JOYfully Busy!

A quick note today.....and probably no post tomorrow.  You see, I have VERY IMPORTANT guests coming to my house!  THREE very JOYful little bodies are coming to spend the rest of the week and weekend with Papa and GiGi.  Yes, it's three of our four grandchildren....ages 5, 3 and 1.  Soooooo, needless to say, I won't be sitting at my computer much for the next few days.  As a matter of fact, I won't be SITTING ANYWHERE....I'll be playing and hopping and running and did I say, PLAYING!

Papa Pat and I will be JOYfully busy and we count it such a blessing to have the chance to spend time with our precious bundles of JOYful ENERGY!   See ya next week!!!!!!

JOY, JOY, JOY and more JOY coming......

Today's Serving of JOY JUICE: Share with Boldness and JOY

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  I love to drink mine, how ‘bout you?

            Speaking of love….who has a special place in your heart?  A spouse….your parents….your children or GRANDchildren….a dear friend! Sometimes we are so full of love for a person that we feel like shouting it from the mountain top!

            Parents, think about the day your child was born.  You bubbled with excitement! You loved that baby the instant he/she was born….and even before!  You couldn’t keep that love a secret!

            We say we love Jesus…..but how often do we tell others about our love for Him?  Have you ever been in a group when someone brings up the subject of Jesus.  Often it gets quiet and uncomfortable. WHY?   Are we ashamed????

Jesus said, "Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father…" (Mark 8:38)  When we see Jesus face to face, do we want Him to be ashamed of us?  Or do we want Him to open His arms wide, recognizing us as a part of His family and hear Him say:  “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Tell others of your love for Him today.  Don’t ever be ashamed to proclaim your love for the One who can fill your life with JOY from now throughout eternity.

Boldly drink and share the JOY JUICE of Jesus! 

           

Life is Short...Live it with JOY!

Over the past few weeks, I've lost three dear friends!  One was my age exactly, one a few years older and one the age my mom.  None of them were sick; each one went out into eternity quickly...with little or no warning. But each of them had one thing in common: They lived life with JOY!

All three of these people were "joyful" people!  They always greeted you with a smile and pleasant greeting.  You didn't have to be around them long before you'd be laughing at some "tale" they were telling on themselves.  They were such neat people and they will each be missed by their families and their many friends.

Why could they be so joyful?  Why were they able to live each day with joy?  They all had problems and they all worked hard.  Their lives were not "easy street"...yet they "considered it all joy" because of their faith in God.  You see, they each had a relationship with Jesus!  That's where the JOY comes from!!!

Do you have that same joy?  I sure hope so!  If you're not sure that Jesus in your Master and Lord, take care of that TODAY.  Life is short...the Bible describes it as a "mist" or "vapor".  The older I get, the more wisdom I see in this Bible truth.  Life passes so quickly and we never know when our last day on earth will be.  So we must be ready to spend eternity with Christ. Give you heart totally to Him and get ready to live the rest of your life with a peace and joy that is beyond description!

JOY Through the Eyes of a Child

As many of you probably did, we celebrated Easter with our family. Just being around the grandchildren made everything EXTRA joyful!  They were so excited about their new clothes for church and their Easter surprises and treats.  And of course, they loved hiding and finding Easter eggs. There was lots of JOY coming from those excited little bodies! And that JOY was contagious!!!

Is your JOY in the Lord contagious?  When people are around you, do they feel your excitement and love for God? Are you so bursting with "the Good News" that you can't WAIT to share it with others?

When we first got to our son's house yesterday, the grandchildren came running to greet us and they were full of things to tell us.  They had smiles spread from one side of their precious little faces to the other.  Spontaneous laughs easily erupted when telling about their day and what they had made in Sunday School and what we were going to do next!

If we adults could only capture that same excitement and JOY...then we'd be on the right track, don't you think?  That's what you call serving the JOY JUICE of JESUS!!!  Start sharing JOYfully today!

Good (JOYful) Friday

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  It’s a good Friday to drink in the sweet taste of Easter JOY!

            Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday.  So...that makes today “Good Friday”.   This day is set aside to celebrate the day on which Jesus was crucified.   Celebrating a death doesn’t sound quite right, does it?  Not humanly speaking.  But you see, this was God’s divine plan. Because of Jesus’ sacrificial death, we can celebrate because of what He did for us.

           Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good. However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

           Many Christian churches celebrate Good Friday with a subdued service in which Christ’s death is remembered with solemn hymns, prayers of thanksgiving, a message centered on Christ suffering for our sakes, and observance of the Lord's Supper. Regardless of how we choose to “celebrate” Good Friday, the events of that day should be ever on our minds because the death of Christ on the cross is the paramount event of the Christian faith.  HE is the reason that we can have JOY in the Lord…at Easter and every other day of the year!

            Remember that HE IS ALIVE! Have a joyfully blessed Easter!

The JOYful News: HE IS RISEN!!!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Drink it joyfully….it’s almost Easter!

            Some of the most joyful words in the Easter story come from Matthew 28:5-7.  “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples…”

            My Bible notes explain that the angel who announced the good news of the resurrection to the women gave them four messages:

1. "Do not be afraid."  The reality of the resurrection brings joy, not fear!
2. "He is not here." Jesus is not dead and is not to be looked for among the dead.  He is alive!
3. "Come and see."  The women could check the evidence themselves.  The tomb was empty then and it’s empty today. 
4. "Go quickly and tell."  They were to spread the JOY of the resurrection.  We too are to spread this great news!

Are you experiencing fear?  Then focus on the empty tomb.  Because He lives, you can trust Him to take of you!  Sometimes we forget that He is with us today and need to be reminded to “come and see” that the tomb is empty.  He is victorious over death!

            Let’s spread the JOY of the resurrection during this Easter week.  Take advantage of every opportunity to share the Good News with those God brings into our path daily.  Drink and serve the Joy Juice of Easter!

Exclamation of JOY!!!!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Easter is the perfect time to be drinking the JOY JUICE of Jesus!

            Joe LoMusio in his book If I Should Die Before I Live poses the question, “If I were to ask you to describe Easter without using any words, you could only use punctuation marks, which punctuation mark would you choose to describe this Easter for yourself?" 

            “Maybe this Easter is a comma for you.  It makes you stop, pause, think and listen, but that’s about it.  It might be that this season is a downer---a big bold period.  You thought you’d feel excited, but instead it seems to be more like an empty ritual." 

           "There was a day when life felt like a period for Jesus’ disciples.  He was dead.    An end to their expectations.  But then they got the news of an empty tomb…the period was no longer a period, but a question mark!  That’s worse than a period.  They were perplexed.  The guards were gone, the stone rolled away.  Where was He?"

"An angel spoke, 'Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen!'  The periods are gone!  The question marks are removed!  There is one massive exclamation point!"

            "That’s what Easter is all about….an exclamation of gratitude and praise for the resurrection of Jesus Christ and for the salvation His victory over death brought to us!"  An exclamation of JOY!!!!!

            This Easter let's all exclaim the JOYful truth that Jesus is not dead!  He has risen from the grave!!! 

Easter JOY...Devotional #2

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Please be passionate about drinking your portion in preparation for Easter.

            This week we are focusing on the JOY of Easter.  We can’t talk about Easter without recognizing the passion of Christ.  Webster’s Dictionary defines passion as "extreme, compelling emotion or intense emotional drive."

 What was the source of Christ’s passion?  It was his intense love for mankind. Because He loved you and me so much, he gave his life for the sake of restoring us to fellowship with God.

 Philippians 2:6-7 tell us that "he made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant by being made in human likeness."  His passionate love caused him to leave the glory of heaven to take human form and live an obedient life of self-sacrifice required by the holiness of God. 

The passion of Christ was directed by the Father’s will and resulted in a life whose purpose was the cross (John 12:27). The final words of Jesus were a triumphant proclamation. Like a runner crossing the finish line in agony, yet with great emotion in overcoming obstacles, Jesus says “It is finished!” (John 19:30) He had accomplished His purpose on earth. That’s the JOY of Easter. 

             May I urge each of us to not take Christ’s passionate love lightly!  Instead of focusing on egg hunts, parties, and new clothes for Easter, let’s drink in the passionate love of Christ and experience the sweet JOY of Easter.

Preparing for Easter....with JOY!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today? In preparation for Easter, it’s just the thing we need!

I'm going to post my radio devotionals this week leading up to Easter.  I believe that we so often simply "go through the motions" and forget WHY we celebrate Easter.  So each day this week, please "tune in" to my radio program or to this blog (or both) and really concentrate on  “The JOY of Easter”! 

 Sunday we will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.  That’s the part of the story that brings us such JOY!!  But we must remember, He first had to die.  The joy for us as Christians is that His love was so great that He WILLINGLY did this for us.  John 3:16 tells us clearly that:  " God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

According to the scripture, the purpose of His life was to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.  Jesus was so certain of His purpose that He predicted when and how He would die (Matthew 26:2). 

