Unending Joy

Someone once told me that joy passes when you are first and everlasting when you are last. What an interesting concept we try to tell our selves that we are joyful when in reality we are just happy or satisfied with where we are right in that moment.  Joy (and i mean true JOY) is only found in the Lord.  I don't know about many of you but there are times in my life when i am so down and it seems like nothing is going my way and of course that shows for everyone to see.  But i have also learned that in those time is when i realize that I have not been asking God to bring me joy unending joy.  Joy is the source of all kinds of things such as contentment and just plain old happiness.  If you have deep underlying joy it shows in how you treat people and how you love people.  God calls us to be joyful so what is stopping us from receiving His joy.  I know that many of you have heard the Joy of the Lord will be my strength and if you haven't well you should listen to it!! But as i was saying Joy brings about a strength that can only be found in the Lord so that when temptation strikes it is the Lord that is the only one who can comfort and bring you Joy.  If you do not have genuine joy when those troubles come not only will your faith fade( which i have experienced) but you will not be able to put on that true smile which makes you YOU!!

So my challenge for you today is to ask God to give you Joy!!

life just happens...

So today I learned that life isn't as fair or as convenient as I want it to be.  Yesterday I talked to yall about the aspect of change in our Christian walk with God.  But today I learned that change is a big part of any relationship no matter what that might be. Sometimes things pull friends apart based on distance or time.  Sometimes changes pull the people you love the most away from you just a little at a time.  In life there are not promises that things are going to work out exactly how you imagine them to (in fact for me they didn't). But the reality is that there has to be a reason that we change(for the good or bad). I honestly believe that God has full control of everything that we do and no matter what happens in our life to change who we are that God has a plan for that.  When we think of change effecting other people it really didn't seem to be that impacting ( or what i could see).  A lot of times when we change God has a specific out come that he has in mind and I encourage you to hold on to that outcome even when it seems like life is throwing you all around and even when people you care about act different or feel like they are hurting who you are trying to be.  Stay strong because in the end God is holding the remote...he can click people in and out of your life but he is never going to click the power button and leave you hanging.  Life is not fair and change is part of any situation we are faced with, but it is how we react to that change that really makes all the difference.  SO don't be afraid of change(or at least try not to be like i am). I guess i am asking all of you to believe that what has happened in your life and the changes you have encountered are what is best for you and if they aren't God is going to break them down!!! SO trust God

with the love of the Lord

Lena