Intro

We have just celebrated a blessed holy day of the Birth of Jesus, and now we are embarking on a new year. There always is new mercy available, and fresh grace from God. Let’s make this a banner year for spiritual growth. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. This year is a year for joyfully celebrating the Word. I’ve determined to live filled with the joy of the Lord, and filled up with God’s word. I hope you will too. Here is your encouraging word for today.

Monday

Before we move on to the new year, let’s take 2 days and celebrate the love of God that came in the form of a baby. We talked about hope, joy, peace, faith and love, and because we only spent one day on the topic of love, I want to expand on it just a bit. The day had finally arrived. After expecting and preparing, Christmas day has come and gone. But we continue to celebrate the gift… we celebrate Jesus. After being in captivity for 700 years, and then a period of waiting to 400 more years, Jesus, God’s gift, came to earth to deliver God’s people. He came as a baby, innocent, fragile, and holy. He came as a King, longed for and long expected, who was mighty to save. On Christmas, we celebrated the birth of Jesus who changed history forever. Jesus came to be God with skin on. God came to be with us. Everyone longs to know that they have someone who will never leave them, disown them, or desert them. Jesus came as Emmanuel, which means, God dwells among us. That means we are never alone. In the moment of our greatest joy, or the deepest season of despair, Jesus is always there. His Name means that He is always with us. What can take comfort in His permanent presence. As we prepare for a new year, let’s make a commitment to enjoy His presence every day. Take time to talk to Him and listen for His voice, and become more aware of what is happening in the unseen realm than in what you see with your eyes. Then you will be an expression of God’ s love in a greater degree than ever before. What a great way to start a new year!

Tuesday

Jesus came as love personified. He came as a baby, lived, died, and rose again all because of the love of God. God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him. (I John 4:16) The God of love has come to never leave us, and to abide with us in love. Love is the greatest of all (I Cor 13:8). We should pursue love and be love to the world. One thing love does is cover - love is like the snow. The beauty of snow is in what it covers up. Everything can be dirty underneath, but put a blanket of snow over the top, and everything looks beautiful. That is just like love. We can bring beauty all around us when we cover other’s mistakes and when we extend grace to others. When we make an effort to cover everything in love, just like a fresh dusting of snow, beauty emerges. If you look at each snowflake indidvidually, you notice that each snowflake is unique. God demonstrates His love to us in unique ways… what could be more unique than a royal king born in a manger? When each of us, like individual snowflakes, begin to manifest the love of God, the beautiful body of Christ can be revealed. And, when each member loves like Jesus, we can envision the purity of fresh fallen snow, covering ugliness and bringing loveliness to this earth.

Wednesday

As the month of December comes to an end, and as the new year approaches, everyone starts thinking about new beginnings. What I love about January is that it comes right after Christmas. Not only are the days beginning to get longer, but we just finished celebrating the arrival of the King of kings and Lord of lords. When Jesus comes on the scene, doesn’t He just make everything better? The new little baby, gives us the opportunity to start fresh starting today. He is alive and living big on the inside of you and me. Whatever you and I are facing is not insurmountable. Jesus is here. What a great start to a New Year. We have a fresh slate, a blank canvas, a clean sheet of paper to begin working with. What happens when Jesus comes? We get new life, new hope, new joy! He brings rest and peace, and power to overcome. Jesus came to reverse the curse of the devil. He actually came to destroy the devil’s work. He did it right out in the open, on the cross of Calvary, and in the belly of the earth as He took on the powers of darkness and triumphed over them. Jesus came onto the scene and changed destiny. When Jesus comes where we are, we got all those same benefits. As we prepare for what God has for us in 2011, recommit yourself to living life full…full of life, full of hope and full of joy. What is in the past is just that, in the past. Why not live your very best life right now. That’s God’s desire for you!

Thursday

Moment by moment, day by day, we have new mercy and grace applied to our lives. There is new mercy for each new day. There is grace for the next moment, even if we messed up in the last moment. We have hope to start new at any time. That helps us have a heavenly perspective. We don’t have to look only at what we see, but we can see through the eyes of faith and our faith become sight as we walk it out. So did you mess up real bad last year? Or did life mess with you last year? Was it a year you want to forget? Well, the Bible says we can forget those things which are behind and look ahead to those things before us. One thing we should always do is to check our heart and learn from our mistakes. We don’t want to have to take this same trail again, so learn the lesson and then live it! If what you learned is that you stand on the Word of God and never quit, keep on standing. If you learned you shouldn’t hang around with people who pull you down, make some new relationships. If you learned that your mouth gets you in trouble, keep a tighter rein on your tongue. If you learned to be more sensitive to others, put it into operation. God is giving us clues and reminders all the time. Let’s be listening to His Word, and paying attention to the Spirit of God, so we walk in God’s ways, and live and love like Jesus wherever we are.

