Finding space for JOY in this day.

This little light of mine,

 I'm gonna let it shine,

 Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine!

I've got the candles burning today Just Because candles makes the room come to life and I like that.  No company is not coming today thank goodness, the state of my house is pleading, "Please Clean Me" but that seems like an even better reason to light a candle.

It is a reason to find space for JOY in this day.

Candles should be burned more than they are here lately but life doesn't seem to stand still long enough to just let them burn all day. And I am kind of concerned (Picky) about getting the most bang for my buck when it comes to candles.  I am not one to just light a candle if I can't let it burn for a couple of hours but last night I was treated to that simple pleasure of precious minutes of  glowing smiles by candlelight and it was delightful. I should find more reasons to light candles!  Bryce and I ate dinner at Ariann (oldest daughter) and Billy's house....... By Candlelight :) because Emerson who is 4 1/2  wanted to light the candles for supper. It made My heart smile. I can remember when my daughters were little I decided we would eat an "every day" meal by candle light on occasion. A candle makes you linger a little longer at the table and seemed to create peace at the table which we desparately needed.

One simple act...the Lighting of a candle ......what a difference it can make.

JOY can be found in gratitude So Today I'm thankful that my daughter is passing on the JOY of  a burning candle to her family with a little short and sweet tea light magic. As soon as we were done eating, Emmy blew out the candles because that is the other half of the fun of lighting them!  Anyway.....  Today is one of those Burn all-day kind of days as it is just my dog Molly and I here enjoying a peaceful day.

 After making some memories with little Emerson last week

 need I say again, Things are a bit undone and out of control here today. I Love it that she absolutely loves to visit and I try to make her time here special but also love the calm after the "storm" when I can think my own thoughts again.  I doubt that anyone will be gifting me with a cleaning fairy today or the next, so the candles creates  a place of calm to focus on until I can get everything back where it belongs. Can't blame the mess all on Emmy though I've got a quilt in progress as well...... and at my house creativity is messy!


 Prayer ...........Oh Lord, life is so short,  Please bless the mess!


 Since today is Wednesday and I'm also Wondering......like one candle, I am One Life....what difference can I make in this day??  I don't have a long list of earth shattering accomplishments to hand out and doubt that I ever will, but I do have people of influence in my life and I am leaving a footprint here so today I am thinking about this difference.... Am I passing JOY on to the the next Generation?   Am I spreading JOY to a room and the people in it when I am present much like a candle spreads JOY?


personal journey notes follow..........read at your own risk....... I'm not preaching  or trying to bore you, but I am realizing this post is getting lengthy.  I am trying to learn.  Here are some thoughts I'm trying to process in this whole matter of being JOY- Filled.



A couple of weeks ago i left here with the challenge of focused thinking. I was hoping to Increase my JOY  by trying to think like God thinks and taking a BABY STEP in thinking about a character of God. I chose to focus on, God is HOLY.

Later I came across a devotion with this scripture.  "Blessed is the (WO)man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands."  Psalm 121:1     Delight...Joy......can these words be  interchanged here?

The question for me was, if God is HOLY then how do I think and become more like Him in holiness and find JOY in the process? God's word also says, "Be Holy for I am Holy".   Holy  means having qualities compelling worship and adoration. Does my everyday life look like worship to God? Does my life as a saved person look any different from someone who has not received Jesus as their Savior?   Falling back into patterns of sin steals the joy of salvation.  Some days can be frustrating.  I think being a saved child of God should change me. What would enable me to break out of the sin patterns that hold me and allow me to grow in holiness?

"The greatest turning point in a believer's life-after salvation,that is- is when pursuing God's righteousness changes from an obligation to a delight. Trying to be holy always results in failure after failure.  Falling in love with a righteous God results in progress.  Failures still happen, but there's a noticeably different approach to them.  Instead of obsessing about shortcomings, we begin to obsess about God's goodness.
We can put sin behind us as the exception when we press on into our love for a holy God.  Our focus is taken off of our works and placed appropriately on our Savior. Law no longer consumes us; grace does."
"That doesn't mean that the rules for living a godly life become less relevant. It means only that our method of growth changes.   Instead of trying to eliminate all unrighteousness with legalistic rules, we focus our faith instead on the Righteous One.  A fascination with His goodness has remarkable power to change us.  A dread of the Law has none."  "Supernatural Delight" 7/21/08  Walk thru the Bible INDEED

It seems to me the question is not, Will I find more Joy if I trying harder to do everything right today, but rather am I worshiping HIM, adoring HIM? Am I  Making space in my day to be guided by HIS word  so that I am not living by what others say I should be doing but I am seeking to do what He says to me?  ...........there I  will find JOY  to add to my days .

  BABY STEPS......  BABY STEPS ...
  Read my Bible today and let God speak to me    

                      

May my faith be exercised today, may my prayers be lifted up to the only one who knows the purpose he has for me.  Holy Spirit thank you for  the blessing of JOY today as I delight in you. Strengthen me to EnJOY your commands as I practice loving you.

seeking JOY

Janita