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A new year!
Sometimes it's happy.
Sometimes it's not.
Life is full of twists and turns.
Some days are joyful and others are devastating
while most days are somewhere in between as if on cruise control.
How do we hold onto joy in this new year?
Or find it if there is none?
Is there such a thing as being able to thrive in this world with so much
sorrow all around us?
And what about hope?
Do we dare hope?
Where is joy, anyway?
Does it all come down to resolutions and striving for better this, better that?
I don't think so.
I don't know about you but I can't seem to muster up anything that great over here.
I wonder, where is the joy I had in days gone past
when I was excited about so much?
What went wrong?
I think it's this cruise control thing.
Just getting by, day by day, without much thought.
And then life throws a few curve balls and, Bam,
ON THE FLOOR!
Are some days just plain hard to get out of bed?
For some, I know it's impossible.
I'm so sorry for your sorrow and heartache.
No matter where life finds us, we CAN find JOY again!
It's not going to be easy.
There will continue to be sorrow.
A new day dawns.
A new day of grace.
A NEW DAY OF GRACE!
New!
Grace!
Joy!
Hope!
Believe!
It is given to us daily!
New strength.
New joy.
New hope.
Give us eyes to see it, Dear Lord!
Wake us from our slumber!
Show us your joy in each new day,
each new year!
If sorrows bring us closer to you, Dear Lord,
may you give us strength to lean on you more in this new year!
Thank you from the bottom of our weary hearts!
"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." Psalms 31:24
"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:13
May the Lord bless you and keep you always!
It was a beautiful day yesterday sitting on the deck by Lake Walden celebrating my dear friend, Sarah's, birthday!
A wonderful group of ladies took time out of their day to share their love with our treasured friend.
Most of us have been friends since childhood and we laughed about old memories.
We were blessed to have in attendance her mother and mother-in-law who joined in on the fun plus a few young ladies and a handful of children who scurried around us to offer up a delightful mix of youthful energy!
The sun warmed us nicely on this beautiful fall day!
We sang hymns.
Were angels chiming in?
It was beautiful.
Everyone wrote a memory of Sarah and then a question for her to answer.
It was quite fun!
We laughed and reflected and even received a few wonderful lessons on family, faith and the latest rage in household paint colors.
A few opened up about minor or major struggles.
We listened.
We learned.
We laughed.
We shared.
You know what?
We loved!
We loved being together.
We loved being in the fresh air.
We loved the fellowship.
This morning is a new day.
We hear of death and sorrow and heartache.
Our hearts are aching for friends who've loved and lost.
We ache over sickness and loss and uncertainty.
One day our hearts are filled with joy.
The next heartache and sorrow.
I am reminded of what is precious in this life.
Love.
And the relationships we've been blessed with.
God is reminding me that our relationships are the most important thing we have on this earth!
The love of our Heavenly Father the most important relationship of all!
He lovingly calls us to Him, wants us to confide in Him, talk to Him, listen to Him!
He's our Best Friend!
Our Best Friend Forever!
He is constantly giving us unexpected gifts of love:
~a friend out of nowhere.
~a conversation of comfort.
~a smile from a stranger.
~a quiet moment to hear His voice.
~a small child to hug.
~a glorious sunrise.
~the joy of a birthday, a celebration, a birth.
~the comfort only He can give when our hearts are broken.
Can we find joy in that?
When our joy is lost, He gives us His!
Let us find the time to love.
We were created in love~it is part of our identity.
Enjoy it!
Celebrate it!
Give it away!
Life is a gift.
Love is a gift.
"That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love,"
Colossians 2:2
There is a beautiful garden.
The most beautiful garden in all the world.
The sun never stops shining and love and joy will forever grow.
The tears have been shed, The bloody sweat poured out.
The work is finished.
It is ready for all to enter.
The price is free.
All are welcome into this garden.
It is a place where all hearts find True Love and Joy!
Forever!
Happiness forever!
Joy forever!
And it's for YOU!
All sins have been washed away by the Gardener~
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
"The hour in Gethsemane I never shall forget,
When Christ alone the battle fought,
In grief and bloody sweat.
Gethsemane, Gethsemane,
I must remember thee,
Where God's eternal Son I saw
In pray'r on bended knee."
"When I among the solemn trees,
In spirit gazed around;
I saw the burden of my sin
On him with judgment bound.
Gethsemane, Gethsemane,
I must remember thee,
Where God's eternal son I saw
In pray'r on bended knee."
"I saw Him tempted to despair,
By anguish, grief, bent low;
The depth of pain He suffered there
No man can fully know.
Gethsemane, Gethsemane,
I must remember thee,
Where God's eternal Son I saw
In pray'r on bended knee."
"If ever. Lord, my love to Thee
Should cold and fruitless be,
O show me in Gethsemane
Thy suff'ring there for me.
Gethsemane, Gethsemane,
I must remember thee.
Where God's eternal Son I saw
In pray'r on bended knee."
Author unknown
The story of our Lord's agony in the garden can be found in Luke 23:41-44.
Be happy!
There is no need to fear!
The agony turns to Joy on Easter morning where the angel at the empty tomb proclaims:
"He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." Luke 24:6, 7
Grief turned to JOY!
The promise of that Beautiful Garden!
May all Hearts be filled with Neverending Love, Joy, Praise and Thanksgiving this Easter!
You are all So Loved!
*All drawings done by my children
