Joy - A Missing Delight

 My mom and I talked about this the other day: having joy through everything you go through in life. The ups and the downs. The hidden desires and the present disappointments.  So I was wanting to read the book of Philippians. What better place to look for real, true joy than the Word of God?


The word Joy in Philippians can be used different ways.

 One of the ways it is used is the Greek word "Chara". This is used five times in the book. The meaning according to Strong's is cheerfulness. BUT the second meaning is what caught my eye today.

Calm delight.

 

 

When I think of the word joy I think of bubbly and happy, an active kind of joy.

Joyful children run and laugh and play,

but this calm delight?



 

It must radiate from within,

a peaceful strength,

a contented joy.

Oh, how I lack this but how I want it!

 

 

But here the Lord is showing that joy resides within

and it isn't always manifested actively,

but is radiated from within

in a joyful countenance,

A Calm Delighted Countenance.

Serving Your Generation

(From June 11)

“For David, after he had served his own generation
By the will of God, fell on sleep…”
Acts 13:36

    Twice now this past week someone has mentioned this verse to me. And for some reason it never stuck out to me before. My sister and I always say that we wish we lived a long time ago, even though the work was hard, life was simple and people were satisfied. But I was talking to my friend while working one day about my desire to start a website to help teen girls with the issues they face. She was saying how God puts us here, in this time period, to reach our generation. In some ways we must come up/ keep up with ways that our generation lives. A website is a prime way for people to be reached in this generation.
     Apparently God felt it important to mention that David reached his generation. And the Bible is still true for us today. May we reach our generation too.

         But how did David serve and reach them?
              And How can we?
Looking at his life just briefly I found some things that stuck out to me.
1. He was faithful and obedient to His father.
       He tended the family sheep(a girl’s job in Bible times) and carried supplies to his brothers.
2. He had courage to stand up to Goliath without protective armour
        He knew this enemy of God needed to be taken care of and he didn’t need anything but God and a strong dose of faith. He is mentioned in Hebrew’s Hall of Faith because of this.
3. He used his talents for God’s Glory
        He played his harp skillfully, first for his sheep and then as a form of comfort for King Saul’s troubled spirit.
        He also wrote or composed the majority of the Psalms which still give comfort today.
4. He had friends that encouraged his to do right
        Jonathon was like a brother, but he was older than David. He gave us his position with out a fight - so David could do God’s will.
5. He tried not to abuse his position
         He was king and could have let his position pull him away from the Lord. Instead he prepared to build the Temple (furthering the work of God)
6. He knew how to confess and forsake when he sinned
         He did abuse his position but not going to war, seeing Bathsheba bathing, killing Uriah, and marrying Bathsheba, but we was convicted, he confessed,  and he was restored.
7. He Fought and was a man of war
          David had to conquer the land, defeat the worldliness. He knew God didn’t want His children influenced by the pagan customs and lifestyle.
8. He was a man of God with Convictions
       God called him a man after God’s own heart and we know he was chosen, not because of the outward appearance but because of his heart.
9 He did great things for God
       Battles were won, preparations were made for the Temple, songs were written, God was glorified, and he raised Solomon to be the next, and wisest king.

There are more things I know, but the point is: David’s generation could see what he lived for and he served/ reached them. Esther had her generation to serve “For such a time as this.: (Esther 4:14)       

                              How will I serve and reach my generation?
                                       How will you?

A Little Cleaning Up

As you can tell something is going on...

I've decided to re-vamp this site.

One of my goals for this year is to post more on this blog,

ideally I will try to post at least once a week.

 I realized how slack I had become.

And as I began to think I began to realize that I need the accountability

of sharing what I've been learning.

To push me further in my learning.

So part of my cleaning has to do with what I feel

the Lord had showed me for the new year.

Normally I seem to have a focus passage

that the Lord impresses on my heart around

the beginning of every year.

This year:

2 Corinthians 1-3,

particularly the end of verse 3 

"...from the simplicity that is in Christ."

Are you a Strong Woman or a Woman of Strength?

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape…
But a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything…
But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fears.

A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her…
But a woman of strength gives her best to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future…
A woman of strength realizes life’s mistakes can also be God’s blessings
And capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure-footedly…
But a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face…
But a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey…
But a woman of grace has faith that it is in the journey
That she will become strong.

~Cathy Berry~

Don't Leave off the End!

I have been dying to post on here for a while and yet I struggle to find the time and the connection to post. But right now I am managing with one bar of wireless, Lord willing I will be able to finish and it will last.

We had an evangelist last night at church and though he didn't have long to speak what he said was an encouragement and a reminder. Many time when we read Scripture or memorize Scripture we sometimes forget "parts".

• Turn to Psalms 40:1-2


• You probably have this memorized but maybe you were like me and forgot the end of verse 2.

Praise the Lord He hears us when we call. When we are out of fellowship with the Lord it's like that horrible pit - dark, cold, alone, and you can't see the way out. It's also like the mirey clay- you may be able to see things but you cannot do anything to get anywhere, your stuck right where you are.

When we realize our broken fellowship and call on Him, He hears us and brings us out and sets us on that rock- sure, sound, secure. But the verse doesn't end there! He sets us on the rock long enough to establish where we are to be going. And he only wants us there long enough to give us our orders and send us off.

We have this common misconception that we need to wait on God to make the decision of what He wants us to do. Wrong! He already has our future all planned out and we only need to seek His face to get our orders.

I thought it was really interesting and it makes me wonder How many other verses are like that? What other verses do I only look at the beginning and forget the end? Maybe that will spark your interest too!

I have missed posting and hopefully I will have time to post something every now and then about what God has been teaching me. Until then... Keep Following Him.

Challenge to College Students

My Dearest College Students,
If there were one bit of wisdom I could impart to you as you start this journey of college it would be to keep your focus on the Lord, letting nothing sway you or distract you from Him. I’ve been to college and lost my focus on the Lord. Freshman year of college was new and exciting to me, I was the shy girl, just observing everyone around me. By my second semester I had warmed up to my surroundings, loving every part of college, even learning. But seemingly without my notice my eyes slipped and the Lord wasn’t my main focus. The more I became friends with those around me the more I cared about them and their lives. By my second year of college other things came into my life that were not right at the time and further distracted me from the Lord. Oh, I still read my Bible and prayed and served in my ministries but not with my whole heart. After my second year I didn’t expect my plans to change, I would be back in the fall to finish my schooling. Little did I know that God had other plans. A ministry opportunity arose, teaching three missionary children while their parents attended language school. Someone volunteered my name, so I said I’d pray about it but I had no intention of giving up my plans. I fought it, I did not want to go across the ocean and teach, I didn’t even have my degree! I heard college horror stories of how people that drop out for a year most times don’t return. I didn’t want that, I loved college. But during a camp service where I was a counselor that summer the Lord got a hold of my heart and I surrendered. Two months later I was across the ocean teaching children without a college degree, but I was right where God wanted me. It was there that He revealed to me that my focus was not on Him and Him only. My God became so real to me, my Bible, my greatest comfort. The Lord had to take me across the world to get my attention, but it worked and college now is so different. You see He knew how much I love college and He has allowed me to come back and finish what I started but I came into this year with a new focus. “I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Ps. 16:8. Don’t learn this lesson the hard way, start your college years with the right focus, so you can end your years of college with the right focus.