for today...

#964  cold, gray day - smells like winter :)
#965  15 years of loving this man - dad, husband, lover & friend
#966  sweet eyes light up with understanding - excitement for learning
#967  talking through life issues - being heard and understood
#968  Sunday afternoon nap
#969  reading with the kids - all snuggled up under covers
#970  full moon - hidden behind clouds & trees, but brightly reflecting the sun
#971  Psalm 103:2 - I will bless the Lord and not FORGET the glorious things he has done

fighting for joy...

Several years ago our family drove out East for a family reunion.  We spent a day at Virginia beach, and I had fun watching our kids do this little "dance" as they would run into the water only to be chased back by the waves. 

I was content to sit on the beach and watch them.  I have trust issues.  Especially with murky water.  Blame it on years spent swimming in the Amazon, worrying about pythons and sting rays and schools of piranhas just waiting to eat me. 

Anyway.  I digress. 

It was a hot day, and I finally got up the courage to venture in.  The water felt wonderful, so I kept walking deeper...and deeper...

...until I was suddenly knocked down by a wave I hadn't seen coming.  I came up coughing and sputtering, trying to get rid of the bitter salt water I had just inhaled.  But before I could fully catch my breath, it happened again.  And then came the panic.  The desperate search for secure footing...

The last few days have felt that way.  I'm fighting exhaustion.  I'm fighting against anger and resentment.  I'm fighting to keep my head above water.  I'm fighting for joy...

#940  Psalm 28:7 - "The Lord is my strength and shield...I TRUST him...He helps me, and my heart is filled with JOY.  I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."
#941  bond of friendship - blessed beyond by these sisters going before the Father on my behalf
#942  rest
#943  reminder that I can face today with confidence because God is at my side
#944  my "special helper" - fun to spend a school day w/ Abbie
#945  delicious lunch from moms
#946  "Friday" on a Thursday
#947  community - camping w/ friends ("family")
#948  time to be away from all the have-to-dos
#949  giggling girls - sharing a tent & silly late night stories
#950  "fire boys" - ready @ a moment's notice for adventure
#951  clouds rolling past
#952  leaves rustling down - peaceful sight
#953  "best response to losses or thwarted hopes is PRAISE: The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)
#954  laughing w/ my sweetheart - can't see the good...especially without his glasses! :)
#955  beautiful sunrise to start the week - sky on fire w/ orange, yellow, and pink
#956  good night's rest - all night through

#939 Psalm 34:1-8

"I will praise the Lord AT ALL TIMES, I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness; let us exalt his name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be RADIANT WITH JOY;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces. 
In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.
For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
Taste and see that the Lord is GOOD. 
Oh, the JOYS of those who take refuge in him."

in all things...

#932. this post - "Joy is the way to live bravest of all.  When you are giving everything you have, you can only take so much...Christ kneels close with arms stretched open wide: "Let me take the rest."
#933 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
#934 this song "higher than the mountains that I face...constant in the trial and the change..."
#935 trees ablaze with colors
#936 leftovers
#937 clean dishes
#938 home repairs

somedays...

somedays it's just too hard to be thankful...

somedays it's just easier to be discouraged...

to lose hope...

to lose sight of God...

what purpose He could possibly have in the midst of this messy life...

so that's when the roots dig deeper...

out of desperation...

"I know the Lord is always with me.  I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.  No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.  My body rests in safety...You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." - Psalm 16:8-9, 11

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong." - Ephesians 3:16-17

#904 refreshed by God's Word - reminder to be thankful
#905 hugs - from a friend; from my kids, arms wrapped around tight
#906 soft scarf
#907 change of seasons
#908 lil' miss - that little voice & those facial expressions kill me!  hilarious...
#909 reading w/ the kids - sandwiched in under the covers
#910 relief from headache & a good night's sleep
#911 diet Pepsi ;)
#912 my job!
#913 clean counters & the husband who cleared them
#914 folded laundry

#892 studying Scripture together - refreshed & renewed
#893 emails :)
#894 Jesus Calling- "When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank me...these are supernatural responses, and they can lift you up above your circumstances...affirm your trust in ME, regardless of how you feel...thank me for everything!" (Ephesians 5:20)
#895 free meat & beef enchiladas

Suffering...with JOY

 

"So you received the message with JOY from the Holy Spirit

in spite of the severe suffering it brought you." 1 Thessalonians 1:6

 

I read this post recently and it resonated with me.  Often I brush off what I'm going through because "it could be worse" or "it's nothing compared to...". 

 

Because I've never gone hungry.  I've never gone without.  I've never been in need.  I've never been persecuted because of my faith.  I've never been abused or neglected.  I've never really suffered.

