What Brings You Joy?

It just so happens, that on the day Holley chose this topic, I was celebrating my 46th birthday. In the midst of eating cake, Lindor truffles, and opening up cards & gifts; I began asking myself the question....."What exactly are the things that bring me joy?"
Being since the day marked the occasion that it did, I needed only to look around me to fully see and appreciate many of the things that bring me the greatest amount of joy in this life.
Truth be told, many of the "things" I am speaking about are not things at all… They are in fact, people. The people who make up the best part of each and every day of my life.
Reading their words of love that they sent via text, Facebook posts, phone calls, and private messages… Caused me to realize afresh that I am deeply loved and greatly cared for by many.
This day was not only a celebration of the beginning of a new year of life, joy, hope, and expectation….It was an opportunity for me to savor all of my blessings…… And to recognize, that no matter how often I blow it, mess up, or fail; there are those whom God has graciously placed in my life who love me despite all of my flaws and weaknesses. And that, caused a wellspring of joy to bubble up within me.
Another of my greatest sources of joy is doing exactly what I am doing now…… Sharing my heart and gifts with the hope of encouraging and building up all those who will have the chance to read this blog.
I cannot tell you what it has meant to me to be part of the "Coffee For Your Heart 2014 Encouragement Challenge...." Via this great collective effort of women joining together sharing their voices, gifts, and talents; I have been encouraged not only to share my gifts, but to prayerfully inspire others to share their God-given gifts also. For me, there is nothing more exciting than seeking the face of our Father and asking Him to manifest Himself in and through the talents He has entrusted to me in order that His Daughters might be led to press in, press on, and seek to know and follow His plan for their lives too.....
Lastly, but certainly not least, is the joy I experience from knowing Christ as not only my Lord and Savior, but from knowing Him as my closest and dearest friend. It is because of Him that everything else I previously mentioned has any existence or even makes any sense.
Truly, the most marvelous thing about knowing Him is my being able to rest in the certainty that if none of those other things existed, or somehow ceased to exist; my joy in Him could still be complete because He is enough…… In Him is joy everlasting, joy complete, the fullness of joy, and where all joy originates……
The Word of God tells us that "The joy of The Lord is our strength...." In the book of Nehemiah, Ezra the scribe and priest, along with The Levites, told the people in chapter 8, verse 10, to cease their mourning over their failure to uphold the instruction of the law; and to begin rejoicing because the day they were celebrating was a holy day and cause for celebration. They were reminded on that day, as we should be every day, that security comes from Yahweh alone.
I am not certain of the circumstances of your life, but this I do know…… "Joy" is a little word with huge implications.... It serves us far better than happiness, which is fleeting and circumstantial at best.…… Because joy runs deep and springs eternal. Just like The God who provides it, it is a sure resource for the weary, a refuge for the hopeless, renewal for the tired, and a respite for those who mourn.
So let me ask you, Sis…… "What brings you joy?" When was the last time you really thought about it? I'm not much of a betting gal, but I am willing to bet that if you spend a little time today, just like I did last week, pondering over this vital question; you'll find that you have a lot more to be joyful for than perhaps you even think.....
Based on Nehemiah 8:10-12 and John 15:11


For more encouragement and discussion on what brings you joy don't forget to head on over to http://holleygerth.com/ to link up with the other gals and myself.
Also, be sure to join me Monday morning, February 24 at 10 AM EST on Life On The Grow blog talk radio as I'll be chatting about "How to Experience More Joy in Your Life…"

No Matter What Happens, You're Going To Be Okay Because......

"All my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began...." Psalm 139:16 b HCSB



God is already there....wherever "there" is....He's already gone ahead of you....He's tread the path, knows every twist & every turn.....He's arrived and is awaiting you with open arms.
There is an amazing truth woven into today's Scripture reference....a truth, that reinforces God's ultimate sovereignty over life and death, and also one that ensures us of the absolute fact that our God knows every single plan He has for us; because He has marvelously planned our lives down to the minutest detail.....
What a blessed assurance we have....not one thing that enters or touches our lives does so behind God's back....He knows it all and better yet, is there to meet us and travel each mile with us.....Every single thing that catches us by surprise is history past to Him.....He's already been there and done that.....
One of the things I've learned from understanding and resting in this truth....is to ask God "what?" rather than "why?" By saying that, I don't mean to give the impression that I always immediately understand or even appreciate everything God allows....there have been, and I am sure will still be, many things that occur in my time on this earth that I won't fully grasp until I step over into eternity....but I have decided that instead of wasting precious time striving with God and potentially getting stuck in the "why's" of life....my time is better spent by asking Him "what he wants to teach me in every circumstance of life....." Doing this helps me better accept , by faith, the things that don't make sense; and also helps me focus in on growing up in Christ, rather than feeling helplessly tossed and driven by the ever-changing seas of this life......
I want you to do something, Sis....I want you to read that first line over again; until it really sinks in.....until the truth of it makes it's way into your bloodstream and has a chance to touch every single aspect of your being! I want you to practice this truth until it becomes a permanent part of your thought life....Because no matter what happens, you're going to be okay....I've read the back of The Book.....He's there and we win!!!


