Choose Joy

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” Proverbs 17:22

Perspective. 

If you’ve been following me for any length of time you know that I talk a lot about perspective. The way that we see things and the lens from which we see it determines a lot about how we live our lives.

The word joy has been coming up a lot for me lately. It’s in my Bible study, in my conversations and just a lot in my thought process, and the more that I meditate on it, joy has everything to do with perspective. How often do we long for things to be different? Maybe we would be happier if we had a different job. Maybe we would be happier if we had more money. Maybe we would be happier if we had such and such tool or supply. Maybe when our kids get a little older we would have more freedom. And the list goes on and on.

But, guys, JOY is a choice. It is a fruit from the Lord that comes we when are completely satisfied in Him.  It’s a choice to be content with where we are and what we have. Joy is a deep rooted satisfaction with our lives despite our circumstances and it changes the perspective from which we see things. 

JOY says, I will gladly do daily household chores because I have a roof over my head that’s  mine

.JOY says, I will listen to my name called a million times a day because that means I am surrounded by people who love me and need me.

JOY says, I will cook and clean up for yet another meal because when I nourish little bodies, I can nourish little souls.

JOY says, I will go to work every day because I have been given the opportunity to provide for my family.

JOY says, I will endure hardships and sufferings because it’s those things that are designed to produce perseverance in me (James 1:2-3)

Guys, life is about so much more than what it seems sometimes. It’s about the choices we make and the perspective from which we see it. It’s about choosing every day to find the good and seeing life through the eyes of a child. It’s about having faith that believes in the unseen and that the best is yet to come. It’s about finding the joy in a situation that seems the polar opposite. It takes a commitment on our part to look for it and celebrate it. Switch your lens over to the eternal and watch how much more joy you will experience in your life. Proverbs 17:22 says it all, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to walk around wishing for something more all the time. I want to experience that deep rooted joy that only Christ can give. I want to be thankful and satisfied with what He has given me and where He has placed me. It’s all about perspective, and choosing to find the joy every day. It’s all those small things together that make life worth living. <3

Have a great weekend!

Jennifer

IG:@lifeintherace

Crafty Details

I started by adding some yellow and orange watercolor layers to an index card and drying it with my heating tool. Then, I added some texture with Texture Tiles 5 in Hickory Smoke and Picked Raspberry distress oxide. I then stamped the word “JOY” from Choose Faith in Spiced Marmalade and overlaid the word “choose” in black. I hand wrote Proverbs 17:22 at the bottom and clipped the card into my Bible as a reminder that Joy is a choice we must make every day. 

Remedying by Reminding

Stamp sets used are listed below with their respective affiliate links!  Thank you so much for your support! <3

"In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all this according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory."  (Eph. 1:11-12, ESV)

Hello and happy Tuesday, friends!

As we continue in our search for meaning and purpose in our quarantine, there are just a couple of things (well, actually just one thing) that I'd like to help us all call to mind.  This may seem repetitive, but I think you'll find that there is significance and importance in repetition - especially in God's Word, the Bible.  

Why do you think that is?

I can only imagine just how patient and kind the Lord is as He waits for us daily to call on Him.  I can only imagine just how compassionately He bids us to Himself, drawing us into the comfort by which only He is able to comfort.
Because COVID 19 continues to sweep the nation, permeating even our more rural landscapes, we can't help but think about it:  each time we step outside; each time we re-enter our occupational arena, potentially for the last time; every time we schedule a Zoom date with a friend, colleagues, classroom; each time we plan a trip to the store or bank; all postings on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter; every print out of lessons for children being educated in the home; all the commands to "wash your hands;" every sneeze, cough, and visit to the toilet...
The list is truly endless.  We are inundated in a way that our country has never known.

As often as we are reminded of the hazard that claims the mind of all, the fear of many, the health of some, and the lives of others, it is to our peace of heart and mind that we CONTINUE to remind ourselves of the Gospel. 
First and foremost (which is the most significant in our daily battles with fear and anxiety) is the deity of Christ.
Christ our God and Savior. (Titus 2:13)

Christ our King. (John 12:15)

Christ our Victor. (1 Cor. 15:57)

Christ our Hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)

Christ our Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, Refuge, Shield, Horn of Salvation, & Stronghold. (Psalm 18:2)

He is ALL of these, and so much more, and ALL of scripture points to this One who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. (Rev. 22:13)
He's the point of the Bible, the Word become flesh.  (John 1:14)
He's the Founder and Creator of ALL things for Him, and through Him ALL things exist. (Col. 1:16)

Let's dive into scripture where we will find not only the stunning, awe-inspiring, royal and powerful attributes of Jesus Christ, but also give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to minister to our souls in this very time.  He IS the Helper, after all.  He IS the gift that we are given as a seal of who we are - the mark that we belong to the family of God.  He IS the teacher that renews our minds, changes our hearts, and calms our souls. 

