What a glorious day in Minnesota! This summer has been a-typical weather for us. Cooler temperatures than average and the air is fabulously dryer. Meaning, not humid! :) I am sitting out on the deck listening to the birds sing and enjoying the calm breeze and dancing reed grass. It makes me smile, happy and peaceful and it brings to mind the word I have been pondering the last couple of days.
Joy.
My search drummed up this. “True happiness comes from within.” At least that’s what our culture
tells us while beating the drum of self-esteem as the route to real joy.
But what if this is wrong? What if true joy comes not from within, but from without? What if it comes from God himself? Quote from Josh Moody his book Journey to Joy.
Let's delve into this.
A quote I heard from the fabulous speaker on Saturday:
"Joy is heaven's language!"
And as the Lord would have it the day after in my devotional this verse is highlighted "Be joyful in hope..." Romans 12:12a and another...
1 Thes 5:16 Be joyful always.
There are 214 uses of the word joy in the NIV. Of those verses, nearly a
quarter of those verses are found in the Psalms.
1. I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
2. Shout for Joy to the Lord
3. Joy in your presence
4. Joy comes in the morning
5. You will fill me with joy in Your presence
And the one that touched my heart the most while searching:
6. What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own His holy name. Ps 33:21 MSG
Taken for our own.
Choose: It has to do with choice.
Take: It has to do with action.
Look: It has to do with looking to Him instead of looking within.
Seek: It has to do with seeking. But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "God is great!" Ps 70:4
Anyone remember this song?
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
So where does joy come from?
I've got the Love of Jesus, Love of Jesus down in my heart.
It comes from Him! Wahoo!
The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Seek and you WILL find,
Amy
it
is a time to celebrate with a hearty meal and to send presents to those
in need, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. You must not be
dejected and sad!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
To Do List
It's time to get back to the list.
Master To Do List
I was looking back over my posts and I also discovered it has been months since I filled up a bag! I believe I was on bag #45.
Outside work starts and I find myself much more inclined to pull weeds, dead-head flowers and dig in the dirt than to deal with the clutter in my closets, basement storage room, and counter! One week's worth of mail in several different piles, AGAIN. I think it may be time to face the fact I need a mail entry system. Mail enters the house 6 days a week. Every week. Every year. This shouldn't be a surprise. Perhaps an organized manner in which to deal with this might be in order!!
I wonder how many organizing books I have read over the years. The latest was One Thing at a Time by Cindy Glovinksky. http://www.amazon.com/One-Thing-At-Time-Clutter-Free/dp/0312324863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405604254&sr=8-1&keywords=One+thing+at+a+time+book
How about this for crazy good "coincidences"!?. I picked up the aforesaid book, opened it up at a random place and here is the page...Chapter 45, Make a "To Sort" Basket.
First line of chapter: Do you leave papers spread out all over your dining room table as a way of motivating yourself to sort them?...If this is your game, it's time to get real.
Put everything into the "To Sort" basket and then every couple of days or once a week sort it!
This brings me back to the To Do List. This sort basket is all fine and good, but it needs to go on my schedule. I would much rather meet a friend for lunch, sit out and look at the lake, or watch a tv show with all of my boys than sort, file, and pay bills!
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Time to get real.
1. Go get cute basket
2. Put all mail in it
3. Enter in datebook time to Sort Basket (Fridays at 9:00)
Done.
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Cool! Ok, and while I was at that list I cleaned off all of the kitchen counters. And filled bag #46 with expired boxes of cereal! (Can you say, "Distracted!")
This is the verse that came to mind as I flitted about...
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace...1 Corinthians 14:33 and verse 40
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Message version
God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony...
God doesn't; so who does???
Guess who? Satan...him and his helpers. It delights him when we are in disorder. It's easy pickens'.
Keep her preoccupied, glorifying busyness. Make her believe she is inadequate, confused, and that the situation is hopeless. Aaah...the lies.
So perhaps this is what is on The Master's To Do List?
1. Come away with me for a while. (from today's Jesus Calling devo) Song of Songs 2:13
2. Follow Mary's path...(Luke 10:42)
3. Make Him your highest priority
Focus on the King of Organization. He makes things clear.
His Coincidences. Sort Basket Chapter.
He's helping me all of the time. I just have to pay attention, stop striving and listen.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.
Sit at His feet,
Amy
Bag #46 Expired boxes of cereal
Master To Do List
I was looking back over my posts and I also discovered it has been months since I filled up a bag! I believe I was on bag #45.
Outside work starts and I find myself much more inclined to pull weeds, dead-head flowers and dig in the dirt than to deal with the clutter in my closets, basement storage room, and counter! One week's worth of mail in several different piles, AGAIN. I think it may be time to face the fact I need a mail entry system. Mail enters the house 6 days a week. Every week. Every year. This shouldn't be a surprise. Perhaps an organized manner in which to deal with this might be in order!!
