Christmas on the Corner

In this Christmas UPGRADE, Life Coach and retreat guide, Letitia Suk, writes about a time when God had a plan for her when she visited her local CVS.

Letitia says, “Most of my God shows-up moments do not happen in church!

I (Dawn) know what Letitia means! Sometimes, I almost missed ministry opportunities because they didn't exactly look like "ministry."

Letitia continues . . .

The season of Christmas is filled with the FAMILIAR. Takes so much decision fatigue out of a usually overbooked season to know what’s coming next.

Take Christmas Carols for example. Whether we hear the tunes as the soundtrack of the mall or blasting on our car radios, we can usually sing right along—familiar.

Hard to like a new Christmas Carol, right?

This story doesn’t change either.

Everyone knows the parts, the characters, the set, what happens next, who says what, the beginning and the end. Go to a Nativity play in any part of the world and you’ll recognize the plot.

Want a fresh perspective? Get inside the story.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night (Luke 2:8).

These guys weren’t going angel hunting or trying out for a part in the Greatest Story Ever Told. They were just going to work that night. 

They kissed their wives goodbye, grabbed their midnight snack and walked to work. Probably a lot like you did today, different line of work,

• Zechariah was doing “his priestly duty.”  Why? Because he was a priest! Just like you do duties associated with your jobs.
• Joseph was sleeping.  Doesn’t get much more mundane than that!
• Mary was likely doing chores of some sort.
• The Magi were doing their astronomy because that’s what Magi did.

What are YOU doing each day? Count on it that God will bust in on your world at any time and place.

God intersects with our world exactly where we are.

Like the time I stopped into the pharmacy after work. Don’t you do that too?

On my way into the store, my eye caught a $20 bill on the ground. At first. I thought it was fake, but it was a very real $20 bill.

Right away I heard something like, “Don’t get too attached to this—it is not for you.” My interest was piqued!

The sound of crying was more obvious that the carols. A very distraught international college student who was informed the clinic closed a little early. Too late for her to be seen despite her desperate pleas. She broke down. I headed towards her and heard the story.

She was a vocalist with a performance the next day and a very sore throat. She was hoping to get to the clinic, get treatment and sing the next day. (Aren’t we all hoping for something?)

She had borrowed $20 from her roommate for the cab to get there and now, the clinic had turned her away.

She had no treatment, no $20, no ride home, and no apparent options.

I thought she had a valid point and pounded on the clinic door to plead for her. They wouldn’t reopen for me either.

I got the manager involved and he was kind and offered me 20% off any purchases. I wasn’t the one who needed help.

With no other plan, I invited her into my car and drove her home. On the way, I told her about the $20 and gave it to her.

She seemed a bit incredulous. Me too.

Feeling bold, I offered to pray for her. Maybe because she was trapped in my car, she agreed and mentioned no one had ever prayed for her before.

I have no idea what happened after that as I never saw her again, but somehow, I think she got her treatment after all.

God knows where you are at all times. Expect that He will use you in mostly familiar settings.

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places that they should live (Acts 17:26).

In those places, he will tap you on the shoulder and invite you into something bigger.

Especially this time of year, look around and listen.

You are about to step into the story.

How has God used you in a familiar place?

Letitia (Tish) Suk invites women to create an intentional life centered in Jesus. She is a blogger and author of 100 Need to Know Tips for Moms of Tweens and Teens, Getaway with God: The Everywoman’s Guide to Personal Retreat, and Rhythms of Renewal. She is a speaker, personal retreat guide and life coach in the Chicago area. Visit Letitia at her website.

Graphic adapted,

A 'Recipe' for Christmas

In this Christmastime "UPLIFT," Sally Ferguson shares how to let go of a "perfect" Christmas and create something far better.

"Family traditions are at the top of my list," Sally says, "including handmade ornaments, my mom’s famous egg nog, Christmas cookies, and pies made from scratch.

"But, the list has snowballed, leaving me in a frenzy!"

Frenzy. Yes, I (Dawn) know that word. It's not something compatible with the "peace" that's supposed to be a part of the Christmas season, is it?

Sally continues…

When did life get so complicated?

Browsing through my parents’ wedding mementoes, I found the gift list in Mom’s handwriting. In 1956, an appropriate gift was a set of doilies. Today, we would supplement that gift.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love gifts and gift wrapping and the giving of them.

The first Christmas over 2,000 years ago, the only gift given was a baby.

Two years later, visitors brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But the gift of a baby represented something very personal. God gave the gift of Himself.

When someone hands you a gift and waits expectantly, do you decline to open it? No, you rip off the paper and squeal with delight over the thought for you.

