It has been way too long since I've written a post and some of you may be wondering if I'd abandoned this project altogether. I am sorry! I let life get in the way and change my focus a little bit. Time flies by. But I am still excited about this project and the opportunity to learn and grow that it presents. So, let's get going again and start up with the next fruit - peace.
Peace is a wonderful fruit and an often elusive one. It always seems that there is something to worry about or keep our thoughts/minds in a state of unrest. This is the opposite of peace. The more we strive for peace, the harder it is to attain. A devotion I read recently deals with this very subject and really hit home for me. It is from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young:
"Do not search for security in the world you inhabit. You tend to make mental checklists of things you need to do in order to gain control of your life. If only you could check everything off your list, you could relax and be at peace. But the more you work to accomplish that goal, the more things crop up on your list. The harder you try, the more frustrated you become.
"There is a better way to find security in this life. Instead of scrutinizing your checklist, focus your attention on My Presence with you. This continual contact with Me will keep you in My Peace. Moreover, I will help you sort out what is important and what is not, what needs to be done now and what does not. Fix your eyes not on what is seen (your circumstances), but on what is unseen (My Presence). Isaiah 26:3."
Isaiah 26:3-4 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." God promises to keep us in peace. Not only that, but "perfect peace." What we need to do is claim it by keeping our minds fixed on the Lord, trusting in Him in all circumstances and remembering at all times that it is the Lord who is our eternal Rock.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
What does Love look like?
It's been a while since we've posted anything but I found something in a book I'm reading that is good to think about. This is out of order but i'm going back to the subject of Love. Which I guess it's all about love, isn't it?
The following is a quote from "Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control" by Heather Forbes and B.Bryan Post. It's a really good book so far and it's about parenting children with past trauma. That trauma can be a lot of things from minor to major (adoption, frequent moving, abuse, neglect, medical trauma, etc.) but I think this book can be for anyone. Here they talk about loving your child:
"I have found one of the best ways to consider love is to understand that love is what we bring to the space that surrounds us. Love is not possessive or controlling. It simply exists in the present space and time. Any two people are capable of experiencing love at any given moment if they are able to put aside their fears and preconceived notions for what love is supposed to be. Love is being fully present in the moment.
To love a child is merely to be present with her, to not be thinking about work, chores, or the day's duties, but rather to be present, attuned, and in harmony with the child's needs and desires. Not that you will give in to every need, want, or desire, but you will open yourself up with the ability to be present to her without judgement or a need to change her. This is to love a child."
How often do we do this with each of our children? Or our spouses? Or our friends and family? Just think about your day and see how you can take time to be fully present. That means putting aside the stresses and the worries. I've started to be conscience of this as I'm reading this book. I'm also reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I highly recommend this book to everyone. We are doing it for small group and it has a dvd that goes with it for the group study. It's about the crazy love that God gives to us and what our response to that should be. You can google Francis Chan and find utube videos of him speaking. It's really good.
The challenge here for today is to to conscience of being fully present in the moment. In the end, how we've loved people is what is important, not our to-do list.
Amy
The following is a quote from "Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control" by Heather Forbes and B.Bryan Post. It's a really good book so far and it's about parenting children with past trauma. That trauma can be a lot of things from minor to major (adoption, frequent moving, abuse, neglect, medical trauma, etc.) but I think this book can be for anyone. Here they talk about loving your child:
"I have found one of the best ways to consider love is to understand that love is what we bring to the space that surrounds us. Love is not possessive or controlling. It simply exists in the present space and time. Any two people are capable of experiencing love at any given moment if they are able to put aside their fears and preconceived notions for what love is supposed to be. Love is being fully present in the moment.
To love a child is merely to be present with her, to not be thinking about work, chores, or the day's duties, but rather to be present, attuned, and in harmony with the child's needs and desires. Not that you will give in to every need, want, or desire, but you will open yourself up with the ability to be present to her without judgement or a need to change her. This is to love a child."
How often do we do this with each of our children? Or our spouses? Or our friends and family? Just think about your day and see how you can take time to be fully present. That means putting aside the stresses and the worries. I've started to be conscience of this as I'm reading this book. I'm also reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I highly recommend this book to everyone. We are doing it for small group and it has a dvd that goes with it for the group study. It's about the crazy love that God gives to us and what our response to that should be. You can google Francis Chan and find utube videos of him speaking. It's really good.
The challenge here for today is to to conscience of being fully present in the moment. In the end, how we've loved people is what is important, not our to-do list.
Amy
Friday, March 19, 2010
What Produces Joy?
