TO DO LIST

Dear Friend:

So many things are important.
Marriage is important
Family is important
Spending time with God is important.
Visiting the lonely and sick is important.
Being available for others is important.

Work is important.

When I look at the words above it becomes a "To Do List".
I must make others happy.
I must make my marriage happy.
I must spend time with God.

It goes on and on…



It goes on and on…I’m trying to do it all.

Honestly I get up in the morning and I want to go back to bed and hide/sleep.  I muster up energy to stop,  run to my devotions and bible so I can trust God with it all. God never lets me down. I feel unexplained energy wash over me like a wave. I get excited about it. I pray that others get this connection. Want this connection.
Without it I would feel as if I can't:
Be happy.
Make my marriage work out.
Have peace in my home with my family.
Visit others.

Make a difference.

My love from above has to be enough. He turns my “To Do List” into joy. He helps me to do things with joy for Him. I can’t do life with Him. He is everything to me. How about you?
2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Prayer: Father Your grace is sufficient. I want to talk more about you than me. Help me God to trust You. Help me to be in the moment. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Faith, get on your mat!

 I yelled at the dog. She ran to her mat, sat, looked at me with those puppy eyes as if she was saying "Look I'm on my free zone, you can't touch me now." 

Did you play "it" or "tag" as a kid? Did you have a free zone called "glue"? The spot if  you touched or hung onto to where you could not get tagged to be "it."

That is what I thought of in that moment when I stared at the dog. She is in her free zone.

A "free zone"  I like the idea of that. A spot to go where you are free. Free from others comments, betrayals, stubbornness, impatience, bad moods...

I thought about this before that day when I woke up in the night with anxious thoughts on my mind. Where can I go from these thoughts?

"The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress" (Psalm 46:11 NIV) 
With that verse on my mind I began to ask "If God is my fortress, what would it be like to be in a God's fortress?" A fortress in my mind. I let my mind wander further. What would it look like, who would be allowed in? I discovered a free zone in my mind and I now visit it often. 

Where is your free zone? It does not have to be in your mind. Perhaps it is a place you go to. A favorite safe spot:  your bed, couch, chair... 

Find your glue and stick to it!

Prayer:  Thank you God for being my free zone. Amen.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1 NIV) 

 

I SMILE, YOU SMILE

Dear Friend:

I greet you in the Lord Jesus Christ. Where have I been? Out of town. But when I got back I sat at my computer,  my fingers hit the keys vigorously with excitement. I could not wait to see God help me write a message from my heart and then pass it to your heart. May God richly bless you in this new Season. Summer can be a fresh start. 

I took a bike ride. During which, I slammed on my brakes blurting out “Sweet nibblets.” I almost raced by and missed this glorious display of God’s beauty. Have you ever seen a Catalpa tree? If not Google Catalpa tree. The ground around the tree, full of blossoms, appears to look like it snowed in the summer. I love it! I picked up a blossom. I wish I could send you a picture. I will post one on my facebook for anyone to see. (friend me at Elaine James) It smells so sweet! 

I left for my bike ride with much on my mind. I was processing. Or maybe over processing. Over thinking. Thinking too much. Wasting time. When will I learn!  I slammed on my brakes to a complete halt and focused on the blossom. I allowed myself to enjoy nature. That helped me to just appreciate the now. I took a deep breath and told myself “God is in control.” This is what matters now. Taking in the moment. Appreciating what God gave me. A glimpse of heaven through His creation. It turned my day around. I went from “Elaine’s world” to “God’s world.” That is a good thing.

Friend, do you understand what I am telling you? Each day is a new day. A new opportunity to smile and appreciate even the smallest of things, like a blossom. I nodded and said “Hi” to someone and that felt good inside of me. I smile, you smile. (I am not singing a Justin Bieber song at this point, but I am tempted to).  It brings peace throughout your whole being.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3).

New birth means. Strength from God to:  love the unlovable, to have an deeper awareness, to see good in others, to stop saying I can’t when you can through Christ. You are a new creation in Christ the old is gone. This knowledge can help you stop being impatient, unkind, uncaring and be more like Christ.

Below is a writing that was published in the last month. I pray that you enjoy this new season realizing you have been given a new birth.

Pray: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In your great mercy You have given me new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Thank you. Help me to understand this new birth for daily living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.