Dear Jesus:
 
We take great care to dress up our bodies making sure that our hair is beautiful, neat, and trim, our clothes are pressed, our color scheme doesn’t conflict, and our nails are manicured.  But, how much attention do we give to dressing our lives with the right words?
 
Your word is true when it proclaims that both life and death are in the power of the tongue.  Do we dress ourselves with words that:
 
¨      Promote life and healing or sickness...

 
 
Dear Jesus:
 
One of the definitions of “grace” is “God’s ability and enabling power”.  And, we need much of Your amazing grace (much of Your ability and enabling power) to run this amazing race You’ve set before us. 
 
As unique beings, we all have our very own race to run.  I can’t run somebody else’s race for them and they can’t run my race for me.   And, in order to run a successful race, we rely completely upon Your grace.  Our...

 
 
Dear Jesus:
 
To have more of Christ in our hearts is truly the greatest Christmas present we can ever receive. 
 
To experience the birth of Jesus in our hearts for the first time is an exhilarating experience.  To have a “re-birth” experience when we re-dedicate our lives to You is just as thrilling.  I remember the fire, the passion, the joy unspeakable and full of glory, and the peace that permeated my being when I re-dedicated my life to You.  It...

Dear Jesus:
 
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
 
Those celebrated words from the movie industry.   We can somehow believe that work on a movie begins after the director announces those three famous words.  When, in truth, much, much work has been done far in advance of the director shouting, Lights, camera action!” 
 
Even in our own lives, we’re ready for action (a breakthrough) in certain areas.  But, just as on a movie set, there is often much groundwork that needs to be laid so that...

 
 
Dear Jesus:
 
Sometimes we can be a little “foo foo” when it comes to getting right down to the nitty gritty of things and getting our hands, clothes, or shoes dirty.  But, imagine how the mighty Naaman would have missed his miraculous deliverance from leprosy if he had let his pride keep him from obeying the word of the Prophet by dipping in the dirty Jordan River seven times.  It’s ironic because it was precisely by washing in the dirty place...

Dear Jesus:
 
The Golden Rule of “Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you” is still very much relevant in 2009. 
 
We all want to be loved, supported, affirmed, respected, and appreciated.  But, are we giving love, support, affirmation, respect, and appreciation?  When it comes to personal relationships, sometimes we give very little, but expect a whole lot.  And, sometimes we give a whole lot and get very little. 
 
If you don't want...

 
 
Dear Jesus:
 
A quite humorous exchange took place at work on yesterday.  It went something like this:
 
“Hi Felicia, how are you?”
“I’m wonderful, thank you for asking.  And, yourself?”
“Well, let’s see, it’s raining.  I’m not feeling that well.  My dog is sick, and the holiday wasn’t long enough.”
 
My response, “Wow, you sure did run down a litany of complaints.  Now, I want you to stop and count your blessings.  Name at least as many things that are going well for you.”  She...

 
 
Dear Jesus:
 
THANK YOU.  Two words with such powerful and affirming significance.  Two words that show appreciation and gratitude.  We teach our children to say them, and we were taught that to say them is “common courtesy” and “good etiquette”. 
 
We don’t want to be guilty of being “ingrates” – those who are ungrateful.  It is such a turn-off when someone is ungrateful and unappreciative.  Your word even mentions “ungratefulness” as an attitude that would increase in the last days.  The...

Dear Jesus:
 
As we set ourselves to celebrate Thanksgiving, we realize that every day is a day of Thanksgiving because You are good all the time, and all the time, You are good.
 
I was intrigued and captured by a saying I came across the other day, “Remember the rain that made your corn grow”.  How appropriate is that expression for this season of giving thanks.  You are the rain that has made our corn grow in so many ways, too...

Dear Jesus:
 
24-karat gold is the highest karat of gold one can purchase and is known as “pure gold”.  The purer the gold content in a piece of jewelry, the more valuable it is.
 
In reflecting on the awesome accomplishments of Olympians who aggressively pursued gold medals at the Olympics, I was reminded of how important it is for us, Your People, to give You our all – our highest, a 24-karat gold effort. 
 
What discipline, focus, sacrifice, and determination it took...

 
 
Dear Jesus:
 
Just as the children of Israel had to deal with a seemingly all-powerful, oppressive Pharaoh, so some of Your children today are shackled by pharaohs -- situations that are unjust, greatly oppressive, that seem to lord over us harshly, and that appear to be resistant and defiant, even to the Word of God. 
 
You, however, had victory planned for Your People. As Moses did and spoke what God commanded, the Father moved mightily confirming His word with signs and wonders and...

Dear Jesus:
 
Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  (Luke 12:32)
 
How precious to be called “little flock”.  This signifies God’s tenderness, grace, and compassion towards us as His sheep.  But, God is not only our “Shepherd”, He is also our Father.  And, He’s just as dedicated, devoted, and diligent about protecting us and providing for our needs as a Father as He is as a Shepherd. 
 
How comforting to know that it...

 
 
Dear Jesus:
 
Loose lips sink all kinds of ships – FriendSHIPS, RelationSHIPS, PartnerSHIPS, just to name a few.  Even though we know this, sometimes it is necessary that we be reminded that life and death are in the power of the tongue. 
 
I read in a publication that it takes at least 7 acts of kindness to undo the effects of just 1 negative or hurtful word.   Unkind words are like bullets -- once they are released, you can’t take them...

 
 
Dear Jesus:
 
An elephant’s trunk serves many purposes. It is used for eating, drinking, bathing, caressing, playing, and for social interaction.  It can also be used as a warning and for self-defense. 
 
But, there is a beautiful message found in the discussion of an elephant’s trunk.  A brother in Christ enlightened us to it at church on yesterday.  He said he was reminded how, in the Tarzan movies, the trunk of an elephant was often used to lift people up, to...

Dear Jesus:
 
There are times when I have to repeat to myself:
 
“Relax, relate, release”
“Relax, relate, release”
 
It’s usually those moments when I’m upset and need to calm down before I say or do something I might regret later.  In fact, I’m sure those words have spared me a lot of regret.
 
It’s not a sin to be angry.  Your Word says to be angry and sin not.  It’s what we do with that anger that makes the difference.  There are injustices, inequities, and...