Power for Life

At the close of every year, I think back to the experiences of the year. At the beginning of this year, I had wondered what the year would hold. Now I know - at least as much as I can know from my limited perspective.

In the first chapter of Acts, the disciples were coming to the close of a season in their lives and entering a new one. They wondered, too, what the future would hold. This dialogue between Jesus and His disciples happens just before He ascends into heaven. Check out how He answeres their question.

So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:6-8

There you have it. It's not for us to concern ourselves with what the future will hold. What we do need to know, however, is that we have the same promised power of the Holy Spirit available to us... for today... and for whatever the future may hold. 

The question for us is...

Will you again submit your life and future to God? 

Will you welcome the Holy Spirit to have His way in your life throughout this new year? 

Through the power of the Holy Spirit we will be victorious, we will be comforted, and we will have strength. We will have all we need for all the days and all that they hold. 

It's not for us to know

but there's power for us to go

boldly into the unknown

blessed by the One Who knows

Count It All Joy

I read Amity’s blog the other day and was inspired by the things she wrote about asking God for things like wisdom and peace and joy. I love how she encourages us to ask God for things like that and how she delights to tell us that it’s his desire to give those things and that he really does. I was inspired to ask as well.

Particularly on my list that day was joy. Just not feeling it. In fact, while I do have peace, there has been an underlying feeling of sadness in my days which I believe is coming from grieving a recent loss. I wanted to be light-hearted and happy, experiencing joy in the midst of my circumstances.

As I was talking to God about it in the shower (it seems a lot of conversations with God happen there) he reminded me of the place in his word that says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3

“Count it all joy...”

What I believe the Holy Spirit was telling me is this: I must credit joy to me when I face various trials that produce steadfast faith. I must deem my trials as joy. Therefore, I have joy because I am going through a hard place in life. I have joy. I have it! My suffering is my joy.

So I began to thank God for giving me joy - based on what God says joy is, not on what I think it is or what I want it to be.

I noticed that my outlook began to change as the day went on. The sadness of grieving remains, but I am no longer bemoaning the fact that I don’t have joy in my life. The enemy has no grounds to come at me with the lie that there’s something wrong with me because I am not experiencing light-hearted happiness right now. God has given me true joy. This does not in any way deny the exuberance and delight of the feelings of great joy. Joy does come with emotion attached. It is ALL joy.

Because I knew I was going to write about this for my post today and wanted to make sure I wasn’t going off on my own thinking, and because I love words, I looked up “count” in the Greek. It means to consider, deem, account, think. It “denotes a belief resting not on one's inner feeling or sentiment, but on the due consideration of external grounds, and the weighing and comparing of facts.” (Strong’s Greek Lexicon - blueletterbible.org)

Count it all joy, my sisters...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! May God bless you this day and give you joy and peace. Remember His ultimate sacrifice.

I just want to leave you with the words to one of my favourite Christmas songs:

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

Although a baby, Jesus changed the world by coming down to us. It's His birthday... so let's celebrate HIM!

Top of the List

"He's making a list and checking it twice..."

At this time of year, it seems like we need lists. These are the lists I have:

A gift shopping list. 

Grocery list.

To do list. 

Menu plans. 

We see many lists in Scripture too. One of the most well known ones would be But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Here's another one:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue (goodness), and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly-affection, and brotherly-affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

This week I was shopping with my daughter-in-law for her Christmas gifts and also for my son's gifts. We had a great time together, and it turned out to also be a very successful shopping trip. When we were finished shopping, she said that the things we had bought for her were the top three items on her Christmas list.

It seems at any given time in our spiritual lives, we also have something at the top of our list of what we want God to do in our lives. There's one characteristic, gift, or fruit of the Spirit that we focus on and pray for. 

Back to the shopping trip with my daughter-in-law... As we were driving home, we were talking about our husbands and how thankful we are for them and how we admire them. I was relating to her, that a while ago we kept hearing appreciative comments from quite a number of people from different circles, about my husband being wise. As my husband and I talked about it at dinner one night, he said that for many years that was the one thing that he prayed intensely for. God had put a serious desire in his heart for wisdom. Now we are seeing that God has answered and given my husband the gift of wisdom. 