Friday

Was last year a banner year? Hallelujah!! Let’s believe for an even better one in 2011. Jesus is here. He came to dwell with us permanently. He will never leave us, and His love lives inside of us. What great joy and comfort that brings. We are loved with the purest, most abiding love available – God’s love. Let’s be as committed to loving Him as He is to us. Let us never leave Him and let us always demonstrate His love to others. As we finish this year and begin the next, let’s operate in hope, joy, faith, peace and love all through the year. We have experienced His presence. We know His promises are yes and amen to us. We know who we are in Christ, and we walk in His grace and mercy. Let’s make it our goal in 2011 to see as many people come into the kingdom of God as possible. Let’s be faithful to pray for God’s will to be done on the earth as it is in heaven. Let’s see the enemy be defeated and God be glorified in our lives more than ever. Let’s make this a banner year for proclaiming the goodness of God. More obedience, more faithfulness, more sensitivity to the Spirit of God, more growth in the spiritual realm, more confidence in who God is, more blessings, more joy, more peace, more rest, more victory! If all we want is more of Him, He will reward us, because He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I believe that is who you are…a diligent seeker of the Lord! And as you diligently seek the Lord, you will become more Godly, more gracious and more generous! Those are all attributes of heaven, and exactly what we want to see manifested on the earth! Let’s believe together for more attributes of heaven in 2011!

Saturday-Eword for kids

Have you ever been disappointed by someone who said they would do something for you and then they didn’t? I know we all have. You know what? There is someone who will never disappoint you, who will never leave you, and who loves you unconditionally. I bet you already know who it is. It is Jesus. We celebrate on Christmas day that He came as Emmanuel which means God is with us. He will never leave you. He came to stay by your side, and to always be there for you. He also came as the most perfect example of pure love. God is love, and when Jesus came as a baby in a manger, He became love to the world. When we live in Him, we have that same love living in us. So we never have to be alone, and we can always know we are truly loved by God.

As we start the new year, I hope you know better than ever that God is with you. He will never leave you. The presents you received should be a reminder of God’s love that came as a present to the world. He wasn’t wrapped in wrapping paper and a bow, but in swaddling clothes! He came to bring joy and peace, and He still does that today. There is great joy in knowing that God is always near, and great peace in knowing you are fully loved by God. This New Year share some of what you have with someone else. Most importantly this New Year, give God all of you. Let Him know you are as commited to loving Him as He is to you. Let Him know that you will always love Him, and that you will never, ever leave Him. Happy New Year!

Sunday

Did you know that the Bible says that God rewards those who diligently seek Him? What do you think it means to diligently seek God? When you are diligent, you are actively trying to do your best in every area where God gives us direction - like reading God’s Word, talking with God, living out the principles of the Bible, and becoming more like Jesus every day. So another way of saying that God rewards those who diligently seek Him is this - God gives good gifts to those who do their best to do what He asks of them. What is cool about God is that He is Good and loves to bless us. It almost sounds like you’re his favorite! YOU ARE! And I am too! It is the diligent ones who get rewarded.

Isn’t that how life works on the earth too? Those who do a good job get rewarded. Those who aren’t diligent, probably won’t get any special recognition. God wants us to get the best out of this life, and He gave us a huge hint how to get it. Be diligent. If you haven’t been diligent in the past, choose today to start! Today can be a great new beginning. You don’t have to wait until every one else is making resolutions to make changes in your life. Be one who decided on a consistent basis to make right choices, when it comes to actions and attitudes. We are world changers, and we can start by changing ourselves, in our own world, by becoming more like Christ. Then others will be drawn to the Jesus in us, and we can model to them how to diligently seek Him. How rewarding!

Intro

Hope, joy, faith, peace and love. This is weekend of Christmas and we will take these simple, basic words and weave them into the reality of a baby born in a manger to bring God to us. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day, during the advent season. As we look at love this Christmas, I believe that you will be encouraged to love others like Jesus does during Christmas and always. Jesus came so that we could receive His love and then give it to others. Here is your encouraging word about love for Christmas.

