I have become attentive to the truth that I can fill up my calendar, yet still live an empty life.
What is the full life? Does it have anything to do with our calendars?
I was introduced to the pregnancy calendar when my daughter announced the soon coming arrival of our first Grandlady. I loved reading everyday’s development of the baby. I prayed specifically every day, for baby’s growth and development,for Mom and the new family.
This past Resurrection Sunday I printed out a new calendar for Grandbaby #6. Every day I look for the growth or changes God is making. I pray for the little person that is being made ready to greet us and the world. I thank God for his/her presence in our family. I give thanks for the favor and grace of being a Grandmother. I enjoy the tremendous joy of life and increase.
We all have come through the days of a pregnancy calendar. Each of us has grown within a womb and made our way to a birth day that began another calendar of counting days, weeks, months and years. Our individual pregnancy calendars are written for us by God, not man. Our purpose and our days of growth are marked on our personal calendar by God’s hand and the ink with which we fill our lives.
God’s hand holds us like the pen and He is poised to write on our calendars, but we have a part to play. We are not just an instrument in His hand. He has given us the privilege of maintaining our lives in surrender to His will. We are the pen. The ink is what we allow to be poured into our lives: friendships, information, experiences, God’s Holy Spirit.
This ink is not only all the outside influences that bombard us, but how we perceive those happenings. The ink is mixed together by our responses. We take in the circumstances of our lives and make them into something positive and usable, or negative and resistant to the full life.
We all know what happens when we cloud the ink with negative thoughts. Our day may become sluggish and thick, not moving smoothly. We even tend to look for the next wrong thing that will happen. It clogs up our minutes and makes our days frustrating. Irritations can make us clam up and become stiff necked to God’s will. We all deal with irritations and our joy is affected by how we perceive those irritations, or how we handle them.
When we search for the gifts within each surrounding moment and give thanks, the ink runs smooth. It does not matter if that moment is complicated or simple. We ourselves make the difference. In each situation we must submit our thinking to the Holy Spirit. We must renew our minds for each circumstance.
We must constantly remind ourselves and each other....to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I Thessalonians 5:18 ESV It is this that will keep the ink of our lives flowing smoothly. It is with Thanksgiving that we allow God to make our lives full.
Some of us have lived our days wishing for a different beginning, a different past. Some of us live our present thinking only of the future, of what is next, what will come. We prepare for the next hour or day, or week or year, not thinking of the moment that we inhabit now. Like a kid living only for Christmas to arrive, we can miss the fun of each day leading up to the long awaited day. Living life only looking behind or ahead, leaves our days empty. Our calendars may be full, but our moments are choked by some other time.
Life is lived fully in the everyday moments. We must look carefully in order to see the beauty, grace, and love that surrounds us. Discovering grace right now and choosing to enjoy every moment means we must stop….
take time to name the gift that is given…..
write it down…..
draw it…..
paint it……
play it...
and give thanks for it.
We can run fast toward tomorrow, away from life, trying to get things done for our deadline. It is so easy in our fast paced world to blindly fill our days with doing instead of being.
We can ride along on what we did last week, last year or whenever, and easily coast past life. How often do we as Christians retell our salvation story rather than telling with excitement what God has done for us today? But the here and now moments need to be seen. It needs to be filled with our awareness. There is an abundance of grace, thanksgiving and joy to be experienced in the ordinary moments of our day. There is abundant life in the moment if we only look.
Even in the terrible hard places we can find grace and give thanks and experience joy. It is not easy. Loss, fear, pain, make it difficult to see God, but when we discipline ourselves to make it a priority, we can find God writing a growing, revealing, loving event on the calendar of our life.
So what is a full life? I think a full life is one where we are resting surrendered in God’s hand and pouring out the ink of God’s love that fills us from our gratitude (which is our worship.)
Do our calendars play a part in our full lives? I think so. My New Years practice is to set out goals and plans for my year. I do this in prayer with God. This year He revealed His will for me to live with a blank calendar. I am finding Him to fill it with amazing speed and awesome wonder! No, it has not all been good. There have already been losses and pain. But He has been in every event. I have had to look hard at times, but I have found Him. I have lived fully and abundantly with Him, in Him and for Him in these past 4.5 months.
