Soul Sister Time

New Year Dreams              The New Year is a great time to reflect on new dreams.    I'm learning to dream my dreams a little less specifically.    I believe God gives me inspiration and ideas that my dreams are made of, but I'm learning that I can hold myself back by relying too much on what I dream of for the new year.              This was shown to me during the past winter blast we had in the year previous.    I was having troubles with my heater and everything stirred up on the coldest iciest day in Dallas for some time.    Though my heater would go on and off, the night it totally went out was the coldest night to the storm.    I was completely stressed from not enough sleep the night before and then I was faced with a house with no heat and the fear of frozen pipes and other maladies that go along with that.    I knew God could get my heat on even though the specialists were not allowed to drive on the icy streets to come to my aid.    I begged God to do a miracle

Peace on Earth—Good Will Toward Men              I could be a multi-millionaire if I could find a way to bottle the peace that transcends understanding (Philippians 4:7).    However, if I tried to do that, it would demonstrate that I didn't fully receive that peace.    I only say it that way because it is a peace that is out of this world and something that lost souls are so desperate for that if they had even a taste of it, they would go to any extreme to have more of it.              I received this peace recently as an utmost gift from my loving God because He gives peace generously and unexpectedly to those who are seriously seeking Him.    I got caught up in a conflict that got out of hand recently.    Through prayer and wise counsel the Lord showed me my sin and asked me to confess what He showed me.    I did.    The situation got worse; but this time, though I am not innocent for sure, I did not rebel against God and followed His direction to stand firm.    When I came

            How does joy become holy?   It all depends on the object of your joy.   If your joy is about having a certain experience, receiving a certain gift, getting a certain reaction, then you will or will not have joy based on whether your expectations are met.   Presto-magic joy is achievable under certain circumstances.             Holy joy is an altogether different experience.   If your joy is found in the thing that cannot be taken away from you, you can have joy in every circumstance you encounter this Christmas season.   Let’s say you are stuck in the airport for seventy-two hours while your dream vacations melts away.   That is definitely not a joyful thought.   You are hungry, tired, broke, disappointed beyond measure.   You can experience holy joy.   This comes from making the object of your joy the reality that no matter how this situation plays out, you will be stretched and drawn closer to God through your prayers and hopes for the resolution you want and accep

            Love is evidence of being created in the image of God.   It is the remnant of our divine origins.   God’s love is the miracle that created Christmas.   It was God’s amazing love for us that prompted Him to send His only Son to us as a babe whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.   It’s the warmth of that love that we encounter during the season.   In the midst of the black Friday brawls, there are amazing stories of strangers showing extraordinary love because God first loved us.   Every time you encounter extraordinary love this Christmas, you encounter the holiness of the holiday.             When we light the candle of love, it is can be referred to as the Mary Candle.   Mary’s love for God motivated her to say Yes to the life-changing encounter with an angel and become the home for Jesus.   Her love for God transformed her to love her Son, who became her Savior.   It was Mary’s love for God that motivated her to say a wholehearted Y es to His invitation to becom

            Advent rolls around again. It’s not the first time I think about Christmas.   In fact I have been seeing Christmas decorations in all the stores since before Halloween.   It is the first time I accept Christmas.   It is the week I begin turning my heart to what the season is meant to be all about.   As I begin to experience Christmas again this year, I need to hold my heart open to the holiness of the season or I have no chance of making it a holy season.             It starts with fighting off the world and all its trappings at Christmas.   There is nothing holy about frantically buying gifts I can’t afford, packing my schedule with events and parties that drain my energy, and eating every delight that is set before me.               The season begins with high hopes that will be fulfilled only if I set my hope on Jesus.   He brings hope to every heart!   Hope will help us make this season a holy season.   If you have an Advent wreath, use it to help you maintain