Friday

Love came near – not only near but in. Love didn’t stay far off, it came close, it came close enough to touch! Jesus was love with skin on! Somebody once said that the almighty had to come as a baby so we could have someone to wrap our arms around. Don’t you love that? Why not let his love embrace you as well this Christmas? I hope you truly realize that God’s love sent in the form of a baby was for you! He loves you that much. We are only good at loving others when we realize how much we are loved. When we experience unconditional, uninhibited love that comes from God, we can take what we have been given and share it with others. Romans 5:5 says that the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Another thing we know the Holy Spirit came to do as it says in Act 1:8 is to give us power to be a witness. We have the love of God on the inside of us, and the power to show compassion to others as a gift from the Holy Spirit. If you put them together, we have the power to love within us! How powerful is that. Love came in, and now we get to love others with the same love that we have received. When we look at the big picture from the cradle to the grave and through Jesus’ resurrection, we see that love motivated it all. He was born to die, but then He came alive with resurrection power, so that we could live the abundant life that Jesus came to the earth to give us. How precious is that little one in the manger. It is love that we can wrap our arms around. How precious is it that He wraps His arms around us, with His amazing love. How wonderful it is that we can wrap our arms of love around others, and show God’s love to the world. Jesus so loved the world, He gave us Jesus. Jesus so loved us that He gave His life. We can so love God, that we give our lives back to him, and serve, love and bless others with all of the love He put in our hearts. What a wonderful way to spend Christmas.

Saturday – Love

Something amazing had happened in Bethlehem. A heavenly announcement about this special event was broadcast throughout the airwaves. In the heavenlies, angels made it known that this event would bring good tidings of great joy for all people. A very special baby was born. The amazing thing about this announcement was that it wasn’t made before kings or people of great worldly importance, it was made to shepherds out taking care of their flocks in the nearby hills. Often shepherds go about what they do quietly. They take care of their animals. They are rarely in the spotlight, so the brightness of the glory of the Lord was a new experience for them! They do their work behind the scenes, most often, unnoticed. But God noticed them. He knew they were faithful and committed and they were the first to know God’s own Son made His entrance on the earth.

The angels told the shepherds to go and see. This baby was God’s own son, the Savior who was Christ the Lord. Once they saw, THEY decided to go and tell. Once they had seen HIM, they made it known abroad. (Luke 2:17) Without satellite television, without FOX News or CNN, someone got the news out. It was those faithful, behind the scenes shepherds. Whether they were ready for prime time or not, they had something to tell. The news they shared would have a life altering impact. Their magnanimous message of the GOOD NEWS was spread abroad.

What was so great about this baby? He was the manifested presence and goodness of God. He came to bring great comfort and joy. He came to bring peace on the earth, and good will toward men. Their world badly needed comfort and joy. It was aching for peace on the earth, and good will towards all men. Hearing the message of Christ’s entrance into our world was for then and is for now. Jesus came to bring comfort, joy, peace and good to all. He still uses ordinary people, just like us, who often go unnoticed in the big scheme of things, to do important jobs for Him. Let us make the good news known abroad. Someone you know needs to hear it. They need to know the comfort and joy that comes through Jesus. They need His peace. Go and tell!

Sunday – love

The last candle of advent has been lit and we can still feel it’s glow. Have you been changed by the love of God during this season of Advent? How has the little baby in a manger affected your world? Are you living a hope filled life, excited about the possibilities in your future? Have you experienced the joy of the Lord that is only found in Jesus? Are you using your faith, and exercising your faith on a daily basis? Do you have a peaceful spirit and have you determined within yourself to become a peacemaker, peace keeper, and a reconciler in your own relationships? Have you been changed from the inside out because of God’s love penetrating your heart? Do you really know how loved you are? Do you desire for others to know that too? My prayer is that not only have you had a meaningful advent season, but that you are growing daily in your walk with God. I pray that your daily rituals include spending time with God, and getting fed by his Word! We make time for natural things on a daily basis, like grooming, cleansing, and feeding. Let’s do the same thing for our spirit. We can definitely be washed by the Word and feed on it daily to make our outward appearance more pleasing to those who are around us, through our attitudes and our actions. You don’t have to feel like change happens for everyone else but you. You are not the exception to the rule. The Word states it very clearly that if we give ourselves daily to the word, to worship and to fellowship, we will become more like Jesus. Isn’t that our goal? Isn’t it our goal to have others be drawn to the Jesus in us? Let’s take what we have learned, and experienced this Advent, and put it into practice. We can be hope filled, joyful, faith filled, peaceful, and love filled people. When we are full, we have overflow, and spilling over the top is a great way to live. Let’s let the overflow of hope, joy, faith, peace and love fill up someone else around us. We have it in us, let’s let it out. We have the light of the world living within, and we don’t have to let the glow fade. Let it shine, and let the warmth of God’s love permeate even the hardest hearts of those you know. Let’s make this a banner year for spiritual growth and numerical growth in our own church body. When we grow spiritually, we become encouragers to others around us to do the same. When we grow numerically, we get to reach more people for Christ. When each number represents a life, we realize that Jesus came for individuals, and his desire is that all would come to know him, and live with hope, joy, faith, peace and love. That’s how love changes the world…..one life a time.

