Being Joyful

Choose joy! Sounds easy doesn't it? Well sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, but it is a choice and with God we can lead our minds with our hearts.

Three car accidents in four months? Choose joy! Two flat tires in one week? Choose joy! Coworker that drives you nuts, finally no longer working with you, leaving you all the work to do? Choose joy!

After a tough morning, even before I left the house today... I saw a beautiful rainbow and chose joy! Did you choose joy today?!

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT

His hands are holding me

Things were going fairly well lately, then I hit a snag or two. Unfulfilled expectations mostly and the evil one messing with my sense of personal value to the world. It started, well I noticed it on Valentines Day, when any expectation of appreciation was dashed, leaving me to cry myself to sleep.

Comments and lack-there-of continued for the weekend, stretching into Tuesday, my weekly mandatory unpaid day off... which brought me to a commute this morning in full breakdown mode. I was almost to work, thinking I'd maybe park around the corner and finish my cry so I could enter my workplace with a semblance of dignity, when this song came on. I love it, but don't think I really heard the words until today.

By Your Side ~ Tenth Avenue North

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go


As I said, I was crushed by the lack of love I felt from my earthly husband, when in the greater scheme of things, what does that matter? I have the Lords everlasting love showering me 24/7/365. I was able to enter work with my head held high knowing that I am loved, valued, and important - even if no early being ever tells me or shows me that again. Even at work, I'm not 20% less valuable... I am chosen, I am loved and I am saved. What more could we all ask for?!?!?

"I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!" ~ Isaiah 65:24, NLT

He is the gate

And what a lovely, majestic, awesome and loving gate He is. All we have to do is have faith and knock and the gate is open for us. The gift is free, but we have to ask for it and embrace it. Jesus paid the price for all of us. He washed our sins away, clothing us in white - a spotless bride.

'Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures." ~ John 10:9, NLT

I'll call you

How many times have you said you'd call someone - and just never did? How many times do you have to remind yourself to call so-and-so? How many times have you sat on hold for too long? How many cell phone calls do you ignore?

I answer the phone at work, because I have to... and I really don't enjoy talking on the phone, particularly my cell phone ever!

But when we call on the Lord, He answers, with a quick reply as He promises in His Word. How wonderful is that!?!? If that doesn't make your day, not sure what will :)

"Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ He will quickly reply."
~ Isaiah 58:9, NLT

Ripples to eternity

Just like pebbles thrown in our calm waters, they ripple to eternity. Our large problems today, soon fade and make sense when we look back later.

Looking forward to a new year in 2009. New challenges, new triumphs, new friends and many blessings.

"For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" 2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT

Can you touch Him?

Can you touch Him? Just how close are you to the Lord... can you reach out and touch Him? Is he close enough?

If you reached for your own heart, where the Holy Spirit lives - good for you! If you didn't, where do you think He is?

The answers to our problems, concerns, worries are just a prayer away. Your prayers will be heard and answered. You might not like the answer initially, but He is working in all our lives to bring His vision to fruition.

He is all, He knows all, and He made all. It is enough!


Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. ~ Proverbs 4:23, NLT

Thirsty?

Pouring my heart out, getting filled again, rinse and repeat :)

I'm still feeling that I'm in a holding pattern, which really IS ok. I prefer this to the turmult my life has been for a good long while, maybe thats it... I'm just not used to everything being OK. It seems a good place to be for this winter season. It was 32 degrees this morning!!!

Maybe this is what resting in the Lord means... just taking each day, and seeing how it plays out. Again, just not somewhere I'm used to being... it feels like the calm between storms, and that might be true also.

I'm listening to a book about exuberance, thinking about what things bring me joy and I really do feel blessed and joyful a lot - believe it or not.

Just another wacky chapter in my crazy life!

O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. ~ Psalm 62:8, NLT