My daughter-in-law then said that the thing she is praying most for is peace - having her heart and mind stay in a place of contentment. 

This morning as I was waking up, I realized that I have JOY! More than a few years now, I've had the fruit of joy at the top of my wish list. I was almost giddy in my bed when I realized that throughout this often stressful time of Christmas prep, I've had joy to sustain me. Joy has become a characteristic in my life. This is really exciting for me because I see that God has done this for me! I was first motivated to ask God for joy because, contrary to my name being Joy (middle name), I wasn't really experiencing joy. 

What are you asking God for? Since God gives good gifts to his children when they ask, be encouraged to keep asking Him for what you have at the top of your list. Ask and you shall receive. It's Christmas after all!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

May the Lord give rest to your soul my dear sisters....may he fill your home and your own dear heart with his Peace.

May your trust be in the One who loves you soooooo much....don't let the worries of your heart overtake you.  Trust Him with what has yet to be done or what hasn't gotten done.  Let us not become "dismayed" with our preparations for our celebrations.

Give Him your heart this Christmas.  Give Him your heart today.  All of it.

What about the parts of your heart that don't look pretty?   He wants that too.  Give Him your struggles, your worries and your fears.  Are you stressed about money?  Are you going to be spending time with family members that you struggle with, or that have hurt you?  Do you have expectations of what a
"good" Christmas looks like and you're afraid it won't happen?  Talk to Him.

Whatever it is that is on your heart.......You can trust Jesus with it.

He was born to save us from satan's power....He was born to save us from ourselves.
Girl...He was born to save us.  Just think about that.  Say it again.

HE WAS BORN TO SAVE US!!!!

What does that mean for you and for me?

Oh...Tidings of Comfort and Joy....Comfort and Joy....Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy.

The Gift of Giving

"They were the first people my grandfather saw as he was coming off the battlefield in World War I," the man said. "He was wet, cold and covered in mud. They met him with a cup of steaming hot coffee... I'll never forget it."

I watched as he placed some money in the Salvation Army kettle. This was my first year volunteering. A friend and I had volunteered together but at the last minute, she had gotten too sick to come. As I stood there, I thought of the "gift" of giving. Some lowered their eyes as they passed me, some would look away as though they did not see me... others wished me a Merry Christmas. Most of the shoppers, who slid money into the pot, were older people... a lot of them ten to fifteen years older than me. I wondered where the young people were. By young people, I was thinking... thirties and forties. I can remember as a child being so excited to drop my coins into the kettle and feeling as though I had done something wonderful! Where were the families with children?

As I stood there waiting and observing, I saw a young couple taking a little baby out of a stroller. They looked as though they were searching for something. He was checking his pockets, she was checking her purse. And then I saw the Dad put something into the baby's hand and walk over to where I was standing. She was an adorable baby with curly blonde hair and a beautiful little cherubic face. She held tightly to the coin as her Dad tried to persuade her to put it into the kettle. Her chubby, little fist was clenched tightly, and honestly, there is no way she would have been able to put that coin into the money slot on the kettle by herself. As the coin dropped and she heard the clang... a big smile came over her face and her dad's. As he held her in his arms and walked away, emotions of gratitude filled my heart. I wondered to myself how that could make me so emotional. As I thought on it... I realized it wasn't even about the coin. It was the heart of the Dad and the child that stirred my emotions.

The dad was teaching the child, "the gift of giving." The love and affection displayed brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me of the deep love and affection the Heavenly Father has for us. And how one Christmas, two thousand years ago... God gave the "Ultimate Gift to the world in His Son, Jesus, Christ." Though He came as a little baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, He left leaving us a gift that out stands the richest billionaire in the world. All we have to do to receive this gift... is to receive Him. Jesus gave His life so that we might have eternal life with Him and live forever in peace, contentment and happiness. There is no greater gift!