God wants us to enjoy the gift of relationship. The Bible tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8), and when we reevaluate our high expectations of the perfect Christmas, we are able to decelerate and focus on His goodness.

Maybe the best recipe for Christmas is to keep it simple and personal.

Give of yourself to others. Spend time looking into people’s eyes instead of talking at them. Take time for reflection and worship. Ann Voskamp calls it, “keeping the sane and sacred of Christmas.”

Worship leader, Anna Hodge, says, “Sometimes I think we need a little help to slow down, open our hearts, and clear out the debris that keeps us from drawing near to God in an authentic and life-changing way.”

Do you need to halt, ponder, and seek God? Reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, to gain perspective.

Eliminate unrealistic expectations, and seek things that make Christmas special.

Now, my recipe may look different than yours, but a common ingredient we can all add, is to have fun!

Isn’t fun highly overrated? While Christmas is portrayed as a romantic holiday, our reality often portrays loss of loved ones, job loss, loss of a home, or another loss. Life doesn’t always go the way we expect. So how can we trust that God will sustain us?

When our recipe is faithful obedience to Christ, we can count on His sustaining power in uncertain times. 

• Look for ways to serve.
• Make time for people.
• Create special memories for others.

When your attention is given to people, the trappings of Christmas become less important.

Author Patricia Raybon says there is a secret to generosity; to get more, one must give. We find our own joy by giving to others!

Author Myquillyn Smith says life doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

“I realized that although immaculate looking homes are pretty in pictures, when I’m actually in one… I’m wondering if it’s okay for me to move the pillow out of the way to sit down. I… miss the real purpose of being there: connection.

"There is beauty in the imperfection… Imperfections put people at ease. Once we learn to accept and find beauty in the imperfections, we are free to take a risk in our home and create the home we’ve always wanted.”

What can you do to let go of a perfect Christmas and instead create a home known for the warmth cultivated there?

As a newly married, I learned from a friend that Gingerbread Cookies were the perfect tradition. So I proudly carried that recipe into life as a young mom.

It was not quite the fun I had imagined, when my toddler decided to decorate the ceiling, floors and counters with powdered sugar and flour.

• Find what works for you and make it your own.
• When things happen that are out of your control, turn that into a celebration, too.

We can’t predict the weather changing our plans, but we can build a fire in the fireplace and roast hot dogs. Create special memories with what you have been given.

When dealing with the FRENZY of Christmas, FOCUS on the true meaning and create Christmas FUN.

Whether sledding as a family, delivering fruit baskets to shut-ins, or watching The Grinch three times in a row, whatever secret ingredient you add to your holidays, keep it simple and personal. And may the gift be returned to you, with love.

How do you replenish yourself during the December rush?

Sally Ferguson lives in western NY with her husband, her dad, and a partridge in a pear tree. Actually, it’s a bluebird in the backyard, but this is a Christmas post. Together, they are looking for a recipe for Christmas that will include all the grands! (Sally laughs with her grandchildren, right.)

Sally’s coloring book, What Will I Be When I Grow Up?, is a look at sharing God’s love with others through the platform He’s given you. If you’re a baker, then tell people Jesus is the Bread of Life! Visit Sally at www.sallyferguson.net.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Susanne Jutzeler at Pixabay.

Help for a Holiday Inversion

I always love the way Julie Sanders calls us to serenity rather than struggle, and peace rather than pressure. In this Christmas UPGRADE, Julie calls us to a more "heavenly" perspective.

"If it’s the 'most wonderful time of the year,'" Julie says, "why do I feel the reverse? How do I get out from under the pressure?"

This is a different holiday season for me (Dawn) this year because of illness—but oh, how I remember my typical stressful holidays in years past.

The Lord is teaching me better priorities, but I want to learn from Julie's wisdom too.

Julie continues . . .

Northern regions like my hometown often experience a winter weather inversion. In a reversal of what’s normal, the air closest to earth weighs down air above. The resulting soup-like atmosphere becomes thick with dust, smoke, and pollutants.

Though it seems like it should rain, conditions prevent cleansing relief. Underneath the cloud cap, air Temperature Inversion over Almaty, Kazakhstanpressure builds and may even become turbulent. Stagnation warnings keep people inside, making them crave fresh air. Confusion sets in as heavy haze descends over the layer where life is lived, pushing out crisp, clear air.  

Sandwiched between days of giving thanks and celebrating Christ’s coming, the holiday season happens in the layer of life-soup.

We may be overcome by “too many things,” even good things.

