For all of you who have lost someone to cancer, early death, tragedy, a broken heart,  a miscarriage, to an untimely event that took out a loved one by death—please take time to read the words below.

 A friend shared this card with us and we hope it touches your heart the way it did ours. Christmas is a time of year when people are not only joyful but it can also be a time of sadness—missing our loved ones.

Christmas can be a time when people are lonely and shut in with no one to celebrate the holidays with them. Make sure to look for those who perhaps don’t have family and invite them to spend time with you.

Don’t fall for the trap of disconnecting from people—for that is one of the enemy’s tactics to isolate you from the love of God. We are to be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus to others.

Written by someone unknown on a card:

“I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below, with tiny lights like heaven’s stars, reflecting on the snow. The sight is so spectacular–please wipe away the tear, for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear many Christmas songs that people hold so dear, but the sounds of music can’t compare with the Christmas choir up here. I have no words to tell you the joy their voices bring, for it is beyond description to hear the Angels sing.

I know how much you miss me. I see the pain in your hearts. I am so far away, but we really aren’t apart. So be happy for me, dear ones, you know I hold you dear. And be glad I’m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift from my heavenly home above. I sent you each a special memory of my undying love. After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold. It was always most important in stories Jesus told. Please love and keep each other as my Father said to do. For I can’t count the blessings or love He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear. Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

Merry Christmas!”

In honor of all those gone before us!

God bless you!

Deborah Starczewski

Animals look to the light as you can see by the picture of my dog Prince Christmas “BEAU” gazing up at the lights on one of our Christmas trees. I love Christmas! Don’t you? I enjoy the decorations, wrapping gifts, festivities with family and friends, and all the celebrations in honor of what Jesus did when He came as a baby, gave His life on the Cross, and is seated at the right hand of the Father—interceding for us that our faith would not fail.

Jesus came that we might be set free and have life and more abundantly. In Him we experience all God intended for our lives when we choose to look toward Him and totally surrender our lives to Him in obedience.

If you want to enjoy Christmas this year with family and friends, choose not to be offended. Yes, it is a choice. Being offended blocks your ability to hear God and blocks your blessings from Him as well. When you are offended at someone, you are unable to receive from that person as well. You might be offended at a coworker or even your boss, but choose to forgive.

You may be in a tough situation and not like the way people or even family are treating you, but choose to forgive and give God the room to make every crooked place straight. Look to Jesus and choose to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by loving people right where they are in life. That doesn’t mean you condone sin or wrong behavior, it simply means you choose to walk in the love of God where they are held accountable to God.

Emotions can run high and conflicting schedules can cause tempers to flare and voice tones or even words to escalate in volume. Choose to be a peacemaker and look to the light—asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the real issue of heart. People who are hurting about past issues or those who are not choosing to forgive can react to anything and with wrong perception, they can hear and see everything as negative—even words that are not intended that way.

People can flip out like a switch over packaging tape and all sorts of minor things; from parking places to not remembering where they placed their phone the last time they used it. Sometimes people are not emotionally whole and they can become crazy makers…do you know any? You might be one yourself. People can be nice one minute and erupt like a volcano the next when they are dealing with too much stress, are overly tired, or when they are not emotionally whole in some area. People can also flip out when being convicted by the Holy Spirit, and become defensive rather than repenting.

I taught a class recently on being emotionally whole and a couple asked me to share the information in hopes it would encourage someone else as it did them. The Book of Galatians is our book of study and we have been focusing on salvation because of Grace and simple faith in Jesus Christ alone. We have also studied how the Law and Grace do not mix—but bring about confusion.

People can get offended over stupid stuff, minor issues, everything from the way someone looks at them or doesn’t acknowledge them, the lack of a returned phone call, to rigid schedules. We live in trying times with hurting people hurting others.

The enemy comes to divide and destroy from within much like the Trojan horse that was used to bring about the destruction of Troy. Many times people blame the devil for their actions, when in reality it is the flesh and a heart that is hardened in some area or wounded from something in the past. Satan gets blamed for many things he doesn’t even do. You must choose to have a heart that is tender toward God and that is not going to be offended at mankind. It is a choice—much like the choice of making your marriage work, friendships, relationships, to going to work on a daily basis.

We are living in a time Jesus warned us about that would happen in the last days—where even family members have turned on one another, and we must choose to come to the unity of faith in order to accomplish what God has called us to do with Him in this final hour. He has called each of us to do something with Him specifically. He has called us to occupy (be “a doer” as a Christian and not merely a hearer and professor) until He comes.

