I SMILE, YOU SMILE

August 2, 2013 by Elaine James  
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By Elaine James -
“Sweet niblets!” I screamed, screeching to a startling halt on my bike. I almost raced by and missed the glorious display of God’s beauty. “Imagine that! It appears to be snowing in the summer.” Have you ever seen a Catalpa tree? If not, Google it. A Catalpa tree is full of sweet smelling blossoms. I love it!
Let me rewind to the beginning of my day. I left for a 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 and focused on the blossoms. 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 and 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 singing a Justin Bieber song at this point.). It brings peace throughout my 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 NIV).
New birth means strength from God to: love the unlovable, to have a 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.
I pray that you enjoy this season realizing you have been given a new birth. From my heart to your heart I smile, saying “Hi, how are you doing? Have a nice day!” You smile!
Prayer: 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.

STEPPING STONES

Dear Friend:

“I don’t know why I am telling you this,” whispered the college professor.
I know exactly why he said what he said.
My son and I prepared to visit a prospective college that day. Before we left we prayed, “Lord, please, with absolutely clarity let us know if he should attend this college.”
As a group session ended and the room emptied my son and I sat talking. The professor came to us and asked if we had any questions. I told him about my son’s situation. That is when the professor came out with the unusual response. He was referring us back to a local community college to pick up some core classes. He even said, “I probably shouldn’t be telling you to go to another school.”
I jumped for joy because I had just witnessed the clear message the Lord sent my son, and he could not deny it. You know how teenagers don’t want to hear things from their mothers. I look back at that moment and smile. It is a story that is embossed on my “shield of faith.” I have a picture in my mind of my shield; it has marks that represent the captured moments of God’s faithfulness that He has used to build my own faith. Like the Israelites having their stones piled to remember what provision and clear direction they got from the Lord.
“So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you.” (Joshua 4:4-6 NIV).
God used stones to mark significant statements to Israel, like the Ten Commandments. He ordered special stones to make the temple. He commanded that stones be used to serve as a sign of His provision at important locations. Jesus was referred to as the cornerstone (the living stone), and we who are believers also are referred to as living stones chosen by God. They reveal God’s redemption and restoration for us all.
One time my family prayed for guidance about whether to purchase a home. The Holy Spirit led us to go through with the purchase. As our thanksgiving offering to God, we set up a pile of bricks in the yard, read the Scripture passage from Joshua 4 and dedicated our new home to Him.
PRAYER: Father in heaven, thank You for the times that You have made things clear to me. Help me to learn and remember what they mean. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Declaration of Dependence

I was dusting my shelves where the knick-knacks are displayed and the framed document entitled “Our Declaration of Dependence” caught my eye. I got choked up with tears thinking, Where has the time gone? Oh! Look at the precious signatures of my then eight and ten year-old sons.
Sixteen years ago when my husband lost his job, I was nursing a baby, homeschooling for the first time, my mom had left me, my relationship with my dad had become estranged and my best friend moved to Tennessee. Life was spinning out of control. A psychologist told me “Just losing your mom in the destructive way she left could put someone over the top.” How did I survive these six life changing events at once?
Prior to the year these things happened my family had come to know Jesus, but not to the full extent that we know Him now. We could not stay the way we were and go with God. The unanimous decision to declare our dependence on God for everything required us to look to scripture and be led by the Holy Spirit. That would necessitate us asking God to increase our faith and help us to live out WWJD. WWJD became our personal motto that stood as a reminder of our belief in a moral necessity to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the actions of our lives. We gave God permission to do anything He pleases with our ordinary selves fully dedicated to Him. We would commit regularly to worship, thanksgiving and giving back to the Lord what He so graciously blessed us with. Looking back I would not change a thing. I felt so close to God. This experience taught me the same thing Paul learned from his trials. He stated “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12 NIV).
I made it through panic attacks and other health issues that arose from stress. Every step of my healing became a lesson to learn. I began to journal the healing process. Today I am known as “The Recycle Girl” meaning that the trials that I have experienced in my life and how God has taught me and helped me get through them has never been wasted. It has all been reused to help comfort others with the comfort I have received.
I want to ask you, have you made your “Declaration of Dependence”? Do you go through life barely getting by and learning nothing from your hard times or do you have a take–away that is recyclable for others?
PRAYER: Father in heaven I need an attitude adjustment. Help me to see trials from Your perspective. I realize I cannot stay the way I am and go with You. Thank You for showing me this. Forgive me for the times I do not ask you for help. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

EVERYBODY LOVES...

June 7, 2013 by Elaine James  
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By Elaine James -
…. Raymond. Do you know the show Everybody Loves Raymond? If so, then you have seen Raymond blurt out something to Deborah and right away you think, “Oh no! He shouldn’t have said that!”
My husband had one of those moments. He said it, and he could not take it back. I immediately put up my defense. He’s not going to get away with that. I’m going to make him pay. At that moment, I was making his lunch. The thought came to me, I just won’t give him lunch.
Then a whispering, sweet voice said, “Elaine, have you ever said anything wrong?”
If I have to be honest, yes.
“Have I forgiven you and given you grace?”
Yes, Lord, you have.
“If My grace is sufficient for you, then my grace is sufficient for your husband. Can you make him the lunch for me?”
With you, Lord, I can do it. Without you, Lord, I want to ……
I made the sandwich. My mind and heart were battling the whole time. I will throw the sandwich at him. Honestly! I can make this sandwich and serve it with Christ. I made the lunch and gave it to my unsuspecting man. I got to thinking, I can really only do this because of God’s grace. I didn’t deserve what my husband said, but I chose to give him grace.
Have you ever felt that way toward anyone? When the whisper of God speaks, sometimes I ignore it and do not listen. It is hard at times.
“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit” (Romans 8:5 NLT).
I did have revengeful thoughts. My insides hurt. I did not want to serve, but when I finally did, I felt really good inside. I was able to move on. Only God can do that for me, and for you. What do you do with your revengeful thoughts?
Let’s Pray: Father, sinful things sometimes dominate within me. Help me to stop and listen to You. Forgive me for the times I have not listened. I want to please You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.