So what is my plan for the upcoming months? One plan is to visit my Mom in Colorado. I am making the plans but I am holding them loosely in my hands. If God postpones my trip, I choose to believe it will be perfect for my calendar.
As writers we can write about the past or future, but we should write for the present. Whatever we choose to write about it still must be done in the here and now. We can only write from what we know, feel and believe at this present time.
Father, we give You thanks for holding all of our minute and days in Your wise Hands. Forgive us when we mistrust Your goodness in everything. You are I AM. You are here in our present and we do not want to miss You. Open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our hands to feel the gift of Your presence right now. Teach us to live in Your presence every day. Amen.
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Friday, December 21, 2012
A Christmas Letter
Merry Christmas!
My hopes for this Season of Holy Wonder has not been fulfilled. I wanted so very much to draw closer to God, and yet, I find I am struggling to enjoy the sweet comforting traditions that usually draw me closer to the true Spirit that dwells within the truth of God with us. Maybe you, too, have found these days difficult. Maybe we can salvage the Christmas joy in the next few days.
This time of year is usually a time for much activity. I have been busier than usual, but the activity has lost its excitement because I have not put a purpose into the work, except to just get it done. In years past I made every effort to make Jesus the center of my to-do list. This year has been different.
In times past gifts were bought, baking done, carols sung, decorations hung, and cards were written with the purpose of blessing others. This year, with our tight budget, and needing to cut corners everywhere, I began to think more of my pocket book than the joy of making others smile. Oh, I've had moments, but it has not been the overwhelming feeling of good will towards men that I most often feel. All of this has made me very sad.
I've allowed frustrations and worries cloud my celebration. I am not proud of
that. I know better. I just did not act on what I knew. Today the decision has been made. The next few days will be spent looking for ways to live thankfully and with joy. I will celebrate the truth that God is with us. HE is the joy for which I long.
Father, You are my Christmas. You are my gift, my joy, my song. I have been selfish and ungrateful. Forgive me! Thank You for turning my heart towards You. Thank You for making this the best Christmas ever! Send me out to make Your Good News known to the world!
My hopes for this Season of Holy Wonder has not been fulfilled. I wanted so very much to draw closer to God, and yet, I find I am struggling to enjoy the sweet comforting traditions that usually draw me closer to the true Spirit that dwells within the truth of God with us. Maybe you, too, have found these days difficult. Maybe we can salvage the Christmas joy in the next few days.
This time of year is usually a time for much activity. I have been busier than usual, but the activity has lost its excitement because I have not put a purpose into the work, except to just get it done. In years past I made every effort to make Jesus the center of my to-do list. This year has been different.
In times past gifts were bought, baking done, carols sung, decorations hung, and cards were written with the purpose of blessing others. This year, with our tight budget, and needing to cut corners everywhere, I began to think more of my pocket book than the joy of making others smile. Oh, I've had moments, but it has not been the overwhelming feeling of good will towards men that I most often feel. All of this has made me very sad.
I've allowed frustrations and worries cloud my celebration. I am not proud of
that. I know better. I just did not act on what I knew. Today the decision has been made. The next few days will be spent looking for ways to live thankfully and with joy. I will celebrate the truth that God is with us. HE is the joy for which I long.
Father, You are my Christmas. You are my gift, my joy, my song. I have been selfish and ungrateful. Forgive me! Thank You for turning my heart towards You. Thank You for making this the best Christmas ever! Send me out to make Your Good News known to the world!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Thanksgiving Freedoms
Many years ago my husband kindly sat me down and gently reprimanded me. I had been complaining about all sorts of things and he lovingly pointed out that I was ungrateful. My complaints were not about him, mind you, but about the things I had or didn't have. I was taken by surprise, but knew that it was true and a change was made in my heart.
This year I have taken the dare to write down 1000 gifts and be thankful for them. Ann Voskamp, in her writings, has revealed the truth about thanksgiving and living minute to minute with a grateful heart. A new change is beginning in me and every day I see things and people more and more as gifts. My heart is full of gratitude for the gift of Ann and her words that seem so timely right now.
Yesterday, I read one of her blogs that listed 6 Reasons Why to Teach Kids to be Grateful the research can only support Scriptural Truth. (Froh, Sefick, Emmons, 2008) I was immediately aware that this is not only truth for children but for everyone. Here is what I read and how I see it work in my life.
