31 Days - No Worries

I used to say that "I came from a long line of worriers."  My grandma worried, my mom worried, my step-mom had what she used to call her "disaster tapes."  I worried.  I worried about money.  I worried about having enough food.  I worried about how to pay bills.  I worried about getting new clothes for my kids.  I worried about my kids.  I worried about them getting sick or being hurt or people being mean to them.  I worried about things that were "going to happen" next week or month or year.  What if...  How can I possibly...  What will we do...

I would worry so much I had constant headaches, stomachaches that would send me to the couch to lay down until they subsided.  I got cranky and spoke harsh words to those I was supposed to be protecting and teaching and loving.  And I realized that all that worry...really got me nowhere except sick and tired.  Worry didn't change the situation.  Worry didn't make things better.  Worry didn't solve problems.

Then I started to focus on trusting God...really truly trusting Him.  I started to look at the times in my life that He really came through for me, for my family, for people I love.  I started to remember how, even when I was unfaithful, He was always faithful.  He always had our back.  He always came through.

So then, I began to hold on tight to these words:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.    Matthew 6:24-34

And also these:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.    Philippians 4:6

And these:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.   1 Peter 5:7

You see, when you can look back and see how the Lord has provided, how can you question that He will take care of you?  When you can look back and see that the Lord has made a way, when there seemed no possible way, how can you question that He will not leave your side? 

Little by little, as I put all my cares in His strong and capable hands...I began to feel a peace.  A peace I couldn't explain when stress came my way.  I began to be able to push the anxiety away, stop the worry, and tell myself that God would, indeed, make things - yes even stressful things - work out for good.  I began to see that certain events, though stressful or frightening at the time, often led to new open doors or opportunities for me to serve others who were going through similar circumstances. 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.   Psalm 28:7

And yes...even joy.   

Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.         Acts 14:17

Trust Him.  Let the worry go.  Let Him be in control.  And pretty soon, you will find that your heart is filled with joy...a joy that's unspeakable...a joy that's overflowing...a joy found in His presence.  

31 Days - Joy in a cloud

 

 Joy Cloud

31 Days - Singing on Sunday - Joy

A little Joy from the Newsboys....

31 Days - Joy in hope

My daughter and I went to Panda Express for dinner tonight - I just love their string bean chicken and black pepper chicken.  After eating, I cracked open my fortune cookie.  I always get a chuckle out of the fortunes inside.  But tonight, when I opened my cookie....it was empty.  No little slip of paper.  How disappointing.  I even posted a status about it on Facebook.  Later in the evening after having to drive four hours to rescue one of my sons, I read all the comments left on that status.  Humorous little bits like "Good luck.  It was nice knowing you." and "You get to decide your own future." and "Aawww."  And then this one...."AAACK! That's okay. The Big Guy already knows your fortune."

Ah, yes.  The Big Guy does.  

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.   Jeremiah 29:11


Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?   Matthew 6:25-27

And then, this one:

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.   Lamentation 3:25

Now, I wasn't REALLY worried about the fortune in my cookie.  But, I do know where my true hope and fortune lies...right smack in the middle of God's hands...not some fortune cookie.  God knows me.  God knows my entire future.  He knows the moment I will die and pass from this human life. 

I may not know what's in my future.  I didn't know this morning that I was going to have to drive to a town two hours away to help my son get home.  I don't know how God will use me next week or what will happen next month.  But I know the One who does.  He gives me all the hope I need.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.    Romans 15:13

31 Days - Counting gifts, adding up the joy

"When I only give thanks for some things, aren't I likely to miss giving God glory in most things?"
~Ann Voskamp

Little moments...little spots of joy.  EnJOY them now...this moment...and give thanks always.

Starting at #90 in my current list of 1000 gifts...(because I seem to misplace my journals and start a new one...)

90.  kitty snuggles
91.  Dinner at a friend's house - yummy, warm stew
92.  playing with colors/creating with beads
93.  sweater weather
94.  a drive in the country
95.  a coffee break at work - 91 year old Lucille, hot coffee, a fresh spudnut and a nice visit!
96. the quiet little chattering of my parakeets
97.  a crisp, juicy apple
98.  fresh squeezed apple cider
99.  Kira making funny faces
100.  the sound of a rumbly muffler that means Kyle is home
101.  finding the house phone that's been lost for days!
102.  the smell of coffee in the morning
103.  tiny little blossoms on my bonzai tree
104.  dogs curled up at my feet
105.  a warm blanket and fuzzy socks
106.  Hello Mornings with a wonderful group of women

What brought joy to your day? 

31 Days - Joy in worship

If there was one thing I noticed about the 7,000+ women at the Women of Faith conference last weekend, it was the emotion of worship.  There was laughter, there were tears, there was delight, there was excitement, there were closed eyes and bowed heads, there were smiles on faces and arms lifted in praise, and over it all - genuine joy. 

The dictionary defines joy as: 

noun: joy
1. a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
"tears of joy"
synonyms: delight, great pleasure, joyfulness, jubilation, triumph, exultation, rejoicing, happiness, gladness, glee, exhilaration, exuberance, elation, euphoria, bliss, ecstasy, rapture;


Let's think about this.  When we worship God for who He is; when we thank Him out of true gratitude for what He has provided; when we raise our voices in song to sing His praises...what kinds of things do we feel?  Have you ever experienced a sunrise so beautiful that you were filled with elation at the glory of the artwork of God?  Have you ever felt His presence so keenly that you couldn't help but laugh with delight?  Have you ever sang a worship song in a room filled with hundreds of other people and felt a thrill of excitement race through your whole body? 

Here's another definition of joy:

noun \ˈjȯi\
: a source or cause of great happiness : something or someone that gives joy to someone



 
As a Christian, our source of true joy is God. Yesterday, we found in the 15th chapter of John that Jesus tells us to remain in Him...to love Him, and to love others.  We discovered that if we follow His command, He will fill us with His joy - and it will be a complete joy. 

Psalm 100:2 says:  Worship the Lord with glandness, come before Him with joyful songs.

When we come before God, worshiping, praying with grateful hearts or singing songs of joy...the gift of joy comes full circle.  God fills us with joy when we serve Him, when we follow His commands, when we spend time with Him - remain in Him...and then we give joy back to Him...when we come with hearts focused on worship.  When we lift our voices in joyful song, when we raise our hands in joyful abandon, when we let go of the world and hold fast to our Savior - we give back joy in worship.

Isaiah 49:13  Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains!  For the LORD comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.

 



 

 

31 Days - Love and joy

Jesus spoke these words in John 15:
⁹ “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.
¹¹ “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. ¹² This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. 

Jesus loves us, as the Father loved Him.  The Father who spoke from heaven and told His Son that He was beloved.  The Father who spoke from heaven and told His Son that He was pleased with Him.  The Father who sent this Son...out of love for each and every one of us.  The Lamb for the sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus asks us to remain in His love.  And how do we do that?  By keeping His commands.  Just as He, Jesus, kept His Father's commands.  Jesus knew how to treat other people because He knew that love.  And He showed us over and over how to love one another.  He is our teacher, our model, our guide.  He commands us to love one another...as He loved.  To treat each other with compassion, as He had compassion.  To correct each other, with words spoken in truth and love.  To support each other, by sharing what we have with those who have not.  To share the Gospel with the world who doesn't know Him.

He very clearly told us what we need to do.  And why.  To remain in love.  To remain in His love.  To remain in Him.  To be filled with His joy.  A complete joy...not a fleeting "joy",  and not just a little bit of joy.  Complete joy.  It's what He wants for each of us.  Love...and joy.