April's Thoughts

       "So Peter was kept in Prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." Acts 12:5 He felt a chill go down his spine, despite the summer heat rolling around in the arid darkness.  Walking briskly down the shadowy alley just made his mind fill with all sorts of horrors. The large garage type doors that opened into the alley felt like they all had monsters hidden inside. The high arched frames over the columns of the previous courtyard and the mountains way in the distance seemed to all be snickering at him with an evil smile. How did they even think they could get away with this? Why was he joining with this church that was pastored by the zealous Parsa, when he knew that real men, with real guns, with real threats were close by. He was not really a part of this movement. Why was he here? Parsa had been an interesting person to make as the centerpiece of his article, but that interview in the light and laughter of the day seemed so long ago. And...

  WARNING!  WARNING! The world is shrinking. The world is shrinking.  No, it’s not some upside down physics phenomenon declaring the opposite of entropy. It's not some optical illusion. It is what is happening to many of us as individuals.   It is the curse of selfishness.   It is the curse found in the Garden of Eden. The enemy of our souls wants us steeped in selfishness, wrapped up in its tentacles, and suffocating on its emotional highs and lows.  And due to his influence, we have become a self-centered people.  Selfishness also breeds selfishness.  If you are around people that are just focused on themselves, you will then feel the need to “protect yourself.”      It's a vicious cycle that, without intervention, leads to isolated, frustrated, individuals. It's a lonely place. It's a place that I have visited, too often. The world of the selfish is small, their emotions are small, their entire focus and thought process are so lo...

 40 Days of JOY - 🙌🙌 Day 16 🙌🙌 What makes Our God so different?  He dwells in Joy . . . In this part of the book of Chronicles  - there is a detailed description of How mighty and amazing our God is - of why He is worthy of Praise.  Especially as He compares to the World - and the "gods" they still offer us. Nothing compares to our God -  And one of the ways we know that is that  He alone actually Dwells in JOY.  I found that a unique description of our God . . . His house is not made of Bricks and Mortar - but Strength and JOY. What other god or idol do we run after that sits in the presence of Joy?   Money, status, pride - any of these bask in Joy? Or do these just offer a false picture of being happy - but when you find them - you find stress and worry over keeping up appearances?  Our God does not worry or fret - He breathes Joy in and out - and therein is also strength and stability  . .  Let us take ahold of that Amaz...

 40 Days of JOY- 🙌🙌 Day 15 🙌🙌 Rejoicing and Eating go hand in hand  😊 Food can often put us in a better mood - sometimes make us downright happy :)  and we are so blessed with food -  It is one of the signs that we are so well off - So blessed  compared with much of the rest of the world! What a perfect time to REJOICE with friends and family - over a meal. However, in our day and culture, so many of us do not really eat with our families any more.  But, at least in our home, before everyone scatters off to their corner of the house to enjoy dinner - we at least come together to say grace- and share a little Word. 🙏 But whatever happens in our homes - we need to take the time to Rejoice as a family over ALL that God has blessed us with. . . . "There in the presence of the Lord Your God, You and your families,  Shall EAT and shall REJOICE  In everything you have put your hand to, Because the Lord Your God has BLESSED you!" Deuteronomy 12:7

 40 Days of JOY - 🙌🙌 Day 14 🙌🙌 Luke 15 is a Chapter full of JOY It's a pattern - something is lost - something is found - Gathering together & celebrating & rejoicing! I lose my keys all the time - and let me tell you when I get desperate  - and then suddenly find them again  - I am rejoicing and Praising God!! God is in the business of restoring things that are lost - - our faith - our relationships  - our very souls And when He restores these things - it's not just "Old  Hat" for Him - He Celebrates & Rejoices  But None of these joyous moments in Luke 15  - finding the lost coin, sheep, son, sinner -  are done  alone  All of these moments of Joy come with gathering people (or angels 😇) together and CELEBRATING!  I am a loner by nature (I love people- but I like to do a lot of things alone)  But there is something good that happens to all of us - when we acknowledge Joy by celebrating it with others. Sooo . . ...

