Today I begin a journey of sharing joy and praise to God through a blog. I have not wanted to ever try this before now. I often feel like I have a lot to say (just ask my husband and son they will definitely tell you about my need to talk). So, in this blog I want to touch lives that need encouragement and share where I am finding my joy and reasons to praise the God of heaven. Please share this blog with others, don't hesitate to send me a message. May the God of all Heaven and earth bring you joy. James 1:2b Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" (ESV)
This is a such a different time that we live in. The isolation is real. The loneliness is overwhelming. Finding joy seems unattainable. Day to day life is scary and almost unbearable. But, we do not have to live life with no joy. We can praise God in times of trial, hardship, and weariness. Actually, we can praise God in all things, in all times, whether times are good or bad. I guess one could say it is all about perspective. So, I have asked myself in these last two weeks "God, just what are you doing and what do you want most from me. What if slowing down is to take our focus off of all the things we hold so tightly to and bring us back into focus with Jesus. As we enter the week before Easter, I must admit I am not looking forward to not being able to participate in the traditions that I have come so love and hold so tightly to. Going to my parents house, eating an amazing meal that my mom has so lovingly made, sitting with family and laughing about days gone by, and just having my family close by. That reality is it is not going to happen this year. So, now I must decide how to I move to a new reality. I don't have to look far to see that God is still in all things and cares deeply for me and you. God's word tells us that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Joshua 1:5), He knows the number of hairs our heads (Matthew 10:30), and He even cares for the sparrow (Psalm 84:3). If God promises to take care of the sparrow, I must believe that He will care for me even more than that. God knows my sadness, my loneliness, my fear, my anxiety, and my... I could go on and on about all of the ways that God has got me in the firm grip of His hand and is sheltering me under His every protective wing. Moving forward through this week, I want to encourage each of you to take time to reflect on the life you have been given. Do not take for granted this time of isolation. Seek the face of the Almighty, Everlasting, All-powerful God. He will be there for you. He will bring peace to your loneliness, give you strength in times of weariness, give you words of hope through His Word, and bring you encouragement to share with others. In my pastors sermon this week, he gave us some verses to read and reflect on each day. I encourage you to dig in and find praise and joy for what this holy week means.
Monday: Romans 3:10-12
Tuesday: John 3:16
Wednesday: I John 4:9-10
Thursday: Luke 22:1-23:25
Friday: Luke 23:26-56
Saturday: Reflect on how much God had to give up to give us the gift of His only son, Jesus, so that we could have eternal life with Him from now into eternity.
Sunday: Luke 24
If you do not have a place to worship on Sundays come join me online at idahograce.com.
If you need a place to look up the verses in this post download the YouVersion Bible app or go to BibleGateway.com.
If you need a place to talk message me.
This is a such a different time that we live in. The isolation is real. The loneliness is overwhelming. Finding joy seems unattainable. Day to day life is scary and almost unbearable. But, we do not have to live life with no joy. We can praise God in times of trial, hardship, and weariness. Actually, we can praise God in all things, in all times, whether times are good or bad. I guess one could say it is all about perspective. So, I have asked myself in these last two weeks "God, just what are you doing and what do you want most from me. What if slowing down is to take our focus off of all the things we hold so tightly to and bring us back into focus with Jesus. As we enter the week before Easter, I must admit I am not looking forward to not being able to participate in the traditions that I have come so love and hold so tightly to. Going to my parents house, eating an amazing meal that my mom has so lovingly made, sitting with family and laughing about days gone by, and just having my family close by. That reality is it is not going to happen this year. So, now I must decide how to I move to a new reality. I don't have to look far to see that God is still in all things and cares deeply for me and you. God's word tells us that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Joshua 1:5), He knows the number of hairs our heads (Matthew 10:30), and He even cares for the sparrow (Psalm 84:3). If God promises to take care of the sparrow, I must believe that He will care for me even more than that. God knows my sadness, my loneliness, my fear, my anxiety, and my... I could go on and on about all of the ways that God has got me in the firm grip of His hand and is sheltering me under His every protective wing. Moving forward through this week, I want to encourage each of you to take time to reflect on the life you have been given. Do not take for granted this time of isolation. Seek the face of the Almighty, Everlasting, All-powerful God. He will be there for you. He will bring peace to your loneliness, give you strength in times of weariness, give you words of hope through His Word, and bring you encouragement to share with others. In my pastors sermon this week, he gave us some verses to read and reflect on each day. I encourage you to dig in and find praise and joy for what this holy week means.
Monday: Romans 3:10-12
Tuesday: John 3:16
Wednesday: I John 4:9-10
Thursday: Luke 22:1-23:25
Friday: Luke 23:26-56
Saturday: Reflect on how much God had to give up to give us the gift of His only son, Jesus, so that we could have eternal life with Him from now into eternity.
Sunday: Luke 24
If you do not have a place to worship on Sundays come join me online at idahograce.com.
If you need a place to look up the verses in this post download the YouVersion Bible app or go to BibleGateway.com.
If you need a place to talk message me.
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