joyful, joyful

This post was almost called Ode to Joy. Beethoven's symphony did not come in to my head near as quickly as Joyful, Joyful performed in Sister Act 2. And since this is such a great moment in that movie, I decided to share it with you.

You're welcome.

JOY

I've been wrestling with the emotion of joy. This season has proven to be more difficult than I'd imagined. It has required me to seek the Lord, to wait and listen for His still, quiet voice more than I ever have. I know that my livelihood rest upon my relationship with the Father. 

Times of difficulty test your adaptability. It becomes a mental battle. How you respond to the challenge reveals your character. 

My character has proven to be... inadequate. 

For a brief moment, which felt like eternity, I allowed the Enemy to get the best of me. He knows where to hit me where it hurts, where it's most effective. My attitude. The Enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He took my joy with him.

One day, in desperation, I cried out to the Lord, "How am I supposed to do this?" 

"Joyfully!" He answered.

Joyfully?? What kind of answer is that? That is not the answer I looking for. I wanted an answer that would provide a tangible way for me to accomplish what was ahead of me. Joyfully? Seriously?!

Looking back I'm not quite sure why I expected a different answer. When does the Lord tell us exactly what we want to hear? Why would He give us an answer without first seeking His heart on the matter?

Finally, I said, "Alright Lord, I'll do it your way...". I searched His word and what He has said about joy. 

JOY IS OBEDIENCE

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you... Remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love... I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:7, 9-11

When we are obedient to the Lord's commands, we experience all that God has for us. What can be more joyous than experiencing the fulfillment of life that God envisioned?

JOY IS GOD'S GLORY

"If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciple". John 15:5-8

      

One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. If we are to call ourselves Believers or Followers of Christ, then we are to bear much Fruit of the Spirit. Jesus is the bread and water that feeds us. When He is our source, we cannot help but produce such captivating fruit. 

JOY IS HONOR

"You did not choose me, but I CHOSE YOU and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." John 15:16

Wow! How good does it make you feel to know that YOU WERE CHOSEN! You were hand selected by God. Our response to this honor is joy! We joyfully say yes, because He chose us; so that we may be His light and share His "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). 

This is my conclusion JOY IS A GOD-PERSPECTIVE!

Joy has everything to do with your perspective. Whose eyes are looking through, God's or the Enemy's?

Joy is a choice. It is not easy to to choose joy over anger or sadness. However, when you seek the Lord's perspective, His heart, His eyes, He will give you the perspective and strength to recognize the joy in that moment.

I am still struggling with this revelation. Do not think for one second I've got this figured and have it mastered. I am still wrestling with this daily. However, by pressing in God's heart, seeking His strength, and asking for His perspective, I will be able to be obedient, give Him Glory, and honor Him. 

"By the way... what have you done for him lately. OooOooOooo yeah!"  

life is crazy; so get over it

Some times you just have to laugh at life.

This morning my cocka-doodle-doo alarm went of at promptly 6:15am, alerting me that it was time to rise and shine. I debated for a split second about going to bed but I knew that my friend Kristin would be expecting a text from me at any time -- I love you accountability, but this morning I did not like you --Nevertheless, I got up to turn off my alarm, before it irritatingly annoyed my husband. I had also devised a sneaky little plan to get myself out of bed before I would have the chance to change my mind about getting up. I placed my phone on my dresser, two-feet from my bedside. Sneaky, sneaky. It works though. I grabbed my bible, pen, journal, iPad, and iphone (yes, all essential for studying the Word) before heading downstairs. I set the mood with Pandora; Kari Jobe radio. My Holy Bible, YouVersion app isn't working on the ipad... really? Good thing I grabbed my phone (essentials...). Active Daily Devotional - Day 3. Our precious pooches reminded me that they want out of their crate. Outside they go. Inside they come, rambunctiously unaware of the time. I'm promising myself that I won't get upset with them for distracting me. I'd be excited too if I was released from a cage, allowed to roam free and bounce on cushiony things. They all gather with me on the couch as I read Psalm 3 aloud. They are crowding me, getting as close as they can. I'm breathing in dog hair. As I remind them of a wonderful place called outside, they jump for joy and begin to wrestle; wrestling all the way to the door. Of course wrestling is accompanied by growling and bellowing. You can't wrestle silently, that's awkward. Their playful noises wake up my child. Thank you. Does the child's father hear her? No. I climb the steps trudgingly to rescue her. I flip on the light, only to blind her. Her hair is standing in every which direction. Her eyes are barely open but her lips are crying out for "momma". I pick her up, change her, and strip her down to her diaper. We bounce down the stairs, because it makes her happy. We fix her milk and she plops down on the couch with me. I pick up where I left off... Psalm 3. David is running. The Lord is his only protection, "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me." -- Psalm 3:5; Sustains, in Hebrew is camak or "saw-mak" -- rest, revive, or refresh.