1. Better Attitudes - Thanksgiving grows a positive attitude even in the hard soil of challenges, disappointments, or failure.
2. Better Achieve Personal Goals - The discipline of writing down our gifts spills over into life goals and the stream of grateful words becomes a river of life change.
3. Closer Relationships, Greater Happiness - We all need closer relationships and long for greater happiness. Seeing people through the lens of gratitude makes them a happy gift to us that gives joy to our days. People are lovelier and friendlier when we are thankful for their presence in our lives. Being surrounded by a beautiful crowd of people makes us smile, doesn't it?
4. Better Grades - Now it may seem that we as adults are not graded, but we are evaluated by many in our lives. The authority in our lives grade us on many things. Employers evaluate our work, banks and credit card companies watch our performance with money and treat us accordingly. Children watch us closely too.
5. Greater Energy, Attentiveness, Enthusiasm - The start of writing down gifts is like wading in mud, but soon the mud becomes a trickle and then a stream and a river flowing out into the ocean of gifts awaiting for our pleasure and filling our grateful hearts.
6 Greater Sensitivity - Gratitude opens our eyes to the world around us. We see clearly the needs of others and our hands are ready to reach out and help because we know it, too, will be a gift.
Finally the article ends with the consequence of not practicing gratitude. The young people studied showed less satisfaction with their lives. They were more aggressive and took more risks and the list went on. Similarly we adults live in a world of our making, good or bad, depending on our attitude of gratitude.
Today is July 4th and the U.S.A. is celebrating our independence and the blessings of our country. We are a nation that complains way too much, maybe because we have the freedom to do so. I wonder what changes we would see if we became a nation of gratitude? I think it would truly set us free!
Our Father in heaven, You are the author of freedom. You are the Giver of Good gifts! Forgive us for our murmuring and complaining. We fail to see Your good hand in so many things, but You are there working out the good for us. Thank You for my country, Lord. I am blessed to live here by Your choice. Thank You for all of the good people that live with us here. Help us to see the good and work hard to change the bad. Bless America, Father! Bless her with a revolution of thanksgiving!
This year I have taken the dare to write down 1000 gifts and be thankful for them. Ann Voskamp, in her writings, has revealed the truth about thanksgiving and living minute to minute with a grateful heart. A new change is beginning in me and every day I see things and people more and more as gifts. My heart is full of gratitude for the gift of Ann and her words that seem so timely right now.
Yesterday, I read one of her blogs that listed 6 Reasons Why to Teach Kids to be Grateful the research can only support Scriptural Truth. (Froh, Sefick, Emmons, 2008) I was immediately aware that this is not only truth for children but for everyone. Here is what I read and how I see it work in my life.
1. Better Attitudes - Thanksgiving grows a positive attitude even in the hard soil of challenges, disappointments, or failure.
2. Better Achieve Personal Goals - The discipline of writing down our gifts spills over into life goals and the stream of grateful words becomes a river of life change.
3. Closer Relationships, Greater Happiness - We all need closer relationships and long for greater happiness. Seeing people through the lens of gratitude makes them a happy gift to us that gives joy to our days. People are lovelier and friendlier when we are thankful for their presence in our lives. Being surrounded by a beautiful crowd of people makes us smile, doesn't it?
4. Better Grades - Now it may seem that we as adults are not graded, but we are evaluated by many in our lives. The authority in our lives grade us on many things. Employers evaluate our work, banks and credit card companies watch our performance with money and treat us accordingly. Children watch us closely too.
5. Greater Energy, Attentiveness, Enthusiasm - The start of writing down gifts is like wading in mud, but soon the mud becomes a trickle and then a stream and a river flowing out into the ocean of gifts awaiting for our pleasure and filling our grateful hearts.
6 Greater Sensitivity - Gratitude opens our eyes to the world around us. We see clearly the needs of others and our hands are ready to reach out and help because we know it, too, will be a gift.
Finally the article ends with the consequence of not practicing gratitude. The young people studied showed less satisfaction with their lives. They were more aggressive and took more risks and the list went on. Similarly we adults live in a world of our making, good or bad, depending on our attitude of gratitude.
