real joy

what is it, at the core of who we are, that drives us?
what really motivates all that we do?  say?  work for?
is it a 'pursuit of happiness' that we live for? 

sometimes we feel happy … and other times we don't.
and sometimes, when we look and seem happy, we really aren't.
happiness is such a superficial emotion.
it is so dependent on things that are uncertain in life.
instead of pursuing happiness - live in contentment.
contentment brings a real, deep, lasting joy.

real joy has no place for worry.  worrying about the future robs us from the riches of 'today.'  
i am prone to worry, and i am good at it.
worrying about my family ...
worrying about my relationships …
worrying about world conditions ...
worrying about my health …
worrying about superficial things ...
worry steals my joy.  
my escape can be found in only one place … God's word.
meditating on His love and goodness and resting my assurance of who He is chases every worry away.  my contentment is rooted in my pursuit of knowing God.  
it all begins and ends there.

real joy does not agonize over the past.  one of my favourite quotes is from Bonnie Mohr:

it is a true saying that we cannot change the past, only learn from it.
'today' is what we are given, and today is what we should live in.

real joy has no room for procrastination.  live in 'today.'
forgive today.
laugh today.
love today.
help today.
pray today.
do the right thing today.

real joy is found in being compassionate and understanding.  it is knowing that i cannot 'fix' people.  it is not my job.  it's God's job.  it's only my job to love and pray for them.  only God knows their heart - only He knows the path they've walked on.  
trusting in His love for them must be enough for me.

real joy is found in wisdom.  wisdom helps me to set good priorities in my life.  
time is the one thing that cannot be regained.  using my time wisely does not very often mean that i have scheduled every minute for 'productivity.'  there is wisdom in being still.  there is wisdom in resting.  
turn off the t.v.
get off the internet.
silence the cell.
de-clutter life.

make wise choices - today, and then the next day, and then the next …
one day at a time.

coming alive

a new chapter has begun.
it's fall.  it's fall around me and it's fall in my life.

my fall will be a productive fall ...  not productive with activity, but productive in relationship.  i read a devotional online this morning, and these words impacted me in a huge way:

"His desire is to have a relationship with us - an ongoing, long-term relationship that bears lasting fruit."

i've known that all along.  it's the greatest commandment that Jesus spoke of:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'  All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments."

when we purposefully do the first - the second naturally follows.  my heart actually aches when i realize how so much busyness and activity have taken priority in my life in years gone by - so that the most important thing has often been made secondary.  it's a sneaky thing, really.  it's only when the season of activity subsides that you can take inventory of what's left.  

a relationship with Jesus is a marriage.  how often do marriages fall apart, ending in divorce after the children have grown up and left the home?  throughout all the years of that relationship, the priorities of husband and wife faded and took second place.  the busyness of raising kids and just life in general took over - making money, paying bills, running here and there.  time and purpose weren't spent growing that marriage.  slowly, over many years, the relationship drifted apart and became anemic.  the thing is … it just became 'the way life is' and wasn't really noticed much.  it's just how the marriage evolved.  it wasn't realized until all that activity and busyness ended and, stripped bare, what was left?

i am so thankful that, even though this season leaves a huge hole in my life, i have a marriage that is strong and loving.  it's exciting really.  i feel like we are moving into a 'honeymoon stage' that we didn't have at the beginning because, from the time we met, we had a family.  now it's just us.  and that is going to be good.  

most importantly, in my life, i want to nurture and impassion a closer relationship with Jesus.  i have more time than ever now.  it would be so easy to fill it up with activity.  i mean, i'm in a season where i can afford to do what i want to do and go where i want to go.  i love being occupied in the planning of new things.  that surely is my tendency.  

but i will not choose that.

as hard as it is to 'be still' … that i will be!

"Come, Lord Jesus.  I want to know You more than ever before." 

and in that 'knowing' this fall season will be full of a harvest of good fruit.

Breathe . . .