A Gift for Jesus

This Christmas, my mom has been talking to us about what gifts we can give to Jesus. Not physical gifts like toys or clothes... but instead, something that we give up to Him. For me, the gift has been giving up my worries and stress to Him. I'm giving Him the gift of my trust, believing that He will help me when I feel overwhelmed. And it's brought me so much peace. Giving a gift has actually helped me :) Jesus wants a gift from each one of us. It could be money, it could be spending time with Him, it could be giving up fear, or pride... anything. So, my question is... what is your gift to Jesus this Christmas?

Doing small things with Great Love

Yesterday we had our Women's Centre Drop In Christmas party at our church. As a lady walked in the door, she gave me a Christmas card. I will share it with you trying to make it look as close to the original as possible.

Women’s Centre drop in. 

   I believe you have touched and left a lasting impression on every lady that has ever come through your door 

                        Wishing you a Christmas season

                      filled with warmth and happiness.

a BIG Thankyou

This is the letter that was folded up inside the card:

I have wanted to write this letter for yearsssssss

Hello Merry Christmas to everyone!

I really wanted to let all of you know what all of you do at the Women’s centre drop in, is exceptional. I had come back there recently and brought my daughter along, she’s 10 now. She said to me, “This is the place we came when we were sleeping in our car.” Really, we lived in our car, short time, she was 3 or 4 maybe, but she had remembered that! You just never know how you are helping?, and really, how you are helping! The food is always a blessing, the kidssss love the straws (of all things!) You just never know how something so small could make someone elses life a wee bit brighter. A straw!

I felt very accepted at the women’s centre. I really enjoy the clothing room, clothes are my thing, getting something new(used) always makes me feel happy. Something different to wear or a muchly needed winter coat. The houseware room was terrific. We had gotten a blanket that we still use today. 7 years ago. A very warm crocheted acrylic wool blanket. We don’t have proper heat so that blanket has kept us warm for yearsssss + in our car 7 years ago. So thankyou for all you do all year for all who walk through your W.C.D.I. door. OXOXO

Here's to each one of us who are doing simple things... small things really... with great love. We probably do more small things for others during this busy Christmas season than at any other time of year. My prayer is that you and I would experience God's love in our hearts and that His great love would fill us to overflowing as we do the small things in His Name.

Peace on Earth

It's something we pray for, dream about and toast to...well, I have never made a toast to peace on earth...but I just had this flashback to the movie "GroundHog Day" where the sweet and beautiful female character (Andie MacDowell) tells Bill Murray who plays a total self absorbed jerk that she always toasts to...you got it, world peace.  Anyway...I nearly lost my train of thought....let's get back to "Peace on Earth".

It's a little hard to imagine.  I can imagine Peace in Heaven...but Peace on Earth...well, it just seems a little far fetched, particularly at Christmas.  Have you been to the mall?

Have you talked to anyone lately that told you they just felt so "Peaceful" about Christmas?  Yeah, the only way I can really imagine it is if I lived out in the woods, like on Little House on the Prairie and there was this huge snowfall and nobody could go anywhere or do anything.  That kind of reminds me of peaceful but...I'd still be worried about all the people that didn't have heat or food or you know...all the stuff we don't know anymore or how to get for ourselves like they did on Little House on the Prairie.

With all that said...I'll tell you what I don't have to imagine....because I get it.  When Jesus was born and the angels declared "Peace on Earth"....it was Him.  He is Peace.  He is Peace in my heart.  Life gets busy. It can even get scary and crazy and feel like it's out of control....but Jesus is Peace, the Prince of Peace to get matter of fact.  He owns it.  He delivers it.  He wants us to have it.  He offers it freely to us.

Can you imagine what life on earth would be like if each one of us lived each day with His Peace flowing through us?  Could it possibly be a little more "Peace on Earth"?