We talked about the products of joy in the last entry. But what about the other side? What kinds of things result in joy? Is there any way we can develop joy in our lives? Joy only comes from God, but are there things we can do to help us experience the joy that God has given through His Spirit?
I think I talked before about slowing down. This is key, I think. In slowing down in our daily lives, we learn to appreciate the gifts that God has given us. We are better able to recognize the simple moments of joy that surround us all the time. And we can hear God's voice and direction more readily. Slowing down includes taking time to just sit and spend time with God. When we strengthen that relationship, we will be better able to experience all that God wants to give us, including true joy. Psalm 21:6, among other verses, states that the presence of the Lord brings joy. Spending time with God will bring us joy.
We can also learn to just take pleasure in things. Eating the good food God has provided, or just taking pleasure in the company of friends and family. In the Bible, references to joy are often linked to feasting and fellowship. God gives us pleasures so that we can learn and experience joy through them. So, let's not feel guilty about enjoying that which God has given us. I'm not talking about over-indulging or being gluttonous. That is certainly not what God intends and that is clear from Scripture, too. But when we can learn to enjoy the pleasures of life without giving the enjoyment of those pleasures the position of greatest importance, we will experience joy.
Seeing each day as a gift from God will also bring us joy. Each day is a gift. Each day of health for me and my family is a gift. Each day I can spend with those I love, or doing something I love to do, is a gift. Sometimes we need an attitude adjustment to recognize it, but if we discipline ourselves to start thinking this way, God promises to bring us joy.
Laugh. One of the products of joy that I mentioned in the last post is laughter. So, let's learn to laugh more often. This goes along with the enjoyment of life, I suppose. And isn't laughter truly a gift? If you haven't had a good belly laugh for awhile, try to remember how good it felt to just sit and laugh. Try to associate with people who bring laughter into your life. Those people are gifts from God who can help you to experience joy more fully. A few people in my life come to mind when I think of laughter and joy. My brother and sister are two of them. When we are all together, we can laugh like at no other time. Part of that is a lifetime of experiences together. But it always feels good to laugh with them.
I'm sure there are more things out there and we will talk about them in a later post, but for now, try to put some of these things in your life right now and see if it helps you to be more joyful. As always, let me know your thoughts, experiences, and progress!
I think I talked before about slowing down. This is key, I think. In slowing down in our daily lives, we learn to appreciate the gifts that God has given us. We are better able to recognize the simple moments of joy that surround us all the time. And we can hear God's voice and direction more readily. Slowing down includes taking time to just sit and spend time with God. When we strengthen that relationship, we will be better able to experience all that God wants to give us, including true joy. Psalm 21:6, among other verses, states that the presence of the Lord brings joy. Spending time with God will bring us joy.
We can also learn to just take pleasure in things. Eating the good food God has provided, or just taking pleasure in the company of friends and family. In the Bible, references to joy are often linked to feasting and fellowship. God gives us pleasures so that we can learn and experience joy through them. So, let's not feel guilty about enjoying that which God has given us. I'm not talking about over-indulging or being gluttonous. That is certainly not what God intends and that is clear from Scripture, too. But when we can learn to enjoy the pleasures of life without giving the enjoyment of those pleasures the position of greatest importance, we will experience joy.
Seeing each day as a gift from God will also bring us joy. Each day is a gift. Each day of health for me and my family is a gift. Each day I can spend with those I love, or doing something I love to do, is a gift. Sometimes we need an attitude adjustment to recognize it, but if we discipline ourselves to start thinking this way, God promises to bring us joy.
Laugh. One of the products of joy that I mentioned in the last post is laughter. So, let's learn to laugh more often. This goes along with the enjoyment of life, I suppose. And isn't laughter truly a gift? If you haven't had a good belly laugh for awhile, try to remember how good it felt to just sit and laugh. Try to associate with people who bring laughter into your life. Those people are gifts from God who can help you to experience joy more fully. A few people in my life come to mind when I think of laughter and joy. My brother and sister are two of them. When we are all together, we can laugh like at no other time. Part of that is a lifetime of experiences together. But it always feels good to laugh with them.
I'm sure there are more things out there and we will talk about them in a later post, but for now, try to put some of these things in your life right now and see if it helps you to be more joyful. As always, let me know your thoughts, experiences, and progress!
Pure Joy
We've talked about the fact that joy is not an emotion, but is deeper than that. And longer lasting than mere emotions. If we allow God to work in us, we can experience joy that is more powerful than even our strongest emotions. Emotions can be pretty powerful things and motivate a lot of human actions. But they are unreliable at best. How great is it that God can provide us with something even better! Joy is pure in that it is unadulterated by human emotion; it is steady and we can count on it in a way that we cannot always count on emotion alone.