Today is July 4th and the U.S.A. is celebrating our independence and the blessings of our country. We are a nation that complains way too much, maybe because we have the freedom to do so. I wonder what changes we would see if we became a nation of gratitude? I think it would truly set us free!
Our Father in heaven, You are the author of freedom. You are the Giver of Good gifts! Forgive us for our murmuring and complaining. We fail to see Your good hand in so many things, but You are there working out the good for us. Thank You for my country, Lord. I am blessed to live here by Your choice. Thank You for all of the good people that live with us here. Help us to see the good and work hard to change the bad. Bless America, Father! Bless her with a revolution of thanksgiving!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Expectation, Anticipation, Surprise
1000 Gifts by Ann Voscamp is an amazing book. I have been allowing this book to drown me in its thought provoking and life changing challenges since Christmas. It is because of Ms. Voscamp's insightful words that my thoughts dig deeper.
Expectations. I have them. They sit on the shelf of my mind waiting to be experienced. Like the parents long awaiting a healthy baby and believing in innocence that no harm could come to their precious child early in life, or a bride and groom traversing the aisle believing that they will live happily ever after,I expect. But not all hopes are realized. I expect all problems to be fixable. Some times they are, and my expectations are fulfilled. Of course, there are times when my expectations go unfulfilled. Though I set my mind on the future fulfillment of my hopes, I am not assured that I will find joy. I am happy when it works my way, but how deep is this gladness?
Anticipation fills me with a generous thrill before the waited for event. Many times the traveling toward a planned event is much more exciting than the event itself. Parties sometimes leave me wanting after much anticipation of the gaiety I carefully mapped out for my guests. The thrill of the plan is carried away like a bubble bursting or a balloon lost to the wind and I am left empty handed, my hopes for the greater thrill unreachable.
Surprise! Is there joy in surprises? The unexpected is not always wanted. I've always told my husband that I don't like surprises, but maybe that is not true, at least not always. I would like the surprise of flowers on an uneventful day. I do enjoy the unexpected, unanticipated visits from my kids and the Grandladies and Grandmen! I might even be pleasantly amazed to find a little note on the windshield of my car. Little surprises can sometimes be huge. Ann Voscamp says it is a matter of perspective. What will surprise me?
God You are a surprise! I am reminded of a children's song that says just that! All that You do and all that You give is a surprise. I am sometimes too proud to let You fill me with wonder, Lord, but I do not want that to be me. Thank You for setting little delights in my day. Open my eyes to see them clearly. Teach me the wide eyed awe that will take my breath away as I practice giving thanks for the little and the big things in my life.
Expectations. I have them. They sit on the shelf of my mind waiting to be experienced. Like the parents long awaiting a healthy baby and believing in innocence that no harm could come to their precious child early in life, or a bride and groom traversing the aisle believing that they will live happily ever after,I expect. But not all hopes are realized. I expect all problems to be fixable. Some times they are, and my expectations are fulfilled. Of course, there are times when my expectations go unfulfilled. Though I set my mind on the future fulfillment of my hopes, I am not assured that I will find joy. I am happy when it works my way, but how deep is this gladness?
Anticipation fills me with a generous thrill before the waited for event. Many times the traveling toward a planned event is much more exciting than the event itself. Parties sometimes leave me wanting after much anticipation of the gaiety I carefully mapped out for my guests. The thrill of the plan is carried away like a bubble bursting or a balloon lost to the wind and I am left empty handed, my hopes for the greater thrill unreachable.
Surprise! Is there joy in surprises? The unexpected is not always wanted. I've always told my husband that I don't like surprises, but maybe that is not true, at least not always. I would like the surprise of flowers on an uneventful day. I do enjoy the unexpected, unanticipated visits from my kids and the Grandladies and Grandmen! I might even be pleasantly amazed to find a little note on the windshield of my car. Little surprises can sometimes be huge. Ann Voscamp says it is a matter of perspective. What will surprise me?
God You are a surprise! I am reminded of a children's song that says just that! All that You do and all that You give is a surprise. I am sometimes too proud to let You fill me with wonder, Lord, but I do not want that to be me. Thank You for setting little delights in my day. Open my eyes to see them clearly. Teach me the wide eyed awe that will take my breath away as I practice giving thanks for the little and the big things in my life.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Proverbs Twelve
Proverbs 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.
