Do you ever experience days when your heart feels full to overflowing with gratitude to God? I hope so! Today is one of those days for me. Here’s a list of the things for which I’m grateful: For the privilege of attending our annual mission staff conference in Budapest last week. This allowed… [ read more ]
Posts Tagged: joy
Experience Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love Every Day of the Year
Gene and I celebrated Christmas early with our kids and grandchildren, but we’d still planned to drive five hours on Saturday to spend the weekend with our eldest daughter and her husband in Washington state. Plans changed when a tummy bug knocked me flat on Friday (hence, no blog that day). Thankfully I’d… [ read more ]
3 Life-Changing Truths about Joy
How would you define joy? My favorite definition is one by Kay Warren: “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” This… [ read more ]
How Can We Experience Joy When Life’s Hard?
I’m preparing material for a new retreat package called “Un.shake.able Joy.” The more I study, the more excited I become about the truths in God’s Word and how they’re meant to transform our lives. Here’s a nugget I learned yesterday. The apostle Paul wrote the book of 1 Thessalonians to encourage the believers to… [ read more ]
Where is Happiness Found?
Ask a dozen people what brings happiness and you’ll probably get a dozen different answers. Here are a few common replies: Financial security Physical health Family harmony Grandkids A dream job A dream spouse Weekends World peace Finding happiness in any or all of the above is totally okay, but trouble comes if we… [ read more ]
How to Unwrap the Gift of Today
Every morning brings another day to us. We wake with a to-do list in our minds. Sometimes concerns about a sick loved one or a strained relationship or a potential job-layoff cloud our first thoughts. We roll from bed and grab a bite to eat. Some folks nibble on spiritual nourishment, too, but many… [ read more ]
3 Reasons for Christ-Followers to Celebrate
This week was my grandson Micah’s second birthday, and we celebrated his special day with cupcakes, gifts, and a hearty round of “Happy Birthday to You.” Birthdays call for a celebration. So do weddings, anniversaries, job promotions, and the achievement of long-sought-after goals. One can never find too many reasons to throw a… [ read more ]
Why Should a Believer Praise God?
I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are discouraged take heart. (Psalm 34:1,2 NLT) What’s your usual response when discouragement and fear strike? Do you withdraw? Rush to share your concerns with a friend? Nibble on… [ read more ]
Why Easter Brings Joy
Do you remember these lyrics? I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart Where? Down in my heart Where? Down in my heart I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart Where? Down in my heart to stay! I sang this tune as a kid in Sunday school…. [ read more ]
How Can We Have Joy Even When Our Circumstances Stink?
One of my neighbors radiates joy. Humanly speaking, there’s no logical reason for this 30-something gal to smile as she does. She struggles with chronic illness. Her failing vision has—to a degree—stripped her of independence. Constant pain makes her day-to-day life downright difficult; sometimes she hurts so much that she can barely crawl up the… [ read more ]
Recent Comments