The Bible tells us that joy is not linked to our emotions, although joy can lead to an emotional response. In Leviticus 9, a large group of people witnessed a true miracle of God. Their reaction was one of fear and awe. The passage states that they fell down on their faces with joy. We don't normally associate joy with fear and awe, but God does. Even objects not capable of emotion are capable of joy. The Bible states in several places that the rocks, hills, and trees will cry out in joy.
So, what exactly is joy then, if not an emotion? We've talked about it as an underlying peace that transcends our circumstances. It is certainly that. Here are some other things associated with joy in Scripture: songs and singing, praise to God, happiness, peace, shouting/crying out, music from instruments, rest, God's blessing, gladness of heart, eating and drinking, laughter, and strength. Joy is all of these things. Or, put another way, these things are the products of joy. When we have the joy of the Lord in our hearts, we cannot help but express it through praising, laughter, and all the rest.
What other things do you associate with joy? Make a list and then test that list with Scripture. Are the things you listed supported by the Bible? Do you need to begin to change your understanding and definition of joy at all? Can you find some products of joy that aren't listed above? If so, please share! I would love to hear from you!
The Bible tells us that joy is not linked to our emotions, although joy can lead to an emotional response. In Leviticus 9, a large group of people witnessed a true miracle of God. Their reaction was one of fear and awe. The passage states that they fell down on their faces with joy. We don't normally associate joy with fear and awe, but God does. Even objects not capable of emotion are capable of joy. The Bible states in several places that the rocks, hills, and trees will cry out in joy.
So, what exactly is joy then, if not an emotion? We've talked about it as an underlying peace that transcends our circumstances. It is certainly that. Here are some other things associated with joy in Scripture: songs and singing, praise to God, happiness, peace, shouting/crying out, music from instruments, rest, God's blessing, gladness of heart, eating and drinking, laughter, and strength. Joy is all of these things. Or, put another way, these things are the products of joy. When we have the joy of the Lord in our hearts, we cannot help but express it through praising, laughter, and all the rest.
What other things do you associate with joy? Make a list and then test that list with Scripture. Are the things you listed supported by the Bible? Do you need to begin to change your understanding and definition of joy at all? Can you find some products of joy that aren't listed above? If so, please share! I would love to hear from you!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
More Joy
I've been thinking a lot this week about how we can find more joy. The Bible clearly states that joy comes from God and, by implication, not from ourselves. But I don't think the answer is to sit and wait for joy to magically be bestowed upon us. If we have the Spirit in our lives, and all Christians do, we have access to abounding joy. God desires for us to have this joy all the time. So, what can we do, practically speaking, to access that joy and begin experiencing it in daily life?
I think one of the answers is to simplify our lives. Unpack a bit and slow down a little. When we take our time, we can better see the little things through which God brings us joy. For example, I often rush through portions of my day with the kids. When I do that, I can miss little moments with them, like when Kate smiles at me and just sits there. Or when Will says "psst" to me, waits for me to come close, then whispers "I love you Mommy" in my ear. When I am in a hurry, I can easily get irritated with these "stalls" and anxious for the kids to just get moving. But when I stop, slow down, and just listen, it brings such joy to my heart to experience my kids in this way!
The same can be said for other things, not just moments with our kids. Like nature, or just a moment of quiet by ourselves with the Lord, or something as simple as a really good meal. Think about some things that make your life more hectic and that might be keeping you from experiencing joy in the little things. When we are intentional about slowing down and noticing all the little things in our lives, I believe it becomes easier to see and experience the peace and joy that God has already placed in our lives but that goes unnoticed a lot of the time.
I think one of the answers is to simplify our lives. Unpack a bit and slow down a little. When we take our time, we can better see the little things through which God brings us joy. For example, I often rush through portions of my day with the kids. When I do that, I can miss little moments with them, like when Kate smiles at me and just sits there. Or when Will says "psst" to me, waits for me to come close, then whispers "I love you Mommy" in my ear. When I am in a hurry, I can easily get irritated with these "stalls" and anxious for the kids to just get moving. But when I stop, slow down, and just listen, it brings such joy to my heart to experience my kids in this way!