My grandlady, Paige, called me the morning of my surgery. She was worried about me. She said she was afraid that I would die and she would never see me again. I was able to diffuse her fears by asking where I be if I died. Of course she said I'd be in heaven. I then told her that she, too, would be in heaven if she stayed close to Jesus. So she had nothing to worry about.
Our little exchange brought her peace. She was no longer afraid of what "could" happen. She was only aware of what the truth of our relationship with Jesus and each other meant. That is what I wanted for her. I want her to have peace and joy, not the lies of the enemy. It takes planning to bring peace.
The planning begins with faith in the goodness of God. The foundation of that faith can make all things work together for our good. Knowing God's goodness means that I must spend time in relationship with Him. Like most every relationship, it is not easy. It is hard work and priorities must be made.
It is time to make a plan for peace that will lead to joy.
Lord, Lead me in the paths of peace. Remove the deceit from my heart and keep evil far from me. Thank You for the joy You give ! Thank You for the peace in my heart. Let me share it freely with others!
My grandlady, Paige, called me the morning of my surgery. She was worried about me. She said she was afraid that I would die and she would never see me again. I was able to diffuse her fears by asking where I be if I died. Of course she said I'd be in heaven. I then told her that she, too, would be in heaven if she stayed close to Jesus. So she had nothing to worry about.
Our little exchange brought her peace. She was no longer afraid of what "could" happen. She was only aware of what the truth of our relationship with Jesus and each other meant. That is what I wanted for her. I want her to have peace and joy, not the lies of the enemy. It takes planning to bring peace.
The planning begins with faith in the goodness of God. The foundation of that faith can make all things work together for our good. Knowing God's goodness means that I must spend time in relationship with Him. Like most every relationship, it is not easy. It is hard work and priorities must be made.
It is time to make a plan for peace that will lead to joy.
Lord, Lead me in the paths of peace. Remove the deceit from my heart and keep evil far from me. Thank You for the joy You give ! Thank You for the peace in my heart. Let me share it freely with others!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Laugh with Me
Last night I heard a friend say that we should start the Christmas season with laughter. I think it sounds like a grand idea! A merry heart is a good medicine, or so I've read (see Proverbs 17:22).
Christmas is a time to be merry. It is a season of joy because the Good News has been shared with us. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to make a way for us to be reconciled to God. I can laugh about that. It is not a laughter that is skeptical, or deriding. It is a laughter that bubbles up from within and spills out in a joyful noise. I am sure that God would love to see His children smile and praise Him through the joyful noise of laughter because they are free from the eternal consequences of sin.
Yes, there are still many consequences of sin that we endure here on earth, but eternally we will live forever in a beautiful sin-free place! Can you hear the angels laughing with praise over us? I sometimes think I can. They see Gods amazing grace cover our sin and they laugh with glee knowing that God has done a wondrous thing in us!
So, the question I offer you today is, will you laugh with me this Christmas? Join me in a symphony of praising God that bubbles up from deep within and showers the world with the joy we know in Christ Jesus our Savior; the Son of God, born under a star, laid in a manger, lived a perfect life so He could be the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world. Let's laugh!
Joyful Lord, God of Merry hearts, You gave us a Spirit who seals our hearts with joy! You Are worthy to be praised with all our being. Thank You for Christmas! Thank You for all it means for the world. I want to splash in your love until my joy bubbles up into laughter for the wonders that You have given me! Let the laughter grow!
Christmas is a time to be merry. It is a season of joy because the Good News has been shared with us. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to make a way for us to be reconciled to God. I can laugh about that. It is not a laughter that is skeptical, or deriding. It is a laughter that bubbles up from within and spills out in a joyful noise. I am sure that God would love to see His children smile and praise Him through the joyful noise of laughter because they are free from the eternal consequences of sin.
Yes, there are still many consequences of sin that we endure here on earth, but eternally we will live forever in a beautiful sin-free place! Can you hear the angels laughing with praise over us? I sometimes think I can. They see Gods amazing grace cover our sin and they laugh with glee knowing that God has done a wondrous thing in us!
So, the question I offer you today is, will you laugh with me this Christmas? Join me in a symphony of praising God that bubbles up from deep within and showers the world with the joy we know in Christ Jesus our Savior; the Son of God, born under a star, laid in a manger, lived a perfect life so He could be the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world. Let's laugh!