I spent the day in the hospital two days ago - taking one double-ventilin treatment after another to get my breathing under control.  It wasn't a critical event, but it made me think about how desperately I needed oxygen.  Air.  I struggled with only shallow breaths.  I needed the air to fill me deep in my lungs.

Take a deep, deep breath.  Can you feel the life that it is bringing to your body?  It's feeding every part of you.  A deep breath calms you, refreshes you and helps you to focus.

I am longing for Jesus in the same way I longed for that deep breath of air.  Fill me Lord.

He said to me,

"Prophesy to the breath.  Prophesy, son of man.

Tell the breath,

'God, the Master, says, Come from the four winds.

Come, breath.  Breathe on these slain bodies.  Breathe life!"

[Ezekiel 37:9]

hope is my word of the day . . .

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we [I] have peace with God 

through our [my] Lord Jesus Christ, 

through whom also we [I] have access by faith into this grace in which we [I] stand, 

and rejoice in HOPE of the glory of God.

And not only that …

but we [I] also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 

and perseverance, character; and character, HOPE.

Now HOPE does not disappoint, 

because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts [my heart] 

by the Holy Spirit who was given to us [me].

Romans 5:1-5

The Word of God pierces even in the most unexpected and hard situation imaginable.  In times like this, I purpose to focus on God's mercy, compassion and faithfulness.  

My HOPE begins with a change in my focal point.  I serve the "God of hope."  

"Now may the God of HOPE fill you [me] 

with all joy and peace in believing, 

that you [I] may abound in HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit."

[Romans 15:13]

My God is almighty and the author of wisdom -- He is Lord over all time and eternity.  He is my Healer and my Protector.  Nothing is impossible with Him, and IN HIM I place my trust wholeheartedly.  My faith is in the person and character of God and not in what I see around me.  

And so … HOPE rushes in.

hope

"But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have HOPE:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness.

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,

therefore I will HOPE in Him.'

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

to the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord."

morning . . .

"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
for in You do I trust;

cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
for I lift up my soul to You."

[Psalm 143:8]

Get the Remote … and Press PAUSE!

What amazing technology we have today!  If you want to grab a snack while watching a show, just press pause – and whatever you’re watching just stops and waits for you to be ready!

It wasn’t that long ago that my kids were my “remote.” 

“Can you please change it to channel 13?”

“Can you please lower the volume?”

Now, nothing needs to be missed!  Just press pause . . .

Wouldn’t it be awesome if there were a pause button for life?

I can just imagine all of the bad, impulsive and stupid decisions that could have been avoided – if only I’d had a pause button!

I could have pressed ‘pause’

         before I went there . . .

         before I bought this . . .

         before I did that . . .

         before I said it . . .

Today I read in the book of Luke, chapter 14 (verses 25-30) about counting the cost.  It says that I should “count the cost before building.”  Jesus was talking about counting the cost of discipleship, of following Him. 

         BECOMING a Christian is free. 

         BEING a Christian has a cost.

Jesus said to count the cost before building.

So how do I build in my life?

         I began to build when I said, “I do.”

         I continue to build in the lives of my children.

         I want to build in all of the relationships I have with people.

         I really want to build in God’s church and outside of God’s church.

And I thank God that HE is my source of strength and wisdom to do all that.  When I am so often weak, He is strong.  When I have no answers, He always does.  He never disappoints me.

Jesus also said to count the cost of battles.

So what battles do I have?

         I have the battle of daily choosing right over wrong.

         I have the battle of fighting temptation in all sorts of things.

         I have the battle of choosing to love above all else.

And again, I can thank God that He is my Overcomer!  He goes before me in all battles and conquers when I choose to do it His way.

Lord, I pray that I will learn to press “pause”

         at every crossroad in my life

         with every decision I have to make

         with every temptation that I face

         with every motive and attitude that I battle         

I give You an invitation to come to guide me and to remind me of Your ways.

Click!   Pause …