Category: joy

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Joy & Laughter

“A cheerful heart is good medicine,  but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22 NLT

Some people in our nation have spent the last six to eight weeks shut up, living in fear. Now, some of those same people are frustrated, angry and striking out. Heart and determination have given way to disillusionment and mistrust.

It’s time for us to focus on what’s good, pure, honest, and lovely. Our family and our friends need our strength and our joy.

“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

A true and honest joy gives strength to our bodies and our emotions. Find something to laugh about, do silly things. If you have children old enough to participate, tell everyone that tonight’s dinner conversation has to be only words that begin with the letter “r”, or whatever letter you choose. Before long everyone will be laughing.

Find an old comedy on Netflix, Prime or whatever streaming source you have. The sillier the better – Carol Burnett, Jonathan Winters, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. If you’re not old enough to know who these people are do a search on them.

Marvel in the small things. We spent a good deal of time this weekend watching two little wrens fly back and forth feeding their young, who are in a nest on our back patio. They were tireless in their efforts to provide for their babies. Look for shapes in the clouds. Go for a walk and count all the different kinds of flowers you find. Have a water fight!

Do something to bring joy and amazement into your life.

“61 The Spirit of the Lord God  has taken control of me! The Lord has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives. 2 This is the year when the Lord God will show kindness to us and punish our enemies. The Lord has sent me to comfort those who mourn,3 especially in Jerusalem. He sent me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts. They will be called  “Trees of Justice,” planted by the Lord to honor his name. 4 Then they will rebuild cities that have been in ruins for many generations.” Isaiah 61:1-4 ERV

There’s a header on these verses which reads “The Good News of Victory”. These words were spoken about the coming of Jesus nearly four hundred years before He was born. Now that Jesus has come He has brought us freedom, peace, kindness, comfort, joy and restoration for what was ruined.

Sounds like a good word for what we’ve been experiencing.

Let the peace of God and joy in the Lord be our guiding force and then let’s share it generously with all we meet!

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Learn What’s Important

I often remember my college days; the friends I made, some hard life lessons and the kindness and wisdom of some of my professors. At the beginning of each semester, one professor in particular would welcome us to class and then explain his expectations of our learning.

He made a statement that we all made note of. He said, “If I say something twice it’s significant and you should retain it to memory, if I repeat something a third time it’s important and will be on the test. Write it down.” He kept his word; when I heard him repeat something I would write it in my syllabus and underline it. This was my indication that it was important.

I don’t know about you but it seems that we have been going through exam week. There have been so many things to test our resolve. The one thing I have been careful not to do is blame God. He’s not at fault – that I know for certain.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

Our heavenly Father is the giver of life and peace. His character is to give love and comfort. He is always the same. There is a Psalm that reminds me of what my college professor said. Read these verses and see if you can figure out what’s important to the Father.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.

4 Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.
5 Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.
6 Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.
7 Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights— His faithful love endures His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.
9 and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1-9 NLT

This Psalm has twenty-five verses and each verse boldly proclaims that God’s love for us endures forever. There are two important things we should take away from this Psalm. 1) Give praise to the Lord and 2) His love endures forever. Since the second statement is true it becomes the premise for the first statement.

Since we know that God’s love endures forever we can always give praise to the Lord. No matter what we experience – joys and challenges – if we remember that the Lord loves us unconditionally we can praise Him, knowing that He will protect and provide, knowing that He desires to fill our lives with good and perfect gifts.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.

5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:4-7 ERV

Now, what I think Paul is wanting us to see is that even in difficulty we can remain joy-filled. God will not abandon us or have us figure things out on our own. No, to the contrary, He will be there to give us the wisdom we need and we will come through this time stronger, with greater resolve.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

The question on the exam of life may be this: How do we handle the difficult situations of life? The answer, He repeated it several times to make sure we get it: Give thanks because God’s love for us endures forever!

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Welcome the Day

Yesterday morning after I posted the blog, Dave and I headed over to the canyon’s edge for an unobstructed view of the sunrise. It’s amazing to watch the valley floor begin to lighten. The clouds were hanging low over the river, the pastures were green and a golden hue chased away the night’s shadows and welcomed the day.

