My Prayer!

Father God,

As I continue to seek You, I find myself captivated in all that You are. Your love baffles me. I was reading John's account of Your crucifixion today and it is beyond my comprehension that even after enduring such torture, You chose to love and forgive. And then to think that You hung there on that cross and thought of me. You chose to forgive the wrong that You knew I would commit. My sin caused You to be put to death. That is a debt that can never be repaid! You saved me and I owe You my life.

Lord, I confess that You have not been my #1 priority for a long time. I keep getting in my own way. I've always known that I needed You, but my perspective was that of, "When I need Him, I'll call." I understand now that it should've been, and always be, "You are my all in all, and it's Your call."

Your inspired words in 1 Corinthians 6:20 say, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." My prayer is that I will etch this verse upon my inmost being and remember all that You went through to win my heart! I am not my own. I belong to the Most High God! This truth brings me such indescribable joy!!

You are my King! My heart desires to be ever near You! Jesus, teach me to walk with You and mimic Your every step, so that my path will lead straight to Your throne on High, where I will live with You eternally!!

It is an amazing feeling to be wrapped in Your Joy! Your embrace is a place that this world can't touch or remove me. I love it here! I wish I never strayed from Your presence.  You are my Joy! I am grateful to You and love You beyond compare! Thank you for being mine and for making me Yours!! 

One of Your "lost without You" sheep

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!

Joy defined!

Here are the definitions that man has come up with to best describe "Joy":
1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation
2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated 
3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety
4. the state of happiness or felicity
5. rapture or bliss

The Joy of the Lord outweighs all these definitions combined. It goes beyond complete satisfaction; beyond contentment; beyond happiness; beyond freedom. It is an unmistakable mark left by the Holy Spirit that only the Lord can impart; it is constant, unwavering, and absolute. Joy is Jesus' everlasting imprint!

I think the reason we observe so many sullen Christians in today's day & age, is because they are not plugged in to the proper source. They look to the world to "make them happy" and base joy on circumstances. It's the "I'll be happy when..." mentality. If you are looking for a source of joy, you won't find it here on earth, Friend. True joy is supernatural! It is not based on the "If I only's..." but rather the "Is your only..." Jesus Christ IS YOUR ONLY conduit for absolute joy.

Isaiah 35:10 - "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."
John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
John 16:22 - "...I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."

A quote I love: "...this joy was very great, a joy unspeakable, and full of glory; it was not carnal, but spiritual, a heart joy, joy in the Holy Ghost;"

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!

Joyful Noise!

"O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms." Psalms 95:1-2

SING! Make a joyful NOISE! Who do you know that sings & makes noise most often?! Children! My sweet toddlers come to mind. Karis & Kelsie love to sing & make noise. They don't even have to know the words to a song; they just sing! The beautiful part about that is...a childlike faith and love of Jesus is most precious to our Heavenly Father! Children are filled with overwhelming joy. Their enthusiasm for Jesus seems effortless. When was the last time you couldn't contain your joy, Friend?! Have you ever shouted out in praise of your Savior and thanked Him for all He's done for you? When was the last time singing a worship song brought a joyful tear to your eye?

"But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven'." Matthew 19:14.
"Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

If you haven't heard of it, I would encourage you to read "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo.
"A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven. Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle."
This book provides an amazing perspective through the eyes of a 4 year old. Colton loves Jesus and is full of the joy of the Lord! It is infectious!

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!