Micah 6:8

"Get Joy" Book Verses

This verse inspired the naming of my son. I read this verse years before he was born and knew that this verse was for him. I love it because it is a life verse for him and for all of us. There are three things to live by and if you can do those three things you will have joy all your days!

What does God require of us? Here it is very simply stated.

1. Do Justly

Be fair! Be honest! Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Do right!

2. Love Mercy

Be forgiving! Be loving! Be compassionate! Show Christ love not just to those you care about but also to the week, poor, sinner, your enemies.

3. Walk Humbly with your God
Realize who God is and what He has done for you. Do not be proud or arrogant. Have a open heart that yearns for God, that loves God and understands our need for Him. I like the idea of walking with Him. It shows a relationship, a friendship, a understanding of that ...

He is our Father who wants to show us who He is.

Do Justly, love Mercy and walk Humbly with your God and you will...

Romans 1:16

"Get Joy" Book Verses

The book of Romans is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I love it so much because it so clearly lays out the plan of salvation. It tells us who needs, why we need and how to receive salvation. It has so many verses that are inspiring, reminds of the great price Christ paid and the great gift it is. So here is one of my all time favorites in Romans...

We have been studying Romans in our Sunday school class. I love the discussions we have been having and I loved talking about this verse. Paul declares why he is not ashamed of Jesus. He is not ashamed because he knows that through God there is life! If I had the cure for cancer I would not hide it away. No, I would give it to the world. I would want to save lives. But, unfortunately I do not have the cure for cancer. How much more should I yell it from the roof tops that I know the way of eternal life? So, Paul's "I am not ashamed" now becomes my declaration..."I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ!" This gift is for everyone! It does not matter who you are or what you have done. His love is for ALL who believe! What a great verse and a great reminder of His love and my call to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ!



Don't be ashamed...

Jeremiah 29:11

"Get Joy" Book Verses!

My next all time favorite verse is Jeremiah 29:11! I think this verse so clearly tells us what God wants for us. Sometimes when I am confused or seem disoriented this verse can so quickly focus me back to where He wants me to be.

I picked this picture because it is my favorite of John and me. But I also picked to go with this verse. God has had a plan for me before I was even conceived. He had a plan for my future and a major part of that future is John. God picked him for me and me for him. He knew that we would bring three wonderful little people into this world. He knew that He was putting together a team that would share the love of Christ. He also wants our marriage to be a picture of His relationship with the church. What a huge responsibility but a great privilege!

Little did I know in the Fairlane School Cafeteria near the pop machines at the ripe age of 15...God would be beginning the makings of something amazing. John came up to me and asked me to marry him...and I thought he was crazy!




God's plans for us are Peace, Hope & and Future. Knowing that I am in His plans gives me such joy! Today, I will....

Not Me Monday! ~ U of M or MSU

Here is my NOT ME'S today!

I most certainly did not go into a bet with my husband this past weekend! I would not bet at all. Pastor's Wives do not bet! I did not bet that my U of M team would slaughter his ugly, ucky, stinky MSU team. I most certainly did not agree that if my team won than my son would wear his UofM stuff to church on Sunday and if his nasty team won than my son would have to wear that gross green and white. My son did not go to church in green and white....no, no, NO! Argh! And a good person who went into said bet above would not cover up the MSU outfit with a U of M jacket...no a good person would hold up there end of the bargain.

I also did not let my daughter take a pair of ripped tights and make a new outfit with them. I did not let her take those tights, cut off the feet, cut off part of the top and make an arm jacket out of them, head band and glove...no that would be silly. I would then not let her wear them to the store. Nope not me! And I most certainly would not put them on my washer to clean them for her to wear again. Nope not me!


I would never bribe my children to do their church worksheet pages. I would never tell them that I would get them ice cream after church. No Way that is just terrible parenting right there! I would also never tell my child that they didn't need their bible because they couldn't find it and we were running late. That would just be blasphemous!



And lastly, I would never let my baby through a fit, cry uncontrollably while I feverishly try to finish this "Not Me Monday!" Nope...NOT ME!

(So this picture sums up nicely how I feel about MSU winning Saturday!)

anyway! Even when your team loses!


Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

"Get Joy" Book Verses

A new friend of mine, Leslie (who happens to be a scrapbooker extraordinaire!), made me this beautiful empty book to fill with something. It took me a little while to decide but now that I have... I love it! I thought I would take the next few post and share what I wrote on those pages.