As the sun rose over the mountains ridge we sat in the truck and thanked our heavenly Father for the beauty of His creation; we thanked Jesus for His sacrifice of death on a cross and we thanked the Holy Spirit for His constant companionship each and every day.

They, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have an amazing impact in my life each day. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, I am forgiven and have a life that is reconciled to God the Father. The Holy Spirit leads, instructs and gives me guidance from God’s word. My heavenly Father has filled my life with power and purpose.

“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT

God the Father has chosen to invest His power in our lives. He doesn’t want us living a defeated, contrary and worrisome existence. He wants our lives to be filled with hope, joy and peace.

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-4 CEV

The beauty of each morning’s sunrise is a testament to God’s faithfulness and power. He lights the world for the day’s activities and He has placed the light of His love in our hearts to be a ray of hope to all we meet.

Welcome the day with light of God’s love!

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Start the Day with Purpose

I have to admit that this morning is one of those when I wish I could go back to bed and sleep just a while longer and it’s definitely time for another cup of coffee. The day ahead is God’s slate to write on. I will praise God for His love and goodness and for His provision in my life.

Use me Lord to pen your words!

“Greatness, power, glory, victory, and honor belong to you,  because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. The kingdom belongs to you, Lord! You are the head, the Ruler over everything. 12 Riches and honor come from you. You rule everything. You have the power and strength in your hand!  And in your hand is the power to make anyone great and powerful! 13 Now, our God, we thank you, and we praise your glorious name!” I Chronicles 29:11-13 ERV

These words were penned by David at the end of his life. He was addressing the nation of Israel and taking up an offering to build the temple. His comments conveyed the deepest feelings of his heart; the Bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart.

David wasn’t a perfect man but he would quickly repent when he knew that his actions went contrary to God’s will. He wasn’t motivated by greed or power or pride. He knew that all he had was given to him by God and so he kept his heart open to give whenever God asked something of him. He gave freely and generously – he gave more than was required.

His motivation wasn’t to protect his reputation or hold on to “his” kingdom. He wanted to see that God was honored and God’s people were protected.

What an amazing life.

“God, I am ready, heart and soul,  to sing songs of praise. Wake up, my soul! 2 Harps and lyres, wake up, and let’s wake the dawn! 3 Lord, I will praise you before all people. I will sing praises about you to every nation.” Psalm 108: 1-3 ERV

David was far from perfect. He had an affair with the wife of one of his soldiers and she became pregnant. To hide what he had done David had her husband killed. God corrected him and David repented. David loved God and wanted to serve Him. God loved David and forgave Him of his sins.

I know everyone of us are guilty of doing things that don’t honor the Lord. God isn’t pleased with what we do but He loves us still. He loves us because God is love and His mercy keeps us from receiving the punishment we desire.

“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:8 ERV

Singing is a great way to express gratitude. We had so much to be thankful for even when we are going through rough times. We’re going to sing when we get to heaven so let’s get started now.

Heaven is a place of continuous praise to God and when we get there we will join that choir. We’ll praise Him for His amazing love but let’s not wait until then. Let’s be like David and wake up the world with our praises. Let’s start the celebration here and now. While on earth, let’s begin to magnify the Lord our God for no other reason than that He is the Lord God Almighty. We can join in with heaven’s chorus as they sing.

“Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. You made all things. Everything existed and was made because you wanted it.”” Revelation 4:11 ERV

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Social Distancing

Yesterday morning Dave and I took a hike in the open land near our home. Social distancing at it’s finest!

We walked down the dirt road, enjoying the wild flowers that have started to bloom. The hillsides were covered with tender green grass which popped up after the Spring rains we had last week. We walked over three miles, visiting the whole way and thanking God for His beauty. Not bad for a couple of senior citizens.

Did you know that social distancing is a Biblical idea?

It started in the garden of Eden. God called to Adam and Eve to walk with Him each evening. Abraham met with God; they walked and talked on many occasions as the Lord told Abraham His plans. Moses practiced social distancing when he left the Israelites at the base of Mount Sinai and met God at the top.