I was reminded this morning that life is crazy, but I need to get over it. Life isn't going to change, only my attitude and how I handle it can make a difference. I can choose to let it overwhelm me or I can choose to dominate it. When my intentions to seek the Lord are honorable, He revives me. He reminds me that the demands of life and parenthood are great but His grace and mercy are greater.

just do it.

"I believe that the key to juggling multiple things in life is to stop questioning how you'll do it, and just do it."

Hayden Panettiere

The smartest thing that girl has ever said.

I've been questioning a lot of things lately.

who i am.

what i stand for.

what i do.

what i don't do.

why don't i do it.

what i believe.

what i don't believe.

why i believe what i believe.

the way i live.

the way i love.

I'm an analyzer so I tend to self-analyze A LOT.

Want to hear something pathetic...

I'm getting new glasses (tomorrow in fact) and I've lead myself to believe that these new pair of specs are going to solve all my problems.

HA!

Ironically, they will NOT make me see things more clearly. I have the same prescription since 3 years ago!

I think my problem of clarity comes from the fact that I keep questioning and wondering. And there is no DOING.

I'm never going to accomplish my goals if all I do is sit and dream about "one day"...

I have to take the appropriate steps now for my future tomorrow.

I need to stop questioning, stop analyzing, and just take one thing, one day at a time.

I am going to take one goal at a time and create habits. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit.

DAY ONE STARTS TODAY.

Today my goal is to not drink any dr. pepper. So far, success.

Tomorrow my goal is to not drink any dr. pepper....

are you who you want to be?

I find myself daydreaming about what I want to be when I grow up. Sky is the limit. I can be or do anything I want. Depending on my mood and energy, depends on what I want to be that day.

Or what I'm watching on television...

For instance if I'm watching HGTV, I think, yeah I could be a designer or flip houses.

Or if I'm watching Rachael Ray... I could be a cook/talk show host.

Or if I'm watching an ABCfamily original show, I think I could be an actress (because their acting isn't the most convincing).

Or... well you you get the picture.

But here is the reality... I will never be an actress. It's not in my strengths. I probably could never be a talk show host. I'm not great at asking questions. Cooking... possibly but being an original and having a show about it... probably not.

I reeeally want to flip A house, just see if I like it. But all the other logistics that go into flipping houses... not so much. I just want to demo something.

I blame this confusing time of "find my purpose in life" on my mother.

DANG YOU MOM FOR BELIEVING IN ME AND TELLING ME I CAN DO ANYTHING IF I PUT MY MIND TO IT. Because now I have the false belief in myself that I CAN DO ANYTHING!

No I don't really blame my mother, but seriously. My mind is filled with all the possibilities of the "american dream" (whatever that truly means these days). And I am confused.

I know my strengths and I'm accutely aware of my weaknesses.

I find myself wondering day in and day out if I am who I want to be. And most often the answer is no. I'm not who I want to be. But what if who I want to be is not who I'm supposed to be. Then I am forcing myself to live into lie that I'm still not somebody? Because I'm that "somebody" I want to be? See, confusing.

What I have come to conclude is that everyday it's going to take effort to be that "somebody". And whether or not I live into who I want to be that day. It's okay. It's... ooookay.

There is always tomorrow. Right?