Author: Judy Elmer

I never get tired of hearing the words “I love you.” In fact, whenever I need to hear those words, I take my hand and gently tap my husband on the chest over his heart. That’s our silent signal for him to say once again, “I love you.” One Sunday morning at church I heard a speaker share that he would give his grandchildren candy in hopes they would say, “I love you Papa.” I had to smile because I sure could identify with that. After the church service I told the speaker about our silent signal. I shared that I gently tap my husband’s chest to remind him to say “I love you.” Later on, our friend the speaker, came up to me and said…”I saw your husband awhile ago and hit him in the chest 3 times, and all he did was look at me!” (I’m still laughing!) God never gets tired of saying He loves you. His love story, the Bible is proof of His sacrificial, everlasting and extravagant love. Can you imagine how delighted Jesus is when He hears you say to Him, “I love You.”

I love you, O LORD, my strength. Psalm 18:1

Father God, we want to thank You for Your unfailing love for America. You have freely blessed us in many ways. We stand in awe of Your mercy and power. Forgive us for not placing You as Number One. Help us to cling to Jesus. Create in us a desire to turn back and come closer to You…Our First Love.

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Rev. 2:4-5

Father God, Your love is unfailing, never-ending and extravagant.

You don’t love me one day and not the next.

No matter what comes my way, You are FOR me and NOT against me.

Knowing how true Your love is brings joy…that sense of well-being even during hard times.

Help me to see the evidence of Your presence in my life.

You are my Joy-Giver.

“You will fill me with joy in your presence.” Acts 2:28

I have always felt protected by my husband. But things changed when he had a massive stroke and was gone from home from August to January. Those were difficult days that included hospital, skilled rehab and nursing home care. It was hard for me to come home to an empty house, especially at night. I remember how scary it was to get the mail in the dark. The mailbox was at the end of what seemed the longest driveway in the world. Our driveway had tall shrubs that lined one side of the driveway. One dark night, as I was walking down the driveway to get the mail, I said to the Lord, “I’m scared. I don’t like this. Somebody might be hiding behind these tall bushes and hurt me.” Immediately the Lord brought to my attention my shadow. In the dark, God used the light from the porch to cast a shadow of me. The closeness of my shadow was a visual reminder that God was also close like a shadow and protecting me. My trips to the mailbox changed. My shadow continued to encourage me that God is near, step by step, just like the shadow.

I love the sound of handbells and decided to give the bells a try by joining the handbell choir at our church. Keep in mind, I don’t read music and I have no musical background.

My fellow bell ringers were very kind and patient with me. Needless to say the songs got harder and harder. I quickly found out that counting to four and color coding my musical notes was not enough. Proof that I was in way over my head was that Sunday morning worship service when I was ringing those bells and on the wrong song! I was intensely embarrassed. I wanted to quit so badly, but God reminded me that “It’s not about your performance.” I continued making music in the handbell choir for a few more months until I sensed the Lord saying, “You can stop now.” It was a hallelujah moment!

“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandchildren. They are brother and sister. They’re kissing each other through the window that separated the older children from the younger children at their daycare. At play time they would often run up and kiss each other through the window. Not even the glass window could stop them from expressing their love for one another. This picture reminds me that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus.

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

I love to hear stories over and over again about my Daddy. He passed away when I was two years old. My only memories I have of him is what others have said about him. I really never knew him. He must have been pretty special because when others describe him it’s all been super good. Here’s a story about Daddy that always makes me smile.

“Get the smelling salts. Find a chair. Sit him down.” These were the words echoed when Daddy was told he was the Father of twin girls! Back then there were no ultrasounds to prepare Daddy for me and my twin sister. We were a big surprise! My older sister and brother, and now twin girls, made Daddy surprisingly the Father of four children instead of two. I sure understand why Daddy almost fainted.

My strong, energetic husband unexpectedly suffered a brain bleed that caused a massive stroke. I was in a place where I needed to be strong and courageous, but instead I felt weak and scared. We both were broken.

Are you in a place where you feel dropped and broken? If so, you’re not alone. God understands and can take the broken pieces of your life and make something good. No matter how difficult a situation is, or how weak and scared you feel, you can count on God. He is able to hold you, carry you, and lead you through the tough times. Since my husband’s stroke we now have what we call a new normal. Our lives have changed in many ways, yet we can see that God is taking our brokenness and making something new and good. There’s a lot we don’t understand, but what’s clear is that God’s love is forevermore and He’s with you all the way.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

Father God, You can lift and carry our heartaches and heaviest burdens. Help us to drop all our anxieties and burdens on Your shoulders. You can pick us up and take us to higher ground. Your resurrection power is ours through Jesus Christ. He is the Elevator…the lifter of those upside down days and worthy of our praise!

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. Psalm 40:2

A Bible study teacher once said that when we pray we need to “shoot for the moon.” She encouraged us to always remember that God is GOD, so pray big prayers. When we ask for what seems impossible that’s when we shoot for the moon. Nothing is too big or hopeless for God. He is able to make the impossible a reality. A friend of mine had a tough pregnancy. She was two weeks away from her due date but the closer she got to that date the further away it seemed. She asked people to pray that her baby would come soon. I was one of many that prayed a shoot for the moon prayer. My friend and I stood in the church foyer and asked Jesus for the baby to come early…”Tonight Lord.” The next morning on FaceBook there was a picture of my friend, her hubby and their new baby boy. He was born that night! Not always does God answer our shoot for the moon prayers with a fast YES, but when He does…O what joy! “For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37