To be reminded by a few other ladies that you're gonna be okay; head on over to http://holleygerth.com/ and read the other links found on her page! Enjoy and be blessed!

Encouraging Words For Your Tough Days....

We all have them....those days that seem to stretch on ad nauseum while dragging us painfully and dishearteningly through the muck and the mire.....
We especially have more of those days, it seems, whenever we are trying to focus on accomplishing the purpose and very work for which God called us into this world in the first place.....
So when those days strike, this "Words of Affirmation" gal usually finds herself in need of a healthy dose of "wordy" reassurance....with that in mind, I'd like to do for you ladies today....what I absolutely LOVE to have done for me....I want to give you some encouragement....especially for your tough days!
On the days when you feel small & inadequate, remember that you are enough! God rarely calls the equipped....but He certainly does extend His more than adequate equipping to everyone He calls!
When you feel as though you don't measure up to the rest.....remember....you don't have to! God did literally break the mold when He made you....which means you get to run your own race, at your own pace with your God, who has lovingly & uniquely designed just the "right" work for you to complete on His behalf....in other words, He has a work for you to do that will bring Him glory as well as good to you & others!
On the days when fear threatens to paralyze you..........remember that the Spirit that is housed within you is one of power, love and stability.....you serve The One and Only..... The One and Only who spoke the universe and all that's in it into existence! He is for you....He rejoices over you with singing....what in the world do you have to fear? Yes, I understand that the future is unknown to us and life plainly hurts at times, but we never experience anything in this life that our God cannot understand, cannot walk us through, cannot deliver us from, cannot help us overcome & certainly, cannot work for our good!
On those days, please remember that Jesus came so that you might live in victory....not defeat! He came so you might have an abundant life...live it to the full, and hopefully, invite a few folks to the party!
God doesn't need you, Sis....that's for sure.....yet, cooler still & don't you ever forget it; HE WANTS YOU!!! In the purest, most passionate sense of the expression! He wants you so much that He went to the farthest degree possible to ensure that He would have you as His own...not just in this lifetime, but forever!
So the next time you run across those folks that the enemy is so great at putting in our path who seem to just delight in knocking us down a peg or 2.....I hope I come to your mind....I hope you'll remember that you have a gal pal in this world who wants you to know that you're a gem, a peach, the cat's meow.....all that and a bag of chips.....and she thinks it not cause she's bias and just desires to placate you with a little false flattery....but because she too knows the God you serve and she thinks you're great....even on the tough days.....cause He does too!!!!


*Remember...to take in more great encouragement for your tough days....head on over to http://holleygerth.com/ and let the other gals who have linked in on her page lighten your heart with love and hope! Then, join me Monday, February 10th, at 10 AM EST on Blog Talk Radio, so we can continue today's conversation! Love & Blessings!*

You're Not Alone....

"The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged...." Deuteronomy 31:8


I remember it like it was yesterday, December 12th 1998.....The EMT's were carefully loading my precious Daddy into the back of the ambulance as he literally struggled for every breath.....It felt as though every cell in my body were screaming all at once..."This can't be happening again!"
You see, My family (Daddy included) and I had just been through almost the exact same scenario just 4 months earlier with my precious Momma.....who, was by this time, in Heaven with Jesus......
I climbed in the front passenger seat of the ambulance, and as I did, I felt panic creeping in....as an only child, my life was becoming unrecognizable......and quickly at that!
I was numb......I sat there staring straight ahead with my heart and mind racing.....searching for something to hold onto in that moment when it felt like everything I knew....everything I had built my life around was slipping away......
Suddenly, my heart snagged on something....something solid, something true, comforting, and very familiar....it was faint at first, but the still, small voice began to grow stronger inside of me until I heard it with force and clarity......"NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU....NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU!"
And then I knew it.....I wasn't alone....despite how small and alone I felt in that awful moment, my God was there assuring me of His constant, eternal Presence......with me....and with my Daddy.
As God would have it, my Daddy did leave this world and join Him in Heaven that day, and even though I went through a season of fear and discouragement the like's of which I had never experienced before.....I have since learned the absolute truth of Deuteronomy 31:8......I am never alone and my Sweet Sister, neither are you.......
I don't care how alone you may feel, right now, at this very moment.....you simply must remind yourself that feelings lie! Scripture tells us, that God, on the other hand, is not a man that He should lie....to make it plain.....HE CAN'T LIE because there is no darkness in Him.....
He says you are not alone and by George, you're not alone....ever! Early in the morning, at noonday and late in the midnight hour....He is there.....with you, for you, by you, over you, and around you! Ever-loving, ever-caring, ever-present, ever-working.....
I wish I could say I've never experienced another moment of loneliness, sorrow, or panic.....nope, I can't say that at all.....I also cannot tell you that you'll never experience another moment filled with those emotions either.....what I can tell you though is this....now, when those moments find me, I try to do 3 things right away.....I close my eyes, quiet my racing mind/heart and begin to listen for His still, small voice.... and I listen hard until I can hear it ringing loudly within me like a bell full of eternal promise....."NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU.....NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU!"
I pray you can hear it too, Girlfriend.....I pray you hear it too.......


