THREE Gifts before 11:00 am

snow

sticks

sky

God sending me some love today :)

ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Ann Voskamp

live fully right where you are

are you reading it?

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/02/where-to-find-happiness/

It's Friday remember to be Faith- full !

"God is always good and I am always loved"  Ann Voskamp

may your day be blessed!

Janita

junk or JOY! It's MY choice.

If I were going to pick my favorite kind of day I would not pick a rainy day.  Rainy days are dreary days for me . They make me tired, unmotivated and I feel like my blood runs thick.  I just don't have the get up and go on those days.  I find it puzzling how some people can love rainy days.  My husband loves rainy days.

But when life sent me rain on Monday,  my brain and I decided to turn it into a blessing. Emerson was at our house for the afternoon  and though she wasn't begging to go out in the rain she had spied an umbrella hanging up in the closet last week and was itching to make use of it. So While supper was finishing the final stage in the oven and it was wet and rainy outside, I knew sunshine was just around the corner...

   Emerson and I did the best thing i know to do in the rain....(when you are not worried about getting wet)

WALK IN IT with a bright pink umbrella.

There was not a  puddle untouched.

Instant SUNSHINE!

Life is kind of like the rain and the pink umbrella....

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be." Abraham Lincoln

Today it is over cast again, and my sunshine Emerson is not here. There is a lot that is not right with the world.  I think about all of those who have been hit by the devastating tornados of the midwest.

 Despite the weather or circumstances of the day  I have the ability to choose what I want to think about.

 There will always be something  'good' and 'bad' in every day.  

on  most days my thinking needs a measuring stick in order to get the most out of any day. My parents, having grown up in the depression,

 have passed on to me...

 nothing should be wasted especially food.

 God, the giver of food, also gives us this day,

This is the day that the Lord has made,

                                                           
                  let us rejoice and be glad in it".  Psalm 118: 24      
..... no matter what the circumstances of the day.....
 I believe God  promises, Nothing shall be wasted.
 This measuring stick helps me to stay focused
 on the character of God rain or shine.

 So  here is the stick i use to measure my days...

"Finally "Girlfriends" ,

whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are just,

 whatsoever things are pure,

whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report;

 if there be any virtue ,

and if there be any praise,

 think on these things." 

 Phillipians 4 :8

thinking about these things helps me to get the most out of my day.

 a rainy day turns into a pure and joyful day!

rainy days and relationships

they make a good pair

"When you focus on the good, you not only notice more good but you actually create more good."

Tommy Newberry

 Fifteen  minutes of walking in the rain produced a picture to treasure

and a memory with her nanny that will last a lifetime as we find ways to have fun together.

RAINdrops from heaven..... say," it's good" with me.

working my way through this book

(the journey started here)

and getting rid of the junk in my trunk and seeking joy!

may you find and multiply

 whatsoever you are looking for today

 and may your whatsoever bring joy.

Just one BABY STEP to work on this week:

Listen to my self talk this week and file it in the junk or joy category.

Junk I get rid of ..... Joy I keep.

Blessings

 "songs of JOY and victory are sung in the camp of the godly." Psalm 118: 15

Janita

FAITH brings JOY/ ONE chapter for ONE week

This is a learning to walk with joy personal progress report from this post found  here.  Warning ...it contains God's word which has the power to change lives :)  Here is a Summary if you want the short version.... Focusing on the character of God....mental exercise and a can do list.....  ALL WORTH IT!  Yes there has been a spoonful of Joy maybe even a cupful or more of joy added to my week because of these BABY STEPS.

The pictures are to keep you entertained if you think you  might be interested in the progress because who doesn't love a pretty baby who has just turned ONE!    She is a very sweet JOY!

BABY STEP #1   Focusing on God is My SHIELD.  I went to the back of my Bible and looked up every verse that had reference to the word Shield.  When I needed to feel like I had some protection against life's woes I had God's word to lift me to a place that is better than worry.  And when I found the word shield was also in the same breath as joy now that puts the twinkle back in a girl's eye. 