Do you know your purpose?  Simply put, it is to glorify God.  As Hebrews 12:2 says: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NIV)

Jesus looked beyond the suffering, shame and death he knew was to come and focused on the JOY that would be the result.
           

Giddy with JOY

GIDDY????   Can a 58-year-old woman be giddy?  YEP!  When she's about to see the love of her life for a few uninterrupted days after a loooooong tax season!! :)

For those of you who don't know, my husband is a CPA!  From the beginning of January until April 15th each year, there are lots of long days and hard work for my hubby and his firm. That means much lonely time without him at home.  So when April 15th rolls around each year, I'm giddy with excitement and JOY.  For the next few days we'll get "reacquainted" and take the time to "catch up" on all that we've not had time to discuss over the past several weeks.  I'm soooooooooooo excited...and extra thankful that I still feel this way after 38 years of marriage.  That's a blessing, isn't it?

And then I must pause..... I can't help but examine my heart and ask myself the question: Am I that excited and JOYfully giddy to meet with my Jesus every day?  He doesn't have one season of the year that's busier than any other.  HE'S ALWAYS BUSY!  But He ALWAYS has time for ME....and YOU!  Let's fall in love with Jesus again....and be so GIDDY for Him that we cannot wait to come into His presence every day.  You won't have to play "catch up" because He knows everything that has happened in your life, what's going on with you right now and the wonderful plans He has for you in the future. 

Let's look upon His face each morning as soon as we awaken and thank Him for the new day.  Then take His hand and JOYfully walk/skip/jog/run with Him.  That's the way to be giddy with JOY in the Lord!

JOYfully Busy Day

Thursdays are my EXTRA busy day of the week.  I usually go to the radio station to tape JOY JUICE, then on to the hospital to do chaplain rounds.....both of which I LOVE!!!  I thank God for these opportunities which bring me such fulfillment.  I'm sure God opened these doors to add joy to my life...and, hopefully, use me in some small way to bring His joy to others.  At least, that's my prayer.

After a full morning, I met a group of "ministry partners" for lunch and BOY, did God have another treat in store for me! I saw old friends and met a new one.  (Make new friends and keep the old; some are like silver, the others like gold."  Well, I'm here to tell you that I had a "silver and gold" experience today and came home with the distinct feeling that God has some special plans. 

Isn't our God awesome!  He brings just the right people into our lives at just the right time to accomplish His purpose.  That's what I feel happened today.  And I thank Him for special relationships, friendships, partnerships....sisterhood!!!!!

What about you?  I know that God has a purpose for your life, too!  Who has He brought to you that is helping you to fulfill that purpose, His plan?  Ask Him for wisdom and discernment; thank Him for those special relationships that encourage you and motivate you to be MORE in Him.  And even more importantly, ask God to use YOU in someone's life as the conduit of change...encouraging others to become all that God intends for them to be.

When you share Christ with your friends and you grow together in Him, then I can promise you that there will be a JOY beyond measure!  Now, go pour yourself a great big serving of JOY JUICE and get busy finding someone to thank or someone to encourage!  Just do it...JOYFULLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today's Serving of JOY JUICE: Set a Goal of JOY

Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Set a goal to drink it every day!

Successful people are those who set goals for themselves.  It helps us to set priorities and focus our efforts toward accomplishing good things.  Are you a person who strives for success?  God wants us to be successful! In Colossians 3:23 He tells us "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."   

According to Charles Stanley, a person with goals has direction and excitement about life.  He has remarkable energy and is often very creative.  She pursues excellence and has a great sense of appreciation for others who have goals. Did you know that a person with goals tends to be physically and emotionally healthier than a person without goals?

 A person who doesn’t set goals has no excitement in his life.  He is usually drifting through life without a sense of direction and is often very critical of others…especially those who are successful.  He tends to settle for living in a rut and winds up living a disappointing life. 

As believers, our first goal should be to know Christ and to be more like him every day.  If we make our relationship with Christ our top priority, then all our other goals will be to honor Him.  And when we’re honoring our Lord, we are filled with an inexpressible JOY!

A Joyful Call....NOT!

I just received a phone call regarding a "service call" that is scheduled for tomorrow. One of our kitchen appliances is on the blink! The only problem with the phone call was that it was NOT a real person on the other end and I needed to ask a question!!! Do you know how "fuss-ter-ated" (as one of my little friends would say) that made me?   All I could do was listen and get agitated because of the vague information that was provided.  "Your service repairman will be there between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m."  Oh, now that REALLY helps me to know how to plan my day!  Needless to say, when Miss Computer Automation hung up, I was not feeling very joyful!