Joyful Lord, God of Merry hearts, You gave us a Spirit who seals our hearts with joy! You Are worthy to be praised with all our being. Thank You for Christmas! Thank You for all it means for the world. I want to splash in your love until my joy bubbles up into laughter for the wonders that You have given me! Let the laughter grow!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
We Want You, Lord
When tough times come what do we want? We want someone to help us. We want someone to fix the problems so that we can be free of the stress worry or burdens that keep us from enjoying life like we would want.
In our family we have found this Christmas to be a tighten-our-belts type Christmas. I've heard many others in the same place. It is hard work to have a celebration without the freedom to give freely or to host the parties with a feast. It is, however, these kinds of situations in which we can get down to the foundation of what we really want. It usually is revealed to be a filling of an empty part of our hearts or our spirits.
What do we want for Christmas? We want that joy that lights our world in all circumstances. Like a perpetual flame, that kind of joy can never be snuffed out by the want or plenty of this world! Joy, like that, can only come from a loving and good God who sent His joy to earth as a tiny baby. He was sent to teach, serve and sacrifice to make sure that joy would never end.
We need a Savior to free us from our burdens and fill us with joy. The good news is that He has come! He did free us from sin and He has sent His Spirit to fill us with joy! Do you know Him? Do you have His joy? The first step of faith may be hard to make. It is the release of all our efforts and the accepting of His. Even if you have His gift of freedom and joy, ask again! He will fill you again and set you free for today!
This Christmas I pray that you will enjoy freedom in Christ and be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory! You can have what you really want if you just ask! Go ahead and ask!
Father, You sent Your joy to us as a tiny baby, but He grew up to save us and fill us with joy. I want that freedom and joy every day. Thank You for being a constant source of my deepest need. I do ask You, Lord, to lift up the hearts of those who are hurting because of want and need this Christmas. Help us who know You to be a light for them so that they might see You as their Savior who frees and fills with joy! May joy reign in our hearts forever!
In our family we have found this Christmas to be a tighten-our-belts type Christmas. I've heard many others in the same place. It is hard work to have a celebration without the freedom to give freely or to host the parties with a feast. It is, however, these kinds of situations in which we can get down to the foundation of what we really want. It usually is revealed to be a filling of an empty part of our hearts or our spirits.
What do we want for Christmas? We want that joy that lights our world in all circumstances. Like a perpetual flame, that kind of joy can never be snuffed out by the want or plenty of this world! Joy, like that, can only come from a loving and good God who sent His joy to earth as a tiny baby. He was sent to teach, serve and sacrifice to make sure that joy would never end.
We need a Savior to free us from our burdens and fill us with joy. The good news is that He has come! He did free us from sin and He has sent His Spirit to fill us with joy! Do you know Him? Do you have His joy? The first step of faith may be hard to make. It is the release of all our efforts and the accepting of His. Even if you have His gift of freedom and joy, ask again! He will fill you again and set you free for today!
This Christmas I pray that you will enjoy freedom in Christ and be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory! You can have what you really want if you just ask! Go ahead and ask!
Father, You sent Your joy to us as a tiny baby, but He grew up to save us and fill us with joy. I want that freedom and joy every day. Thank You for being a constant source of my deepest need. I do ask You, Lord, to lift up the hearts of those who are hurting because of want and need this Christmas. Help us who know You to be a light for them so that they might see You as their Savior who frees and fills with joy! May joy reign in our hearts forever!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Advent Week #2
Once, when the time was right, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to live with us here on earth. Christmas is the remembering of that special first night. God entered into His creation. It was a magical and awesome moment!
Angels, shepherds and Magi rejoiced and worshiped at the feet of a boy child. God had created a passage between heaven and earth. The gate of His entrance into our world was a womb and the gate of His entrance was a tomb. It is through the gate of Jesus Himself that we enter His eternal and heavenly world.
I imagine that our entrance into His world will be met with jubilant rejoicing of angels! Jesus and The Father will set out a feast for our eternal union with our Bridegroom!
I remember my dear husband standing at the altar as I walked the aisle to meet him for our vows to be heard by witnesses. He had tears in his eyes and later we celebrated with laughter and joy! Can you imagine with me Jesus standing ready to welcome us to the wedding feast, with the Father beaming with great joy? It will be the greatest of joys! God will be with us in a new way and forever!
