The Boomerang Gift

Dear Friend: Good Morning! Merry Christmas! This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad. This day open up your presents. Don’t forget the one from God. When you got a gift, I know when the giver gave it to you they said “go ahead open it.” Didn’t they? And you opened it right away. You don’t get a gift and not receive it. God has presented you with a gift. It came in a manger and it is Christ the baby. He is so cute! Open your heart and let Him in. Come let yourself “adore Him.” You are probably wondering and asking “what do I say to this baby.” How about something like this “Jesus, I open my heart to your life and I receive and believe that you came so we can be reconciled to each other, I admit I am a sinner but you came to save me from my sins. Thank you for your life and example, I want to follow you from this day forward. Show me the way.

Hey guess what? You are in the family of God. What a precious gift you received. Guess what? You gave Jesus a gift right back and that GIFT was your heart. What a great decision you have made. That is like a boomerang. You received love in your heart and were filled up and you were able to give some back to Jesus.

I leave you with a great word from the Lord, John 1:12 yet to all you who received me, to you who believed in my name, I gave the right to become my child. –GOD-

Have a fun filled day!

Love,

ELAINE

I Can't Handle This

Dear Friend:

Hi! Are you thinking right now “I CAN’T HANDLE THIS.” This is so crazy how can I possibly get everything done for Christmas? Does it seem like all your decisions and things to do SEEM SO URGENT?

LISTEN TO GOD AND WHAT HE HAS TO SAY ABOUT THIS:

“GOOD, YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT. THAT IS JUST THE PLACE WHERE I WANT YOU. YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT, BUT I CAN!

John 5:30

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Php 4:13

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Us your powerful God tools to ask God for all the help and you will be able to do. The words above helped me to remember who is in control. The other words that soothed my soul are these:

I sat right away this morning and read in the book of Revelation because everything seemed urgent. In my soul at the same time I began to worshiping my Father with these words “Holy, Holy, Holy-the whole earth is full of your Glory, let heaven and earth proclaim your Glory. Rev. 4:8 Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. And in verse 11 it says, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

This gave me soul peace. I began to picture all of the saints (believers , friends, family) rejoicing and honoring our Father in heaven. You want to rush and skip your time with God and that is the worst thing you can do. Beloved take the time to breath and let the Holy Spirit fill you up. Then pray like this.

Father in heaven you are mighty and in control. Give me peace on earth and help me put things in perspective. Handle everything! Thanks you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

God’s handling things,

Elaine

God Dares You

Dear Friend:

I just typed dear like this “dare.” Then I remembered the challenge I gave the young teen girls I taught recently. I said “I dare you to let God get more involved in your life. I dare you to ask him to love those that are hard to love; especially those friends you think are weird. I dare you to ask God to help you with a difficult teacher. I dare you to ask God to help you with your parents, I dare you to run to Jesus and understand Him this Christmas season.”

In my last Heart 2 Heart I wrote about people not understanding you. And the solution was run to Jesus and let him show you how he understands and cares for you. He will give you hope forever and ever. So when I wrote “dare” the message God has for you today unfolds live here right now in this room. Those young teens listened and were challenged. Did you ever play the dare game with your friends. Could you hardly just stand it waiting to play and hear the crazy challenges your friends would put before you to do? One time I was dared to drink a mixture of gross stuff put together in my kitchen. It was not alcohol just mixing up stuff in the refrigerator. Yuck! We take the challenge and run with it, don’t we? I guess I thought I would look cool to them. At camp one of the girls was dared to put a Goldfish in her mouth and spit it out! I asked her “if you were asked to put a cricket in your mouth and spit it out would you? “ She said “if put on the spot, she would.” The things we will do for attention.

But in the privacy of your home when you are all alone with God and He says “I dare you to give me your misunderstandings, your relationships, your list of things to do, your questions, your work, your finances, your future plans, decisions , your worries and anxious thoughts.” What is your response?