*For more great reminders that you're not alone head on over to http://holleygerth.com/ today and/or join me Monday, February 3rd at 10 AM EST on  Blog Talk Radio to hear more on ways to relate to loneliness!

You're Beautiful.....Just as You Are

As a 51,  very soon to be 52 year old woman, whose BMI falls comfortably in the "overweight" range....living in a society where all over the television, especially this time of year, are svelte, swimsuit clad, gorgeous, 20-somethings.....I really NEEDED this weeks reminder!

I am beautiful....just the way I am!!!! Why? Simply cause GOD SAYS SO and He alone, along with His Word alone, are to be our final authority!

Now, please hear me clearly, I am not at all saying that there is anything wrong with having been endowed with the God-given gift of external beauty.....every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above....beauty included!

I suppose that what I am attempting to say here is....while external beauty is good, it is not ALL that there is to beauty....especially in God's economy....and especially if you are a child of God in Christ! God's Word reminds us that external beauty is fleeting and does not last (Proverbs 31:30) but there is a most important "type" of beauty that does last, and goes far beyond external appearance.....that is "the beauty" I want to discuss with you today, and I pray with everything in me that by the time I'm done, you'll know for certain, just how gorgeous you really are!

The first thing I want to tell you about  "the beauty" afforded us by God via Christ is that it is eternal....

As 1 Cor. 15:35-50 tells us, we shall receive new, imperishable bodies....unlike the frail human bodies we now live in, our resurrected bodies will be very different from our earthly bodies.....Yes, we will be recognizable to one another, but our bodies will be spiritual ones; full of glory and equipped to endure for all of eternity.....without any of the trappings of earthly beauty that we so often feel the need to partake of in order to feel attractive on this side of life. In other words gals, someday we're gonna receive the Ultimate makeover and NEVER have need for another one......ever again!

The second thing you should know about our beauty in Christ; is that it debunks the world's standards of beauty because it manifests from the inside-out....not the outside-in.......

2 Cor. 4:7 assures us that we have been given a great treasure which is the light of Christ shining in our hearts! This "treasure" is the supremely valuable message of salvation in Christ Jesus which God has entrusted to us to share with those around us.....

In 1 Peter 3:3 Peter admonishes Christian women, particularly wives, to not be overly concerned with outward beauty...i.e. fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry and beautiful clothes.....but rather to concern themselves with the beauty that comes from within; the unfading beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit.

Now let me say again, this does not mean that we, as Christian women, should be dowdy and frumpy. It is absolutely good for us to take care of ourselves, be good stewards of the bodies God has given us, and to look one's best, but far more important than all of that is the developing of an inner spirit of Godliness,which again.....is eternal.

The Third thing you should know about our beauty in Christ is that it is recognizable in us, now....on this side of life because those who possess it also possess wisdom and discretion.....

 Show me a beautiful woman who consistently shows no wisdom and discretion in her behavior and I will show you a woman who does not yet fully know her worth in Christ! Proverbs 11:22 instructs us that a beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like adorning a pig's snout with a gold ring! Basically,  physical attractiveness without discretion is soon discovered to be quite ugly indeed. We also need to develop our ability to think and make wise decisions.....because those two qualities will lead us and sustain us in our efforts to walk out a Godly life here on the earth....yet again, leading to eternal gains.

