Tag: Rejoice Always

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Count Your Blessings

Welcome 2021! A new day. A new year.

None of us know what the year will bring but we can all know the One who has designed each day. I encourage you to start each morning by writing down a couple blessings from the day before.

Start a blessing journal and count your blessings.

“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” Psalm 139:17-18 NLT

Take a minute and read those verses again.

The quantity of God’s thoughts about us are so vast that they cannot be numbered! We are always in His thoughts and on His heart. I know I shared those verses with you a few days ago but since that time I have been so mindful of those words, “I can’t even count them”.

If our heavenly Father had a blessing journal our names would be recorded there. Maybe it would say something like this “Betty thanked me for the sunrise”, “Lon marvelled at My sunset”. “I love those kids of mine, they mean all the world to me”. I just know He must think these thoughts and so many more. More than we can count.

If He’s always thinking about us shouldn’t we be focused on Him as well? Maybe the first entry in our 2021 Blessing Journal should be God has precious thoughts about me, so many thoughts that they can’t be numbered. After that add one or two other things that bless you.

When we write things down it has a way of establishing them in our memory. It’s also helpful, on those days that have been particularly hard , to go back and reread them. This is a way to encourage ourselves. These are daily reminders of God’s love and provision.

The last week while we’ve been camping I have taken hundreds of pictures. Once I get home I will upload them to my computer and when I edit them I will relive the moment I took them. The beauty, the solitude, the peace and the gratitude.

That’s how it is with the word pictures we paint. They allow us to relive the moment.

I pray that your 2021 will be your most amazing year yet. Wake each day knowing that God Almighty loves you and has a wonderful day planned for you specifically. You are always in His thoughts.

As you count your blessings it will be a Happy New Year!

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Always in Season

What season is it at your place?

I see friends are starting to post pictures of their fall decor. I love the cornstalks, changing leaves, pumpkins and the mums but here in Arizona fall weather hasn’t quite come. Even in our more moderate climate, we are still have ninety degree days but our mornings are cooling off so I know fall is coming.

But there are other seasons to acknowledge. The summer garden is ready for harvest; fruit trees are producing and need to be picked. Apples, peaches, pears are all waiting to be turned into pies, jams and placed in canning jars.

For the outdoorsman dove season is open and turkey season is following right behind. Hunting camps are being set up and the thought of morning coffee over a campfire is alluring.

For some, this a season of transition and change. Our grandson had his first day of in-class kindergarten yesterday. New jobs, new schools, new marriages, new adjustments. Several of our friends lost their loved ones to illness last year and so this is a time of monumental change for them.

But there is something that is always in season – gratitude!

“Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things he does for people.” Psalm 107:31 ERV

Gratitude never goes out of season; it’s never out of style.

“I will give You thanks with all my heart. I will sing praises to You in front of the gods. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy house. And I will give thanks to Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth. For You have honored Your Word because of what Your name is. 3 You answered me on the day I called. You gave me strength in my soul.

4 O Lord, all the kings of the earth will give thanks to You when they have heard the words of Your mouth. 5 And they will sing of the ways of the Lord. For the shining beauty of the Lord is great. 6 For even if the Lord is honored, He thinks about those who have no pride. But He knows the proud from far away. 7 Even if I walk into trouble, You will keep my life safe. You will put out Your hand against the anger of those who hate me. And Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will finish the work He started for me. O Lord, Your loving-kindness lasts forever. Do not turn away from the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138 NLV

I hope you enter this day seeing it as a new season, a time to plant gratitude and harvest joy!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

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No Need to Hide

Are you crazy or delusional? You can’t be happy all the time! Really?

You’ve got your head stuck in the sand – you just need a good dose of reality!

Ever heard those kind of comments – I have! But what people are really saying is “what gives you the right to be so happy when I am so upset?”.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.” Philippians 4:4 ERV

There’s a difference between happiness and joy, or at least there is to me. Happiness is our positive reaction to external circumstances. Joy is a character trait that comes from within. Happiness is an emotion that fluctuates; joy is a stabilizing confidence.

I choose to be joyful. I choose to see that God has more in store for me that I can fathom; I see God’s love sustaining me no matter what the circumstances are in my life and so I chose to be filled with joy!

I like me better when I’m joyful. I don’t like being grumpy or aggravated. I just don’t. Those conditions tell me that I’m looking at me. I’d rather look at God the Father and be reminded of His amazing love.

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. 3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. 4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 AMP

We need to practice being JOY FILLED! I went to bed last night humming a praise song that we sang Sunday morning and the words are still in my heart this morning. It is the reason I choose to be joyful regardless of the circumstances. 

You're my champion 
Giants fall when You stand 
Undefeated Every battle You've won 
I am who You say I am 
You've crowned me with confidence 
I'm seated in the heavenly places 
Undefeated with the one who has conquered it all.
Source: "You are My Champion" Lyrics: Dante Bowe

Fill up your joy reservoir and as you go throughout the day. Share it with others. When asked why you are smiling so much or why you’re so happy, let people know that “God loves me” and that’s more than enough reason to be glad. Joy comes from knowing Jesus is always with us and He has faced any struggle, any trial, any circumstance that would try to destroy us. He is greater than Covid, He is greater than social distancing. He has conquered it all and because of that I am filled with confidence. Confidence of who I am in Christ!