1 John 4:4-6 you, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and spirit of falsehood.

The teachings in the word is a big “I dare you” to live holy, blameless and good. You get a dare and try and figure out a way to accomplish that dare. But God did not leave you alone to accomplish things in life on our own. If you know Jesus as your savior you can overcome those “dares” in your life by listening to what the authors of the word have spoken to you. Trusting God and realizing he wants you to have success in life. Lately I have been hearing people say “I read this book or took this persons advice.” The next thing I ask them is where did they get their advice and where is that persons heart? You see you are admiring people today and reading their books about their spiritual journey and yet they are not living a Godly life. If it came right down to it and a “dare” arises, where are you going to get your advice from? Watch out and be careful to pray and ask God to intervene. I see people rushing for quick solutions and end up in a bigger mess. There are authors coming on talk shows and steering people to admire their life and spiritual journey and then I see people imagining their life like that and getting totally off the path. Watch the books you are reading and the people you are admiring. Especially if it influences you and causes you to go off and think about divorce or think about going to check out some guru. The last part of the above verse says you should be able to recognize the spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. If God says “honor God with your bodies” then we should think about what we do with our bodies and honor God. Line up your dare with God’s word and pray for God’s guidance.

Let’s pray: Father in heaven I love you and want to take all of those dares in my life and give them to you. Help me to take your word serious. Help me to discern what is from the spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. Thank you Father that when I pray and listen I can hear from you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

A young girl that is close to me said “what is the big deal about this book that is out today that talks about one women’s spiritual journey, she was even on the big talk shows recently.” Do we need to go around sleeping with men and going to some guru to find answers to life? I said “you have a discerning heart and I am proud of you. The book out is written with humor, but when it comes down to the real things of life would you go to her for advice?” That was all she said, because she knows the spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Taking God’s “dare” serious,

Elaine

Grace = Ease #2

Dear Friend:

Good day! Where do I begin? I wrote to you last about the greeting from St. Paul to the Ephesians

I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:2

Little did I know that this message would be shown to me in a very visual way just the next day after writing about grace. Let me say Mercy is withholding the punishment we rightfully deserve. Grace is no only withholding that punishment but offering the most precious of gifts instead. So God expressed grace and mercy to each of us by becoming flesh and living among us. Then he went the step further and actually died for us expressing grace in the ultimate way. Sometimes we see grace lived out in our lives through people. When that grace is given by our children it is even more astounding.

Let me explain where I am going with this letter to you. Yesterday I got up as always and my car was parked in the driveway and not in the garage in its usual spot. In my haste to drive the girls to school, I backed into my son’s car (his brand new car that he is paying for himself). I began to pray for myself, husband and of course for my son. About an hour later I saw my son and said (as I cried) “I am so sorry for hitting your car.” He walked toward me and just gave me a hug and said “it’s okay mom.” What a relief to be given such GRACE. Grace is from above and it can be lived out by each of us. People are more important than things. I have to admit that I was beating myself up asking “how did you hit his car?” I was given grace and not receiving it fully. Until, I went and prayed again saying “Father I need you to ease my mind (help me with this grace).” I know now to go to the word for just that kind of relief; I was led to Psalm 71:1 in you, O Lord, I have taken refuge, let me never be put to shame. (NIV) THE MESSAGE BIBLE SAYS “I RUN FOR DEAR LIFE TO GOD, I’LL NEVER LIVE TO REGRET IT. DO WHAT YOU DO SO WELL; GET ME OUT OF THIS MESS AND UP ON MY FEET.”

I felt ashamed and here I was reading about David praying for the same thing as I was. The word “shame” spoke to me because it reminded me that “God will NEVER be ashamed of me.” I can run to Him and he will never make me feel worse, that is LOVE. Psalm 71:20-21 though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. CAN I GET AN AMEN!

For the rest of the day all I could think of was this “God can bring good out of everything.” One incident can teach many people, not just me. My son responded with grace, because at some point he was probably given grace. Grace=ease. Giving grace eases another persons mind.

Let’s pray: Father in Heaven thank you for extending your grace through Jesus Christ. Thank you for all lessons in life that are keeping me humble. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Thanks to my husband and son for extending me grace.

Still having ease of mind because of grace,

Elaine