My Dearest Lord Jesus, You are the Lover of my soul. You are my Bridegroom. I am preparing myself for the day You call the church to be Your bride. I can only imagine it to be beautiful, awesome, deeply satisfying, and joyful beyond words. My heart yearns for You to come soon when I think about that day. There are other days when I am having too much fun and so many blessings here that I hope You will wait. Thank You for allowing Your Father to decide. He will certainly know the right time for all of us! Until then, Lord, I need You to prepare my heart and my soul. I need Your Spirit to be strong in me so that I might show others the love You have shown me! Today I want You to come soon!
Angels, shepherds and Magi rejoiced and worshiped at the feet of a boy child. God had created a passage between heaven and earth. The gate of His entrance into our world was a womb and the gate of His entrance was a tomb. It is through the gate of Jesus Himself that we enter His eternal and heavenly world.
I imagine that our entrance into His world will be met with jubilant rejoicing of angels! Jesus and The Father will set out a feast for our eternal union with our Bridegroom!
I remember my dear husband standing at the altar as I walked the aisle to meet him for our vows to be heard by witnesses. He had tears in his eyes and later we celebrated with laughter and joy! Can you imagine with me Jesus standing ready to welcome us to the wedding feast, with the Father beaming with great joy? It will be the greatest of joys! God will be with us in a new way and forever!
My Dearest Lord Jesus, You are the Lover of my soul. You are my Bridegroom. I am preparing myself for the day You call the church to be Your bride. I can only imagine it to be beautiful, awesome, deeply satisfying, and joyful beyond words. My heart yearns for You to come soon when I think about that day. There are other days when I am having too much fun and so many blessings here that I hope You will wait. Thank You for allowing Your Father to decide. He will certainly know the right time for all of us! Until then, Lord, I need You to prepare my heart and my soul. I need Your Spirit to be strong in me so that I might show others the love You have shown me! Today I want You to come soon!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Laughing Out Loud
This morning I have been wondering when I last laughed out loud. Since I can't readily remember, I figure it is time to look for a laughing moment. To be honest, I am not looking for a little TeeHee or even a short HaHa moment. I want my next laugh to be a belly filled squeeze that makes my eyes leak and maybe get me close to wetting my pants!
In the past I've laughed like that over little bitty things. Sometimes it is something I say that made no sense or came out wrong. Sometimes it is someone else who has let go with just that little bit off kilter trivia that suddenly tickles me deep inside. It is always a surprise! It is those little things that can open up the lid with which I've kept my emotions in check. It is time to pop it off and give my tummy a workout, squeezing all the bottled up worries, confusion and fears out and fill me up with the simple pleasure of laughter.
I have a picture of Jesus laughing. It is an inspiration to me because thinking of Him enjoying a good laugh lets me know there is joy in this crazy mixed up world. Jesus came into the world to do serious business. He wept many times. I'd like to think He also laughed much! What do you think He laughed about?
Did Jesus laugh with the little children? Maybe the disciples disapproved of the children coming to Him because they were too serious minded to see the benefit of laughter. Did Jesus laugh at the wedding feast and maybe even chuckle at His mommas' request for help? Did Jesus laugh at dinner with Zacheus and his tax collector friends? In what does Jesus find delight? Does He laugh with me over the silly things I do? Well, maybe He just laughs. I can be too serious about my little missteps most of the time. :o) I think I'll read one of the Gospels and look for times when Jesus could have laughed.
Jesus, You are a Joyful Spirit. You are the fullness of Joy! Your joy gives me strength! I am too serious sometimes, Lord. I know there are times I must be sober, but these days are overwhelmingly trying and I see light in Your laughter! I want to run to You and be engulfed in your pleasure and Your joy! Thank you for filling me with good things. I pray that I will soon be surprised by Your deep joy that squeezes me to the point of tears! Would You let me share it with someone too? That will double my lasting happiness!
In the past I've laughed like that over little bitty things. Sometimes it is something I say that made no sense or came out wrong. Sometimes it is someone else who has let go with just that little bit off kilter trivia that suddenly tickles me deep inside. It is always a surprise! It is those little things that can open up the lid with which I've kept my emotions in check. It is time to pop it off and give my tummy a workout, squeezing all the bottled up worries, confusion and fears out and fill me up with the simple pleasure of laughter.