Peace be to your heart sister and Peace be to mine.  Every time you see the word 'Peace', or hear it in these next few crazy days as we prepare to celebrate His birth...remember Him.  Remember that Jesus is your source of Peace.  He will fill your heart with it when you sincerely ask Him.  His peace is not of this world...it doesn't make sense to us sometimes...(if you've ever felt peace in a time of turmoil in your life, then you know what I'm talking about).

It's one of His many, many presents for us.

PEACE.

PEACE IN YOUR HEART.

PEACE IN MINE.

PEACE ON EARTH.

A Time for Everything

Hey all you blog readers. I've got some poetry to share with you today. Some of you may recognize it, and others won't. But I personally think it's a beautiful piece and quite intriguing.
Here it is:

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
A time to search and a time to give up,
A time to keep and a time to throw away,
A time to tear and a time to mend,
A time to be silent and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate,
A time for war and a time for peace.

Isn't that great? It really gets you thinking... Well, do you know who wrote it? Do you know where it's from? Probably one of the famous poets like Shakespeare or Oscar Wilde, right? Hate to break it to you, but that's not right. Not right at all.

This poem is assumed to be written by King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. And who said the Bible wasn't interesting? :)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8... This passage has so much to think about, process, study... it says that there is a time for everything in life. But know when the time is right, that's easier said than done. I have to ask God all the time to show me what I should do, who I should talk to, what I should say. God's the best advice and wisdom-giver you can get! There is a time for everything, but only God knows when the time for each thing is. (I hope that makes sense... it made sense to me!)

Anyways, I guess this post is saying two things (because I got a bit sidetracked :) )...

1) The Bible has some really cool stuff in it and is still relevant in today's society

and 2) God knows when the time is right for every activity under the sun, so why not ask Him to show you that?

There is a time for everything...

Gifts, gifts, gifts...

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.. Ephesians 4:8-9

Salvation...Your Ultimate Gift.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28

Eternal life... I am held safe in Your Hand!

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper/Comforter/Advocate, to be with you forever. even the Spirit of truth. John 14:16,17

The personal Helper... Who is with me always!

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Ephesians 4:7

Grace... in full measure.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Peace...for every situation.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Rest... because You will carry me. 

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

The Kingdom... because You delight in me and are pleased to give it to me. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Good gifts, perfect gifts - every one! ... from You, our unchanging Father.

Nothing tops this Christmas list, for it includes everything! And all because You love me. Thank You Heavenly Father!

Who are you?

I've got a lot to say and not a lot of time before I head off to work...so I'll eat my little bowl of oatmeal and type in between bites!

I have been pondering the last few days on the significance of my identity.  I have also been pondering one of the most beautiful names for Jesus, Immanuel.

This particular name for Jesus is most often heard at Christmas, that beautiful time of year that we celebrate and remember how God came to earth to be with us.

But sisters, listen to me, this one name...this one truth..."God is with us" is sooooooo important to you and to me and to who we think we are, believe we are or know we are.

Does that make sense to you?  On one hand it's so elementary but on the other, it is completely profound.

So my question for you today is.....

Who are you?  And what difference does Immanuel make to you?  Tell me.  I want to know.

The first one to write me back...will get a little treat...

Let's Talk about Christmas

I know, I know... it's early. But I love Christmas, so I start celebrating it as soon as possible! It is only 21 days away, you know :) Well, I just wanted to write a quick reminder about what Christmas is. Christmas is the birthday of a little baby boy, who was born into very dirty, uncomfortable conditions: a barn filled with hay. I don't know about you, but I definitely would not want to have to spend a wintry night in a place like that. But that baby was special. He was God in human flesh... giving up the splendors and glories of Heaven to come down to Earth and be with us. To live among us... and die for us. I imagine it to be kind of like if a human was to give up their normal, comfortable life to become tiny and live with ants. To eventually give up their life to save an anthill. That seems ridiculous, but in a way, that's what Jesus did. And Christmas started it all. So please, I know this season is crazy busy and can be stressful, but remember to take the time to remember God's ultimate gift. Don't let the real meaning of this season be lost. Jesus brought light to our world, and even today we celebrate that fact. Thank you, Jesus, for your gift.