The same can be said for other things, not just moments with our kids. Like nature, or just a moment of quiet by ourselves with the Lord, or something as simple as a really good meal. Think about some things that make your life more hectic and that might be keeping you from experiencing joy in the little things. When we are intentional about slowing down and noticing all the little things in our lives, I believe it becomes easier to see and experience the peace and joy that God has already placed in our lives but that goes unnoticed a lot of the time.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Joy
Wow - I can't believe that February is over and so is our discussion about the first fruit of the spirit, love. Of course, we will really be talking about love throughout this whole study because, as I mentioned before, love is over-arching and almost all of the other fruits falls under its definition. I am excited to see where this study will lead and excited to dig into these other qualities that come through the Holy Spirit!
The next fruit, as you all know, is Joy. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines joy as "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. ... a source or cause of delight." Dictionary.com defines joy in a similar way: "1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation; 2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; ... 4. a state of happiness or felicity."
Doesn't that sound great? Now, how can I get it?? This is one of those qualities that seems easy to define but difficult to achieve on a regular basis. Some people have an easier time with this one because some people are naturally joyful. I tend to be the opposite, a glass-is-half-empty kind of girl. Can any of you relate to that? I am finding, though, that God can change even the most basic of our natures, taking my tendancy towards negativity and turning it into a tendency towards hope, peace, and joy.
But let's dig into this definition a little more so we can begin to understand what exactly it is that we are seeking from this fruit. I don't believe that it is a constant euphoria. Would we really want to be in such a state all of the time anyway? I wouldn't. I like experiencing the whole range of emotions; I think it makes me a better person and makes me more capable of understanding and sympathizing with others. I think that this fruit actually refers to a deep and abiding confidence and peace. Confidence that God is in control and we don't have to live with worry in our hearts and the peace that results from that knowledge. It is an abiding peace and happiness that transcends emotion and our particular circumstances rather than being dependant on our situation.
In references to joy in the Bible, I am finding one constant theme: the joy always comes from God. We cannot get true joy from any other source. We try to find happiness apart from God and I think that people who do not know God do experience happiness. But that happiness is always fleeting. I think that must be why our culture, particularly here in the United States, is so obsessed with finding happiness. Isn't one of the country's founding ideas the "pursuit of happiness"? Apart from God, I don't think the lasting and abiding, deep and genuine happiness can ever be obtained.
How do you all define joy? Have you experienced it? Does this all strike a chord or ring true to you? In future posts, I will talk more about the "hows" of joy - how do we get it, how can we nurture it, how can we keep from losing it, etc. So stay tuned!
The next fruit, as you all know, is Joy. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines joy as "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. ... a source or cause of delight." Dictionary.com defines joy in a similar way: "1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation; 2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; ... 4. a state of happiness or felicity."
Doesn't that sound great? Now, how can I get it?? This is one of those qualities that seems easy to define but difficult to achieve on a regular basis. Some people have an easier time with this one because some people are naturally joyful. I tend to be the opposite, a glass-is-half-empty kind of girl. Can any of you relate to that? I am finding, though, that God can change even the most basic of our natures, taking my tendancy towards negativity and turning it into a tendency towards hope, peace, and joy.
But let's dig into this definition a little more so we can begin to understand what exactly it is that we are seeking from this fruit. I don't believe that it is a constant euphoria. Would we really want to be in such a state all of the time anyway? I wouldn't. I like experiencing the whole range of emotions; I think it makes me a better person and makes me more capable of understanding and sympathizing with others. I think that this fruit actually refers to a deep and abiding confidence and peace. Confidence that God is in control and we don't have to live with worry in our hearts and the peace that results from that knowledge. It is an abiding peace and happiness that transcends emotion and our particular circumstances rather than being dependant on our situation.
In references to joy in the Bible, I am finding one constant theme: the joy always comes from God. We cannot get true joy from any other source. We try to find happiness apart from God and I think that people who do not know God do experience happiness. But that happiness is always fleeting. I think that must be why our culture, particularly here in the United States, is so obsessed with finding happiness. Isn't one of the country's founding ideas the "pursuit of happiness"? Apart from God, I don't think the lasting and abiding, deep and genuine happiness can ever be obtained.
How do you all define joy? Have you experienced it? Does this all strike a chord or ring true to you? In future posts, I will talk more about the "hows" of joy - how do we get it, how can we nurture it, how can we keep from losing it, etc. So stay tuned!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Adoption through Christ – His Love for us
What does it mean to be adopted? I looked up the definition in the dictionary and it says this:
To Adopt: to take up and make one’s own; to take by choice into a relationship.
Here is Ephesians, it says we are adopted into God’s family. I put The Message in there, too, because I like how it’s written.
Ephesians 1:3-6 (NIV) "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."