Intro

Hope, joy, faith, peace and love. This is week 4of Advent, and as we expect, prepare, proclaim and reveal the reason we celebrate the coming of our savior throughout advent, we will take these simple, basic words and weave them into the reality of a baby born in a manger to bring God to us. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day, during the advent season. As we look at Peace this week, I believe that you will be encouraged to make your Christmas preparations in a peaceful, calm and serene way. Jesus came so that we could live in peace and be peace makers. Here is your encouraging about peace for today.

Monday

Peace is a beautiful word. In Hebrew the word is Shalom which means nothing missing and nothing broken. In Israel, instead of saying hello, or even goodbye, people exchange the greeting of Shalom. What a lovely way to speak words of encouragement over everyone you meet. We know that when Jesus came, He came to bring peace in a world of turmoil, unrest and distress. He came to be the Prince of Peace, the counselor, and our mighty God. During the holiday season lots of people get stressed out. It can be from all the activity, because of dreading spending time with relatives that are difficult, or even the stress of feeling the necessity to over spend to keep up a good image. Take a deep breath! Let me speak shalom into your life. Let me speak peace to your soul. We really are too blessed to be stressed. We have the Prince of Peace living within us, so there is no reason to get stressed or live in a state of frustration or turmoil during the holidays, or any time of the year. Can we learn to rest in the peace of God? I believe we can. Peace is more than just a greeting, and more than just a sign we use to say we don’t like war, peace is an attitude that can prevail in our hearts and lives year round. Let’s live in a constant state of peace! When we look at the big picture, we have found what we are looking for. Jesus, who is in the center of our heart, came to fill in the missing pieces in our lives. He came to fix everything in our lives that was broken. So we can say about ourselves, I have Shalom in me, nothing is missing and nothing is broken. Because He came to fill us, we can live in peace, radiate peace, and be peacemakers in a world that is empty and broken. So speak Shalom to your own soul, and then begin speaking it to those around you. Make this Advent more peace-filled than ever, and enjoy Christmas in the peace of God. SHALOM!

Tuesday

Phil 4:7 God’s peace shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace, which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount a guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. How can we experience that tranquil state of soul, that peace that passes understanding in a world that is stressed out? One of the best things to do, during the holiday and really anytime is to speak peace to your soul. Jesus spoke to the storm, and He speaks peace to us through His Word. We can remind ourselves of his words and speak peace to our inner man, to silence the turmoil, or even the feeling that things are out of control. Doesn’t it do your heart good to know that everything is going to be ok? Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of that fact. God is our provider, protector and promoter. He is taking care of us. We know that even if the enemy attacks us, what the devil intends for evil, God can still turn it around for our good. So say to yourself, soul, be still. Speak peace to your inner man, and live fearlessly and victoriously. God has a great plan for your life and it is full of the peace that only he can give.

Wednesday

Be a peacekeeper. Did you know that’s what we are as believers? We are called to keep peace! The Bible tells us repeatedly to seek peace and to pursue it. We are called the salt of the earth, and one of the things salt does is preserve things. We are a preservative in this world’s system. When everyone else is in turmoil, unset, or living in chaos, we are the ones who set the standard of peace. We know a soft answer turns away wrath. We know that we don’t have to have the last word. We know that we don’t always have to state our opinion, when we know it will bring a conflicting view. We do know that we can raise the standard of righteousness by how we respond and react in any situation. We don’t fight fire with fire! We are called to bring peace, and because the Prince of Peace has come, we get to bring his message and live his message everywhere we go. So why not bring a higher level of peace to each situation you enter. Remember what Jesus came to do. He came to bring peace on earth. He brought joy to the whole world, and came as the prince of peace. Let him reign in your heart and life. You are called to peace!

Thursday

Blessed are the peace makers. Jesus came to break down walls, so lets be like him, and do the same in our own relationships. Let’s encourage others to do the same too. Do you know that because you are a Christian, you have the ministry of reconciliation? That not only helps us in our personal life, with our spouse and kids, we can help others be reconciled to each other as well. Recently when I spoke at a Wednesday night service, I prayed for reconciliation for family members who were estranged. One woman came up to me right after service and asked that I specifically pray for her daughter who she hadn’t seen or heard from in 2 years. She went home from the service, called her up, and spoke with her for over an hour, and they reconciled that evening. She is planning to come home for Christmas. I was so happy to be able to help through my prayer, to begin the process of reconciliation in their lives. Don’t you know that was God’s heart for them all along? God put us on the planet to do that. He wants everyone to know His peace and his presence. Let’s be peace makers at work, in our churches, and especially in our homes. Let’s have homes that are an oasis, and a soft place to fall. Many homes are like a war zone, with fallout everyday. Let’s hold up the standard of righteousness and live in peace, and teach our families that living in the peace of God is the best way to live. During Advent, be a peacemaker in your own family, and radiate the peace of God wherever you go.