I have a picture of Jesus laughing. It is an inspiration to me because thinking of Him enjoying a good laugh lets me know there is joy in this crazy mixed up world. Jesus came into the world to do serious business. He wept many times. I'd like to think He also laughed much! What do you think He laughed about?
Did Jesus laugh with the little children? Maybe the disciples disapproved of the children coming to Him because they were too serious minded to see the benefit of laughter. Did Jesus laugh at the wedding feast and maybe even chuckle at His mommas' request for help? Did Jesus laugh at dinner with Zacheus and his tax collector friends? In what does Jesus find delight? Does He laugh with me over the silly things I do? Well, maybe He just laughs. I can be too serious about my little missteps most of the time. :o) I think I'll read one of the Gospels and look for times when Jesus could have laughed.
Jesus, You are a Joyful Spirit. You are the fullness of Joy! Your joy gives me strength! I am too serious sometimes, Lord. I know there are times I must be sober, but these days are overwhelmingly trying and I see light in Your laughter! I want to run to You and be engulfed in your pleasure and Your joy! Thank you for filling me with good things. I pray that I will soon be surprised by Your deep joy that squeezes me to the point of tears! Would You let me share it with someone too? That will double my lasting happiness!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Joy Lost
There are times in our lives when expected joys become lost. New parents dream so much for their children. Once those children walk into adulthood their choices bring joy or sadness to those expectations. The joy is lost or found.
Must we set aside all expectations of the joy we want to experience? Is it wiser to wait without expectation for the joys of accomplishment and celebrations over carefully made choices and godly living? I do not think so. Without anticipation and expectation children will surely choose the easy road. Expectations are the guard rails that keep them headed in the right direction.
Our Heavenly Father gave us His list of expectations on tablets of stone. The Commandments give us a vision of what will bring joy to our Fathers' heart. Joy was lost with sin, but there is great rejoicing in heaven when even one soul turns back to ask forgiveness and begins to live with a heavenly purpose.
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!(Psalm 30:5)
Heavenly Father, You are our source of Joy! Your joy is our strength! I want to be a joy for You, but I so often fail. Thank You for making a way for me to return to You in joy and restore the lost enjoyment because of my sin. Teach me how to expect the best and forgive the worst as You do. I want to be like You!
Must we set aside all expectations of the joy we want to experience? Is it wiser to wait without expectation for the joys of accomplishment and celebrations over carefully made choices and godly living? I do not think so. Without anticipation and expectation children will surely choose the easy road. Expectations are the guard rails that keep them headed in the right direction.
Our Heavenly Father gave us His list of expectations on tablets of stone. The Commandments give us a vision of what will bring joy to our Fathers' heart. Joy was lost with sin, but there is great rejoicing in heaven when even one soul turns back to ask forgiveness and begins to live with a heavenly purpose.
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!(Psalm 30:5)
Heavenly Father, You are our source of Joy! Your joy is our strength! I want to be a joy for You, but I so often fail. Thank You for making a way for me to return to You in joy and restore the lost enjoyment because of my sin. Teach me how to expect the best and forgive the worst as You do. I want to be like You!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Joy Unspeakable
How can we describe God? We are given many names for God in scripture that describe to us who He is. I AM. I cannot recall any scripture describing Him as Joy but it is the fruit of the Spirit and so I conclude that He is Joy as much as He is Love!
Joy unspeakable is Our God and Lord Jesus Christ dwelling in us, living life fully with us. We cannot explain our joy in Him. It is unspeakable.
His Joy may not be said in words, but it will be seen on our countenance and in our living life to the fullest serving with happiness.
God of Joy, fill us with You till our hearts are so full that we have no words to speak the pleasure that You are to us! Let it shine through us and be a light in the dark world.
Joy unspeakable is Our God and Lord Jesus Christ dwelling in us, living life fully with us. We cannot explain our joy in Him. It is unspeakable.
His Joy may not be said in words, but it will be seen on our countenance and in our living life to the fullest serving with happiness.
God of Joy, fill us with You till our hearts are so full that we have no words to speak the pleasure that You are to us! Let it shine through us and be a light in the dark world.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)