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May 3, 2013 by Elaine James  
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By Elaine James -
Taking a sip of my coffee I peacefully think “Peace and quiet, now I can get some work done.” I spoke to soon. A “bing” noise from my computer tells me “I’ve got mail”. It is a sting to my nervous system. I get like a million spam e-mails a day! Do you? Some days I just delete them and move on to the important messages. Other days it bothers me so much I feel like I want to explode! I am spending more time dumping into that little garbage can than I care to. Can’t someone invent an anti-anger button on my computer?
I liken this frustration to people or things that I come across every day. That person or thing is right in my face screaming for attention. It wears me down. Are you worn down, feeling like you just can’t take it anymore? Some days I am living fully frustrated and not fully alive.
I diagnose myself with the Paul syndrome defined by Paul himself “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18 NIV).
Thank goodness there is a prescription for this syndrome which the Holy Spirit reminds me “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22 NLT). Instead of exploding I pray “God give me some of that self-control.”
This prescription has brought me to a place of true peace and the result is:
Episodes< fruit of the spirit How exciting! I pray you are inspired to want: fruit of the spirit>frustration.
I add to my daily regimen a second prescription called thanksgiving. Being grateful takes my one-track mind away from frustration. I am thanking God for: the sun shining; my daughter’s smile; my husband’s kind words; my ministry; a double chocolate donut; food to eat; a friend who checked in on me today; a lady who said “HI” at the grocery store….on and on.
Join me, won’t you? The journey of life will become brighter. Make your thankful list right in the middle of chaos that is going on.
Let’s pray about it:
Father in heaven help me to want more of You and in turn You will fill me with the fruits of the Spirit. Help me to sense that You are developing more inside of me and it is showing on the outside. Thank You for Your medicine. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

YOLO

My daughter’s friend blurted out “I fell in love with the dress and I knew I couldn’t afford it. So I just opened a new store credit card and bought it. Oh well, “YOLO”.”
“What does “YOLO” mean?” I retorted. Just picture an annoyed teen response: attitude with eyes rolling and all, stating “Everyone knows what YOLO means. You Only Live Once.”
Catchy! I gazed out my window while rinsing dishes and let the phrase roll off my tongue, “YOLO.” I asked myself “Does that line up with what God has to say in His word?”
There are so many similar sayings such as “carpe diem” meaning seize the day. “Once in a lifetime experience” was what I said in my younger years. Do these catch phrases have soul meaning that requires some reflection? I say “Yes.”
Paul informed the church in Ephesus “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3 NIV). When I received Christ as my Savior the Holy Spirit came and dwelled within me, helping me to make decisions. Can Christians have “YOLO” moments?
Each year my husband and his Christian friends head to Canada on a fishing trip. They bring all of their fishing supplies and food and the owners provide cabins and some meals. The owners have seen some groups drinking too much and getting kind of crazy and causing trouble. They have commented to my husband “I love to watch your group have good clean fun.” He plans and budgets for the trip. It is a good “YOLO” moment.
The “YOLO” mindset can be okay when I am Spirit led. It is bad when I buy things, eat junk or do things with the “YOLO” mentality and regret it later.
The movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was filled with some good “YOLO” moments. I think God would agree with Ferris when he said at the end of the movie “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
PRAYER: God, when I say “YOLO”, can You help me to be wise? I know I live once and I have confidence that when I die I will live eternally with You. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit that guides me to live this life well. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

PLOP! PLOP! FIZZ! FIZZ!

March 8, 2013 by Elaine James  
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By Elaine James -
I was feelin’ good about my clothing choice and pink lipstick for the day. Stepping out into the fresh air, I prayed my ritual prayer with a gentle whisper “God let me be in the moment and be in the right place at the right time for You.” I was digesting my breakfast and the scripture of the day:
“Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for He grants sleep to those He loves” (Psalm 127:1-2 NIV).
I was heading to the local coffee shop in response to a friend’s e-mail stating “We should get together for coffee. I want to toss around the idea of a prayer group for parents…what do you both think?” The “both” was referring to my longtime girlfriend and me. I was actually thinking “Really, God? Another prayer group?” Poor attitude. Shame on me!
To make a long story short, this lady was in fear of the bad influence the world is having on our children. So legit! I too can work myself up into a mind loop of despair questioning “What if they take that influence and make bad choices themselves?”
My friend and I shared many scriptures that morning. I took out my phone Bible and read the above scripture. Side note: taking a verse from the morning into the day is so important. If we don’t put Jesus first everything we do will be done in vain. I didn’t make this stuff up; God did. We prayed together and she invited Jesus into her house (heart). The day denoted a new birth for her future. We left committed not only to pray but study the Word together. She was convicted that a prayer for a new beginning and the prospect of learning the Word dispelled darkness of fear and shed light on her new found path.
If you follow my devotions you can sometimes expect to get a jingle out of me. The one that comes to mind at the end of this God story is this; PLOP! PLOP! FIZZ! FIZZ! Oh what a relief it is!
Jesus plops scripture in front of us and fizzles our anxious thoughts into a pool of water that gives medicinal relief.
Jesus loves you! You can love Him back with this simple prayer of relief!
Father in heaven I want to follow you today. I am a sinner. I know Jesus died for me and rose from the dead so that I can eternally be with You. Thank you for calming my anxious thoughts. From this day forward help me to rise early and build my house with You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

ZONK! KAPOW! SPLOOSH!

March 1, 2013 by Elaine James  
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By Elaine James -
Holy heart failure, Batman! I blurted out just like Robin would blurt out his one-sentence opinion of the situation after hopping out of Batman’s Batmobile. I am pretty sure a fiery dart with the label reading “rejection” just pierced my heart. I was overcome with tears of sadness. I haven’t had this response in quite a while. I ran into my office to hide and pull the dart out. “God we need to sort this out. I just prayed this morning that no weapon formed against me would prosper. I declared that I was fully armored and ready for today. I’ve been hit! What is going on here?” More crying. No response. More prayer. “God give me the lowdown here.”
What occurred was a whirlwind attack right at the frontlines of my house. I can assure you that God and I took care of it immediately. That is the point! It doesn’t matter how frequent I am taken by surprise. For me what really matters is following the leading of the Holy Spirit. I calmed down. I was thankful. I felt compelled to continue my day as planned. I know now that God meant for me to stand firm. Without telling the whole story I just wanted to share the outcome. Everything went as planned and the day ended well.
At some point I wanted to tell the person who rejected me “you hurt me.” I thought if I said that maybe they would think next time and we wouldn’t have a repeat of the situation. I decided to pray about that too! I heard in my head “be quiet for now.” Later that day I was with the person and others. The subject of what went on earlier came up. With a light heart and humor (being indirect) I told the person that I was worried and hurt about the situation. “Why?” they asked. I explained and they accepted my explanation and we moved on to another conversation.
At the end of the day back at the Batcave. Batman would recap “There may be troublemakers, Robin, but they’re still human beings. … Our job is finished.”
For now, I am in my Batcave and I am finished too…THE END. Thank God!
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV).
PRAYER: Lord I need You. I can’t live without You. Holy Spirit guide me with Your wisdom. Thank you for your guidance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.