Tag: Delight in God

The Good News – Joy is Free

Here’s Some Good News to Shout From the Mountain Tops

Our joy is free

Joy is FREE.

If you have friends who believe they have to earn their salvation somehow, please tell them the good news!!

The time is now.

There is absolutely nothing any of us can do to pay the debt for our sins.

As our Savior, Jesus paid our debt in full.

Jesus promises us in Scripture that if we follow Him, we will have eternal life. 

He wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true, but we have to seek Him.

Tell the World That Joy is Free

We simply can’t keep this divine promise to ourselves. We must tell the world why we have joy and we should look for those opportunities to do so.

That’s love.

Our joy is free

Delight in God and Your Heart Will Soar

Fellow Christian Writer, Sara Daigle, wrote an excellent article about this very thing. I wanted to share this encouragement with you. God bless!

Joy is Free
by Sara Daigle
08/02/16

Life is not so much about being loved as it is about loving.

Not so much about being admired as about praising the One worthy of all admiration.

Life is more about filling our hearts with worship than it is about filling our lives with people who make us feel great about ourselves.

Life is good when we realize that joy is free; that happiness is not owed us by others, but joy comes when we realize we get to have it no matter what.

Because our hearts are made to soar.

A gift is always free. We see suffering people full of grace, and blessed people living in misery. If joy wasn’t free, only those with seemingly perfect lives would get to experience it. If joy wasn’t free, others would get to steal it from you. If joy wasn’t free, we would keep trying to hold all things unpleasant at bay. We would succumb to grasping for happiness instead of receiving joy.

Because joy is free, all of us get to share in it. All of us need inner peace, and we all need to be redeemed from things that drag us down and would destroy us.

Life is not so much about surrounding ourselves with happiness as it is realizing that joy surprises us at every turn once we finally cease trying to perfect everything (and everyone) around us so we get to live a happy life.

We begin finding pleasure in the smallest things. We sigh with contentment even though others would wonder why.

Life is rich, life is full once we cease grasping, and accept the gift. Your friends or spouse are free from your expectations to bring happiness to you. No one earns this for you. Jesus hands it to you as from Himself.

This time you won’t bob up and down the waters of your own fulfilled and unfulfilled expectations.

Because in your hands, you will hold your own gift which neither you or others earned for you. And when you feel its worth, you will be loathe to part with it just because something (or someone) failed to make you happy. You are worth more than that, and so is your gift.

Joy is a gift (regardless of circumstances) because the infinite does not rest on the finite.
The finite was created within the infinite. How then can we breathe so deeply of things created and so little of the Creator?
When we are absolutely taken with what always was, presently is, and always will be, we are set free to enjoy the beautiful.

Joy is entirely different than the happiness one might feel from a great circumstance. Happiness fades; joy abides through thick and thin.

Joy is the soul enamored, enraptured, and set back in awe of a Being Who spells INFINITY.
The finite rather melts in light of all He is to the heart. When the Infinite abides, the finite finally sinks to where it belongs and makes way for the soul to rejoice in the higher, greater, better, wiser, and always good.

Yes, this is God, and the joy He brings is enduring, not contingent on people, places, or things. Hold it, share it, feast on it!

Article url: http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=185180

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A Woman of Grace

Have you ever met someone you would describe as a woman of grace?

I am blessed to say, “Yes!”

This extraordinary woman was my mother-in-law, Jane.

She’s in heaven now, but my husband and I think about her a lot. I have so many fond memories of visiting my in-laws at their home in California.

Bird of Paradise flower

Whenever I see a Bird of Paradise flower, I think of those fun visits. My in-laws had several blooms planted near the front steps of their home.

Speaking of beautiful, we have a gorgeous, smiling, picture of Jane in her wedding dress featured on a wall in our home. By all standards of beauty, my mother-in-law was a knockout, but her beauty was more than skin-deep as she was also one of the kindest women I have ever met.

To me, Jane was the epitome of grace. Her strong faith spoke volumes to me as I began my faith walk so long ago. She truly knew how to delight in God.

I came across a lovely poem recently that reminded me of my mother-in-law. These meaningful words celebrate ALL women living grace, and I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Please enjoy.

A Woman living Grace

by Elizabeth Hexberg
01/22/12

May I be that ray of sunlight,
when the sky is overcast.
A petal from His Roses,
with fragrance made to last.
A hint of coming rainbows,
in the darkest Winter Storm,
and the softest pink horizon
to remind you of the Dawn.

Seeking out the wonderful,
with laughter on my face.
But most of all I pray to be,
A woman living Grace.

A child of God.
Friend to all.
Ever Loving heart.
Live my life with courage,
My God how Great Thou Art.
Dance to every melody.
Sing to every song.
Be the one to help you know
He Loved you all along.

Someday to help you see it too,
find a safer place.
But most of all I pray to be,
A woman living Grace.

May I be the one who never said,
‘I told you so my friend’.
May I be the one who always cared
beginning to the end.
The one who saw the good in all,
walked the extra mile.
Saw the Magic of His Plan,
and never lost her smile.

A hand to hold, when life grows old,
to finish up this race.
But most of all I pray to be,
A woman living Grace.

# # #

 

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Hitting the Refresh Button On Our Discouragement

Are you feeling discouraged?

Are the challenges in your life overwhelming at times?

