Raise your hand if you believe God provides everything we need.
Now what if I were to say…God provides everything for our enjoyment.
Where is your hand now? Up or down?
Really. God has an interest in our enjoyment?
Most of us “get” the idea that he provides everything we need. See Matthew 6:25-34
But this….
….fix your hope on God, the One who richly provides everything for our enjoyment.
1 Timothy 6:17b ~The Voice
This is a little more difficult for many of us to grasp.
After all…many of us don’t think of God as being in the enjoyment business. That is really a stretch in thinking.
And then I looked at the word enJOYment. There…right smack in the middle is the word joy.
God is certainly all about joy! Yes?
This week I’ve been experiencing some of his provision for our enjoyment.
As I put together #InspiredFallNesting posts this week, I saw God’s provision for enjoyment constantly.
I was able to create a lovely table setting because of God’s provision of everything from the sweet napkins and amazing napkin rings to the fresh cut branches, fruits, and flowers.
He did it again with the fall mantel.
And today…he provided grapevines for the picking. Oodles and oodles of them. And if that’s not enough….more varieties of crabapples were made available to us to clip in the neighbor’s yard. I have visions of decorating projects dancing in my head.
I did not need a single one of those items. Would I like them? Yes. But only God could make a wonderful abundance of these things of which I only dreamt.
It’s Joy Day!
The day when we celebrate God’s blessing and grace. Our enJOYment.
Join me in giving thanks for ‘seven’ gifts…the good and the-not-so good and God’s provision for our enJOYment.
I’ll start….
God, I’m thankful for
- my amazing, grace-filled friends
- the stunning skies at sunset
- those readers whose comments bless my socks off
- birthdays and celebrations
- YOUR word, Lord that sustains me and fills me with hope
- trees with fall fruit and flowers and grapevines
- a great “first” interview
Now it your turn! Please join me by tapping in your ‘seven’ in the ‘share your extraordinary thoughts’ section below.
If you haven’t joined in doing this…please give it a try. Something amazing happens when we do.
Want even more joy? Take the Joy Dare here.
Thank you for stopping by today.
I appreciate you and your sweet comments make my day.
With a heart of gratitude…
Diane
I’d be delighted if you’d share the extraordinary goodness here with your friends.
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Sharing with these Extraordinary spots:
I so agree with you, as our needs, and many of our wants are met and exceed what we could dream about!!!!! I am blessed and have multiple joys for my list:
1. My son, Cristopher and his wife Beth and our very special granddaughter Jordan are moving back to CO.
2. We fly out Thurs. to Florida to help with this move.
3. One of my daughter’sbest friends came back for her class reunion, and it was geat to see her.
4. I am almost done with my class for my National Certification, at least part 1 as of today.
5. My daughter is dating a really nice guy, and it is nice to see her so happy!!!
6. The floodwaters have went down, and we can flush, use indoor plumbing, shower, etc, etc.YEA!!!!!
7. I picked up the last books needed for a Nora Roberts Triology this week, so have something to read on the plane.
Have a great week!!!!!!! Enjoy the fall sunshine and the the sprinkle of Fall Colors!!!!
You are blessed Renee! Look at all the good things God is doing in your life. 🙂 I rejoice with you.
Best wishes for a wonderful trip. Packing is hard work and challenging…but I pray there will be many memories in the making and a safe and easy move.
Joy!
~Diane
1. The HUGE black walnut tree in our yard has shed almost all the little green “fruit”. Best guesstimates so far are upwards of 1000.
2. We went to the World Chicken Festival on Friday in London, KY. Saw the world’s biggest frying pan, DD had her face painted like a wolf, and we were stopped about a dozen times on the street after that by people saying how nice she looked.
3. There was a regional Swiss Heritage group at the festival. It was nice to reconnect with my mother’s roots (she was born in Switzerland).
4. My husband didn’t think my birthday request was nearly as weird as I thought he would. (I’ve been wanting to make a carved wood table for the kitchen for a while, and now I’m set!) Yay hubby!
5. I was not in a good mood, or feeling very good on Friday, but prayed that I would enjoy the day at least for my family’s sake. Later, while waiting for the shuttle back to our truck, I told my husband that I had prayed, and he said, “It worked!”
6. My FIL was driving by the house this morning, and stopped to say ‘hi’ when he saw me outside. That was so cool because I was the only one out there, no husband or kids.
7. My husband was able to repurpose an old, inexpensive picture frame into supports to secure a window in the kitchen door that our dogs had accidentally knocked out. Since he went DIY, i/o hiring someone to do it, he saved probably at least $100!
