Dazzled

By Elaine James –

Take a moment and remember a time when you were outside in the pitch black of the night and saw the amazing sky in all of its vastness. Did you lie down and look up and really take in the vastness of the sky? You couldn’t help but say “God you did all this.”

A friend asked a friend to lie down on the ground in Wyoming so they could stargaze. One spoke up with amazement in his voice and asked, “Why did God create so many stars and make the universe so vast?!”

The other replied, “Because God wants to dazzle you.”

Long ago, God, who is the intelligent designer, created the heavens and the earth. He is an amazing artist who has a ginormous love for us. He created the world with such intricacy. Awesome! I am challenged to be still and know that God is God. I use the word challenged because there is such urgency in my mind to be task-orientated that I struggle with time management. I can only imagine that you might struggle with this as well.

In this New Year I want to start out remembering the times where I was overcome viewing His starry sky. After all I just heard the Christmas story and was dazzled by the star that rose after Jesus was born (Matthew 2).

Imagine if everyone decided to start out their New Year with the starry Christmas night still in their heart and images of their last starry gaze in that special place. Slowly take a deep breath in and let it out with a prayer “God, take hold of my hand, here we go into the New Year, I don’t want to do this year without you.”

“And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:14-18 NIV).

Hurry Up

By Elaine James –

“Hurry up, we have to go!” I yelled.

I ran out onto the back porch with my baby in my arms racing to get into the car and all of the sudden I tumbled, crashing to the ground. I checked out the baby and, miraculously, no injuries.

My toddler came running up with a panicked look shouting “Mom are you okay?”

“Thank goodness we are fine” I spoke with a bit of reassurance in my voice. This could have been more serious. With resolve I said, “Listen to me. Let’s agree right here, right now we will not say the H word any longer.”

“What’s the H word, mom?” Nick asked peering at me with his cute inquiring eyes.

“Hurry!” I explained. “We were divinely lucky this time, but if we continue to hurry every time we go somewhere one of us may get hurt. All hands in!”

I had us put our hands all in on top of each other like the ball players do when they come out of a huddle, and we cheered, “No more hurrying!”

It felt good when we came to an agreement. No yelling. No screaming. Just teamwork. Yay for our team!
The Bible teaches that we are to submit to one another and be team builders. Jesus selected the twelve disciples, taught them and encouraged them to work together. One day the disciples came to Jesus and said, “‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat’” (Matthew 14:15-16 NIV).
Jesus made a plan, the disciples responded and obeyed therefore Jesus was able to create a miracle, which resulted in order, peace, joy and contentment. Teamwork!

This New Year you may prayerfully consider this question “How can I intentionally and deliberately build better teamwork into important relationships in my life?” Wait and trust the Holy Spirit to answer this meaningful question.

You may be tempted to call a teambuilding meeting where you get dreary looks and meaningless head nodding. Consider trying this instead:

1. Get a package of Three Musketeer’s candy bars.
2. Attach a note to the candy stating your desire to build team work in the New Year.
3. Include the motto “All for One, One for All.” Certainly that will pique their taste buds and interest!

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21 NIV).

PRAYER: Father, thank- you for a New Year. My desire is to be deliberately intentional in my relationships this year so that I can build a team like you did, Jesus. (Name the team members) Help guide us all with clarity and unity. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Creating the Perfect Christmas

By Elaine James –

“You get your panties all in a bunch!” he blurted out. Oh boy is he in trouble I thought. I watched my friend Tom bury himself as he rolled his eyes and came out with that to his wife. What was he thinking by saying that?

Tom was expressing his frustration about the family Christmas dinner that was just around the corner. He went on a rant describing how uptight Cindy gets. I felt for Cindy because I understood where she was coming from. I know she loves Pinterest and she has been perusing that website getting inspiring ideas with the desire to create the perfect Christmas.

Have you found yourself trying to keep up with the times and new ideas? Or with the age-old desire of creating the perfect Christmas? Are your panties in a bunch? Or maybe you have found yourself just giving up and doing the complete opposite–nothing?

The Bible teaches us the perfect perspective of how to celebrate Christmas. It starts with the angel declaring to Mary, “And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:31 AMP). Mary’s response “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said” (Luke 1:38 AMP).

We can relate that to our lives. We pray for our plans. We become pregnant with an idea. We respond as the handmaiden of the Lord knowing that “For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment” (Luke 1:37AMP). We can fulfill the perfect Christmas in God’s power.