I have been going through some discouraging times lately mostly of my own making. I decided to fill those beautifully crafted pages with my favorite verses and important people in my life. The book sits on my nightstand for me to read before I go to sleep. I read it to remind me of God's promises and that He always keeps them. I read them to remind me of what this life is about. I read them to remind me of the people I love. I read them to remind of the God I serve. I read them to remind me of the God I adore. I read them to remind me of God's great, deep and wide love for me. And as I fall asleep the cares of this world grow strangely dim.


The first verse on the inside page is this....

This is the verse that sparked the name of my blog. I love this verse because it reminds us of where true joy comes from. God alone gives us joy and it strengthens us. When we go through dark or discouraging times we must remember that Christ alone is our help. That Christ alone gives us strength. Christ alone is our sure foundation! We could all use a little "Joy of the Lord" ....well maybe a LOT of "Joy of the Lord" everyday!

Today...



Here is a list of the pages by verses...

Jeremiah 29:11

Romans 1:16

Micah 6:8

2 Corinthians 5:17

Philippians 4:13

Galatians 6:9

I Timothy 2: 5-6

Philippians 4:8

I Corinthians 9:24-25

I Peter 3:3-4

Philipipians 1:6

Proverbs 31:30

Philippians 3:13-14

Romans 5:8

Romans 8:37-39

Psalm 16:11

Numbers 6:24-25

My friend Jenilee has a fun thing she does with scripture verses. Go check them out!

Awakening

One of my favorite songs is this one by Sara Groves. I love the words in this song. It really speaks to me as a pastor's wife and that I need to focus on how real Jesus is and how I need to make Him real in my life. Here is a video of the song. It is not Sara singing but this girl does a great job singing it. Don't forget to pause the music below.


Dress down your pretty faith. Give me something real.
Leave out the thee and thou and speak to me now.
Speak to my pain and confusion.
Speak through my fears and my pride.
Speak to the part of me that knows I'm something deep down inside.

I know that I am not perfect, but compare me to most,
In a world of hurt and a world of anger I think I'm holding my own.
And I know that you said there is more to life.
And I know I am not satisfied.
But there are mornings I wake up and I'm just thankful to be alive.

I known now, for quite a while, that I am not whole.
I've remembered the body and the mind, but disected my soul.
Now something inside is awakening,
Like a dream I once had and forgot.
And it's something I'm scared of and something I don't want to stop.

And I woke up this morning and realized that Jesus is not a portrait.
Or stained glassed windows or hymns or the tradition that surrounds us.
And I thought it would be hard to believe in, but it's not hard at all.
To believe I've sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

And He's not asking me to change in my joy for martyrdom
He's asking to take my place.
To stand in the gap that I have formed
With His real, and His sweet, and His real amazing grace.

And it's not just a sign or a sacrament.
It's not just a metaphor for love.
The blood is real and it's not just a symbol of
It's not a sign or a sacrament.
It's not just a metaphor for love.

The Blood is real and it's not just a symbol of,
It is real, it's not just a symbol of,
His blood is real, it's not just a symbol of
your faith.

So leave out the thee and thou and speak now.

Try Not To Explode!

My first graders very random conversation with me this morning....


"You know you shouldn't sneeze and fart at the same time!"

Of course I could not let that one go without further discussion so of course I asked her, "why?"

She replied, "Because you will explode!"

"Really...Explode!", I replied

"Well not explode like when you die" she said.

"Whoa we explode when we die...why was I never told this?" I thought to myself.

She then said to my surprise, "I exploded once!

"What?!" I asked in a very concerned voice. She then went on to explain that it isn't really exploding more like blowing up like a balloon which still caused me to probe this a little further...

Trying not to laugh, I then said, "I don't remember you floating away!"

My brilliant first grader than said, "I was to heavy too do that!"

I love conversations with 6 year olds!

The sad thing now that I am thinking about the conversation...I never corrected her on any of her thoughts. Yikes, I better remember to do that.

My Little Duct Tape Queen!

My daughter is probably one of the most creative persons I know. She loves to make things and not just any things her own ideas. Even now her room is drowning in duct tape scraps, pom poms, scissors, cardboard, scraps of who knows what and just all sorts of crafty items. Our next house will have a basement with a corner dedicated to her imagination. She will spend hours creating the most amazing things. Get out your scissors, get some duct tape and see what your kids can come up with....you might just be totally amazed.
She had a little help with this one since I won't let her use my glue gun!

