From Chaos to Creating Calm
Are you in chaos? We want to encourage you. Are you looking for calm? Turn to The Comforter to help you.
Dear Family,
Is this a chaotic time for you? Teresa & I, want to encourage you to reach out to others who can help and encourage YOU! It is important during this time that we don’t try to go this alone. This is a time of physical distancing and creative social connecting.
Are you looking for calm? Turn to the Comforter, He can lighten our load. We pray extra patience during this time. May we extend grace and mercy to our children during this time, our spouse, whoever we are shut in with, and to ourselves.
Fathers, Mothers, & caregivers, remember if you are struggling, most likely, so are your children. Ask them. Share, appropriately, your feelings. Here are four things you can do to help them and you:
Together, look for the many blessings that our loving merciful God has given us such as food, shelter, and the love of family and friends.
Count your blessings, make an actual list.
Then, look for creative ways to enjoy your blessings more. But don’t stop there!
Look for more creative ways to reach out and share your blessing with others especially those who don’t have their basic needs met.
Sons and daughters, you are so important during this time. You are young, full of life, and you matter. Be a blessing to your family, look for creative ways to bless others and encourage your peers.
Remember when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, it's up to you how sweet it is! As you come to God ask Him for guidance and direction during this time. God can be trusted, take Him at His Word, His yoke is easy.
What can you do this week to comfort and bless your family and reach out to others?
Ask God to show you. His burden is light, let Him use you to lighten someone else’s load.
““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.””
Prequel to Share Joy
Happy New Years Family!
Well, if you’ve been following our post, you know we started a three-part series “Joy” & you may be wondering about part three. Well, before I could share joy something happened that made me realize that sharing joy isn’t always easy. That led me to write this prequel of the events that have kept me from sharing joy with you.
After I handed part three off for final proofreading, I received some unanticipated feedback, and doubt came along with it. Maybe you’ve experienced a similar situation. You’re blessed in some way, you’ve overcome a challenge, or you are navigating difficulty. You have an opportunity to share your story and...
If you, like me, missed it, there should be a flashing yellow light going off in your head at the first sign of doubt! Especially when it comes to sharing your testimony. Why, because the first trick we see the enemy use in the Bible is doubt. (Gen. 3:1)
So with one email, I missed the flashing yellow and forgot that it does not mean speed up!
Instead, I began struggling to edit the post. I prayed for guidance, silence. I finally passed the post onto Jannie without telling her about the feedback I’d received. Her comments were positive. She mentioned one thing the proofer said and told me to let go, or I’d get stuck. I should have been encouraged, but I got stuck, I focused on her one point that matched the proofer.
I lost focus (Matt 14:30), and I sank into silence.
There are plenty of examples of good silence in the Bible. But that is not what I did. You see, God is working out an area of my life where the enemy uses silence to his advantage. And when I lost focus, I severed the connection and returned to my will/way of handling a familiar situation.
But here’s the thing. Although it looks & feels like the same situation all over again. I am not the same person I was the last time I was in this place. (And neither are you.)
Personal disclosure: doubt & silence are areas God is working on in my life. So, I have to live surrendered to Him when I encounter them. How? Well, one way is by acknowledging the truth of my situation to myself and to those I trust around me (accountability) instead of running or hiding. In faith, my surrender is to:
stay connected & draw closer to God,
turn toward the thing that scares me,
accept the consequence (and there were some) of my silence, and
get back on track moving forward
The good news is that when I surrender to God, I regain focus and His strength through the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish my task, to achieve my goal, to handle the consequences, and to share my joy with others.
Now, this may not be your exact situation, the thing that keeps you from sharing joy with others. But whatever your situation, remember the enemy is real, and he has no desire for any Christian to live surrendered, and he certainly doesn’t want us to share our joy, blessings or experiences to encourage others.
This experience reminded me that God created us to be in relationship with one another. Yes, we are better together, but we are also stronger together. Standing alone can leave us lonely and vulnerable, and that can make us an easy, unsuspecting target.
Did you know your silence can be used by the enemy as a force multiplier to disrupt not only your life but the lives and relationships around you?
I cannot promise I won’t go silent again like I said God is working on me, but I am surrendered. Living surrendered doesn’t make me immune in this area. Instead, I’ve noticed a greater awareness of that still small voice. It takes less time to recognize the pitfall, yes, even if I’m already in it. And, I refocus and return quicker.
My joy? My Father in Heaven NEVER gives up on me, or You!
So what do you need to stop running from and or face so that you can share joy? Post your comments below.
And now, here, is Part 3: Share Joy
And in case you missed them here is Part: 1 Find Joy and Part: 2 Choose Joy
Choose Joy
Brothers and sisters, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will ENDURE hard trials on this side of glory. We can expect that, but we can also expect the Holy Spirit within us to help us ENDURE just like Jesus did. Remember, no suffering on this side of glory compares to the glory and JOY revealed when we see Jesus. NOTHING:
NO SICKNESS
HEARTACHE
NO DISAPPOINTMENT
NO DEATH
On this side of glory, Jesus said to count it ALL JOY. James 1:2 (ESV) Count it all joy my brothers (and sisters) when you encounter trials of various kinds.
But how do you choose joy when your heart is heavy, you feel broken, and you can't think about tomorrow because today is all you can handle?
Surrender to God. Surrendering to God is an act of humility, it’s admitting that you can’t and acknowledging that He can.
Trust God. Trust that He has a plan for you. Trust that He wants His best for you.
Your weeping may ENDURE for a night, but JOY comes in the morning. Psalms 30:5b.
Remember God's time is not our timing, so your night might seem long. Like being married ten years before God opens your womb to bear fruit. And then you deliver your precious baby six months later, at two pounds three ounces, and with lots of complications. Yes, the night can be very long.
Mighty Savior may your joy be our strength each and every day as we commit to trusting you with ALL our heart. Your way is perfect and when you have tried us we shall come forth as pure gold, amen!!
But joy does come in the morning; there were many moments I was afraid and didn't know what would happen. Still, I held to God's unchanging hand. Now I praise Him, that two pound 3 ounce baby is 26 years old and God is doing great and mighty things in and through her life. I still have to trust Him moment by moment and even when things don't look good or feel good, I remember God is good.
Yes, you may be in a bad place or going through a hard time. Yes, your struggle IS real. But so is God and so are His promises!
To choose Joy, trust that where you are right now is not where God intends to leave you!
Cling to Him, and as you keep moving forward, watch for His blessings in your life. Stay prayerful. Keep Praising.
Family Teresa and I encourage you right this moment, "choose JOY!" Philippians 4:4, says rejoice and again I say rejoice.
Important: If you are battling depression please seek professional help. Never suffer in silence, tell someone, ask for & get help, you are not alone.
BE EQUIPPED:
5 Practical Ways to Choose Joy
Click to view & download the 4x6 printable.