My prayer today for all of us on this July 4th - that we may seek the Lord with all our hearts. 
American Flag, July 4th, Real Freedom Upgrade Your Life Holidays, Revival Stacie Stoelting is a Jesus-focused patriot who, with her sister, is on a mission to call America back to God. I thought she’d be perfect to share a special Holiday UPGRADE for the 4th of July!
“Fireworks on the Fourth of July always get me excited,” Stacie writes. “I’m like a little kid about it! People around me always hear, ‘Oooh! Aaah!’ I just can’t help it.”
I (Dawn) love to join my family at July 4th celebrations too. It’s our privilege as free Americans. But Stacie encourages us to think about something else as we watch those fireworks.
She continues …
I’m a diehard patriot who still gets thrilled by the concepts of Independence Day.
But God Himself excites me more than anyone or anything else. And I believe that my fellow Christians and I need more “fire to do the works” of God.
We need simple prayer. Pure prayer. Prayer with a purpose to know and praise God Himself. I feel inspired when I read passages like Hosea 6:3 (NLT):
“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
When we feel depressed, we must choose faith and “press on” to know him. He will respond. We need only to pray –even if all we can muster are extra short prayers.
Recently, I prayed hard from my heart. In a moment of high stress, I simply prayed, “SOS, Jesus!” He helped me as only He could! And later it hit me: That’s what Christians in America need to pray.
As we observe Independence Day, America needs to declare independence from sins and pray, “SOS, Jesus!”
Our population suffers from being over-programmed and “under-prayed.” In America, there is:
Yes, in America’s churches, we see more flashy ads and less Spirit-led fire.
In addition to simply praying from the heart—a prayer like “SOS, Jesus!”—this SOS acronym can also help:
S: Stop sin. We need to stop the “facades for God” and be ourselves while praying hard from the heart.
As Billy Graham once said, "We must repent of our prayerlessness. We must make prayer our priority. Even our churches today have gotten away from prayer meetings."
O: Open your heart to Jesus as Savior and Lord. (If you haven’t done so, click here to learn more about how to know God personally.) Be willing to do His will.
No prayer substitute exists. Nowhere in the Scripture do we see a Christ follower told to “do more” and pray less. The essence of prayer is to come into God’s presence.
S: Start believing and praising God. Practice child-like faith.
I believe that the fireworks of faith in America can be revived because of one simple fact: Jesus remains alive. We must erase sin and chase after Jesus.
Yes, it’s as simple as SOS: Stop sin. Open your heart to Jesus. Start believing and praising Him in private and in public. Remember that we will "...see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory" (Mark 13:26). Hallelujah!
The next time you notice our country’s symbolic bald eagle, be reminded that “…they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, ESV).
Yes, let us “wait for the Lord” and “press on to know Him” – depending on Him for the fire to do His works in America and beyond!
Are you asking God for the “fire to do His works”? What would that look like in your life, if the fire fell?
Stacie Ruth Stoelting and her sister, Carrie Beth Stoelting, are recording artists and authors of the
book 
Unite the USA, recently endorsed by Mike Huckabee, Pat Boone, Rick Santorum (Patriot Voices), Tony Perkins (Family Research Counsel), and Mathew Staver (Liberty Counsel). Learn more about their Christ-focused, patriotic mission at UnitetheUSA.org and join their prayer group here.
Graphic in text, adapted: Image courtesy of nirots / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Fireworks, July 4th, Prayer, SOS Jesus, Stacie Ruth Stoelting, Upgrade with Dawn Upgrade Your Life Holidays, Prayer I've watched my niece, Jamie Thompson Wood, grow from being my sons' childhood playmate to an incredible woman of God. She's a God-fearing young woman worthy of praise (Proverbs 31:30b). I know this transformation doesn't just happen. In Jamie's case, her parents played a huge part in her development.
I asked Jamie to share this Mother's Day tribute (Proverbs 31:28a) to her mom, Janice Thompson - an UPGRADE Partner who writes about finances. I know Jamie's brother David would echo the same kind of love and respect for their mother, but I want you to hear Jamie's heart.
She wrote ...
When I think of my mom, I think of:
bed each night growing up to read Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost For His Highest, Mom is a woman on a God-ordained mission with an unparalleled tenacity to live into the fullness of what God has for her.
She has modeled for me what it looks like to hear from God and then follow His leading.
She taught me though her life what it looks like to: love your spouse well, put your family first, plan for the future, see money as a tool and not a master, and balance the many hats a woman wears with grace and strength.
To many, she’s a sought after business professional, to others she’s a confidante and a source of wise counsel, and to yet others, she’s a friend.
But I am one of two on this entire earth who get the high privilege of calling her "Mom."
I pray God gives me the strength and faithfulness to walk in a way that honors her model and maybe 
someday, I will hear someone say, “You remind me of your mom.”
That will be a very good day.
If you are a woman, you are likely a "mom" to someone, by parenting or by influence. Are you living worthy of a tribute? Your daughter (or spiritual daughter) is watching your life. May God encourage all of us "Moms" to be careful as we shape young lives.
Jamie Wood was born into a Pastor’s family and desires to disciple women for Christ. She has served as a conference planner for Anne Graham Lotz at AnGeL Ministries, as the Women’s Spiritual Life Director at San Diego Christian College, and on staff in the Women’s Ministry Department of Shadow Mountain Community Church. She has traveled to 36 countries and loves teaching others how to study and apply God's Word. Jamie, her husband Jeff and their baby son, David, live in San Diego.
