Category Archives: Joy

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

September 7, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, God's Grace & Love, Joy, Prayer, Thanks & Praise, Today: Make it Count

LIST THE BLESSINGS

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! [1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (NLT)]

deer- does-webAfter returning home from nearly three weeks on the road, we hit the ground running and occupied ourselves with unpacking, laundry, sorting through piles of mail, paying bills, returning calls, watering plants, and restocking the pantry before leaving three days later to go out of town again. Busy with household tasks, editing photos, answering emails, writing devotions and updating the website, and knowing we’d soon be leaving again, I hadn’t even bothered to unpack my book bag. This morning, in a quiet moment, I reached in the bag to read some C.S. Lewis and found my gratitude journal. Sadly, no entries had been made for five days. Was there nothing for which I was grateful? On the contrary, there was plenty. Granted, the journal was buried under a pile of books but that was no excuse. I had simply been too busy and involved in doing things that I’d neglected the most important thing: pausing and being with God. Oh, I’d spent time in prayer every morning but, admittedly, those prayers had been rather rushed and the thanks had been pretty generic. Writing in the gratitude journal, however, makes me pause and truly consider the specific gifts with which God has blessed me each day.

As I reviewed the last several days, there was much for which I’d not offered thanks: over 3,000 miles driven without incident, accident or ticket; the littlest grand started preschool with a smile and another grand is adjusting well to her new school; the flowers survived our absence and neglect; neighbors had taken in the mail we’d forgotten to put on hold; my 98-year old mother-in-law continues to do well; five devotions got written; my shoulder is no longer sore and my foot has finally healed; a friend is recovering well from surgery; another friend is healing from the pain of losing his wife; my children sent pictures of the grands; I got caught up on my paper work; hurricane Erika petered out; my husband cooked one of my favorite meals; and I saw a buck and two does walk through our yard this morning. The list goes on and on. None of it is earth-shattering, none of it is deep, but all of it is worthy of thanks to God. Since He never seems too busy to grant His blessings, why is it so easy to become too busy to thank Him?

Heavenly Father, forgive us when we take your blessings for granted or neglect to acknowledge them. Daily, you bestow upon us gifts of every shape and size. May we always recognize the source of our blessings and never take them for granted or forget to express our gratitude to the Giver of all gifts.

For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.
[Ralph Waldo Emerson]

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. [Psalm 100:4-5 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 20, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Joy, Peace of God, Thanks & Praise, Today: Make it Count

MAKE THE MOST OF IT

81975web
After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live. [Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (MSG)]

Lord, where did the years go? It seems like it was just last month that I complained about the fingerprints on the windows and mud on the floor; now I can go weeks without washing the windows or mopping the entry. I protested to my children about the noise and now our house is silent. I was just complaining img109webabout my teen-agers and now they’re adults with teens and pre-teens of their own! It feels like just yesterday that we were grousing about work and now we’re complaining about how busy we are in retirement.

Lord, thank you for this day. Don’t let us waste a single moment of it in complaint. While some seasons of life may be more challenging than others, show us how to appreciate each and every one of them.

It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. [Elizabeth Kübler Ross]

Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine! Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour, remembering that there will also be many dark days And that most of what comes your way is smoke. [Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 (MSG)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 10, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, God's Plan, Joy, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God

AT LARGE AND IN CHARGE

5-30-15beach P naplesmes-cropweb
A righteous person will always be remembered. He is not afraid of bad news. His heart remains secure, full of confidence in the Lord. His heart is steady, and he is not afraid. [Psalm 112:6b-8 (GW)]

Imagination leads to creativity which is good, especially when it results in a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel or an Academy Award screenplay. Unfortunately, our imaginations can run amok at times which can lead to unhappiness, fear, worry and even anger. We visualize the “would have,” “could have” and “should have” scenarios of the past. Previous situations are replayed—with the revised version having us saying and doing all the brilliant things we wish we’d said or done earlier. Then our imaginations take us on a ride to the future and we imagine all of the “what ifs” of tomorrow and even the day after. We picture conversations in which we are dazzling with our intelligence or practice snappy comebacks in situations that may never even take place. We picture and worry about all of the things that could possibly go wrong, plan our reactions to a variety scenarios, and might even get angry at or upset about something that hasn’t yet happened (and quite possibly won’t). With all the looking backwards and forwards, we’re likely to miss the joys of today.

One of my pastors often says, “God is at large and in charge!” Why is it so difficult to rest secure in that knowledge? To keep from forgetting who truly is in control, I have a small framed message at my bedside that serves as a reminder—I confess it’s one I frequently need. Too often, instead of living in the present, I attempt to rewrite yesterday or anxiously try to author the script for tomorrow. That, however, is not my job; it’s His. Why not let Him do his work? By the way, have a great day!

This day is a beautiful room that’s never been seen before. Let me cherish the seconds, minutes and hours I spend here. Help me to think before I speak and pray before I act. [From “Courage to Change”]

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up. [Anonymous, from “Guideposts” magazine]

May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:13 (GW)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

July 18, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Fruit of the Spirit, Holidays & Holy Days, Holy Spirit, Joy, Salvation: A New You, Today: Make it Count

HAVE PLENTY OF FRUIT (Family Reunions)

food-farmersmarketCNY3a-cropweb
But Martha was busy with all the work to be done. She went in and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me.” [Luke 10:40 (NCV)]

Thank you, God, for blessings received: no injuries, not a drop of rain fell, nothing broke that couldn’t be fixed, and I never ran out of fruit. It’s summer and, for me, that means family and friends gather at our lake house, cousins run wild, and havoc reigns. The last holiday weekend found eleven of us (five being children under ten) gathered under one roof. It was chaotic and noisy and wonderful. Thank you, God, for family and for showing me that people, not perfection, are what’s important.