Oh and here is my "Not Me Monday"!

I would never let the daughter above take duct tape to church. And I would most certainly not let her make projects in the front pew. And what kind of mother would let her daughter supply said duct tape to our senior pastor's daughter who also was making things next to her. And this would never be happening during worship...no not me... not ever! LOL

Today, let your kids be creative and....

Today my baby turns ONE!

Today, my baby turned one! I feel it was just yesterday I was counting down the days till his due date. I remember at church for the last three weeks of pregnancy everybody saying, "You haven't had that baby yet!" I could hardly wait for his arrival and now he is one!

How amazing he is to me. I never thought that he could bring me as much joy as he has. He is truly God's great gift to me. He lights up a room when he is there. His smile is adorable and his eyes melt your heart. Everyday, I thank the Lord for allowing him to be given to me. Our children are such precious gifts and blessings. Lord, bless him today!

Here are some pictures of his day! We went to Bennigan's after some toy shopping. What a great day of celebration of the birth of the sweetest baby boy in the world!

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.


Happy Birthday Baby and boy did we...

Oooh my favorite sandwich at Bennigan's! Love it and had to take a picture of it! The Monte Cristo!

Being in the state of Forgiveness!

Three times in the past week I have had a discussion about forgiveness. I know that God wanted to work out forgiveness in my life again. I am always finding myself amazed how He sees right through me into my very darkest hidden areas of my heart. I am reminded by Him that I must learn what it means to be in the “The State of Forgiveness”.

What does that mean, "State of Forgiveness"? To be honest, I have been trying to figure this out for almost two years now. I was sharing on Tuesday with some ladies from my church how God wants us to forgive. We discussed that at times forgiveness comes easy like when my girls do something wrong. I have no trouble forgiving them, my love is too deep for them to not to. Hum....that statement alone gets me thinking about Gods love for me. Then the situation in which a person offends you once....harder to forgive but doable. How about the non-Christian....that sometimes is easier because you understand that they are apart from God. Then I shared with them my struggle....the "Christian" who repeatedly offends day after day...month after month. What then? How can I walk in forgiveness? How do I not become bitter and angry? This is where the "State of Forgiveness" comes in.

I always look to God as my example to show me how to be. God has asked us to be like Him so where else should we look?!

God is Forgiving

Psalms 86 (New International Version)
5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.

Thanks Lord that you are forgiving. I love the word "abounding" here. I think it gives a wonderful word picture of how much love He has for us ALL. I have a great understanding how much God forgives and how much He forgave me. He sent His son for me so that my sins would be forgiven when I accept Him as my Lord. For some reason I get that... but struggle with why I think I am better than God that I can not forgive. Ouch! Matthew 18:21-35 "The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant" seems to speak right to that.

I Need To Forgive For My Own Sake

Matthew 6:14 (New International Version)
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Oh yes, this point is purely selfish...I want to be forgiven. LOL Plain and simple, here is a command...you want to be forgiven then you better forgive. Ugh, why is this so hard? Why would I rather live in my self pity and be the victim? Why does my sinful nature always seem to be so strong? Why do I need to have people feel sorry for me? Could it really come down to pride? Could all these questions be actually leading me to the answer? I think they do! I need Christ. I need Him to be my all in all. I need Him alone! I need to Him to clean out every part of me that is not His. I need to give Him every part of me. That means I need to walk in obedience. I have to forgive it is my duty to HIM! It is the least I can do for what He has done for me.

I Need to be Obedient!

Ephesians 4 then sums up everything very nicely...He is talking to the church in Ephesus....Brothers and Sister in the Lord....see where I am going with this? Our Christian friends!


Ephesians 4:20-32 (New International Version)

20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Here again to the church of Colosse...
Colossians 3
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Forgiveness for a Christian that has offended you is hard because we all think they should know better. But we are not responsible for their actions we are only responsible for ours. The "State of Forgiveness" is a choice! It is a choice to be in an attitude of forgiveness every day for any offense. It is a choice to serve God, to love Him through our actions. I may not "feel" forgiveness in my heart but I will choose to forgive and I believe I will over time begin to "feel" forgiveness for my brother or sister in Christ! Does it mean it will not hurt? No, unfortunatly not but that is when we allow God be who God is. He will heal our broken hearts and He will be all we need.
Walk in the "State of Forgiveness" and today...