 I Love this verse. 
"The LORD is my strength and shield.  I trust him with all my heart.  He helps me and my heart is filled with Joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."  Psalm 28:7  

I have had this verse, just the middle two sentences on a chalk board in my dining room for months.   Now that I have gone back and read the Whole verse it has a whole new impact.  I stand a little taller because I am standing in the strength of God not my strength to make it all work out.

And this one,
"You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope."   Psalm 119:114

I have this written in my Bible from "The Joy of my Heart" by Anne Graham Lotz  "Your word has given me life." Psalm 119: 50 NKJV  If you are depressed by the greatness of your problems, read God's word! That's where you find help.  That's where you find joy.  Let the rushing waters of the living word drown out all other sounds and voices.  There is life- giving power in the word of God.  At the most difficult times in my life- God's word has sustained me.  There have been times when I have only been capable of reading a few verses at a time, yet the supernatural life-giving power of the word of God has not only helped me maintain my emotional and mental balance, it has given me strength to go on, even if only one day at a time."

you can receive anne's free Joy of my heart devotional here


I think my prayers had a little more ump to them because when I thought about and read the scriptures related to God is my shield  I prayed for the need at hand with the power of God's word.   I thought about the definition for joy specifically that it means exult .  Today, because I believe what jesus did for me , this version of Romans 5 uses the word exult,  I need to remember, no matter what my circumstances are God is in the business of triumph  and thinking about this lifts me to a place that brings joy because he is a shield to me until I get to that point of victory.  I love the thought that he can use me and my circumstances and I can confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing his glory through it all.


Baby Step#2.... slowing life down to read and focus on ONE Chapter of scripture for ONE week does make you think a little deeper and brings just a different sense of perspective to the day.  And when life just keeps clicking along at a steady pace without much to show for God that would be a very good thing.  I chose Romans 5 and was able to read each day from a different version at the Bible gateway link.   The subtitle here....."Faith brings JOY".   True joy will not be found anywhere else.  So I am Keeping the pedal to the metal on this drive through life because i want the real thing. Some times faith  is hard but this reminds me to be faithful. Some days are for growing me pure and simple.

And it's a WOO -HOO  Praise .....

  I was able to memorize 5 verses Romans 5: 1-5.  I love the New Living Translation Bible because it speaks to me in words that I get. so here it goes straight from memory :)...

1 "Therefore since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 

2  Because of our faith Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved priviledge where we now stand and we can confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

3 And we can rejoice when we run into problems and trials for we know that they help us to develop endurance,

4 and endurance leads to strength of character and character strengthens our confident hope of  salvation. 

5 and this hope will not lead to disappointment for we know how much God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

 It is not a praise that I am so good at memorizing but a WOO-HOO praise to God because He has done so much for me and I know he loves it that I would actually think that His word is worthy to be memorized and I took the time out of my day to make that a priority. When my head hit the pillow at night, I rehearsed the verse I was memorizing for the day and if I couldn't sleep at night HIS WORDS were the ones that I chose to focus on.  Thank you Lord for helping the words to stick to my bones.

 little miss Addilyn Grace-every where she walks she spreads JOY-

And My list of Can do things BABY STEPS #3....   Since i'm not really a list maker person I think I did pretty well on one day.  I got a lot done!

Make potato salad
Pick a paint color for the bedroom
clean out another part of my flower bed
I can think about God's love for me
I can take a walk
I can worship while I clean
Iron shirts for next week
Finish angel pillow
return clothes to the store
Read Romans 5 everyday
Spend 1 hour organizing my sewing room
Go to lunch with a friend
clean out husbands car
take some pictures

"Research indicates that the average person thinks approximately fifty thousand thoughts per day.  This is either good or bad news because every thought moves you either toward your God-given potential or away from it.  No thoughts are neutral."   Tommy Newberry " The 4:8 Principle -The secret to a Joy-Filled Life"

If you made it all the way here, I hope you were in some way blessed and encouraged to take baby steps to find more joy in your life.

Seeking joy,
Thanks for stopping by
janita

In this life there shall be JOY!

