Sunday, December 13

Joy

Today in Sunday school we were talking about Joy VS. Happiness. I had never really thought about this before but I realized that there are many things that can make a person happy, but very few and special things that bring you joy. Happiness can be temporary, Joy is from the Lord and is solid. I realized that if I'm having a bad day, the things that might make me happy, just won't cut it..but even on my worst day, the Joy of the Lord will always bring a smile to my face- even if it's for a moment. Joy is permanent. If we have the Joy of the Lord, we will not be moved.

There are many things that make me happy, and bring goodness to my life- but when I dig deep down, there are things that bring me earthly joy, the kind that only Jesus hands out. Those are the things I cherish, and count my blessings daily.


Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for JOY and I will give thanks to him in song.

Tuesday, December 8

The Snail will make it to the Ark!!

I haven't blogged in a while and I figured it was time. Usually I end with the update but today I will start..

Thanksgiving came and went in a flash, it just didn't seem to last long enough. My mom was able to celebrate Thanksgiving in Texas for the first time in 17 years! It was such an incredible blessing to have her here with us. I ran my first 5k with my aunt Thanksgiving morning and it was a great way to start the day! We had a great time running/walking/talking and made an amazing memory together.
I only have 21 short days left in Texas and I can't believe how fast the time has went. I knew that coming to TX would be a good idea but what I didn't know was that God had a divine plan in mind for His child. I am still fighting many battles and trying to find my purpose and place in life but I can see now, just how much God loves me. He has carried me through these last couple months and lifted me on the wings of eagles. His joy is overflowing and I have tried to maintain the peace that He has given me.

Battles, I have realized what a battle, we has humans must fight. Everyday Satan is trying to destroy us and we must put on our Armor, take heart, and fight this battle. I can see now that the trials I've faced have always been for my own good. God is molding me each and every day and even through the heartache, His glory will be revealed. This has been so hard for me because I forget so easily that my flesh might be weak, but my Spirit is willing..and if my Spirit is willing, then God will not leave me nor forsake me. He has a plan and purpose for my life and I want to choose to live a life for Him and for His kingdom. My heart wants to love, live, and learn. I want to serve God with my whole being and I am doing what I can to live a life worthy to be lived. In my Devotion this afternoon the author was talking about how even the snail made it to the Ark, not because he was fast or witty..but because he had endurance. So even if we move very, very, slowly- we can make it to the Ark if we just endure. That spoke wonders to me because so often I lose track of what's important and I begin to fall in a place of guilt, fear, and defeat. I think it's too hard so I simply, give up. How I so hope that I can continue to work through this, it's a horrible quality and I pray that whatever I have to endure- God continues to teach me to not loose hope or give up. For I need to remember that Jesus has already overcome the world, and He has taken all my pain and all my fear. All things are possible with Christ, He is my Strength, my Hope, my Friend.

My friend is still in the hospital, it has been a long, intense, and painful time for this family. My heart breaks as they fight such a terrible storm but I can see how God's glory is being revealed and even though they are hard-pressed, they are not crushed. For God loves Jordan more than any of us and He knows the plans He has set for this young boy.


We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:8-18

God has carried me through each do new and His mercies are new every morning. I must continue to put my trust in Him.