 

Or have I?  My today problems may not be those of the third world, but they are real.  To me.  And they are real.  To God. 

 

He sees.  He knows.

 

When I am lonely.  When I am hurting.  When life doesn't make sense.  When the pain becomes overwhelming.  When there is no solution in sight.  When hope seems illusive.

 

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and characted strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, for he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." - Romans 5:3-5

 

#886 cool, crisp Fall mornings

#887 almost done! crazy, busy day - thank you, God, for strength moment by moment

#888 All the way my Savior leads me...grace for every trial (Chris Tomlin)

#889 "help" with my craft :)

#890 kids singing in the backseat on the drive home

#891 supper @ church - LOVE Wednesdays!!

Counting...

It's been fun to look back through my "gifts". 

I'm thankful for coffee.  A lot.

I started with the small things...

#8 sunrise
#19 clean sheets
#48 brown eyes
#139 pillow talk & inside jokes

and learned to thank for the hard things...

#222 broken tooth - God will provide
#374 learning to trust
#439 comfort of a friend
#505 headache - taking it slow

the everyday...

#516 homework - an "excuse" to snuggle on the couch
#547 clean counters
#619 sibling laughter
#634 finished projects
#657 Saturday chores & music cranked up LOUD

truths to live by...

#680 God delights in showing his unfailing love (Micah 7:18)
#730 Psalm 100 - shout with JOY...for the Lord is GOOD
#741 Romans 8:39 - nothing can separate me from God's love
#791 Psalm 46:1 - my refuge, a place to run when my world is crumbling

today...

#879 coffee.  and creamer.
#880 a new day - Lamentations 3:23
#881 trusting in the midst of what I am powerless to change
#882 time to spare on a busy morning
#883 studying for History & listening to stories
#884 boys soccer practice
#885 simple suppers

Today...

"Do not resist or run from the difficulties in your life. These problems are not random mistakes; they are hand-tailored blessings designed for your benefit and growth. Embrace all the circumstances that I allow in your life, trusting Me to bring good out of them. View problems as opportunities to rely more fully on Me.

When you start to feel stressed, let those feelings alert you to your need for Me. Thus, your needs become doorways to deep dependence on Me and increasing intimacy between us. Although self-sufficiency is acclaimed in the world, reliance on Me produces abundant living in My kingdom. Thank Me for the difficulties in your life, since they provide protection from the idolatry of self-reliance." - Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God..."
- 2 Corinthians 1:9

"always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 5:20

Choosing to SEE...

It's not often that I come across a book that's too good to put down. This is one of those books. I finished it in one day. It is Mary Beth's story - a glimpse into her family, her walk with the Lord, her struggles, and her joys. It is a story we can all relate to, as we walk this journey of life. We all can choose to SEE God - in the good, not-so-good, and completely-horrible times. Grab a box of Kleenex, 'cause it's a tear-jerker. Either that, or I'm a big cry-baby. Yep. That's probably it.

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us ; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring." Hosea 6:1-3 (NLT)

Hope...in context...

One of my favorite verses is Lamentations 3:22 -

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Today, as I read this again, the context of this verse stood out in a new way...something I don't think I had noticed before. In the preceeding verses, Jeremiah talks about his circumstances. He feels like he is walking in darkness, like God has turned his hand against him & has surrounded him with bitterness & hardship. He feels as though he cannot escape, that he has been left without help, deprived of peace, and been forgotten. He admits that all that he had hoped from the Lord...is gone.

And suddenly, there is a turning point. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. He is reminded of God's love, compassion, faithfulness, goodness, and salvation. His circumstances haven't changed & how he feels about his circumstances hasn't changed either - Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust - there may yet be hope. In the midst of despair, a promise...and a reminder: Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men. Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?

Somedays, life can feel pretty hopeless...like there is no end in sight to the junk I deal with on a daily basis. And it scares me when I think that my circumstances might never change. I want to see that "light at the end of the tunnel". I want that "happily ever after". Doesn't God know what I'm dealing with here? If he has the power to change it, why won't he?

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.

...in the context of God's love, faithfulness, and salvation. I hang on to the hope that God knows what he's doing in my life, better than I will ever be able to comprehend...

...hope...

A good reminder

I came across this verse today:


"Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was." - Job 2:13


Though I'm not sure I've ever met someone who suffered the tragedy that Job did, I do know many people that are experiencing hardship or suffering. I have to admit that I'm often too quick to offer practical suggestions or anecdotes. (Sorry, B) After reading this, I was convicted & reminded that...sometimes words fail. Sometimes I need to sit in the ashes for a week.