Ephesians 1:3-6 (The Message) "How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son."
Let me tell you about adopting our son. It is such a miracle that we have Josiah. Out of the 143 million orphans in the world, God chose Josiah to be our son. It is a miracle that we decided to adopt at the right time and had the right amount of money at the right time and got all the paperwork done as quickly as we did. We started the adoption process in May 2007. Josiah was born in June 2007 and we got his referral in July 2007. At the end of December 2007, the country stopped all new adoptions. And at that point we didn’t know what would happen but they let all adoptions that were already in process continue. In April 2008, we were able to go and pick him up. Since the country shut down adoptions while we were still waiting for Josiah, a lot of people had longer wait times and some are even still waiting on their children. We were so blessed all the way through the process.
When we got his referral, it was very unexpected. We didn’t even have our paperwork finished. We were called and they sent an email with some medical information which was in Spanish and 3 pictures. We knew he was healthy and that he was only a couple weeks old. At that point, we had to say yes, we want him, or no, we don’t. We didn’t have any doubts, he was our boy. We waited 10 long months with his picture on our frig. It seemed like forever! We can’t imagine not having him in our family. Our hearts are just filled with love for him.
I think about our next adoption a lot. The waiting is the hardest part by far! I would have never thought that I’d be going to china any time during my life. It’s a little scary, yes, but we’d do it in a heartbeat. We don’t know who our daughter is yet but we will travel to the other side of the world for her without a second thought.
Through this process, I understand a little more what God means when he said he adopted us as His sons and daughters. He chose us before the creation of the world. I don’t know who my daughter is but I love her already. I know that God is going to match us up and that He is taking care of her. And just like our kids have full rights as our children, we have full rights and are joint heirs with Jesus. God’s decision to do that for us was based in love. He has always loved us. He has loved us even though we are selfish and we don’t love him and others like we should. We don’t deserve it but he freely gives to us anyway because we are His sons and daughters.
In the light of this love, how can we not work hard every day loving others? I guess, if we are in deep relationship with Him, we will know better how love and His love should flow through us more naturally. It’s so important to be in the Word, memorizing scripture and in prayer. I wish it wasn’t so hard to do!
To Adopt: to take up and make one’s own; to take by choice into a relationship.
Here is Ephesians, it says we are adopted into God’s family. I put The Message in there, too, because I like how it’s written.
Ephesians 1:3-6 (NIV) "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."
Ephesians 1:3-6 (The Message) "How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son."
Let me tell you about adopting our son. It is such a miracle that we have Josiah. Out of the 143 million orphans in the world, God chose Josiah to be our son. It is a miracle that we decided to adopt at the right time and had the right amount of money at the right time and got all the paperwork done as quickly as we did. We started the adoption process in May 2007. Josiah was born in June 2007 and we got his referral in July 2007. At the end of December 2007, the country stopped all new adoptions. And at that point we didn’t know what would happen but they let all adoptions that were already in process continue. In April 2008, we were able to go and pick him up. Since the country shut down adoptions while we were still waiting for Josiah, a lot of people had longer wait times and some are even still waiting on their children. We were so blessed all the way through the process.
When we got his referral, it was very unexpected. We didn’t even have our paperwork finished. We were called and they sent an email with some medical information which was in Spanish and 3 pictures. We knew he was healthy and that he was only a couple weeks old. At that point, we had to say yes, we want him, or no, we don’t. We didn’t have any doubts, he was our boy. We waited 10 long months with his picture on our frig. It seemed like forever! We can’t imagine not having him in our family. Our hearts are just filled with love for him.
I think about our next adoption a lot. The waiting is the hardest part by far! I would have never thought that I’d be going to china any time during my life. It’s a little scary, yes, but we’d do it in a heartbeat. We don’t know who our daughter is yet but we will travel to the other side of the world for her without a second thought.
Through this process, I understand a little more what God means when he said he adopted us as His sons and daughters. He chose us before the creation of the world. I don’t know who my daughter is but I love her already. I know that God is going to match us up and that He is taking care of her. And just like our kids have full rights as our children, we have full rights and are joint heirs with Jesus. God’s decision to do that for us was based in love. He has always loved us. He has loved us even though we are selfish and we don’t love him and others like we should. We don’t deserve it but he freely gives to us anyway because we are His sons and daughters.
In the light of this love, how can we not work hard every day loving others? I guess, if we are in deep relationship with Him, we will know better how love and His love should flow through us more naturally. It’s so important to be in the Word, memorizing scripture and in prayer. I wish it wasn’t so hard to do!
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