Taking Christmas in our stride!

This Christmas, there is so much to think about.  A busy year behind us, God doing so many amazing things in our lives.  There is a tendency to rush about, getting ready for this, getting ready for that.  Thinking about the family times we've had this past year, Joelle Bethany born into our family!  And remembering my Gran - we celebrated her life this year, such a precious time of thinking about her life at her memorial and all she added to ours.

Now, this Christmas, instead of getting lost in the shops searching around for the right gifts in a frenzy of shoppers and buzzing tills, I want to remain in the peace that Jesus brought, our Prince who brought peace into the world of our hearts.  I want to be a "Peaceful Christmas Person"!

Instead of spending a lot of time and money where time and money cannot really be spent, I want to slow right down and take in these beautiful summer days, stop and smell the flowers along the way, observe the details.  Live long in the moment, be present to the opportunities that God brings along our way, every day.

Keeping alive in my heart and mind the true meaning of our Saviour born into the world, getting ready to be born into so many hearts.  This Christmas, Jesus, be born in the hearts of our family and friends.  Be living and breathing and moving inside our spirits to bring us your thoughts about things.  We have the mind of Christ.  Thinking every thought you bring lifts us up into joy.  And JOY is what you came to bring us when you were born into our world.

You make everything beautiful in its time.  So let us stop rushing into the next season, searching for the things that will maybe make us happy, and rather receive everyday the gift you are, the most massive constantly new gift of our lives, an eternal gift at that.  Let us be your joy to our families and friends, remember and contemplate what you've done in our lives this past year.  And let us think with wonder about what you have in store for each day of the new year.  No matter what is going on around us, let us find and hold, let us meditate the thoughts you have, and be in the truth and Spirit of worship into 2013.

Woman of God

Woman of God, what beautiful wings you have
Refract the light of your King
Rainbow colours swirl into height
Caught up in the light.

Sing out your songs Beautiful Bride
Pour out the oil of your long suffering devotion
Line the robes of worship with your praise
Praise in the face of loneliness
Rise up in the fellowship of Spirit!

He is your all Consuming Fire
The Passion of all your days
His Eyes burn Holy Love
All of eternity is captured in His gaze.

Rise up Warrior Woman, your voice is shining
In the thunder, shining in the earthquake and storm
Your voice is trembling in the darkness
With the power of your Creator
About to birth the world in light.

Rise up to hear His Voice, listen
Be with the Prince of your Peace
Rest in the Living Water
Receive your Healing leaves.

No longer pushed down, no!
Not in the corner of shame
Never again to wear the rags of lost dreams
You are shining in the light of the Morning Star
Dance in the new dawn of the coming King
Dance in the face of danger, dance.

Woman of Destiny, you believe the Promise
You trust, you shout, you are full of faith.
Warrior Woman, you take hold of strength
Far greater than your own.

Woman of Standing, you speak as an Ambassador
No longer quiet in the shadows
No longer held back or held down
You are confident in your calling
You are secure on your Mighty Rock
You are brave on the white horse with the Rider
Called "Faithful and True".
Woman of Love, your voice rises in the Spirit wind
The keys of Heaven are turning,
The victory is won!

J Graser

Catching the Light

It has been a real journey of years coming to the place where I am launching my devotional, Catching the Light.  I began writing again more intentionally when I came back to South Africa after a time in Canada, at the end of 2001.  I was spending a lot of time processing life by writing poems and decided to try and publish.  I sent what I thought was my best piece and was sent back a generic rejection letter!  Talk about pain that heals!  It was painful at the time but the best thing ever for my writing.  I started learning and reading up more about writing poetry and out of that came some pieces I sent in to Utmost Christian Writers, a Christian poetry website.  They sent back a personal rejection letter, ha!  Now we're getting somewhere!  They helped me know what was working and what I needed to work on and out of that I got my first poem published on their website and was sent a $15 postal order.  I couldn't cash it, but that postal order is still in my journal!

Over the years I wrote various devotional poems and then decided to put together a devotional booklet called Walk into Waves.  I got some really good advice from a publisher on how to focus this piece of work and to extend it.  So over the last number of years I have been working on Catching the Light.  Through having children it has been the time I set aside for myself, to write, the pockets of time when I can with the help of my wonderful husband Karl!  Writing makes me come alive and I wanted to share my journey with others.  It comes out of a time of real brokenness I went through, and my process of healing as the Lord has taken me through each and every season, hand in hand. 

If you would like order a copy or to find out more about Catching the Light, check out my website www.secretplacedevotion.weebly.com