Again, I can't speak for you gals, but it has done my heart good to be reminded that I can be comfortable in my own skin....right now....today and always.....I'm grateful to know that I can drop, and never need pick up again, the vices of comparison and competitiveness..... I'm grateful that I can continue on in my own race and seek only to become more like Jesus and better at being me.....and the cool thing is....you can too.....because Sweet Sis, you are beautiful.....just as you are! Always have been & always will be!

You're Loved

Ok....I'm just gonna go ahead and admit it.....I am a Girly-girl from the word "Go!" I absolutely adore all things "love" so this week's topic of the Coffee for Your Heart Encouragement Challenge over at Holley's website http://holleygerth.com/  totally floats my boat!
There's nothing better than romance.....good, old-fashioned, true, authentic, romance with the One and Only Lover of our souls!
Yes, human love is great....it can be fulfilling and endure for a life-time, but today, I'd rather we focus on the One true love affair we are offered for ALL of eternitty......The One True Love that doesn't change based on our successes, failures, good times, bad times, education level, or socioeconomic status.
By all means, I love you....like crazy as a matter of fact! I desire, pray and hope the best for you, and I want like nothing else to see you live life to the absolute full....but....unfortunately,  my love is fallible, flawed and finite.... Although I promise to do my best to honor God's decision to allow you & I to journey through life together, alas, that's all I can do....my best....which in the final analysis will not be anywhere near good enough to measure up to the love God Himself holds for you!
There are numerous aspects of God's amazing love that are worthy of our meditation and attention....it's eternal, enduring, unconditional nature are enough to make me swoon, but there's one thing I want you to know, cherish, remember, and hold onto for dear life.....Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING can ever separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus!
"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, "For we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39
I'm not sure about you, but I am in one of those seasons of life where I need to be reminded that I am loved beyond limits or circumstances! I need to be told afresh that I have a love covering me which cannot be shaken or removed.....contains none of the varying degrees of human fickleness.....watched me come into this world, shadows my every step through this world and will certainly be there someday to escort me away from this world.......And I pray Precious Friend, that I have reached my goal in today's post....I pray that your memory has been jogged, your faith bolstered and your heart stirred because we serve a God who is no respecter of persons.....in other words, He has no favorites amongst His kiddos.....just like He loves me....He wanted me to tell ya that you're loved too!

What I Want Those I Care About to Know in 2014

It has been quite some time since I have found myself so excited about taking part in something!
Holly Armstrong Gerth announced last week on her website http://holleygerth.com/ that she was beginning a new series titled "Coffee For Your Heart Encouragement Challenge" and my heart just jumped all over the idea of using my words to encourage and build up the hearts of those God has lovingly placed within my sphere of influence!
I am an encourager by gifting and nature; so being part of something so important.....so cool....just made perfect, immediate, absolute sense to me!
What makes this even more of a blessing for me is the fact that I had been seeking God about how He might have me share thru my regular weekly broadcast in this new year. There had been passing, fleeting ideas which didn't stick....but this Challenge......this caught, stuck and ignited like a wildfire in my heart!
What could be better than getting to spend the next few weeks to months lavishing words of life & love on those I care about?  Absolutely nothing!
In a world where so much of what we hear and are told is designed to make us feel less than and discontented, it is a pure JOY to deliberately set my heart and mind to doing the exact opposite!
I fully expect that the  dividends of completing this challenge will resonate in and thru my life not just for this year, 2014, but throughout all of eternity! That's my prayer at least.....I pray over all those who are embarking on this Encouragement Challenge that our hearts will enlarge with love and hope.....I pray that as we are purpose driven to share the vitally important resource of encouragement with others that God will see to it that we reap 100 fold on what we are sowing! I pray that the joy of The Lord will flow out of us and become contagious to those in our presence! Mostly, I pray that God will be glorified in and thru this series as many of us join together using the various gifts and talents He has entrusted to us as we seek to lift the hearts of His people! Amen!

Our topic for this week is: Encouraging Words I Want Those I Care About to Know in 2014.....so here goes!

1. I want them to know fullness of relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
John 14:6, John 10:10

2. I want them to know that relationship with God is possible because of God's great love for them.
John 3:16, 1 John 4:10-12, (and I am sharing Him because I love them deeply too....)

3. I want them to know they are created with purpose.
Eph. 2:10, Jer. 29:11, Psalm 139:14

4. I want them to know that God is still good even when life is not.
Romans 8:28, Gen.50:20, John 16:33, John 14:27

I hope you'll take the time to search out and reflect on each Scripture reference for yourself, but I also hope you'll join me Monday morning, January 13, at 10 AM EST as I elaborate and share my heart on each point via my weekly broadcast on Blog Talk Radio! Tune in at blogtalkradio.com/lotg so I can tell your heart even more of what I really want it to know!