Surrounded by information, requests, needs, and issues in our environment, a layer of oppression may move in and overhang our joy. Movies to magazines, cards to choirs, they tell us it’s normal to be full of joy. But many of us feel weighed down.

Like a reversal of weather, conditions collide and press in, creating confusion and turbulence.

It may feel FAR from wonderful.

When we live and breathe the earthly, it gets heavy.

Compromised visibility makes it hard to see life clearly. Pressure builds into holiday heaviness and lost hope.

If you can’t shake the feeling it shouldn’t be this way, let the strong wind of the life-giving Holy Spirit blow away the "life-soup" choking out joy.

The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as a wind as early as Genesis 1:2. Like wind is unseen but with powerful impact, so the Holy Spirit is a powerful, invisible force not controlled by people, but impacting people. The same Greek word describes the wind and the Spirit.

“The wind (pneuma) blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit (pneuma)” (John 3:8).

Between days to give thanks and give gifts, it’s easy to give out. We want to breathe in the heavenly, but we’re under the hold of what’s here.

The Holy Spirit can help turn our eyes toward heaven in the holidays.

In 1952, London Smog was so “lethal” that thousands died. In a five-day weather inversion, so many died that the city ran out of flowers and coffins. It wasn’t until a strong wind pushed out the stagnation that the city could breathe again.

If we settle in to a life layer where God’s peace is replaced by pressure, we risk long-term impact.

• Staying in stagnate air makes us sick.
• Staying in a stagnate state of heart and mind makes us sick.

A holiday season lived in "life-soup" produces poor visibility, pressure and fatigue. Let the strong wind of the Holy Spirit blow in and blow away the heaviness.

Make space for the heavenly.

Let God’s Spirit lift your earthly focus and refresh you with the life you’re meant to know during the “most wonderful time of the year”—and all year.

How would your holiday to-do list look different if you stopped and asked the Holy Spirit to shape it with a heavenly perspective?

Julie Sanders loves lifting women who lead. She’s the author of The ABCs of Praying for Students and Expectant, a devotional for new and expectant moms. Julie finds joy in helping moms find purpose and peace on their motherhood journeys. She writes from her online base at juliesanders.org.

Meme graphic adapted—"Christmas Tree Images"—courtesy of Angelina Jollivet at Unsplash.com.

Weather Inversion photo - Igors Jefimovs for Wikipedia.

The Security of a Good Father

Debbie W. Wilson teaches women about practical, uplifting faith. In this Relationship with God UPGRADE, Debbie asks us to consider growing a more robust faith by trusting in our Father God.

“I woke up at 4 a.m. questioning a decision I’d made," Debbie says.

I (Dawn) have done that so often, and always wished I had more confident faith concerning my choices!

Debbie continues . . .

I’d told the designer who’d drawn out a closet plan we wanted to work with her. In my sleep I had second thoughts.

“Lord, I’m too tired to figure this out. I don’t know if we made the right decision.” 

With that prayer an Old Testament passage came to mind.

If a young woman makes a vow…and her father hears of the vow or pledge and does not object to it, then all her vows and pledges will stand. But if her father refuses to let her fulfill the vow or pledge on the day he hears of it, then all her vows and pledges will become invalid. …because her father would not let her fulfill them” (Numbers 30:3-5 NLT).

Relief filled me. I didn’t have to figure it out. Like a good father, my Abba would protect me.

“Father, you heard our words. If we jumped too soon, please rescue us. I’m giving this to You.”

I asked the designer to wait while we did more research. She understood. In the end, we chose a different option that saved us money.

Once I let go of bearing the burden of making the perfect decision and trusted my Father to lead me, I enjoyed the adventure.

I know I’m saved “by grace through faith,” but sometimes I forget I’m to live by faith (Romans 1:17). God wants me to include Him in every aspect of life.

Jesus modeled this. He relied completely on His Father (John 14:10). Jesus wants us to walk with Him the same way (John 15:4-5).

Living by faith protects us from regret, pleases God, and satisfies us (Hebrews 11:6; John. 15:11).

Our heavenly Father longs to show up in the mundane tasks of life. When we lean on Him in every area, life becomes an awesome journey.

I find robust faith requires a knowledge of the Word and a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

1. The Word

The Bible says our minds are either shaped by the world or transformed by the Word. Without renewing our minds, we can’t recognize our Father's good will for our lives.

• “Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2 GW).

• "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17 NIV).

2. The Spirit

God sent the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us (John 14:17). 

• “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16 NLT).

• "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

Maybe your earthly father is no longer here or wasn't reliable. If you know Jesus, you have a heavenly Father who loves you deeply and covers your back. 