At the end of the weekend, my daughter-in-law remarked that I’m different from when she first visited the lake over twelve years ago. Of course I am—I’m twelve years older and four more grandchildren wiser! Those additional years and family members finally convinced me that I don’t run a five-star bed and breakfast and I am neither Martha Stewart nor God. I’ve accepted that our house is not a luxury lodge and my guests will have to pick up their own damp towels, serve themselves, clear the table, and prepare some of the food. Recognizing that I’ll never be Martha, we use paper plates, plastic silverware, disposable cups, and a vinyl tablecloth. Most important, I’ve stopped thinking I can be God. Oh, I knew I wasn’t God twelve years ago, but that didn’t keep me from striving for a godlike perfection nor did it keep me from exhausting myself and those around me as I tried to orchestrate events so everything was flawless and everyone content. I no longer feel responsible for other people’s happiness. I can’t read minds and anticipate every need; I can’t solve every argument; I can’t comfort every crying child; and I’m not responsible for the weather.

Twelve years ago, I was like Martha, not Stewart but the Bible’s Martha: always busy with arrangements for my guests. My guess is that Martha’s preparations didn’t need to be as elaborate as they were; I know mine didn’t. The overburdened Martha was annoyed that her sister Mary was enjoying time sitting at the feet of Jesus. If Martha was anything like me, she probably wouldn’t have let Mary do much of anything in the kitchen anyway. I know I didn’t share my domestic duties well but, like Martha, resented it when I missed out on time with my guests.

I’ve learned that catching fireflies is more important than laundry and a walk with a grand has priority over washed dishes. I wonder if Martha, after Jesus chided her for misplaced priorities, put down the dish towel and joined her sister. Some things can wait—dirty dishes and crumbs on the counter are just two of them. Other things, like time with Jesus or time with family and friends, are precious and must be treasured whenever the opportunity arises.

It was more than just years and additional family members that changed me from a Martha into a Mary—it was prayer and the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. While God didn’t miraculously start doing my chores, He did teach me to accept my limitations and to stop striving for perfection. Life is so much easier when I share the everyday tasks with others and leave the important stuff to Him. I’ve really changed because of my never-ending basket of fruit. Not the one on the kitchen counter—that one was empty in no time. I mean the one I have in my heart—the one the Holy Spirit keeps filled with an endless supply of His fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Action expresses priorities. [Mahatma Gandhi]

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her.” [Luke 10:41-42 (NCV)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 10, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, God's Grace & Love, Joy, Knowing Him, Love & Works, Prayer

THOSE THREE LITTLE WORDS


2-15-15 bleeding hearts - ACL774WEBI love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. [Psalm 116:1 (NLT)]

“I love you!” Do you remember how much you longed to hear those three little words from your boyfriend or girlfriend? Do you remember how good you felt when they were finally uttered? No matter how often those three loving words are spoken, we never tire of hearing them.

As I was going through Psalms, looking for verses about God’s love, I was struck by how often God was thanked and praised for His unfailing love and how rarely the psalmists actually said anything about their love for God. Of course, the various psalmists imply their love of God with praise and thanks but seldom is it actually expressed.

While I always try to finish any phone conversation with my family by saying, ”I love you,” I’m sorry to say that, like the writers of Psalms, I’m not very good about expressing my love to God when I speak with Him. When was the last time you said, “I love you!” to God?

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. [Psalm 18:1 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 6, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Joy, Peace of God, Thanks & Praise, Today: Make it Count

AWESOME DEFENSE

Grand Canyoncape royal 200aweb

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. [Daniel 9:4 (NLT)]

Today I did something healthy and never had to leave the comfort of my La-Z-Boy chair! No, not chair aerobics or isometrics—I spent time in Bible study, worship and prayer. As usual, after spending quiet time with God, I had an incredible sense of awe. According to the University of California, Berkeley, that sense of awe can lower my levels of cytokines, some sort of “pro-inflammatory” proteins that raise my risk of depression, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases. Apparently, other research has found that feelings of awe can also enhance creative thinking, keep me from feeling pressured and rushed, and “inspire profound personal transformation” (which I think is pyschospeak for improve my attitude.) It seems clear that a sense of awe leads to positive emotions and positive emotions go hand-in hand with good physical and mental health.

The cytokine study mentioned losing oneself in magnificent music, beholding amazing vistas, enjoying artistic masterpieces, or meditation as awe-inspiring activities. But, we don’t have to listen to Handel’s “Messiah,” visit the Grand Canyon, go to an art museum, or practice TM or yoga for a sense of awe. Worshiping God is just about the most awe-inspiring activity there is! For added health benefits, whenever you participate in any of the other suggested activities, be sure to remember they are only possible because of our awesome God and say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving!

God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! [Psalm 68:35 9NLT)]

Who is like you among the gods, O Lord— glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? [Exodus 15:11 (NLT)]

The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne. O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? [Psalm 89:7-8a (NLT)]