Wednesday SHINE....
Today's Reading: Mark 4-6
Happy Worship Wednesday, SHINE girls! We all know what to do today, right? We WORSHIP our KING!
In all you do today, worship Him! Be intentional, girls. Sing songs to Him, pray to Him, give Him thanks. Make today all about worshiping Your Man, Jesus!
Yesterday was a yucky rainy day around here. If you know me at all, you know that I do not like rainy, dreary days. They make me sad. They make me lonely. Did I mention they make me sad?
My Mother, on the other hand, loves a good rainy day. I always call her on rainy days and she is just as happy as can be. (I don't get it!)
Anyway, as usual I dropped the children off at school. As the last child got out of my car, my stomach dropped. I knew it would be a lonely day. No friends to meet in the morning to run with. No sunshine to warm my face. Just cold, drizzly rain. Boo.
When I returned home, my stomach was still kind of knotty. I knew it would be a long day. I was so tempted to call a friend to meet for lunch or just to hang out with. I was dreading going home to a lonely, empty house.
However, I knew I had things to get done around the house. I knew Lem would not be happy to come home to the same mess the house was in when he left that morning. Shoot.
**side note, not too long ago, I would have gone with my emotions and hit the road and stayed away from home all day. anything to avoid being ALONE on a cold rainy day**
So, what's a girl to do?
I prayed.
I asked the Lord to help me to see the GOOD in today. I asked Him to help me find JOY even in the menial tasks I had going on at home. I didn't want to waste my day being sad and dreary. And lonely.
Can I just be honest?
It was like the Lord gave me a ginormous size shot of B-12! I am NOT kidding.
As I was making up my son's bed, and praying over his day, the Lord showed me several things that I could do to serve Him today. Things that would bring me JOY, if I would just do them and not complain.
What did He show me?
Well, I went through the house and found clothing after clothing after clothing to donate for our SHINE Mission Project. Literally, I thought I may have to go and buy more trash bags to bag them up with! I never KNEW we had so much STUFF!
How did this change my day?
It changed my FOCUS. I prayed over each item I put in the bags. I envisioned the person or family receiving them and how they would use them. I prayed that they would see Jesus in all of these things that I was bagging up. I prayed that the Lord would somehow take these used items and make them shiny and new for someone!
The more I bagged up, the more I wanted to find to give.
Isn't it awesome how the Lord works? How He can quickly change our hearts and our attitudes?
Happy Worship Wednesday, SHINE girls! We all know what to do today, right? We WORSHIP our KING!
In all you do today, worship Him! Be intentional, girls. Sing songs to Him, pray to Him, give Him thanks. Make today all about worshiping Your Man, Jesus!
Yesterday was a yucky rainy day around here. If you know me at all, you know that I do not like rainy, dreary days. They make me sad. They make me lonely. Did I mention they make me sad?
My Mother, on the other hand, loves a good rainy day. I always call her on rainy days and she is just as happy as can be. (I don't get it!)
Anyway, as usual I dropped the children off at school. As the last child got out of my car, my stomach dropped. I knew it would be a lonely day. No friends to meet in the morning to run with. No sunshine to warm my face. Just cold, drizzly rain. Boo.
When I returned home, my stomach was still kind of knotty. I knew it would be a long day. I was so tempted to call a friend to meet for lunch or just to hang out with. I was dreading going home to a lonely, empty house.
However, I knew I had things to get done around the house. I knew Lem would not be happy to come home to the same mess the house was in when he left that morning. Shoot.
**side note, not too long ago, I would have gone with my emotions and hit the road and stayed away from home all day. anything to avoid being ALONE on a cold rainy day**
So, what's a girl to do?
I prayed.
I asked the Lord to help me to see the GOOD in today. I asked Him to help me find JOY even in the menial tasks I had going on at home. I didn't want to waste my day being sad and dreary. And lonely.
Can I just be honest?
It was like the Lord gave me a ginormous size shot of B-12! I am NOT kidding.
As I was making up my son's bed, and praying over his day, the Lord showed me several things that I could do to serve Him today. Things that would bring me JOY, if I would just do them and not complain.
What did He show me?
Well, I went through the house and found clothing after clothing after clothing to donate for our SHINE Mission Project. Literally, I thought I may have to go and buy more trash bags to bag them up with! I never KNEW we had so much STUFF!
How did this change my day?
It changed my FOCUS. I prayed over each item I put in the bags. I envisioned the person or family receiving them and how they would use them. I prayed that they would see Jesus in all of these things that I was bagging up. I prayed that the Lord would somehow take these used items and make them shiny and new for someone!
The more I bagged up, the more I wanted to find to give.
Isn't it awesome how the Lord works? How He can quickly change our hearts and our attitudes?
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus"
Philippians 2:5
Our attitudes and our joy should not be circumstantial. Meaning, dependent on what is going on around us. (like, the weather!)
Joy should exude from our lips and our hearts, not because of our circumstances---but because HE lives in us! We have the power to choose JOY, because He has given us free access to it!
Let me repeat: WE have the power to CHOOSE JOY!
I just did a toe touch!! For real!
Several years ago (and those that know me can affirm this), my favorite scripture was:
Let me repeat: WE have the power to CHOOSE JOY!
I just did a toe touch!! For real!
Several years ago (and those that know me can affirm this), my favorite scripture was:
"The Joy of the Lord is my Strength."
Nehemiah 8:10
I wrote in on every card and even had it on the signature line of my emails. It was my verse that the Lord had given me when I needed it most. He was teaching me that I was weak as a kitten without true Joy that can only be found in Him.
It's still one of my favorite verses because it's tried and true in my life. I go to it often when I feel that dark cloud of loneliness or sadness hovering over me.
We look to a lot of things to fill this joy void, don't we?
We look to:
So, worship Him with Joy today, girls! He's waiting for that pretty little mouth and heart of yours to overflow in abundant worship for Him!
We look to a lot of things to fill this joy void, don't we?
We look to:
- people (hello! all the time!!)
- things (clothes, shoes, anything shiny and new)
- food/drinks (chocolate, anyone?)
- pills that make us happy
- books that keep us entertained and out of reality
- social sites that make us feel wanted, loved and adored (yes, i know all about this one!)
- did i mention shopping? (oh brother, do i love to fill some voids with this one!)
The one place that we most often overlook is HIM. The true source of our Joy. We take for granted that He is right there waiting on us to choose Him.
So, worship Him with Joy today, girls! He's waiting for that pretty little mouth and heart of yours to overflow in abundant worship for Him!
choosing Joy today,
jill