I believe hitting the Refresh button on our troubled souls can help.

We should focus on God’s promises and reflect on the evidence of His grace and blessings in our lives.

The truth of God’s word can help us shut out worldly distractions and discouragement.

The key? We must remember who we are in Christ.

Always, always, always, even when it pours. when it rains it pours

When It Rains

I remember a difficult time in my life several years ago. I had recently become a Christian, and it seemed like a lot of things were going wrong, all at once. The difficulties piled on, one right after the other.

My recovery from a terrible accident felt like it was taking forever. Keeping up with my job responsibilities was difficult. The heavy cast on my damaged leg was a constant reminder of the accident and the effect it had on my family.

I just felt…broken.

Isn’t it interesting how the devil attacks when we’re at our most vulnerable?

One evening my husband and I went to a Wednesday worship service at our church.

The praise music was great. It lifted my spirits to sing out loud with fellow believers.

I stood in line to receive the Lord’s Supper. When it was my turn, the deacon placed the wafer in my outstretched hands and said, “Remember, you are God’s masterpiece.”

I’ve never forgotten his words. It was the right encouragement and the precious reminder that I needed to hear at that moment.

“Remember, you are God’s Masterpiece.”

The Master Designer thought enough of me and my potential to send me into the world.

He thinks enough of you, too.

It’s up to us, along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to delight in God and shine His light to the whole world.

You are God's Masterpiece

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A God-Sized Hug

Losing a Best Friend

It’s been a tough few days for us.

If you’ve ever had to put a dog down, one of your best friends, then you know how it feels.

Losing a best friendYou feel like you’ve been hit by a mack truck. The heartbreak lingers for a long, long time.

It happened just recently to my husband and I. Misty, one of our beloved family pets, had an enlarged tumor and wasn’t responding well to a last-ditch treatment. We tried everything to help her over the last few months. At 11 1/2 years old, we agreed with the vet that putting her through a painful surgery and risky recovery wasn’t a safe option. The day before we put her down, I had whispered to her to tell us when it was her time.

We woke up the next morning to find her suffering, and we just knew.

That horrible Saturday of her death, my husband and I were both in tears as we held her and talked to her during those final shots. It was excruciating to be there, but we wouldn’t have been anywhere else.

It Hurts to Lose a Best Friend

Our dogs are cherished family members to us. All it takes is a painful time like this to remind us that life is short and we should cherish our loved ones, whether they be human or a doted-on furry friend.

A God-sized hugMisty was full of personality. From her picture you can see what a beauty she was. Her coat was mostly white, but she had some patches of dark grey fur. After she was groomed, she would look like a big cotton ball.

Even though she’s gone, I see little reminders of our girl every day. A little tumbleweed of white fur comes out from behind a dresser when I’m vacuuming. Her pink collar and leash are still in our garage every time I go outside to get in my car. I see those and sigh. Memories of her stomping her feet demanding her dinner and chasing the other dogs in the backyard come flooding back.

A God-Sized Hug

I must tell you about something incredible that happened when we got home from that tear-jerking trip to the vet. This is one of so many examples of why I delight in God.

Call it coincidence if you want. For me though, it was grace.

My husband and I got home that awful morning and were comforting our other dogs. I heard the familiar notification sound that I had a new text on my phone. I went to check it. It was a sweet text from a friend of mine in Fort Worth saying that she was thinking about me AND that God had put me on her heart.

Wow.  🙂

Less than an hour later, a dear friend from Virginia texted me. Same thing – she said that God had put me on her heart so she texted me right after that.

What an extraordinary God we have.

25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. – Numbers 6:25-26, KJV, Public Domain.

Praising Him all the day long!

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Praying for Your Spouse

Hey, good-looking!married couple

That means you. 🙂

Sit down for a sec while I ask you an important question that all married couples need to ask themselves.

(p.s. This has nothing to do with who fell in love with whom, first! It’s funny the answers you get when you ask couples that question.)

No, the real question is …

Did you know that you should pray for your spouse every day?

I would love to be able to say that I do, but my honest answer is “sometimes I forget.”

Every day?

I’m lucky if I can remember where my reading glasses are.

I know that praying for my spouse is what God wants me (and you for yours) to do.

Even when they’re being a stinker?

Yes, even when they’re being stinker.  🙂

Praying for your spouse can happen almost anywhere. You can pray while you’re in bed at night, on your lunch hour, or in the car. How about in the bathtub?

Sure. Why not?

I am going to make a conscious effort to pray for my husband every day from now on.

Appreciate your spouse

Ideas About What to Pray

Here’s a little guideline:

  • Your spouse’s relationship with the Father.
  • That he/she will make wise decisions during the day.
  • That he/she will keep the faith and avoid temptations.
  • Pray that he/she will have a good day at their jobs.
  • Pray also that you will be a better listener and partner to your spouse.

Please commit to praying for your spouse. It’s the right thing to do.

After all, your spouse is a gift from God.

Delight in God and Delight in Your Spouse

Praying for your spouse

When’s the last time you told your spouse how much you appreciate him or her? Just a simple and heartfelt expression like, “I’m blessed to have you in my life.”

Then, if you really want to put some icing on the cake, why not add,

“You SURE ARE good-looking!”

Trust me.

It works.

You’re welcome.  🙂

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