I loved reading your ‘seven’ LuAnn! Your joy comes through in each bit of gratitude.
What a wonderful weekend of fun and memories. Isn’t it interesting how just praying about our moods can make such dramatic changes. Yay God!!! And your new carved table….your husband must be a jewel. I’m so happy for you. 🙂
May your joy splash everyone you come in contact with this week.
[hugs]
~diane
Joy Day
1. My husband has lovingly agreed to make the wire stands for our women’s dinner and speaker time Friday night. I do six and my chest aches and break thing hurts. His are so perfect they look store-bought!!! Part of the verse I prayed and God led me to says to do our gifts with the strength God has given us. (IPeter) and I did not feel so intimidated to do this idea I thought up but Curt executes so much better! God says to our own strength He has given us! So I rest, thanking God for a great husband who understands my limitations yet my artistic expressions
2. Talking to Mom and chatting
3. My uncle is slowly healing from his brown recluse spider bite.
4. Joyous photos from my niece’s wedding!
5. My mini gardens are looking so cute br the door.
6. Time to sleep.
Yay for a sweet willing husband with creative hands whom God uses to show you HIS wonderful love and care…even for artistic projects. 🙂
I trust your mom is continuing to heal…so glad you two are enjoying your chats again. 🙂
How fun that you have your little gardens done and can now enjoy them. 🙂 I’m so happy for you.
I love your heart of gratitude, Gwen! 🙂
May your new week overflow with His joy.
You are a blessing!
~Diane
l. God’s promises which give me comfort, hope, and encouragement
2. The wonderful Spirit filled women that are my Friends.
3. That I have finally learned how to be content in what ever my circumstances are.
4. For the wonderful Birthday celebrations that I have shared with all my friends over the last 2 wks!!!
5. I am greatful that the Lord is using me to give hope and encouragement to others!
6. Seeing prayers answered!
7. For a beautiful, peace filled Sunday!!!!
I rejoice with you at your joyous ‘seven’ Debbi!
God is so good. How wonderful to be blessed with such special relationships, too. 🙂
May your new week be joy-filled in every way.
~Diane
p.s. Happy Belated Birthday!
I had no problem raising my hand on the enjoyment bit. I’m sure He delights in my creativeness and playfullness….He’s always made sure those bases were covered, even amidst the crappiest of circumstances… Sometimes I didn’t take Him up on the offers. I cann be a bit….honery like that. Thankfully, that doesn’t deterr Him. LOL. Guess that’s why He’s G-d, huh?! 😉
My seven?
* the 8′ inflatable spider that he-who-loves-me put out in the yard….cuz he knows it brings me joy.
* the excited, colourful video call from a 4 year old who ‘ran’ her first 5k with her mom AND got paint flour tossed at her while she was running
* the smell of fall in the mornings
* the reminders that G-d keeps His promises
* the loving thoughtfulness of far away friends that surprise you with a package in the mail
* the inability to retain information…cuz it’s helping me to stay in the moment
* the short adventure today…’out’ was a very good thing
Yay!! Mel, I knew you would be raising your hand!!!! 🙂
And I love the JOY in your “voice” today!!
How wonderful that you had a short adventure today!! The colors are really beginning to show nicely in little pockets in our area. Hope you found lots of bright spots too. Maybe you even got to visit the pumpkin patch lady. [wish]
Praying for your info system to sync better. 🙂
[hugs] and best wishes for a truly joy-filled week!
~Diane
Yes! He is good and He does good. One of the gifts I counted this week was a FREE hotel room. We are missionaries on furlough and had to be at a church EARLY this week- so I asked my husband if we should contact the pastor and see if he knew of hotels in the area.. We got an e-mail back with a contact number-and then a confirmation e-mail saying we had a beach front room… and our balance was $0. Not only did Jesus provide- He provided sweetly for our enjoyment! Love serving such a sweet God!
Kelly….that is truly a wonderful God gift!! Isn’t it just like him to not just answer the need but to bless above and beyond?
Thank you for sharing your story!!
May your week be one extraordinary joy-filled moment after another. 🙂
Diane
It is so often hard to take him at his word, even though he proves himself faithful every single day! Trusting him more right now to provide everything I need and everything for my enjoyment too. Thanks!
Oh don’t I understand, Lisa…. Let’s stand together in trusting our wonderful loving God!
Blessings…
Diane
Diane, This is another important post to me. I love knowing that God made everything for our enjoyment! He is sooo gracious & good! I want to be more like Him every day. I think of Jesus Who “for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Heb 12:2).
We do serve a joyful Savior & Father God! Let us be like Them!
Amen, sister!!! 🙂