to have peace with God? We have to be cleansed from our filth and sin. To eat at the Lord's table, we must be washed clean. Making peace with God isn't a two way compromise. If God ever lowered his standards to be at peace, he wouldn't be God. To earn peace with God, I would have to have always lived righteously: I don't get more chances than Adam did. But I'm not perfect. My hope of peace with God is utterly dependent upon Jesus being true and loving me. Oh what a blissful thought there is peace between me and the Thrice Holy God. Now I can sing: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness".

Happy 2013

2012 was a great year for me.
Recap:
Rang in 2012 in Arkansas.
Jan: Started living in San Diego
Jan: Flew to Bahrain to meet my crew for the first time
Feb: Flew back to San Diego for naval training
Apr: Went back to Bahrain to rejoin my crew
May: crew came back to San Diego to take over a different ship
Jun-Oct: San Diego
Nov: Back to Bahrain

Highlights:
Meeting wonderful Primitive Baptists in California
Conning a ship in formation with other Naval ships from US, UK, France, and Oman
Driving to Louisiana with my little sisters and a crawfish boil
Spending a long weekend with my oldest sister's family, and two younger sisters in San Diego
Spending a weekend with parents and grandparents in San Diego
Seeing two of my pastors from home preach a meeting in Madera, CA
Getting to go back home for the Salem Association
Meeting wonderful Primitive Baptists in Purcell, OK

Lessons Learned:
Often the toughest decisions made end up being the best.
Often the church meetings that are the most dificult to attend are the most blessed -I've never yet regretted the decision to travel to a PB church meeting.
As a leader, it's not enough to do my job well; I have to motivate and ensure others do their job well.
Negative motivation is as essential as positive motivation.
Sometimes I am unaware when I am doing something that later I will really cherish.
Great results can come out of bad situations.
Great improvements in life are most often the result of small changes in habbit.
The problem isn't when things don't go my way, focus on doing everything according to the Lord's will- often my will is what I mistook to be the Lord's will.

Goals/Resolutions for 2013:
Pray without ceasing
Spread a sense of pride and self motivation in my sailors
Earn a surface warfare officer pin
Qualify TAO/MCM Evaluator
Move to South Carolina

The Lord is good and He has been good to me. He is always pre-eminent and in all things is worthy to be praised. The following is the hymn that is most often on my mind heading into 2013.

Jesus and shall it ever be
A mortal man ashamed of thee.
Ashamed of thee whom Angels praise,
Whose glory shines through endless days.

Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far,
Let evening blush to own a star.
He sheds the beams of light divine
On this benighted soul of mine

Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon,
Let midnight be ashamed of noon.
'Tis midnight with my soul when He,
bright morning star bids darkness flee.

Ashamed of Jesus! that dear friend,
On whom my hopes of heav'n depend.
No, when I blush be this my shame:
That I no more revere his name.

Ashamed of Jesus! yes, I may,
When I've no guilt to wash away,
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fear to quell, no soul to save.

Till then nor is my boasting vain,
Till then I boast a Saviour slain;
And oh! may this my glory be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me.

His institutions would I prize,
Take up my cross and shame despise,
Dare to defend his noble cause,
And yield obedience to his laws.

By Joseph Grigg