God has a divine plan and purpose for every person and every person matters in the tapestry of life. I shared about this in my first book: GOD’S PRICELESS TREASURE (How To Overcome Challenges, Be Transformed and Know Your Purpose). We must choose to lay aside resentment, bitterness, backbiting, choose to forgive all, and lay aside all sin as far as it depends upon us so that we may seek peace with all mankind.

(One woman who read my first book shared how God used it to heal her from 25 years of living with an unforgiving heart that she didn’t realize she had.) Forgiveness is a choice—just like choosing not to be offended.

We must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and watch Him avenge us, bring about reconciliation like only He can do, and flow in His anointing to defeat the spirit of antichrist that has risen up against believers. We do this on a daily basis by submitting and surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit and by standing up in our God-given authority because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Whatever God has called you to do, “just do it.” (John 2:5)  If He has spoken to your heart to start a new business, choose to do it. If He has spoken to your heart to open a counseling office, move forward and do it. If He has spoken to your heart to run for a political office, do it. If He has spoken to your heart to publish a book or books, start writing and do it. Whatever God has spoken to your heart to do will bring light to someone else and meet needs. It will bring hope and encouragement to others.

Look to the light this Christmas and every other day throughout the year. Choose to be like Jesus to others and live like it is Christmas on a daily basis. Let me remind you of something vitally important; if you choose to be offended, your focus will turn to self and off of God and helping others. Turn to Jesus. Turn to the light and allow the light of His Word to shine brightly in you and through you to a world that is in need of a touch from the Master—His Name is Jesus! He is the light of the world!

I pray you enjoy this Christmas with family and friends!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

DEBORAH STARCZEWSKI

Most every day I talk to someone who is afraid or anxious about something. Perhaps you fear what people think of you, being far away from home, spiders or snakes, failure or rejection, losing a loved one, disease or pain, death—we all long for God’s peace in the midst of the storms of life and the daily stresses.

You might be afraid of terrorism with the recent tragedies across the globe and the fear of threats of terror the world is facing due to evil, but let me remind us all it has been said there are 366 or more “fear not” verses in the Bible—one for each day—including leap year.

When God raised my husband from early death at Mercy Hospital, walked with us through his two open surgeries, and healed him from two strokes, there were many times to fear. His first surgery was on leap year day in 2012. My husband is a miracle to be alive. The full account is in A LEAP OF FAITH (25 DAYS AT THE MERCY SEAT) available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Xulon Bookstores, etc. It is packed full of real life accounts of God’s divine intervention on a daily basis, and filled with the Word of God with specific prayers for you to pray.

A great verse for us all to remember and memorize is: “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2 NKJV). Teach it to your children and grandchildren!

Salvation not only means salvation from an eternal hell but everything we will ever need in this life. It means deliverance, rescue, salvation, safety, and welfare. We must choose to say what God says about us in His Word, and not be moved by fear. We need to be reminded to “Fear not” and trust God everyday.

The Bible is a great manual that trains us how to respond to all life situations and difficulties through prayer and trust in the Lord. Our part is to read it and apply it to everyday life.

Whatever you are facing today, no matter how small or large it may actually be, turn to God like David did in Psalm 56.

When I am afraid,

I will trust in you,

In God, whose word I praise,

In God I trust; I will not be afraid.

What can mortal man do to me?

(Psalm 56:3-4)

If you’re not experiencing any fear, go ahead and pray in advance. A time of strength is the best time to pray because that is what Jesus taught us to do in His Word: “Watch and pray” with Jesus, preparing your heart in advance to take refuge in the Lord when temptation comes.

Develop the habit of keeping your eyes fixed upon Jesus, always turning to His Word, and facing each day with the Word of God. You don’t have to live daily life in fear-based thinking.

God has a great plan for your life. (Jeremiah 29:11). He came that we might have life and more abundantly (John 10:10).

Now—read the next verse in Isaiah:

“Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And in that day you will say:

“Praise the LORD, call upon His name;

Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, For He has done excellent things.

This is known in all the earth.”

…” (Isaiah 12:3-5 NKJV)

You will find that when you begin to share the awesome things God has done in your life, your faith will arise and you will be reminded that God did miracles then, He provided when, He took care of me then—and He shall do it again!

Be blessed today! God is in control.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).

GOD LOVES YOU!

HIS love and mine,

Deborah Starczewski