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

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Celebrate Life

This has been a week for celebrating life. We got to meet our first great grandchild last Thursday – that was a time to celebrate. We have spent the last week with my mother, who is almost 97, and as we reminisce it’s a time of celebrating the many events of her life. My sister had a birthday on Monday and so we celebrated that too and now our nation will have a birthday on Saturday which brings millions to celebrate our freedom.

Celebrate Life!

God has been doing that from the beginning of time. In the garden, at creation, He saw everything that He had created and called it good. Everything, except the creation of man and woman, that He called very good. When creation was finished He took the day off to enjoy what He made and celebrate. (my opinion)

All through the Bible we see people celebrating the goodness and love of God with feasting, singing and sacrificing sweet incense, oil and bread. They were celebrating the life God had blessed them with and the deliverance He had provided.

Heaven celebrates life. The angels in heaven throw a party when someone decides to follow Christ.

“In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.” Luke 15:10 ERV

One of my favorite parables in the Bible is of the prodigal son. He takes off from his father’s house, spends all of his inheritance then comes home, repentant, with his tail tucked between his legs. What does the Father do? He celebrates life – he throws a party. Our heavenly Father does the same when we return home after wandering off to follow our own desires and schemes!

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and good sandals on his feet. 23 And bring our best calf and kill it so that we can celebrate with plenty to eat. 24 My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to have a party.” Luke 15:22-24 ERV

And when life on earth is over there will be a great celebration in heaven as those of us who follow Christ are seated at the banquet table there.

“Then a voice came from the throne and said, ‘Praise our God, all you who serve him!
Praise our God, all you small and great who honor him!’ 6 Then I heard something that sounded like a large crowd of people. It was as loud as crashing waves or claps of thunder. The people were saying, ‘Hallelujah! Our Lord God rules. He is the All-Powerful. 7 Let us rejoice and be happy  and give God glory! Give God glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come. And the Lamb’s bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen was given to the bride for her to wear. The linen was bright and clean.’ (The fine linen means the good things that God’s holy people did.) 9 Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Great blessings belong to those who are invited to the wedding meal of the Lamb!” Then the angel said, “These are the true words of God.’” Revelation 19:5-9 ERV

We will get to celebrate life with the Giver of Life. What a party that will be!

Join in today and celebrate life – let’s tell our friends and family we love them. Let’s be grateful for the impact they have made in our lives. Don’t waste an opportunity to show and share love.

Celebrate Life!

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Grateful for Grateful People

Have you ever been in a gathering where everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves but no one was expressing gratitude to the event planner or party host? However, let one person speak up and say how nice it was to be invited or what a beautiful evening it has been and the others around begin to express their gratitude and thanks as well.

I am grateful for grateful people.

The reverse is also true. How many of us have been in a group of people when someone starts to complain? It could be about the price of gasoline and groceries, political viewpoints, health, the weather, disrespectful teenagers, crazy drivers – any one of a thousand things and suddenly the whole group is grumbling and complaining.

I am grateful for grateful people.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing. 15 Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything that they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world,” Philippians 2:14-15 CEV

This is something Dave and I have had to work on – looking for the best in every person and not grumbling or complaining. At one point, we were dealing with a particularly disagreeable person nearly everyday in our business. We found ourselves complaining…a lot. Finally, we came to a place where we determined if the only good thing we could say about that person is they had clean fingernails then that’s what we would focus on. One day, after a long, trying conversation we looked at each other, laughed and said “yep, their fingernails are clean”.

Why is it so important to be grateful and not critical? Look at these two verses from God’s word.

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 NLT

“For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition (envying and strife, in another translation), there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3:16 NLT

We have a choice. We can be full of joy and give everything over to the Lord and experience peace or we can be selfish in our thinking, defending ourselves, criticizing others and experience disorder.

I choose to be grateful. Grateful for those who are grateful and prayer-full for those who aren’t. I have found that it’s always better to follow the example of Jesus and the instruction that I find in God’s word.

“My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. 20 If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done. 21 You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message that is planted in you to save you. 22 Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it. 23 If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24 and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25 But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget. 26 If you think you are being religious, but can’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless.” James 1:19-26 CEV

A good portion of the book of James is devoted to controlling our tongue. We are instructed to not just hear God’s word but to DO IT. God wants us to speak blessings into the lives of those around us. He loves each of us the same. God’s love doesn’t increase or decrease because of who we are or what we do; God so loves the WORLD that He gave.

I’m sure I have irritated and frustrated many in my day and I feel badly for that. I know some see me and can only compliment me on my nice fingernails. It’s important for me to remember that God loves and forgives those I find obnoxious and misdirected with the same loving heart that He forgives me.

Be grateful. There are those who will be glad that we are!

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