Do you feel like you've been endlessly walking through the rain? Your shoes are wet and squishy... but you trod on. Some days it just drizzles and other days you're diving for cover... hoping lightning doesn't strike anywhere near you. You wonder... will the sun ever come out? Maybe you even have Annie's song running through your head. The sun'll come out tomorrow... Believe me... I identify. The rain... the dark clouds... the thunder and lightning seem relentless... but we cannot let these challenges... great or small dampen or douse our spirits. We … [Read more...]
This past week was a bit challenging. I could psychoanalyze it. Or I could choose to look at the people and events through God's eyes. To be honest... the former is much easier than the later. You see I need to lay my pride down to do that. I need to let go of my righteous indignation. I need to let God's word and the Holy Spirit open my eyes not only to the situation... but to my heart. And more than anything I need to let God transform my heart. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a faithful spirit within me. and provide me with a spirit of willing … [Read more...]
You've undoubtedly heard someone say, "I'm doing well, under the circumstances." We're all in different seasons of life. Some of us have some fun and exciting things going on... building new houses, expecting a new baby, an upcoming vacation to a foreign country, or maybe even wedding nuptials and a new life ahead. Others are struggling, "under the circumstances." I know a mom desperately ill in the hospital, others who are experiencing unemployment or underemployment, there are some with empty nests, others with an empty spot at the table, there are many with financial burdens and relationship … [Read more...]
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle - Ian Maclaren Most of us are a fighting an invisible battle. Few friends or family know most of our struggles. You don't broadcast your plight to the world, do you? For the most part, I don't either, except I sometimes share what I'm going through here on the blog to serve as an example of what God is doing in my life. My story of grace. I'm amazed that since September 2012, just a smidge less than 100 thousand people have pinned this image and verse from the blog... {Joy Day!} A Four-Part Plan That's a lot of people! What's … [Read more...]
I wish I could read the book from which this quote was taken. It's been my pleasure to have read a few of Ortberg's books and they have all spurred me on to a greater depth of thinking and towards the Lover of my soul. “If your soul is healthy, no external circumstance can destroy your life. If your soul is unhealthy, no external circumstance can redeem your life.” – John Ortberg, Soul Keeping There is so much truth in this statement. In fact, I think you'll agree that it resonates with many of my recent JoyDay! posts. So much of life is outside of our … [Read more...]
My week was hard. It was one of those weeks I don't ever want to remember. The culmination was to hear untruths spewed out about my relationship with my mother (who died 11 years ago) by someone who has absolutely no idea. Talk about a kick in the stomach. So what do I do when my head is spinning and things seem totally out of control? Drive to the big lake to see big waves. And stay until sunset, that in spite of the heavy gray skies, sprang forth with great brilliance. Or on another day, go to a lakeside park with a bag of tortilla chips and salsa … [Read more...]
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” Henry Ford Isn't that the truth? We especially see this in children. When a child let's fear get in the way, he may think he can't hit the ball and fails at baseball. Or what about swimming? It's hard for a child to swim into the deep end of the pool if she thinks she'll sink. It's a self-fulling prophecy. Sinking comes with stinking thinking. That even holds true in relationships. Years ago my husband shared a story with me... A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the … [Read more...]
Isn't it a great feeling to start the day well? To go through the day with a peace and confidence? To have a day where your feathers don't get ruffled? Here are 5 tips that help me get my day off to a great start. 1 - Go to Bed Early or on Time I know that sounds silly... we're talking about starting the day and I begin with telling you to go to bed. There are too many times when life pushes us out of our planned routines. Purposely getting to bed early or at a reasonable time each night makes a huge difference in our attitudes and how we feel when we wake up each … [Read more...]
Have you ever thought of your faith as being like a muscle? The more it's exercised... the stronger it becomes. It sounds pretty wonderful doesn't it? We all want to have a strong faith... and a little exercise seems like a good thing. It's all wonderful... until the heat is unbearable, the road seems too steep or never-ending, or the load becomes too heavy to lift. That's when exercise gets hard. That's when we start to give out... our muscles buckle, our resolve dwindles, and we just want to give up and quit. That's the precise time when we need dig in or push through the … [Read more...]
Do you ever feel like it's pointless to pray and ask God for something because He already knows what you need? Most of us feel like that at least some of the time. Recently I read this little exchange between Digory and Fledge and Polly. It was an Ah Ha! moment for me. “I am hungry,” said Digory. “Well, tuck in,” said Fledge, taking a big mouthful of grass. Then he raised his head, still chewing and with bits of grass sticking out on each side of his mouth like whiskers, and said, “Come on, you two. Don’t be shy. There’s plenty for us all.” “But we can’t eat grass,” said … [Read more...]
Today I made a fresh new God discovery. It was eye-opening. This discovering God and grace and me. As I was reading the book of Romans from the Bible, this passage jumped off the page at me... Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. Romans 12:3 The Message So many things came rushing into my mind. One... we all live in … [Read more...]
Our culture thrives on self-sufficiency. When I was a little girl I went to the bakery one Saturday morning with my dad. I loved running errands with my dad and going to the bakery was always extra special with all the wonderful aromas and the promise of a sweet treat. That day, the white-haired lady at the counter offered me a cookie and mentioned how lucky I was to be with my grandpa. I straightened up in indignation and told her that he was NOT my grandpa... he was my DAD. And I declined her cookie offer.... which was a big thing since my favorite desserts are cookies. Having older parents … [Read more...]
Feeling weary? See my hand? I'm extending it to you today... Grab it. Let me show you how to find the relief you desperately want from your overwhelming pressures. Life is demanding. We work hard. The "to-do" list is a mile long. There are people to please and care for. And then there's the doing good for God and others, too. It's too much! So I'm offering you help. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced … [Read more...]
I hate this place where I am right now. I have a secret. Secrets are hard to carry around. Some of you know my secret... but really I don't want anyone to know. It's humbling. Embarrassing. And I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'm a blogger who blogs about creating a beautiful home and doesn't live in her own home. No... I'm not renting. I'm living with another family. Another family who loves me like family. It's what happens when a job is lost and there's no unemployment and work doesn't come no matter how many times you apply or where you apply. Smart, successful, … [Read more...]
In my neck the woods... it's the end of the school year. Others I know have been finished with school for a month. And still others are about to embark on their last week, plus exams. Whether you have kids or not... does the end of the school year feel like the beginning of summer? I'm not attempting to play 20 questions here... but what's summer like for you? Is it the start of some well-earned freedom? Is it the same-o-same-o? Or is it something else? As I was reading Psalm 19 from The Message Bible I thought... the beginning of summer is a great time to have a New Year's resolution. … [Read more...]
I have several friends going through hard times right now. One trying desperately to regain her footing after divorce, one recovering from a bad fall and brain surgery (with a setback today), another fighting a debilitating virus for 8 months with no end in sight, one struggling through the process of seeing her sister-in-law go from home to hospice, and still another dear friend in the throes of dealing with a family member battling addiction. Tremendously hard times. My difficulties seem small in comparison. Yours may dwarf those, or possibly you are in a time of calm. When we are faced with … [Read more...]
On a scale of 1 to 10... how would you rate your week? Some weeks are really hard. If you rated your week closer to 1 on the scale would you still be able to say God is good? In the midst of the good and the bad I've been learning... Regardless of my circumstances, God is good. All the time. I want that for you. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. Psalm 13:5-6 NLT What a great verse to meditate on when you're in a difficult circumstance. It's especially good if you … [Read more...]