What are we truly waiting for? 
The virus spreads far and wide, but the love of God is wider, longer, higher and deeper! (Eph. 3:18)

What are we truly waiting for?

With every reminder of our mortality, there is power of remembering the hope of our eternity! (2 Cor. 4:17)

What are we truly waiting for?

Life changes by the minute, but our God is an everlasting God, with whom there is no shadow of change! (James 1:17)

Deeds! Too many Bible verses!
GOOD!  

Go read them; go highlight them; go share them with another; go write them on the doorposts and mantles of your homes (or on an index card, a post-it note, or chalkboard in plain sight)!
Our hope for peace, life, and joy lies in these verses. 
Anxiety, fear, confusion and worry can be countered with the focus on the Gospel - the determined meditation and deliberate rehearsal of God, who He is, what He has done and what He will do.  

It is your life. (Col. 3:4)

"For God SO LOVED THE WORLD that He GAVE His ONLY SON, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have EVERLASTING LIFE."  John 3:16

Gospel truth is important for ANY day, let alone throughout the outbreak of something our medical and scientific fields are still clamoring to understand.

As the "wildfire" of COVID 19 consumes our world, remember the God who (according to the Biblical narrative) remains the Fire that has never gone out, never goes away and never gives up.

Fight fear with fire!

Fight panic with praise!

Fight confusion with truth!

Fight worry with the Word!

Fight!

And remedy your shaken soul with rock-solid reminders of our good, good Father.

Faithful, holy Father,

We are a people of amnesia - we forget.  We forget and need the constant reminder in Your Word of who You are and just how needless our fear truly is.  Lord, as we battle daily, fighting for the understanding of our present state and the peace of our troubled hearts, help us!  Help us!  Remind us!  Let us come to You and remember!  Let us fall on You and be at peace.  Let us call on You and find joy!  Let us lift our hands to You and worship!
For You are our God!

In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen.  And, amen.

So much more love than you know,

Deeds

**Entire Early Bird special (that goes until 4/9) is here!  Enjoy and God bless!

With Love Alpha

Your Story

Joy of the Lord

Hello all! Happy July! Today I pulled out my new set called 'Life in Jesus' and really wanted to create a page with the word Joy. There is a fantastic song by Rend Collective entitled 'Joy' that absolutely blesses my heart. The chorus to the song is so uplifting "your the joy joy joy lighting my soul The joy joy joy making me whole Though I am broken, I am running into your arms of love." I used to think that joy was the same as being happy, but it is so not... happiness is what happens to us, but joy is something so much deeper than feelings, it is our strength!

Nehemiah 8:10 "The joy of the Lord is your strength."

I started this page by wetting my entire page with water till it was super wet. I then began to drop in watercolors around the page. It was so fun to watch them move and blend together. I recommend not choosing too many colors as the page can quickly become muddy. After the watercolor was completely dry I stamped the word Joy and filled it in with my trusty white signo uniball pen. The word 'me' I stamped using the lowercase alpha from the new 'sunshine girl alpha' set. At the top of the page I stamped the arrow and added the reference for the page. I had fun adding bright alpha stickers to finish out the title some tabs, wordfetti, and die cut camera to remind myself to focus on joy. It is a little hard to see but I also added a few white crosses using my white pen to create a little added texture.

Father, Thank you for blessing my life with defiant joy. No matter what I may face I will praise you and rejoice in my strength that comes from you! Amen

Hugs and Prayers,

Jenn @creativegurl85

Tickled Pink

Have you ever been so filled with joy that you just can’t contain it? Your face is beaming, and is sporting a smile that is a mile wide. The glow is just radiating from your eyes. You might even be so joy filled that you dance a bit!

What made you feel that way? You got a promotion? A new grandchild? Someone paid you the nicest compliment? How about you knew you were loved?

I might be labeled a little crazy like King David and even dance around the kitchen, but having the joy of the Lord is like that for me! Some days I just can’t contain my joy when I stop and ponder how loved I am by God.

In Psalm 98 verse 1, David tells us to sing a new song for the Lord has done marvelous things. Not only has He defeated our enemies, but He has made a way for our redemption. If that alone doesn’t make you do a little dance, I don’t know what will! 

Later, in verse 4 and following, David tells us not only to sing, but to shout! We aren’t talking strumming a little on the harp, but bring out the trumpets and praise.

All the earth and every living thing is to join in and “clap their hands in praise!” Can’t you just hear the ocean roaring His praises? What about all the living creatures? Creation just screams out in praise of Him.

What about you? Are you so filled with His joy that you praise Him? or do you let the cares of this world steal your joy? My friend, take heart, He has overcome this world and gives us hope.

Will you get “tickled” pink with me and sing a new song before our Lord?



“Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!

Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy”
‭‭Psalm 98:1, 4, 7-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Art behind the story:

When I knew these flamingo stamps were going to be released, they made me smile. Most of you know by now, I’m a creation lover because I truly believe creation just screams praises of the Creator! Flamingos are one of those birds that just make me happy by looking at them. 

This stamp set “Be a Flamingo” is part of the June Release for Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps. I stamped the flamingo first, then watercolored it. Next, I did a little “stamp surgery” and cut apart the “tickled pink” phrase, because I knew I wanted to stamp it separately. I added the exclamation point from the Bitty Minnie Alphas and finished it off with the polka dots from Grunge Elements 2.

Hope today you find joy in the Lord and get “tickled pink” over Him!

Hugs,

Gayle
IG: patioponderings

Refresh

Do you ever just get weary? You know, the “my body is just worn out and my mind is cluttered kind of weary?” I don’t know about you, but this girl does.

When I read this passage last week, it brought such a sense of “ahhhhh” to my heart. God himself brings abundant rain that refreshes the weary land. Just reading His word brings such a peace.  Knowing that He provides brings such joy when I get weary.  

David couldn’t help but be filled with joy and had to write about it and sing God’s praises....and so did I!!

“But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy. Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord — rejoice in his presence!

O God, when you led your people out from Egypt, when you marched through the dry wasteland,
Interlude

the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain before you, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land.

Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68:3-4, 7-9, 19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Art behind the story:

The Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps Refresh My Soul Set was perfect for this passage. I stamped the cacti and the plants, then drew the sand lines and the small cactus on the lower right. The sentiments are stamped used the word “refresh” from the Refresh My Soul set and the Bitty Minnie Alphas. The tiny word “joy” on the tab is from the Choose Faith stamp set. After I water colored the images and the background, I came back and added some sand using the Texture Tiles 1 stamps.

Thanks for joining me today. Pray you find refreshing by pondering His Word today.

Hugs,

Gayle
IG: patioponderings

Facing the Seasons of Your Life

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.

Proverbs 31:25

You have surely read all the virtues of the woman of noble character described in Proverbs 31. Many exegetical studies have tried to explain just how this woman accomplishes soooo much!  The last time I read this though, God gave me a delightful insight.  I noted that verse 25 comes after quite a lengthy list of tasks the "Noble Woman" achieves.  I was already worn out just thinking about emulating her, much less putting my feet to the floor to actually doing what she did.  But then this nugget jumped out at me, and it gave me a new clue to her efficient productivity.  

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.

First, she wears the right attire-- "She is clothed with strength and dignity."  It made me think of the rather silly movies of super heroes whose powers appear when they don their costume.  On a serious note, think deeply about this spiritual clothing...it's spiritual strength that she wears.  The source of this woman's power is the strength that God gives and since nothing is impossible for Him, she can certainly do anything He asks of her. When our focus is on accomplishing what God sets out for our day, we will be more efficient.  Things that aren't important will not distract us. 

Second, LOOK at this woman's amazing attitude.  "She can laugh at the days to come."  This isn't describing a woman experiencing a manic crest.  This is a constant, pervasive attitude of the mind and heart.  She is fearless...she is worry free...she is full of joy.  She has pushed out all the destructive thoughts that clamor to fill her mind, and she instead chooses simple joy as her outlook on life.  

At my age, I've passed through several seasons of life.  I've pursued the education to have a career, I spent 30+ years striving to be the best at my job I could be, I've been a mother and watched my own children move into adulthood. I've been a pastor's wife for 30 years.  I left the workforce and moved into retirement.  I became a grandmother.  I was recently asked to provide my resume...five pages of all that I've done.  Will I receive accolades for all of that?  No, not even most.  What God desires of us is not a long list of accomplishments, not that those are bad, especially if we are serving to glorify God.  But what He really wants is our heart, our dependency upon Him, our trust.  When we give Him those, He will bless us with strength, dignity and joy.  I'm not looking back...I'm looking ahead to the seasons of life that await me...and I pray that I can face each one with more and more joy!

--------

I did a simple watercolor wash to create the background for this page, did my own handlettering, and stamped the branch with flowers using the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps set Birds and Blooms.  The girl and the word joy come from the March printable, Garden of Grace, available at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. 

 

They rejoiced with great excitement

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. (Matthew 2:10)

I love the star in the stamp set 'Peace on Earth' so I had to use it for this page. At first I wanted to draw a silhouette of the stable with the star above it but then I thought... Why not use the stamp of baby Jesus instead. 

I wanted to make an intense sky so I used pastels to create the background. I started with the yellow color and added some red, purple and blue colors around it. I used a little bit of black on the edges of my paper. I added a couple of layers to get a more intense color. The images are colored with colored pencils so I could get into all the details. 

I used the stamp set Peace on Earth for the images and hand lettered the message.

 

- Lucinde