I wonder how many organizing books I have read over the years. The latest was One Thing at a Time by Cindy Glovinksky. http://www.amazon.com/One-Thing-At-Time-Clutter-Free/dp/0312324863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405604254&sr=8-1&keywords=One+thing+at+a+time+book
How about this for crazy good "coincidences"!?. I picked up the aforesaid book, opened it up at a random place and here is the page...Chapter 45, Make a "To Sort" Basket.
First line of chapter: Do you leave papers spread out all over your dining room table as a way of motivating yourself to sort them?...If this is your game, it's time to get real.
Put everything into the "To Sort" basket and then every couple of days or once a week sort it!
This brings me back to the To Do List. This sort basket is all fine and good, but it needs to go on my schedule. I would much rather meet a friend for lunch, sit out and look at the lake, or watch a tv show with all of my boys than sort, file, and pay bills!
1. Go get cute basket
2. Put all mail in it
3. Enter in datebook time to Sort Basket (Fridays at 9:00)
Done.
This is the verse that came to mind as I flitted about...
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace...1 Corinthians 14:33 and verse 40
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Message version
God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony...
God doesn't; so who does???
Guess who? Satan...him and his helpers. It delights him when we are in disorder. It's easy pickens'.
Keep her preoccupied, glorifying busyness. Make her believe she is inadequate, confused, and that the situation is hopeless. Aaah...the lies.
So perhaps this is what is on The Master's To Do List?
1. Come away with me for a while. (from today's Jesus Calling devo) Song of Songs 2:13
2. Follow Mary's path...(Luke 10:42)
3. Make Him your highest priority
Focus on the King of Organization. He makes things clear.
His Coincidences. Sort Basket Chapter.
He's helping me all of the time. I just have to pay attention, stop striving and listen.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.
Sit at His feet,
Amy
Bag #46 Expired boxes of cereal
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Blessed by bling!
Blessed by bling! Yep, that is exactly how it happened.
I was in the mall this past winter and saw this amazing sparkly sign that said "BLING". I told my son that we must go over and take a photo. Then we proceeded into the store.
We met a beautiful woman and got to talking about bling and blessings.
Long story short we shared about health issues. And boy do I have a lot to share in that category.
In the end, my new friend learned about my naturopathic doc and found relief! PTL!
This God meeting was brought to you by my eye for shiny, pretty things.
God can use all things for good...and He does.
I was reminded of all of this by a grateful message commented on Facebook.
Yep, God has used Facebook as a blessing in my life in more ways than I can count.
Even though some want to use it for bad (my account was hacked into on the 4th of July), God intended it for good!
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. Genesis 50:20a NLT
This comes from the mouth of Joseph. Joseph whose brothers threw him in a well to die, got a new idea as they ate lunch and instead sold him into slavery and covered it up with the blood of a goat on his coat of many colors. (See the whole story of Joseph in Genesis 37:1-50:26)
The above verse was stated after many years of Joseph being faithful. He chose to see God at work in every day life.
This is my desire. To stop being caught up in the mundane of the same old same old. And look for blessings in the serving of others, making of the meal, strolling in the sunshine, watering of the flowers, and even shopping in the mall. Believe that God is at work in the normal.
Bling...it is good.
Blessings,
Amy
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
I was in the mall this past winter and saw this amazing sparkly sign that said "BLING". I told my son that we must go over and take a photo. Then we proceeded into the store.
We met a beautiful woman and got to talking about bling and blessings.
Long story short we shared about health issues. And boy do I have a lot to share in that category.
In the end, my new friend learned about my naturopathic doc and found relief! PTL!
This God meeting was brought to you by my eye for shiny, pretty things.
God can use all things for good...and He does.
I was reminded of all of this by a grateful message commented on Facebook.
Yep, God has used Facebook as a blessing in my life in more ways than I can count.
Even though some want to use it for bad (my account was hacked into on the 4th of July), God intended it for good!
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. Genesis 50:20a NLT
This comes from the mouth of Joseph. Joseph whose brothers threw him in a well to die, got a new idea as they ate lunch and instead sold him into slavery and covered it up with the blood of a goat on his coat of many colors. (See the whole story of Joseph in Genesis 37:1-50:26)
The above verse was stated after many years of Joseph being faithful. He chose to see God at work in every day life.
This is my desire. To stop being caught up in the mundane of the same old same old. And look for blessings in the serving of others, making of the meal, strolling in the sunshine, watering of the flowers, and even shopping in the mall. Believe that God is at work in the normal.
Bling...it is good.
Blessings,
Amy
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
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