Aren't we glad that God's not a computer?  Boy, am I ever thankful that I don't have to wonder when He's going to show up!  And I can always talk to Him, no matter what time of the day or night.  The answers to all my questions can be found in His Word and I don't have to wait until He is scheduled for a "service call".

I'm feeling better already by focusing on the Father. Though the phone call wasn't the joyful highlight of my day, I am choosing to practice JOY as I talk to the One Who is always on call.  Every "call" from and with the Lord is filled with joy...if we have a relationship with Him.  So go ahead and punch in His number and place that call!  Dial: 1-800-CHOOSE JOY!

Boast with JOY

BOAST?   BOAST WITH JOY?   What ever am I thinking?  We're not supposed to boast and brag are we?

As I was reading Jeremiah 9:24 I came across these words: "But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

Though we are "put off" by those who brag and boast about themselves, their accomplishments, how smart their children are (now this does NOT include grandchildren.....grandparents can get away with bragging on the grandkids!), how much "stuff" they have....etc, etc......there is one thing we have God's permission to boast about---HIM!

Do you find it easy to talk about how much the Lord has done for you?  Do you boast about His kindness, justice and righteousness? The scripture tells us that He delights in these things and He wants us to share about His goodness with others.  How else will they ever know if WE don't tell them!

Sooooo, get busy "boasting with JOY" about our Heavenly Father and His love.  You'll be surprised at how He will bless your words as He uses you to plant seeds of joy in people's hearts.  That's what you call JOY IN THE LORD!!!!!

Joy, Joy, and More Joy

This morning I had a few errands to run, so I put on my blue jeans, colorful spring shirt, slipped on my comfy  shoes and out the door I flew! I was on a mission to take care of all the things on my "to do" list.  The quicker I could check them off the list, the better!  What I wasn't expecting was gifts of JOY everywhere I went!

At one of my stops, the receptionist said, "Oh, JoyJoy!  I was praying for you this morning!  I pray for you every morning, for God to bless you and lead you in your ministry."  My heart was overjoyed with gratitude, because it never occurred to me that she was praying for me!  THANK YOU, LORD!

On to the next stop.....someone I didn't even know called me by name and asked how our conference went.  Then she shared with me about an upcoming event in August and wanted me to share with my "church gals" that we are invited.  She joyfully shared her heart with me.  THANK YOU, GOD!

Then I ran through the bank drive-thru window (well, drove through it!) and was greeted with a friendly smile and helping hand.  As one teller was taking care of my "bank business", another leaned over to the speaker and asked, "How's your ministry going?  I think about you a lot!"  THANK YOU, GOD!  More words of encouragement!

It seemed that everywhere I went, I received encouragement, love and gifts of JOY.  Even on regular, routine days when we think we have nothing important planned, God still is at work and continues to bless.  Start looking for YOUR gifts of JOY along the way.  He's waiting for you with outstretched arms and open hands.  RECEIVE HIS JOY.....TODAY!

Compassionate Neighbors of JOY

On Tuesday I posted about the bad storm which had come through our area the night before. It blew down huge trees and destroyed many limbs from our pine trees which surround our yard.  My husband and I had no idea how and when we were going to be able to get all the debris cleaned from our yard.  (He's a CPA, so this is his busiest time of year....working from before the sun comes up until waaaay after the sun goes down.)  We'd really not even had time to think about who, how and when we were going to tackle this unwelcome project.  But GOD already knew all the details.

Yesterday, while working on an "inside project", I heard the roar of machinery in my yard. When I peeked out the window, I saw two trucks, a tractor and a small bulldozer moving toward the downed trees. "Where did they come from?" I was asking myself.  As the lead truck stopped and the door opened, I saw one of our neighbors stepping out of the vehicle.  And then I began to recognize other members of his family and a couple of his farm workers.  He had seen our need and had come to take care of it! Now, isn't that a wonderful, compassionate neighbor of JOY??????

He didn't wait to be asked (we would NOT have asked and he knew it); he saw a need, had the resources to do it, made the time to help a neighbor.  I was so touched by his goodness.  The guys worked most of the afternoon with chain saws and all the large equipment they brought.  What a sacrifice!

As they were leaving, I ran to tell them "Thank You".   They acted as if it were "no big deal".  But, I'm telling you, it WAS a big deal to me!  It would have taken us weeks...maybe longer...to get those big trees removed from our yard.  Yet, these friends came to our aid, expecting nothing in return.  They would have preferred that I had not even be home to "catch" them in the act of doing this good deed.  They truly were Good Samaritans in my book....loving their neighbor as Christ instructs.