Think very quickly of 5 people in your life in these catagories, church friend or co-worker, spouse, friend, sibling, child..... and add yourself to the bottom of the list.  Now ask yourself which one do you think radiates joy the most? Can you pinpoint what it is about this person that speaks joy to you?  Did you pick yourself?
Do you think that some people are born with a greater dispositon for Joy?

 Here is the definition of Joy from webster's dictionary.  To define joy seems simple enough but let's just see what it says. " Excitement or pleasurable feeling caused by the acquisition or expectation of good; gladness; pleasure; delight; exultation;  exhilaration of spirits; the cause of satisfaction and happiness- To rejoice; to be glad; to exult."

Following Easter and having a wonderful day with my family I am still riding the tailwinds of joy.

Yes we had a little easter bunny action here....

but there is more to the joy shared here.

  I am filled with Joy because I believe that Jesus died for me on the cross. He endured so much pain just because he couldn't bear to leave earth without taking me with him to heaven.  I am a part of the family of God because I believe Jesus took my sin and the punishment I deserve upon himself  so that I could be forgiven. When I look sin straight in the eye there is no doubt I am in need of a Savior.  We had a great day celebrating his triumph over the grave. Salvation is a free gift.  The blood has been shed, the price has been paid , I encourage you, don't leave earth with out opening this gift.

 Beth Moore says in her book "Praying God's Word Day by Day" " The greatest joy in our lives is the very thing we have deserved the least. It is an absolute gift of grace."  That thought alone should make me forever joy-filled.    But I know as the days pass further away from Easter, life will return to ordinary days and  the exhilaration of spirit will be struggling to surface.  Back to the 5 people up above......6 including me...I did not choose me  to be the one with the most joy.

  Have you heard the saying, Everyday may not be a good day but there is good in every day.?  How about Joy?  Everyday may not be a joy filled day but  can  joy be found in every day?  Lately in my search to be joy-filled  I have laid in bed at the end of the day and  tried to identify places of joy in my day. When I read my Bible the word "JOY" is jumping off the page.   This is proof to me that when i am seeking something that God would want me to have, he will help me find it and understand it.    I believe that joy  is something that God would want everyone to have in this life including me.

So I guess that means the theory that some people are born with a greater disposition for joy might not be true.    As a child of the heavenly Father, God intends for me to live with joy.  "As children of God , we are rightful heirs to the blessing of overflowing joy.  God has declared us worthy.  As a result, we have a calling, a responsibility to express and demonstrate joy by the way we live."  Tommy Newberry

"Oh the joys of  those who do not follow the wicked,....  But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.  Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do."  Psalm 1: 1-3

" Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in  Christ Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-18

Today is another Wednesday ......
I am  using this book based on Philipians 4:8  to help me in the search for more joy in my life.

THREE things I am going to THINK about from chapter 1 This week.

1. " Being joy filled does not mean your life is perfect. Who could claim that? It doesn't mean your life is great. What it does mean is that you emphatically trust  God and believe that he has great plans for your life, regardless of what is happening right now. Joy is the infectious and uncontainable fruit of divinely inspired growth.  It's a deeply entrenched, unshakable belief, the result of sustained right thinking and dwelling on the nature and character of God.  Joy is an outward sign of inward faith in the promises of God.  It is a way  of acting, and it is evidence of spiritual maturity.  Joy is not a distant destination at which you arrive; rather, it's a path you choose to travel each day."  Tommy Newberry

BABY STEP:  Pick another character of God to ponder and a promise of God that I can choose to apply to my days this week. " God is my shield,saving those whose hearts are true and right." Psalm 7:10

2."Mental discipline is the ability to keep your thoughts consistently focused. When you use the 4:8 Principle as a filter for your thinking, you focus on God and goodness to the exclusion of all else."  "When you keep your thoughts fixed on God, the things of God will naturally permeate your life, and thus your goals will be in line with his will and his kingdom." Tommy Newberry

BABY STEP: exercise those mental muscles...... pick one chapter of the Bible to focus on this week and memorize 5 verses from that chapter.    I really need your help here  Lord because I am a lazy girl when it comes to exercising.

