Author: Judy Elmer

When I was a little girl we lived in a house with a great big front living room with hardwood flooring. Our huge Christmas tree was in that room. I was so excited to get my very own roller skates for Christmas. I decided to try them out in that big front living room. I found out quickly that skating on hardwood floors was like skating on ice. I got going too fast and fell right into the Christmas tree! As I laid on the floor with the Christmas tree on top of me I remember thinking…I’m in BIG trouble. With the sound of breaking ornaments, the smell of pine, and lights all around me, I heard my sister yelling…”Mother! Judy fell in the Christmas tree!” The story goes that Mother came so quickly that she stepped right over the coffee table in front of where she was sitting. With one big sweep of my Mother’s hand she grab that tree and sat it upright. After Mother checked my pine needle scrapes and saw the fear on my face she extended grace. I thought for sure I would be punished or fussed at, but instead, grace was given. Mother was not mad and seemed to understand my excitement over my brand new skates. This childhood experience reminds me of how gracious God is toward all of us.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8

Christmas time can be not so merry for those, who for good reasons feel weak and lonely. I felt weak the Christmas before Mother passed away. We all knew her health was declining fast. Yet, for that Christmas she made 4 quilts, one for each of her 4 children. Mother passed away that following June in 1990. I still have that quilt right now on my bed. The quilt is worn and torn in spots. But her Christmas gifts reminds me of how much she loved us. As I prepare my heart to celebrate the birth of Jesus I’m reminded of God’s great love for us. He willingly gave us Jesus, the Greatest Gift of all to come save us in a broken world. If you’re feeling weak and lonely this Christmas season, be encouraged. God will never leave you. His presence is a promise. Every second God is with you.

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him, Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” Matt. 1:23

I will long remember the first time my husband cut the grass after his stroke. Our riding lawn mower was in our shed. The shed was packed with all kinds of stuff so he didn’t have much room getting on and off the lawn mower. I was nervous about him doing this because the stroke affected his right leg and right hand. I watched him the entire time. To make a long story short he fell getting off the riding lawn mower while in the shed. As I saw him falling I tried to help him. But instead of helping him, I fell right on top of him! I got up as quickly as I could yelling, “Are you okay?” There was no answer! So, I yelled even louder, “ARE YOU OKAY?!” Then I heard this faint voice say, “I think so.” His answer scared me even more. I thought I’d cracked his ribs. Come to find out when I fell on top of him I knocked the wind right out of him! Needless to say I quickly learned if he starts to fall, get out of the way. His grass cutting days ended. I’m still thanking God that my husband was not seriously hurt.

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:12

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Heb. 4:13

Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do? I have. I was in my car in the Kroger parking lot. A lady coming out of the store thought I had jumped ahead of an elderly man and was trying to take his parking spot. I didn’t do that, but that lady thought I did. She yelled angry words at me and gave me a nasty hand gesture. Everything in me wanted to roll my window down and explain to her that’s not the way it happened! I was upset but decided to drive on. I had to quickly remind myself that God is my Umpire. He saw what actually happened and that’s what really counts. If you’ve been falsely accused or misunderstood, be assured…God is your Umpire too. He’s all-seeing, heard it all, and knows all about your situation. His Word is final.

In 4th grade I remember having a crush on the boy who sat in front of me. I tried to make him like me. At every given chance I smiled at him. Once I even gave him my candy bar. Another time I let him go ahead of me in line. One day I picked a daisy when I was outside playing. As I tore away one petal I said, “He loves me.” Then as I tore away another petal I said, “He loves me not.” This continued until the very last petal was torn from the daisy. As the last petal was torn away, my hope was to hear “He loves me” as the final words. As a young girl I thought love came and went depending on my behavior. As I grew older I wanted to know what God had to say about true love. I found out in God’s Word that His love for us is unconditional, powerful, extravagant and sacrificial. His love never changes, never fails and never “loves me not.” My hope is that you too will accept God’s true love that is in Christ Jesus and sense Him saying, “I love you. I will never… love you not.”

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39

When I reflect on the season of Fall and see the stunning colors and feel the cooler temperatures I think of God’s great love for us. If this world can be this beautiful, can you imagine what heaven will be like?

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor. 2:9

Even after my husband’s stroke, he is still a gifted potter. Yet a challenge for him is to fight discouragement. He tries hard not to compare what he used to make, to what he can make now, using only one hand. Just recently after we gave the “Potter’s Message” we were told that there was a blind lady in the first row! My husband and I just looked at each other in amazement that God would bring someone blind “to see” the clay being shaped into a bowl. Then we thought…she may not be able to see the bowl being made, but she can hear the spoken words about the saving grace and transforming power of Jesus. God used the blind lady to encourage us and bring back to our attention words that a gentleman said to my husband a long time ago. “It’s not about what you make, it’s about the message.” With each beautiful imperfect bowl with it’s lumps and cracks and unusual shape, a card is given with these words… This bowl is not perfect but neither are you. God can still use you. He loves you. And you are beautiful in His eyes.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Eph. 2:4-5

One hot day as my husband and I were coming out of rehab and walking to our car, there was a horrible stink outside. It was the kind of stink that took your breath away. It was a stink bigger than any stink bug! I wanted to hold my nose but I couldn’t because my hands were full. As we were slowly walking to the car I said to my husband, “Let’s get our mind off this stink. Let’s pretend we’re standing somewhere else. I’ll go first. I’m standing on the beach looking out at the ocean and the breeze is wonderful. Now it’s your turn. Where are you?” Without hesitation he answered, “I’m standing between two dumpsters!” Sometimes it’s hard to get past the stink in life, but God’s Word guides us to… Therefore stand in awe of God. Eccl. 5:7

I have found that sometimes it’s hard to look beyond my brokenness. But I’ve discovered that when I deliberately turn my focus off myself and my circumstances and choose to praise God, there’s a change in me. Looking up and proclaiming the truth about God changes the way I think and feel. Even in those days when you feel there’s no way you could look up…be encouraged…you can! His help is available.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2