My heart and my spirit sing songs of joy... Each day I take my camera in hand and make an attempt at capturing the glorious beauty unfolding around me. This spring. This world re-awakening. This bursting forth of bud and blossom and new life emerging from the depths. This hope renewed. My spirit sings JOY! I mediate on Your wonders, sing songs of Your worth, O God. Your majesty and glorious splendor have captivated me; I will meditate on Your wonders, sing songs of Your worth. We confess—there is nothing greater than You, God, nothing mightier than Your awesome … [Read more...]
O taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8 NLV What a crazy journey we are on. I would never have thought that when the movers came and loaded up all our worldly possessions into that 18 wheeler nearly 18 months ago that I would be sitting here today, writing this blog, nor would I have ever expected that we would be among the throngs of the unemployed. Who would guess that we would make such a big move only to find ourselves in this tenuous position? Not me. Our world which seemed to have been righted was flipped upside down in an … [Read more...]
He is risen! He is risen indeed! This greeting is exchanged by Christians all over the world on Easter Sunday. And with good reason. Jesus had predicted his torturous death and resurrection to his disciples. Read about it here. Certainly it was unbelievable to them at that time. And then, what a turn of events. In one week, Jesus went from being heralded as a king, the Messiah who would save the people from their unfair rulers and bring about a just kingdom on earth....to an innocent man, tried, convicted, and crucified. Oh the grief. The disciples could not comprehend how … [Read more...]
“The Bible teaches that true joy is formed in the midst of the difficult seasons of life.” Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God Honestly, I am in a difficult season of life. When the future is completely unknown and no one in the house has a paying job (not yet anyway), it's...well...difficult. Here's the remarkable thing. I told my husband the other day that I have tremendous peace. Doesn't that seem almost impossible in the light of my situation? I'm learning not to worry. That, is huge. I'm "putting feet" to trusting God. Believing that all … [Read more...]
"With all my heart I praise the Lord." These words were penned by David in the Book of Psalms. Can I say them and mean it? What does it mean to praise God with all my heart? I'm not exactly sure. But I think it begins with emptying myself of all the stuff in my life. In order to do that, I must stop my body and quiet my mind....put my agenda and cares aside. All that so I there's only me and HIM. And only then can I fully be in the moment to praise HIM. Read David's words... With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I … [Read more...]
Did you wake up this morning with a twinge of anxiety? Do you fear the unknown? Or maybe you have a fear of the future? Fear. Most of us are afraid of something at sometime in our lives. I grapple with it. I bet you do too. Think back to when you were a small child. Do you remember a time when you were out in the great big world and mom or dad took hold of your hand to keep you safe? Your small hand nestled inside that larger stronger hand. Firmly holding on to you. Did it make you feel protected? Maybe you were completely unaware that there was any concern for your … [Read more...]
Joy. I write about it here all the time. I even have a regular feature called, Joy Day! So then, why did it take so many nudges for me to realize that it is my word for the year? Last night I was working on the weekly Joy Day! post. It was 10:30 and I had been at writing and reading scriptures and sharing my heart for nearly 2 hours. The post had been completed except for photos and I wanted my husband to read it to see what he thought. So, I hit the preview button on my WordPress dashboard, and nothing happened. And again. And then Chrome couldn't connect to the server. … [Read more...]
Twenty-five days ago I embarked on a new leg in my life's journey. My goal was to do my part to make this journey, though challenging, a God-honoring one. I did not want this to be about me....I wanted it to be a time where those around me will say, "Look what God has done." One of the ways to accomplish that is to mediate on God's Word, pray boldly, and trust Him. Have you noticed that trails aren't usually flat, and their surfaces may be marked with stones, roots, and in the snow, unforseen areas of treachery? What happens if on this journey you receive an unexpected … [Read more...]
The blog has been pretty quiet this past week. The week began with a Joy Day! post. We welcomed 2013 with a prayer by The Reverend Billy Graham. I then hinted at my quietness when I invited you to join me in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare, the following day. So many times I wanted to write here, but just didn't have the right words. Today, I still don't know that I have the right words. But, my mind is camped on this scripture verse... God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 And then it is interesting to me that if we continue to read the … [Read more...]
Do you have any regrets from 2012? I know that is a silly question. I'm guessing that most of us have a regret or two. One of mine is that I started Ann Voskamp's "Joy Dare" last February and was mostly faithful to it, most of the time. (Please click the link to learn more.) Maybe you have been well-intentioned like that too. And then when my computer crashed...well that was the end of my little online journaling of gifts. I must say, that it has been one of the best things I have ever done, along with reading Ann's book, One Thousand Gifts. This is a New Year...and … [Read more...]
Snow has blanketed our neighborhood. So white. And clean. And quiet. And beautiful. In the quietness this morning I heard the carillon of a nearby church. Though I was not familiar with the tune, I got caught up in listening to the beauty of the music...calling us to pull away from ourselves....calling us to communion with God...to rest....in Him. The snow seems to do the same. Inviting us to slow down, to pause, and to reflect the solitude of that shimmering white blanket. Do you do that? Do you cozy in with family, with a good book, or maybe - in … [Read more...]
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory … [Read more...]
Many people began the new year with a resolution and a word for the year. Choosing a word seemed like a good thing and so I selected 'intentional' as my word. What's been interesting, is that as the year wore on, another word came to the forefront of my thinking. If you're a regular reader, I'm guessing that you will guess what that word is. Yes, it's 'joy.' As I began decorating my home for Christmas I started adding the word 'joy' to my wreaths and packages. For some time I've been smitten with banners and decided to make one for Christmas. Rejoice seemed to be the perfect word for my banner … [Read more...]
Today we light the candle of Hope. Advent candles, wreaths, and readings might or might not be part of your Christmas celebration. I didn't grow up with the tradition in my home, but observed it in my church. Some of us love the rituals of the seasons. Others simply embrace the season. For quite a few years I was involved in leading children in worship, and in the liturgy and lighting of the advent candles. I live in a different place now and I serve behind the scenes. But, those memories are tender in my heart. Another memory that is tender in my heart is singing the … [Read more...]
Day 5 About now, many of use are ready to push the button and go into hyper drive. Yes? About now, you see that I have a video link below and if you are like me, you'll click away, telling yourself you don't have time to watch a 4 minute video. Might you reconsider? About now, you're wondering what I have planned for you. My prayer is that the next four minutes will touch you deep inside and set all this busyness into perspective. How Often Do You Sit In The Thanksgiving Chair? If you like to share your thoughts....please do … [Read more...]
Day 1 I decided. I'm living in the moment. I'm not thinking about Christmas and all the goodness of the Christmas season. Nope. I'm camped out in Thanksgiving. With that in mind, I decided to narrow my focus as we approach Thanksgiving. Each of these {7 Days of Thanksgiving} posts will have something for your inspiration with that focus. I hope it's just what you need, too. Today I'm loving these words of President Theodore Roosevelt..... A good question to ask ourselves.... What are we doing as an expression of gratefulness for all our … [Read more...]
...the sacrifice of family and even life, for liberty of a people and a nation. Thank you! I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. Let freedom ring! Diane To receive bits of inspiration like this in your inbox or reader, subscribe now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Thanks so much for reading! Please stop by Longaberger … [Read more...]