 40 Days of JOY - 🙌🙌 Day 13 🙌🙌 Because of Joy - You can Do It! Are you struggling through a difficult situation right now? Are you in the middle of a really tough decision?  Are you facing a temptation that just looks too big? Well you are not alone.  Every Christian worth their salt - has been there - done that - and survived.  JESUS himself faced all of that - and gained victory for all of us. How did Jesus do that?  How did He stay on the cross when every fiber of His human body was screaming - "Get me out of here!"  ? For the JOY  set before Him.   It was the Joy of seeing us saved and healed that kept Him there. How has so many others survived difficult times ?  By holding on to the strength that comes from knowing that this will end in a Joy - for God - for us - for someone else. . . The future can motivate us . . . -Seeing your child's face when he knows you are happier now. - Knowing God is smiling down on you because you mad...

 40 Days of JOY  - 🙌🙌 Day 12 🙌🙌 Sometimes I struggle with my faith  -  but as I read this - that part of my Spirit that holds onto Jesus - that was born anew when I gave my heart to Him - resonates with this verse and what I truly believe deep down inside.  I feel that deep Joy fill my soul. You see this verse was written to struggling believers facing a world who was out to condemn and persecute Christians . . . Anyone who claimed to believe in Jesus. Yet it was that very belief in Christ - in this Jesus that they now knew to be real and closer than a brother - that brought the most hope and Joy into their struggles. 1Pe 1:8 - "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious JOY!"

 40 Days of JOY - 🙌🙌 Day 11 🙌🙌 Sometimes it's from the pit of despair that I cry out to God - Sometimes it's from the business and distractions of the day - Whatever the case it becomes a daily request of my God to restore me -  And re-restore me to that place of Joy & Trust in who He is . . . It is so easy to lose -  But just a prayer away to a Loving God to get back Call on Him - He is waiting . . . Dear Heavenly Father, May You this Day . . . "Restore to me the JOY of Your Salvation  And grant me a willing spirit to Support me" Amen Psalm 51:12

 40 Days of JOY  - 🙌🙌 Day 10 🙌🙌 I love this verse. ❤ While I have been focusing on all that We Should do to show JOY   or what would come NATURALLY to those experiencing true JOY.  . . I love this description of God - and how this love and JOY are reciprocated  . . . God is so enamored with us that He Rejoices over us with Singing.  God sings because He is full of JOY Himself.   He is the one "living JOY out loud" - when He thinks of us! I often wonder what the Angels see & hear when God is celebrating us.  Let your joyful imagination run wild . . . And see if that doesn't put a smile on your face 😁🥰🤣😍

 40 Days of Joy - 🙌🙌 Day 9 🙌🙌 This simple song 🎶🎶  was running through my head -  so I thought I would look it up. Psalm 118 is a delightful Psalm with all sorts of familiar goodies packed in it like "it is better to trust in God than man" or  that description of Jesus (of salvation) as "the cornerstone ". It is a Psalm describing Salvation and in the middle of it the writer plops this gem . . . Psalm 118:24 "This is the Day that the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" This is God's day,  not the devil's day,  not the "is this going to work" day,   No one else made this day,     no one else is in charge  -  We can trust Him Start off this day right  And show our trust in Him -  By rejoicing in this day  Not dreading it.  😊😊

40 Days of JOY 🙌🙌 Day 8 🙌🙌 I was looking for something that described Joy.    It didn't take long - again the plethora of descriptions of JOY in Scripture amazed me. So many times JOY was described with shouts, singing, drums, other instruments and dancing. Anything that was noisy and full of energy. Joy is lived out loud! As I mentioned before, I originally felt like this Joy thing was not just some religious, theological, boring term . . . This was something that was happy, bubbly - Fun!   And now - after some research - I know Yeah that's the way God sees it too. Let's have some fun enjoying the Joy God gives us. Let's make some noise! 🤣 Psalm 98:4-8 "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth, break forth into joyous song and sing Praises. Make music to the Lord with harp and the sound of singing. With trumpets and the Blast of a Ram's horn - shout for joy before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the world and all that dwe...