Daniel used social distancing three times a day when he left all the activities of the king’s court and went to his room, where he opened the windows and prayed. His practice of self-isolation got him thrown into the lions den – now that really is social distancing. On and on it goes; one person after another separated themselves from the populous and they prayed.

Jesus patterned that activity for us. After being with people all day, facing ridicule, harassment and personal demands, He would separate Himself and spend most of the night praying. He needed to come away from the virus that surrounded Him, a virus of jealousy and hatred.

“While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, “Everybody’s looking for you.” Mark 1:35-37 MSG

“As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.” Matthew 14:22-23 MSG

Prayer is the epitome of social distancing. It’s the Lord and us talking, talking about our joys and our sorrows, our hopes and dreams. It’s ok to the tell the Lord about our disappointments and our anxieties. But we must never be the ones doing all the talking – we need to listen too.

Once we finish praying we need to be quiet enough to hear the Lord speak. To some that may be a new idea, the idea of God speaking to us. But He does and He wants to tell us more than what we sometimes want to listen to.

“Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.” Jeremiah 33:3 MSG

When we get quiet and listen we might have something “just pop into our head” reminding us of something that happened before. Or, how many times have we heard someone say, “It just dawned on me” or “I knew I shouldn’t have done this or that”? What about the phrase “I just felt that on the inside” or “I had an intuition about that”?

The primary way that the Lord speaks to me is by reminding me of a verse I’ve read or a message I have heard preached. Not everything that pops into our head is from God; there have been times I’ve had thoughts that I should eat the whole bag of chips or finish off the last of the cake – unfortunately, that’s not God.

I am definitely into social distancing, even when it isn’t required, to prevent the spread of this virus. Every morning I self-isolate when I get up and have my quiet time. It’s my time to be alone; to pray, to read and to talk to the Lord. This type of social distancing will inoculate us from the infectious diseases of jealousy, bitterness, pride, anger and selfishness.

I hope you experience the joy of self-isolation as you and the Lord spend this time together.

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Word Search Challenge

While we are practicing our social distancing I have a way for us to pass the time. If you’re like me, you are probably tired of sitting on the couch. Don’t want to watch television, have seen enough movies and news.

I really enjoy “hidden object” games. Looking for things that are hidden and then remembering them for the next time you come back to that scene – it’s a real challenge and something I just like to do. But my all time favorite is Word Search. It’s a great way to improve your vocabulary and keep your mind alert. It was also one of my Dad’s favorites.

I also enjoy another kind of word search and I do it every morning.

When I first really got turned on to God’s word I began using it like my own personal hidden message from heaven. My goodness, that’s been over 40 years ago now. I had been raised in church all my life but never really got in and studied the Word for myself. You know, you go to church and listen to the minister or Sunday School teacher and you just accept what they say and never really give much thought to it the rest of the week.

But after we saw God do a miracle and heal our son, we started searching to find out what the Word said to us and how it would impact our daily lives. I remember so clearly sitting down at our kitchen table with our Bibles, a Strong’s concordance and a legal pad. We began to search out different words and how they had been used throughout the Bible. We would read a verse and then the verses before and after to make sure we saw things in their proper context. The search was on!

We asked the Lord for understanding of His Word and He gave it to us. One Scripture that I had always heard took on new meaning. I had always heard the verses “Eye hath not seen or ear heard what has entered into the heart of God and that no one can know God’s thoughts” but in reading, truly searching the Scripture with the Holy Spirit guiding, I found that there was more to that verse than how it had always been quoted.
“We teach wisdom to people who are mature, but the wisdom we teach is not from this world. It is not the wisdom of the rulers of this world, who are losing their power. 7 But we speak God’s secret wisdom that has been hidden from everyone until now. God planned this wisdom for our glory. He planned it before the world began. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood this wisdom. If they had understood it, they would not have killed our great and glorious Lord on a cross. 9 But as the Scriptures say,
“No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined
what God has prepared for those who love him.”
10 But God has shown us these things through the Spirit. The Spirit knows all things. The Spirit even knows the deep secrets of God. 11 It is like this: No one knows the thoughts that another person has. Only the person’s spirit that lives inside knows those thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit. 12 We received the Spirit that is from God, not the spirit of the world. We received God’s Spirit so that we can know all that God has given us.” I Corinthians 2:6-12 ERV

What had been left out was the part about the Holy Spirit knowing God’s thoughts and He would give us the ability to KNOW all that God has for us. WOW!!! Talk about Hidden Treasures – we had a whole book of God’s thoughts right before us and all we had to do was search them out.