• “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26 NIV).

What wakes you up in the middle of the night? Are you learning to rest in the security a good father provides?

Debbie W. Wilson helps people live in God’s grace so they can enjoy fruitful and full lives. She is the author of Little Women, Big God and Give Yourself a Break. Her latest book, Little Faith, Big God, is to be released February 2020. She is a life coach and an AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) certified speaking and writing coach. Share her journey to refreshing faith at debbieWwilson.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Lorraine Cormier and Pixabay.

Upgrade Your Homemaking with the 7Ps

Morgan Farr is a multi-talentd woman with great influence both biblically and practically. In this Homemaking UPGRADE, she applies a military concept to home skills for greater success.

“Prior Proper Planning Prevents Painfully Poor Performance,” Morgan says. “This is a saying that is often posted in military circles, often referred to as the 7Ps.”

I (Dawn) think that’s a mouthful and hard to say, but it certainly drives home an important point! 

Morgan continues . . .  

I have used my own version of the 7Ps to successfully run a military garage gym ministry, and I want to share my 7Ps of Homemaking. 

I have found that almost all of my stress in homemaking has been related to not having enough time or energy for a task. With my 7Ps for homemaking I am better able to manage my time and energy.

These are the Ps that I follow: 

• Planning and Preparation
• Pace and Play
• Pen, Pew and Prayer

1. Plan and Prepare

The first thing that I would recommend to anyone looking to upgrade their homemaking would be planning and preparation. These are crucial aspects of running a home well.

From planning the meals, doctors appointments, and vacations, to planning guest visits… homemakers plan a lot.

“Let everything be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Find a way that works for you and use it to help you plan and prepare well. 

While I am aware that there are a million calendar apps out there, I am still a paper planner kind of gal. I have a large wall calendar and a small spiral bound planner that stand between me and disordered chaos.

I use a different color coded pen for each member of the family. That way I know at a glance who has something major each day. This helps me to plan out my week and see any major issues ahead of time.

My husband and I make certain that we are available on Sunday evenings for a planning meeting for the week. We discuss upcoming events, things that need to be added to the grocery list, and anything else that needs to be prepared in order to keep the family running smoothly. 

2. Pace and Play

Once you have a plan and you have prepared to follow through on it, the next thing you should do is decide on your pace and play rhythm.

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done" (Genesis 2:2-3).

The Creator of the entire universe rested on the seventh day.

Be realistic about how much work you can bear at this point and create opportunities to recharge. 

There are many ways to get ahead in this area and upgrade your homemaking. I have alarms set on my phone for 1:30 pm every single day. This helps me to pause whatever project that I am working on, and take a break.

This break could mean:

• I read a book,
• I walk on the treadmill,
• I sit and drink a cup of coffee, etc.
  

It depends on the day and the projects I am working on. If you are someone who loves the outdoors, maybe that means stepping outside to enjoy God’s creation for 15 minutes on your lunch break.

The important part here is to realize that while hard work is good, it is equally important to set a healthy pace with opportunities to play the way that works best for you. 

3. Pen, Pew, and Prayer

My final—and probably most important—recommendation is to make sure you spend time with a pen, in a pew and in prayer.

“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone" (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

I think everyone should keep a journal, no matter the season of life. This can help you avoid sin patterns, love the people around you, and understand yourself better. Even if all you can do is write in a one word entry, that can help you later to see where your heart and mind is headed over time. 

I would also strongly encourage you to get in the pew at church.

By that I mean:

• Be a part of the fellowship and accountability.
• Find a mentor and a mentee in your community.
• Be a part of the body of Christ in both a physical way and in your prayers.

Sharing our burdens with other believers is one of the greatest mercies of the Christian faith. We have to be vulnerable enough to open up our hearts and share the burdens that we carry, especially as homemakers where much of the battle is unseen among mops, children, and groceries. 

God has given us the incredible ability to be keepers of our homes. It is our responsibility to ensure that we do the absolute best job of it that we can.

Taking the time to ensure that we follow the 7Ps helps us to honor God with our homemaking. 

Which of these 7Ps do you need to devote more energy to?

Morgan Farr is a Texas-loving, succulent-cultivating, book nerd. Stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this Army wife is working to better love her husband, develop her three small children, and learn more about homeschool. Morgan is a homemaker dedicating her time to ministering to other Army wives through Bible studies, one-on-one mentoring, and physical training. She writes about her transition out of feminism and into biblical womanhood at The Forgiven Former Feminist. 

Graphic adapted, courtesy of RawPixel at Pixabay.