Shout for Joy!

     When is the last time you shouted for joy? I can't really remember the last time I shouted for joy. I have had many moments where I have laughed loudly in joy, but no shouting. Shouting for joy, to me, brings to mind a large group of people at a concert shouting when the artist starts to sing their most recent hit. What do you think shouts of joy sound like?
     I know I would have love to have been there in the time of Moses, when the glory of the Lord appeared to the people. Leviticus 9:24 tells us, "Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown." Can you imagine? All the Israelite people that were freed from the bondage of slavery in Egypt shouting for joy at the same time. I bet it was louder than any concert we have ever been to!
     You may not have the opportunity to shout for joy this week, or maybe you will. But I challenge you to find something this week that just makes you want to shout or at least laugh loudly with joy. Then write it down. When you find yourself having a tough moment, think back on what made you shout or laugh with joy and I bet you will find your tough moment not so tough. Have a blessed week!

Stealing Joy

     If you read last weeks post on Seeking Joy, I hope you have been thinking a little about the things that bring you joy and the things that take away your joy. Today, I want to switch gears a little bit. I want to talk about taking away others joy. We all do it, and in the end, it affects our joy as well.
     In Genesis 31:27-28, Laban, who is Jacob's father-in-law, has just caught up to Jacob after he fled from him. Jacob had received a dream from the Lord and was told to return to his native land of Canaan. So he gathered up all of his flocks and his family and left with no notice to Laban. He was traveling for three days before Laban caught up with him. Verses 27-28 say, "Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good by."
     Lets back up just a bit in this story, in case your not familiar with it. Jacob has been with Laban's household for many years now. He went there at the urging of his mother Rebekah because his brother Esau wanted to kill him for tricking him out of his birthright. He fell in love with Laban's youngest daughter Rachel and agreed to work for seven years in exchange for her. However, after the seven years was up, Laban tricks Jacob and gives him his oldest daughter Leah instead. Thus the joy stealing begins! Jacob had been anticipating his marriage to Rachel for seven long years, and he is deceived by Laban. Jacob ends up having to serve another seven years in order to be able to marry Rachel as well.
     So now Jacob has left Laban's household with all of his belongings, including Laban's daughters and grandchildren without a good by. I have no doubt that Jacob stole some of Laban's joy by not letting him say good by to his daughters and grandchildren, as the verse tells us. However, there is too much joy stealing in this story to list it all so I would encourage you to read it on your own. Stealing someone else's joy directly affects ours and Laban learned that the hard way. He mistreated Jacob in many ways and it cost him the joy of a good relationship with his son-in-law.
     I think there are many ways in which we steal other peoples joy, and in the end, it directly affects ours. The Bible tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated. If we wish to have other people consider our feelings (and our joy!), then we need to consider theirs. Stealing joy could be as simple as not returning a phone call to a friend in need because we are to busy or not forgiving someone who has wronged us. There are simple ways we can give joy each day and also simple ways we can steal it. I hope this has helped you to think about some of those little things and to learn how to keep your joy and give joy in return. Have a blessed day!

Lessons from Barbie

     I recently rented the movie Barbie Princess Charm School for my daughter. She loves the Barbie movies and I have to admit, I don't mind them either. There is usually a good lesson about being yourself and doing what's right in each movie. In this particular movie, Barbie goes to Princess Charm School to learn how to be a Lady Royal. She finds a mentor in one of the instructors and she starts getting some extra help. In one of the scenes, the instructor is balancing on one foot on a rock with a big stack of books in each hand and a flower pot on top of her head.
     Have you ever felt like that instructor? I have!! But I wasn't quite as graceful as she was. I always fall off the rock and so did Barbie. We can't start out trying to balance everything at once. We have to start small and work our way up with practice and a firm rock to stand on. If Jesus Christ is our rock, then we have started our daily balancing act on the best possible foundation. I have found that if I start my day with Him, I will have a better day. When I don't, I feel even more out of balance.
     As moms, there are things we have to balance each day. These are our necessities. Taking care of our husbands, kids, and our own physical and spiritual needs, taking care of our homes, and shuttling kids here and there makes for a busy day. Amidst those three items, there are tons of little things that go on and in order to have a good balance some of those little things need to remain "little things". You've heard the expression "Don't sweat the small stuff?" That's what I mean. We won't ever find balance if we keep trying to balance all the little things on top of the big things. I wonder if that instructor from the Barbie movie would have been as graceful if she had a bunch of little marbles on top of those big stacks of books? Some how I think not.
     I hope that I could encourage you a little with these words, but most of all, I hope you have that firm foundation in Christ to start your day. If He can balance the whole world and all its problems, it's nothing for Him to help you with yours. Here's a little something to help you remember:

B  egin your day with Christ as your foundation. He won't fail you. Ever.

A  sk God continually for help. He doesn't mind. Really.

L  earn what your "little things" are and keep them "little things".

A  sk God continually for help. Over and over.

N  ever give up trying. You will get it, it just takes practice!

C  ontrol only what you can. Give God everything else.

E  njoy your life. Our families are our blessings from the Lord!

     Have a beautiful week!!

Seeking Joy

     A couple of months ago, I heard a wonderful, godly woman speak on joy at my MOPS meeting. It had such an impact on me, that I decided to go through the Bible from cover to cover in search of joy. I will be posting a couple of verses and some thoughts each week on joy. I hope you will check in and find some joy with me.
     First, I would like to challenge you to do the same thing I did. Take a 3x5 card and write on one side what brings you joy. On the other side, write what takes away your joy. This was a powerful activity for me because it brought to my attention that I am a primary stealer of my own joy. Reflect on these things as you read the passages in the Bible with me on joy.
     Finally, I would like to share with you four things that were given to help us fight for joy (I did not make these up, they came from the speaker):

1. See joy as a command and a gift through scripture.
2. Understand that you will need to fight for joy daily, believing God is who He says He is.
3. Attack the sin that blocks your joy in God by the sword of the Spirit.
4. Learn the secret of "healthy guilt" through God's promises.

     I will be sharing the first verse next week. I am starting in Genesis and will work my way through the Old Testament and then the New, sharing each verse that talks about joy. I will be referencing the NIV version. I hope that you will follow along and take a joy ride with me!