3. Pity parties not allowed.   Replace every can't with a can . There will always be a circumstance in life that has the potential to steal my  joy  if  I  focus on the wrong thing.

BABY STEP:  Make a list of things I  CAN do this week.  And add a smile to someone's day while I'm at it.

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;

 I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.  I will be filled with joy because of you.

  I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:1-2

Have a week blessed with joy!

thanks for stopping by

Janita

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

walk in the WORD Wednesday

What have you been thinking about today?

Do you ever stop and think about what you're thinking about?

What if someone were to encourage you to THINK DIFFERENTLY?

Today, I'm thinking about too many things frankly and that is leading to a bit of unproductivity. I'm thinking about people who have got their groove on and are so productive. I'm thinking of the person I would like to be in character but I'm not. I'm thinking about how my family would remember me if they had to say something at a memorial service. I'm thinking about Projects that would refresh me if I finished them because I love a bit of homemade, but these projects are stuck at various stages somewhere between beginning and end and are having trouble getting to the finish line. I'm thinking about how short life is because my days go by so quickly and I'm thinking about how do I give God More of my day? How do I MAXIMIZE this day.... you know the saying.... SEIZE THE DAY because I'm never going to have this day again? And has anyone seen JOY, I can't seem to find her today.

In all of this thinking, if I really STOP TO THINK I might have to ask myself; Do I have THINKING HABITS that are causing me to experience less? Less Joy ... Less abundant Life than God intended? How do I turn that in to MORE?








BABY STEPS.....
ONE STEP AT A TIME...

BY WHAT I THINK.




"I've observed that all lasting change is preceded by CHANGED THINKING. Any other type of change will be only temporary" Tom Newberry

It is Wednesday once again......... Time to grow more JOY in my life. I'm working my way through this book on Wednesdays.





I had an exceptional day last week. I went to the memorial service of the daughter of some friends, her vibrant life on this earth was overcome by brain cancer and I also went to a wedding of the son of some other friends all on the same day. One life is over in this earthly realm way before those who loved her were ready to let her go and another life on the road to all things new and for the most part just beginning.

Both of these events in one day packed a Whammy in my thinking. No matter how I look at it I only have so many days to live. And I'm already considered over the hill. Better get my game on SOON!

With the help of Tom Newberry and seeking not just more JOY in my life but seeking to be JOY- FILLED, here are

THREE THINGS THAT I am going TO THINK about THIS week.

1."Behind everything you do is a thought, and each individual thought contributes to your overall character. How well your mind works dictates how much joy you experience, how successful you feel, and how well you interact with other people. " Tom Newberry.

"No area of your life is untouched by your thoughts. Your habitual thinking patterns either encourage you toward excellence or nudge you into weakness." Tom Newberry

BABY STEP.....MY thinking ability needs to be focused and intentional with quality thoughts.

2. No Matter how many years have past, tomorrow can be a new beginning to become something new.
"....Let God Transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." Romans 12:2

BABY STEP... Believe that I can become everything that God had in mind when he created me.
In the moments that I seek that end there I will find JOY!

3. To get to this amazing place that can exceed even my wildest imagination here is the catch
......"I must learn to think like Godthinks!"..................................................
"To understand how God thinks, we must first comprehend WHO God is."
"We can learn to focus our thoughts on things that reflect and honor his character."
"To think like God you must become intentional about mirroring his image in all that you do."

" As your thoughts reflect God's thoughts, not only will you glorify God, but you will also increase your positive influence on those you love." Tom Newberry

BABY STEPS.... Think about one character trait of God this week ..... God is HOLY.


Today as I was reading my Bible I came across this scripture;
"All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting JOY" Psalm 22:26

The scripture on which this book is based is Phillipians 4:8 witten by the apostle Paul who chose to emphasize possiblilities instead of problems.

BABY STEPS, BABY STEPS.......eventually I will learn to walk and someday run with JOY!

Seeking to be JOY- Filled
Janita