Last night I spent the night in a hotel room. It was clean, nicely decorated, and the bed was fairly comfortable. But, while I was laying in bed, I moved my arm against the headboard... and it felt like it was buzzing. There was some sort of low-level vibration in the headboard and I felt it in the bed too. It was a bit disconcerting. When I went to breakfast, I noticed that the room next to my room was labeled, "Electrical." On my return from breakfast the door to that room was open and I peeked inside. On the adjoining wall to my room... right where my bed was... were three enormous breaker … [Read more...]
God is good! That's the comment that many make when something good has happened in their life or in the life of another. We know that goodness is one of God's characteristics. God IS good. All. The. Time. Examine and see how good the Lord is. Happy is the person who trusts him. Psalm 34:8 NCV It's interesting to me that the psalmist is suggesting that we examine and see how good the Lord is. You might be more familiar with the verse in another translation. It's more commonly translated this way. Taste and see that the Lord is good; Psalm 34:8a NIV When was the last … [Read more...]
Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times. Romans 12:12 It's been a hard week for me. I won't bore you with the details, but through the difficulties I knew that I could choose joy. And often I did. Choosing to be joyful is a mindset. Some days it's like walking a tightrope with that big long stick. There's only one way to traverse a tightrope. One step at a time. With our eyes fixed on the finish. For us as believers... Walking in joy is one step at a time, too. The stick we carry... is … [Read more...]
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...]
“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...]
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...]
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...]
While on Facebook, of all places, I was prodded to change my outlook. I read a phrase that stuck with me. Forget talking about your troubles. Talking about our troubles is a bad habit for most of us. It's what we do. So if we can't talk about our troubles...what do we do? Celebrate our joys! I have a good friend that I chat with irregularly via email. At this time in our lives it's the best form of communication. It's efficient. When we get the chance to talk on the phone....it's a looooong talk. And we usually don't have time to do that very often. Today I … [Read more...]
Have you ever thought about your aroma? Did you just tilt your nose down and take a whiff of your shirt? I'm not talking about your perfume, toilet water, or cologne. I'm not talking about whether you used deodorant after your shower, though that is probably a good idea. There's another kind of scent that I have in mind. We have a spiritual fragrance. It's the essence of who we are. You might know someone who has a wonderful essence. So lovely that you wish that you could wear that same fragrance. You also might know someone who has a less than wonderful essence. You probably find … [Read more...]
Does it seem crazy to think that we can have the same joy as Jesus? It does... but Jesus told us we will be as joyful as he is. Not could be. We will be. I have told you this so that you will be as joyful as I am, and your joy will be complete. ~ Jesus John 15:11 GW I don't know about you... but I really would like to live a life of joy. What do you think it would look like to live a life of joy? Maybe we should start with the definition... For one it might be to be happy all the time, singing, humming, wearing a smile continuously. For another it might be a … [Read more...]
This morning I was reading some writings of C.S. Lewis, when these words leaped off the page at me: It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the surface, and a dye or stain which soaks right through. He was talking about how we start our days. If we were meeting each other for coffee at Starbucks in the morning, I might ask you, "Did you have a good start to your day?" It's an innocuous question. Purely conversational. And of course, I would hope you had a great start. Because we're friends, you won't cloak your answer with the usual dismissive remark. Instead, you'll tell … [Read more...]
Lately, I've been thinking about joy. This morning I even prayed to have more joy. As I was doing so I realized that I am blessed with a beautiful life. Even if my current situation isn't what I hoped, planned, or even desired. For some time, things have not gone my way... but isn't that true for all of us? And so today... I'm going to concentrate on walking with God. Allowing him to direct my path. Being quiet and listening to him. Because when I do... There I experience joy. True joy. And contentment. You direct me on a path … [Read more...]