Do I always show my love for my neighbors?  Those who live close,as well as all those God brings into my path daily.  Neighbors don't necessarily have to be those who live in your neighborhood, you know.  Let's ask God to show us someone today that needs a "good neighbor".  May we have the opportunity to share Christ's love and JOY with them.  (MY neighbors are good examples of that! For them I am JOYfully thankful!)

There's NO JOY in Worry!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?   You’re not worried about drinking too much are you?

Why do people worry?  We all do it….  Some of us more than others.  But WHY?   Does it help us in any way? As hard as I try, I can’t see anything good that comes from worrying!  Now, keep in mind we’re not talking about being “concerned”. There IS a difference, you know. 

Matthew 6:27 asks the question: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Jesus was teaching that worry is certainly more harmful than it is helpful.  Joyce Meyer says that worry is like sitting in a rocking chair.  It keeps us busy, but it gets us nowhere.

 Many times we find ourselves in a really tough situation. Keep in mind that worrying doesn’t move the hand of God, but faith does!  If we will exchange worry for trust in God, we will see progress. 

Instead of spending your precious time worrying, why not meditate on God’s Word?  Find passages of scripture that lift you up and give you encouragement.  When we focus on edifying scriptures instead of allowing our minds to be filled with anxiety, we will find hope and strength rising up in our hearts.  And THEN, our JOY will return…and we can share it with others!

     

JOY on the Other Side of the Storm

Last night a severe storm came through our area.  LOTS of strong wind and rain. Why does it always seems worse in the middle of the night!? Trees were uprooted and blown over. Limbs are everywhere in our yard.  It will take lots of hard work to clean up all the debris. We were without power for about 12 hours. I wanted to complain, but God showed me a whole new perspective. Because of something so dear to my heart, a health issue with one of my grandchildren, I am praising God rather than complaining about the storm.  (Maybe I'll share more of that story later!)

How many times do we find ourselves in the midst of a scary situation...a storm, so to speak?  We fear what may happen and we dread the aftermath.  Yet, when it's all over and the sun comes out, we realize that once again God has protected us and brought us through.  Many times we cannot see God in the storm, but He sure is there!  He blesses us beyond measure by His protection, His intervention in our plans in the form of delays or waking us up in the middle of the night FOR GOOD REASON.  As the song says, "When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart."

HE LOVES US!  He proves it over and over.  Today I feel especially loved due to HIM showing Himself faithful in the middle of a dark, stormy night and looking after my children and grandchildren....one specifically this time who needed a Healing Hand.

Father, you have filled my heart with a grateful JOY knowing that You are with us even when we don't know that we're in need.  Thank you for inconveniencing us at times in order to achieve Your best plan for us.  Thank you for your healing hand and the joy of healthy, vibrant little grandchildren.

An All-Powerful, JOYful God

In my morning devotional, I was reminded AGAIN about how our God is all-powerful and all-knowing.  He has our "affairs" in His hands.  The author (unknown) wrote of the Divine Efficiency with which God takes care of every detail...big and small.  It made me realize that even when we don't understand the "whys" and the timing, He STILL is in control.

Are you like me....getting tired of waiting for an answer to your prayers?  You know that you're not asking outside His will, so WHY does He not take care of this request?  This desire of your heart? NOW!!!!

Could it be that HE KNOWS BEST????  And that HIS TIMING IS PERFECT!?  And that one day we will be praising His name for answering our prayer "immeasurably more that all we could ask or imagine?"  That's a promise straight from His Word, so---hold on, hang tight and believe that He will answer with His BEST!

THAT WILL BRING US INDESCRIBABLE JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunshine and JOY

This week has been a cool, damp, windy, wet one in good old South GA!  But today the sun has come out and it just seems to lift everyone's spirits.  The flowers are bobbing their beautiful heads with the breeze.  The green blades of grass seem to be waving as we glance out across the lawn.  The dogwood trees and flowering pear trees are in full bloom, proclaiming: "It's SPRING!"

It is a pleasure today to get out in the sunshine and feels its warmth on my face. But even more wonderful than the blue skies and the bright sun shining through the clouds is the Maker of it all...our Heavenly Father.  When The Son shines His face upon us, we are filled with such a warm glow of love. He's always there....not just on certain days.  Unlike the sun, The Son is always near in storms of life...as well as the "sunshiny" days.

Numbers 6:25 reminds us:
  The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

When His face is shining on us, we are filled with JOY!