Next time you imagine yourself creating a perfect Christmas think of yourself being nine months pregnant. Imagine Mary travelling 80 miles, about one week on foot, to get to her perfect Christmas celebration. What would happen to all our perspectives of wanting a perfect Christmas? The world could fulfill their perfect Christmas with this promise, “No word from God shall be without power” (Luke 1:37 AMP).

PRAYER: Thank you for the free gift of Jesus Christ. You always have the perfect plans. Help me be guided this Christmas with your promise that I will be with Your power to create Your perfect Christmas plans. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

HO HO HO

By Elaine James –

My “to do list” is taking over my brain. Bake the cookies (every recipe that grandma gave me when I got married), put up the decorations, plan the holiday meals, send out the Christmas cards, do the shopping (even doing on-line shopping takes up a lot of time), get ready for all the upcoming parties, stock up the house with food (the college students are coming home) and so on…

My phone just buzzed twice. I have to look! It’s hard to stop! I have to hurry up! It all seems urgent!

I am wondering if you are feeling the pressure of Xmas?

I use the word “Xmas” because when you look at my list above there is no CHRIST in it.

The Bible teaches, “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp” (Psalm 92:1-3 NIV). David wrote a song for the Sabbath day, a day of rest. David loved playing music and singing. It had a calming effect.

Whenever I sit down and listen to my Christmas music, read scripture and write in my journal, miraculously I find out I have enough time to get everything done. Guess what? I get it done with a “Ho, Ho, Ho.” The sound that bellowed out of Santa’s gut makes me feel light-hearted; like I want to laugh. I feel the same when I reflect on Jesus’ birth and picture Him in the manger with those little rosy cheeks just like Santa’s. I cry out “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord.” The true Spirit of Christmas.

I was shopping with my daughter when a customer cut in front of us while we were in line trying to make a purchase. We looked at each other, yelled, “Ho, Ho, Ho!” and burst out laughing. As we were leaving the mall there was a huge traffic jam and we realized were not going anywhere fast. We yelled out, “Ho, Ho, Ho!” So many stories I can’t write them all.

Imagine what would happen if in this season when the tension is building instead of giving into that frustration with a negative reaction we could be more spontaneous. We would yell out “Ho, Ho, Ho!” Stop! Laugh! The result would create an atmosphere of what the Christmas season should be filled with…THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.

PRAY WITH ME: Holy! Holy! Holy! Are you Lord! Heaven and Earth are filled with Your glory. I reflect on Your glory! Lord give me a Ho! Ho! Ho! of love, praise, laughter and song in this Christmas season. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Rise Up and Carry On

By Elaine James –

I find myself wondering how to respond to overload in my life. I imagine you have found yourself in situations where you are not sure what to do either.

Maybe you can identify with a day like this. My dogs are driving me crazy because they are starved for attention. They keep following me everywhere. I walk around the house and see the sink full of dirty dishes, garbage that needs to be emptied, laundry piled up, clutter everywhere I look. There is a stack of mail on the counter with bills that need to be paid. Depressing! My kids are griping “Mom there is no food.” I need to get to the grocery store. I look at my cell phone and there are voicemails, emails and texts that I did not respond to.

My son just left the house stressed about the long road trip he was venturing out on. I glanced at my calendar and saw writing deadlines and doctor appointments. I don’t want to even mention the flip-flop in my stomach when I saw Thanksgiving and Christmas coming around the corner. The thought of figuring out who we will spend the Holidays with gives me the willies. It conjures up the nerve-racking thoughts of who is talking to whom. I ask myself “Why can’t we just all get along? Why is so and so always crabby at Holidays?” Blah, blah, blah…Need I go on?

What does the bible teach us on how to respond to overload? Paul was stoned and dragged out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

“However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city…strengthening the soul of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:20-22 NKJV).

Having faith through the power of the Holy Spirit gives us immunity to life’s struggles. Paul had super-human power to endure suffering that we may never experience. Acknowledging his true faith strengthened him. The faith Paul talked about does not preempt us from suffering. Jesus also addressed the issue of how to respond. The Father gave Jesus the faith to believe in Himself so much so that he rose up and went to the cross. The King within each of us gives us the faith to rise up and carry on.

Next time you aren’t sure what to do, ask yourself this question, “Can God give me enough faith to rise up and carry on?” Imagine what would happen in our world if we all had faith to believe God will give us strength to rise up and carry on.

PRAYER: Our Father in heaven I know that all I need is the faith of a mustard seed to be able to accomplish things daily. Help me to rise up and carry on daily. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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