Jamie Thompson Wood, Jamie Wood, Janice Thompson, Mother's Day, Mother's Day Tribute, Mothers Upgrade Your Life Holidays, Parenting, Relationships Diane Dean knows the reason for this special spring season—Easter*, or Resurrection Day—is Jesus! She shares this Holiday UPGRADE in the hope it will help us focus our hearts on Him.
"I was at Walmart the other day picking up some Easter candy and craft projects for our 
grandchildren," Diane says, "And the checker said, 'Is it just me, or are all the holidays becoming more commercialized?'"
Commercialization of holidays is inevitable in a society that worships money and the things it can buy, but I (Dawn) think retailers are going overboard these days. There's always something new to draw our hearts away from the true meaning of Resurrection Sunday.
Diane continues ...
My first thought was, "Are you just noticing?" It does seem there are very few occasions for which Hallmark doesn't have a card.
Decorations are in the marketplace for all kinds of "special days." Some holidays are secular, but others are holy days. How easily we can get caught up in the marketing and 'stuff" and forget the glorious reasons to celebrate holy days!
When I taught Sunday school to grade school children, I would ask why we celebrate Christmas and Easter. Most often the answer was, "That is when Santa" or "the Easter bunny" comes. Upon pressing them, we would eventually get around to the correct answer. Most knew, but that wasn't what they thought of first.
What do we think of first?
When we think of Easter, we should think of Jesus' sacrifice to bring us to God—to allow us to have a relationship with the Father.
1 Peter 3:18 (NIV) says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit."
Good Friday and Easter are days that changed history forever. For those who believe the Bible, it was an event that ended the need for sacrifices and atonement for sins. Jesus died on the cross as our Savior, a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy—He was the promised Messiah. He paid for our sins with His blood and horrific death on the cross.
Luke 24:1-6a states our reason to celebrate Easter. Pretend you've never read this before, and sense the wonder of that first Easter morning:
"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
"In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"
Why is the death of Jesus different? He didn't stay in the grave!
On the first Easter morning, Jesus physically came back to life. Life, for those who have embraced Jesus as their Savior, has changed forever! This fact is unique to Christianity. The founders of other faiths are still in their graves.
No one loves the decorations, fun and family time of Easter more than I, but I find it necessary to bring 
myself mentally to a quiet place and reflect on His great sacrifice for me and that wonderful day when He was resurrected, assuring eternal life through faith in Him. In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 3:16 signs show up in sports stadiums and arenas everywhere, but I wonder how many don't know what it says and take time to look it up. This verse, so familiar to most Christians, says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
What can we do to be more intentional—to make the emphasis of Easter a time of spiritual reflection?
1. Read the story of the crucifixion and resurrection as a family (from Luke 23 and 24:1-8).
2. Pray together with a spirit of thanksgiving for His unconditional love for us and the gift of our salvation.
3. As you bake Easter cookies or make decorations with your children or grandchildren, talk about why Easter is so important. It will make memories that can become a tradition for them.
II Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
Spring is a time of new life; we see it in nature. Let us remember to celebrate our new life in Him.
He is risen indeed!
What are your special Easter traditions that prepare your heart or home to celebrate the resurrection of Christ?
Diane Dean is a ministry wife, mother, 
grandmother, Bible teacher, seminar and retreat speaker, and designer for Diane Dean Interiors, LLC. Her blog, Diane's Traditions, is a potpourri of information from her personal experience and she welcomes questions.
"The Empty Tomb" painting by Frank Ordaz, used with permission.
* "Resurrection Day" or "Resurrection Sunday" is a more accurate term.
Diane Dean, Easter, Resurrection, Secularized holidays, Upgrade with Dawn Upgrade Your Life Easter, Holidays Debby Lennick loves to help women with homemaking skills and making their homes Christ-centered and honoring to God. This is a different kind of "upgrade" post, but I hope it will get us thinking about the New Year.
"Happy New Year! Is it time for New Year's resolutions? Well, yeah!" Debby says.
Debby knows she knows how to make a celebration out of just about anything. I love it that she wants to help us upgrade our lives as we celebrate the New Year ... with two recipes!
Debby continues ...
With excitement we can embrace this New Year because of God’s words: “For I know the plans that I have for you … to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NASV).
Many of us have like-minded resolutions for the new year, and we can support and encourage each other. Reaching goals most often means change - a change for the good. Focused commitment combined with teachability and a sense of humor are key ingredients for resolution success.
A big motivator is to intentionally think of why we have a specific goal. Two good reasons are more joy and peace in life. Meditate on God’s Word, recognizing “easy” is often not God’s way. Challenges are designed to draw us to Him. And remember ... you are one decision away from making a change!
And remember this: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
Just for fun, here’s a "resolutions recipe" to help kick-start your New Year.
There may be times in this New Year when you'll be busy and need a quick recipe. Here’s a simple baked chicken dish. Serve it with a tossed green salad for a lean and nutritious meal.
Did you find Debby's first recipe inspiring? What inspires you for the New Year - a motivating "word," a resolutions list, time alone with God in prayer?
Debby Lennick taught Home Economics at Christian High in El Cajon, California, for more than 20 years. She earned a Home Economics degree from San Diego Christian College (formally Christian Heritage College) which emphasized “economy of the home” topics. Debby is committed to women’s ministry at Shadow Mountain Community Church and has a deep love for helping others make the home a Christ-centered place for everyday family life.
Debby Lennick, New Year, New Year's Resolutions, Recipe for the New Year, Upgrade with Dawn Upgrade Your Life Holidays, Homemaking, Organization, Upgrade Your Life 