40 Days of JOY 🥰 - Day 7 - 🥰 Another hard - but cool - truth about Joy  Another misconception  . . . We are supposed to count it all Joy - when we're going through the bad stuff???  (And all kinds of bad stuff applies - internal, emotional, external, health, finances, relationships - this covers it all) As you read the "fine print" in the Word - you find out its not the moment of pain that you are rejoicing in - it's what this moment means for you future. . .  Patience, Endurance, even creating the Perfect you -  the you - you always wanted to be. This is a "Stick out your tongue" at Satan moment.  This is a "laugh in his face" moment. That moment when you realize everything Satan is throwing at you is only going to get you to your goal faster. "What he means for evil, God will work for your good." James 1:2-4 "Count it all JOY, my brothers, whenever you face VARIOUS TRIALS.  For you know that these trials produce strength, steadfa...

40 Days of Joy - 🙌🙌Day 6🙌🙌 Where does this JOY come from? Does it come from a joke? Does it come from that precarious point where everything just happened to work out perfectly? Does joy come from a drink or a substance that makes us think everything funny? No - as unlikely as it might seem to most people - that bubbling over joyous spirit comes from . . .  His Word!  The Bible - its Truths - its Wisdom - is the source of our Joy . . .  "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving Joy to the Heart.   The Commandments of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." Psalm 19:8

40 Days of Joy - 🙌🙌 Day 5. 🙌🙌 In this quest for Joy - I have been overwhelmed with the amount of Joy that is found in Scripture.   I also think that this Joy is not just  some kind of religious term -  But something that is truly Happy and bubbling and hilarious  -  God fills us with this kind of joy and it bubbles up and can't help but overflow to people and circumstances around us . . . "May the God of hope fill you with all Joy & Peace as you trust in Him So that you may overflow with hope  By the Power of the Holy Spirit. " Romans 15:13

40 Days of Joy - 🙌Day 4🙌 I actually started this days verse thinking it would be Phil 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always" But as I started meditating on that simple verse - I realized  "Rejoice" is a choice! And as I poured over Scripture after Scripture where either  the Lord declared that we "shall rejoice"   or  where it started off "Because we rejoiced . .  " I realized the impact of our side  of the joy deal. This verse that I actually chose comes from a desperate economic and emotional time in Habakkuk's life - and he chooses to Rejoice in God - and not focus on the hardships - not to ignore the hardships -  but to invoke the power of God's joy in the middle of that. If God commands it - we have the ability to do it ! Even in tough times you can always Rejoice in God's goodness. "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take Joy in the God of my Salvation."  Habakkuk 3:18

40 Days of Joy 🥰 - Day 3 😁😁😁😁😊 One of the blessings that God brings to His children - is that no matter what we are going through -  His Joy is promised to us And the promise is that His Joy outweighs the trouble . . . And Joy is certain  - the trouble is only possible. . . . . Psalm 30:5 His anger is but for a moment, but His Favor lasts a lifetime, Weeping May endure for the night, but His Joy comes in the Morning.

40 DAYS OF JOY . . . ☺ I want to "build a habit of joy" in my life. Soooo . . . I have decided to study & share God's word of Joy over the next 40 days. I am going to try to find at least 40 verses of Joy. Yesterday's was Nehemiah 8:10 Today I have chosen Proverbs 17:22 "A joyful heart is Good Medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Joy is medicinal . . . Joy heals . . . By the Power of God we can set ourselves up for healing by basking in His Joy 🥰

I've got a new word to guide me for the rest of this year . . .Joy. God's Joy can break through all depression and mental fatigue  - and give strength to fight the battles that need to be fought . . . I am declaring this before all of you.   - and giving permission to anyone I chat with, that you have the right to remind me of this source of strength.  . . . The Joy of the Lord is my strength  . . .

Part 3 - The Cost of Grace   Tony woke in the pre-morning darkness to the strange smell of coffee. Strange because he didn’t make it.  He always made the coffee. He always was the one to get up early. “What is going on now?” He thought to himself.   Chrissy had been acting awfully strange lately. Her moods, which were always a bit of an extreme, were now off the charts.  Tony smiled at the thought of the feisty young woman he married. Then his brow furrowed with that worried look that he wore so often in recent days as he walked into the kitchen and saw Chrissy slouching over the counter near the coffee pot.   “Hey whatcha doin’ up so early?” Tony asked softly, feeling like he was walking on eggshells. As Chrissy straightened up and turned to look at him, he noticed how dark and haggard her eyes looked.   “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I would make you some coffee,” Chrissy replied with a groggy rasp to her voice. Then grinned. “And me some...