There is also this written by the prophet Jeremiah “I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

Let me encourage you today to start your own “word search”. This one isn’t a game, it’s life, peace and joy. The verse above says we search with all our heart and then King Solomon gave instruction this way “The LORD is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth. 7 He gives good advice to honest people and shields those who do what is right. 8 He makes sure that people are treated fairly. He watches over his loyal followers. 9 If you listen to him, you will understand what is just and fair and how to do what is right. 10 You will gain wisdom, and knowledge will bring you joy. 11 Planning ahead will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:6-11. ERV

I didn’t have a photographic memory so I would write the verses that really spoke to me on an index card and I kept that in my back pocket until my bundle of verses got too big and then I put them in my purse, glove box and on the tractor so that I always had them close at hand until they were in my heart.

What is your quest? Do you need to search for peace, safety, joy? You’ll find them all in the “word search”. May I suggest you use the Biblegateway.com app? It has a wide variety of translations to make the Bible easier to understand.

God’s word will change your life!

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Choose Joy & Pray

Our President has called today, March 15, as a National Day of Prayer. I whole heartedly concur. Pastors all across our nation will be leading their members in a time of prayer, either in small church gatherings or on-line. What a great way to spend the day!

Last night, we watched our pastor on-line, heard a wonderful message from God’s word and joined in prayer. Today I know I will find myself listening to other pastors and joining my heart with those who are listening.

Over the last few days I have found many places where God’s word encourages us during times of trouble.

“He will protect me when I am in danger.  He will hide me in his tent. He will take me up to his place of safety. 6 If he will help me defeat the enemies around me, I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and play songs to honor the Lord.” Psalm 27:5-6 ERV

“The Lord watches over his followers, those who wait for him to show his faithful love.
19 He saves them from death.  He gives them strength when they are hungry. 20 So we will wait for the Lord. He helps us and protects us. 21 He makes us happy.  We trust his holy name. 22 Lord, we worship you, so show your great love for us.” Psalm 33:18-22 ERV

“I went to the Lord for help, and he listened. He saved me from all that I fear. 5 If you look to him for help, he will put a smile on your face. You will have no need to be ashamed. 6 As a poor, helpless man I prayed to the Lord,  and he heard me. He saved me from all my troubles. 7 The Lord’s angel builds a camp around his followers,  and he protects them. 8 Give the Lord a chance to show you how good he is. Great blessings belong to those who depend on him!” Psalm 34:4-8 ERV

Did you notice these words in those verses – Joy – Happy – Smile? When we are trusting God we can have joy in even the worst circumstances. I have one more verse to share with you before I close.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine,  but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22 NLT

Today is a good day for taking the medicine of a cheerful heart! Open wide, swallow big and repeat as often as needed. No adverse side effects.

Trust God! Choose Joy! Pray!

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Joy Comes in the Morning

How did you sleep last night?

Were you blessed with restful, peaceful sleep? Be thankful, so many weren’t. There are those who were up standing watch over their cities; firefighters, police, EMT’s, hospital staff. Then others were assigned to their posts of protecting our Nation; Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and Border Patrol. They all have a daunting task to perform in keeping us safe and they do it willingly.

Others I know were up half the night grieving over the recent loss of a loved one. The sadness, the loneliness covers them like a roaring wave, crashing on the shore. Last night, for many, was filled with travel; a flight taking them home to family and loved ones or taking them too some exciting destination. Then there were those who sat beside a dear precious soul getting ready to leave this earth for their heavenly home.

“The night may be filled with tears, but in the morning we can sing for joy!” Psalm 30:5b ERV

Over twenty years ago, I began each morning by reading Psalm 143 and Psalm 145. No matter what had happened the night before, I greeted each day focusing on God’s love and provision. I felt compelled to share this with you today. I have no idea what your night was like but God does. His purpose is to bring you joy this morning, lasting joy.

“Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. 9  Rescue me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You. 10  Teach me to do Your will [so that I may please You], For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11  Save my life, O Lord, for Your name’s sake; In Your righteousness bring my life out of trouble. 12  In your lovingkindness, silence and destroy my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my life, For I am Your servant.” Psalm 143:8-12 AMP

“The Lord lifts up people who have fallen. He helps those who are in trouble. 15 All living things look to you for their food and you give them their food at the right time. 16 You open your hands and give every living thing all that it needs. 17 Everything the Lord does is good. Everything he does shows how loyal he is. 18 The Lord is near to everyone who sincerely calls to him for help.” Psalm 145:14-18 ERV

I hope your day is joy-filled. The Father is reminding you of His lovingkindness.

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Keep Looking

Only another week until Valentine’s Day. I’m so glad that I don’t need a single date on the calendar to tell me that I should express my love to others. What makes a difference is the little things, the day-to-day expressions; the determination to never give up.

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” I Corinthians 13:7 NLT

Jesus told a beautiful story of enduring love to his disciples.

“Then Jesus told them this story: 4 “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost. What will you do? You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep. You will continue to search for it until you find it. 5 And when you find it, you will be very happy. You will carry it 6 home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change.” Luke 15:3-7 ERV

This is not a story about proper animal husbandry. It’s a story of love. King David often drew a correlation between the Lord’s love for us and a good shepherd caring for his sheep. In fact, one of the most quoted Bible references is Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd”.

Jesus referred to himself as the good shepherd who cares for his sheep. He said that there is a thief out there who wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy us. He, as the good shepherd, came to give us life to the full. That’s why, when we’ve lost our way, He goes looking for us. Love never gives up, love never fails. He keeps looking until He finds us and then carries home and has a party.

Imagine that! We are God’s reason to party.

I want to be like that with the lost sheep in my life. I will keep looking for ways to find and heal those situations. Prayer, kind words, an attitude of never giving up will go a long way in the recovery process. Ultimately it is the Shepherd who brings back what was lost and then it will be time for a party.

Love never gives up, never loses hope. Keep looking!

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The Crowning Touch

When I was in high school we were required to write an essay for English. In it, we were to describe what we wanted to do as a career. I thought long and hard, then it came to me, I would like to be a florist.

I worked at the local Dairy Queen after school and on weekends. Right next door was a florist. I would see the people come and go, picking up beautiful bouquets and arrangements. They all had smiling faces. When you stepped in the door, the fragrance was heavenly. I decided I would like to bring that kind of joy to people!

That career path never came to be. However, my love for fresh cut flowers and the beautiful arrangements is still close to the top of the list of things that bring a smile to my face. This morning I found these verses in Proverbs and I thought “how wonderful, God has blessed me with the beauty of flowers”.

“Be wise and learn good sense; remember my teachings and do what I say. 6 If you love Wisdom and don’t reject her, she will watch over you. 7 The best thing about Wisdom is Wisdom herself; good sense is more important than anything else. 8 If you value Wisdom and hold tightly to her, great honors will be yours. 9 It will be like wearing
a glorious crown of beautiful flowers.” Proverbs 4:5-9 CEV

Each day I can come to God’s Word and find wisdom. Did you notice that Solomon talks about Wisdom as a person, a beautiful woman? That she is. Wisdom provides direction, nurturing, common sense and loving provision. She is a wonderful asset and she adds beauty to our lives.

These are the words of the wisest man who ever lived. When the Lord asked him what he desired from the Lord his answer was Wisdom. Solomon wanted to rule wisely; he wanted His kingdom to be respected and honored. God blessed him with his request.

We can bring beauty to our kingdom by gaining wisdom. Our homes can be filled with it; we can bring respect and honor to our places of business and the schools we attend.

You may be feeling that you lack wisdom. I know that feeling well. However, God has not abandon us or left us to our own devices.

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” James 1:5-8 NLT

Let’s take some beauty to the world. Wear wisdom like a crown, a crown of beautiful flowers!

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