Gateways to Joy

This post is a continuation from yesterday, looking at Mary's submission to her husband as she submitted to the Lord, and looking at Joseph's heart-moved submission to God. In viewing this couple we are able to see the beauty and power that submission gives in a person and couple's life when they totally live a life of a surrendered and obedient heart. God looks at our hearts, just as He did Mary's.  And just like Mary, God wants to use you and me to do great things for Him. Our obedience or lack of it holds the power of life and death for ourselves and those we love.  "Get up!  Take the child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you ... so Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt." Matthew 2:13 This couple was a couple with a prepared heart. Mary submitted to her husband and her husband submitted to God. They submitted and their family was saved. Remember Adam ...

I ask you to please take just a few minutes to listen and watch the YouTube video below!  It is so contagious and such a blessing.  I promise you won't regret taking a few  minutes out of your schedule to watch.  I wanted to share this with you this weekend, but decided that the Gratitude Community would be the best place to share it.  After all if anyone knows about   SMILES it is those of us who search for and count gifts.  Joy, gratitude... even anger are all an outward expression of something deeper taking place within. Right? Here's my story: The other day on my way home I heard this song by Kirk Franklin, and have not been able to stop smiling, singing, and humming the words.  I experience pure joy every time this song is played.  My being becomes extremely soothed and my heart is at ease.   I've danced a step or two while s...

G odly instruction is great and should be carried out regardless of who the messenger is.  However, Godly instruction (wisdom from the wise)  from our elderly is becoming more and more priceless.  As I get older I'm learning that "older" and gray head doesn't necessarily mean "wise" as I believed when I was younger.  Even more treasured is wisdom which comes from a mother or father-in-law. Moses...the leader of the Hebrews was blessed to have such a father-in-law. A wise man.  I've been reading through Exodus.  I've laughed and I've cried.  At times I have felt as if I were watching a movie—  I mean come on :  "Moving clouds."  "Wheels coming off of chariots." Confusion.   Reading Exodus has been sheer delight...so much so that at times my family runs in to see what's going on after witnessing my loud comments and delight!  It's been a pleasurable experience. I don't know abo...

A s  some of you know if you read my post yesterday, I was suffering from, "the sin of ingratitude."   After pondering on my life's work, I decided that I wasn't where I wanted to be, and what I've done and accomplished just isn't enough.  Somewhere along the way in my journey called "living" I realized that I'd let my life be "interrupted."  Or had I? "Why Lord?" Why haven't you allowed me to accomplish ...? Wallowing just isn't my thing (anymore) so I knew I couldn't stay in that frame of mind. Although I sort of felt like I was right?  Why did everything always seem to come so hard for me?  Why did I have to struggle—fight and plea for my portion?  Why? "Don't wallow Ang.  Don't do it"... I couldn't focus on the lie and allow it to consume me.  I had to fight and fight hard because my mind told me, "I had a "right" to be angry, and that I was right"  An internal...

H e loves me right?  I don't feel loved.  I wonder:  Why are things so hard for me?  Why can't I have a few of my heart desires?  Sure, He cares for my basic needs:  food, shelter and clothing, but can't I have just a little more?  Can't I see what the other side is like?  You know over there.  Can't I have a few of the things that ... has? "Lord forgive me for a heart so ungrateful and foolish.  I don't mean to be.  I just want more and wonder why I can't have it?" Am I simply meant to be a wife, mother who homeschools, and blog?   Just be a keeper of the house, clean and take care of the laundry, cook ...?  Be the one to point others in the right direction?  I love it, don't get me wrong.  I just want more.  I think. Is that bad— me wanting more?  Is it too late for me—have I become to old?  After all I'll be 45 in May.  Are all my dreams and goals just that?  A th...

T oday we're going to look at part 2, of the video Beyond The Gates of Splendor . I hope you were blessed, last week, by the story of the five missionary men who gave their lives for their faith.  It is my hope, too, that you were inspired to make your ordinary life an (extra) ordinary life—just by doing whatever it is He's called you to. Wherever you are—yes, wherever,be all there and let Him work through you. These men and their families were no different from you and me.  If there is a difference, the only difference is they were obedient where some of us may not be.  I don't know.  What I do know is just like God used these men to impact lives in their time and season, He means for us to do the same.  And who knows 40 plus years later...someone may be reading or writing your story.  Sharing how you in your "ordinary" way impacted them extraordinary.  Remember— "What makes our labor holy, what makes it eternal...

    I  believe in purposefully emphasizing plant based food in my diet and the diet of my family.  One way I do that is by choosing a spectrum of color for our diets daily...this can become monotonous if I'm not careful.  I'll share with you as we progress into these post how I handle that. The important thing that I try to remember is to be sure to get the variety of color in my diet daily by eating fresh fruit and vegetables. Eat them raw.  Eat them steamed.  The Benefits: Kale is helpful in lowering cholesterol when cooked by steaming.  Raw is effective, too, but not as effective for that particular benefit.  The fiber in this green beauty are good at binding together with bile acids in the digestive tract.  It has been said that the Isothiocyana (ITC's) are have benefits in lowering at least five different kinds of cancer such as bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. I'm not a doctor so I don't know, but I can sa...

T his past month I seem to have been drawn and have parked myself over in Exodus.  One thing out of many have caused me to slow down and take long moments of pause.  One verse has really kept me up late at night, and I've been dwelling on it throughout my days.  That verse reads: "Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, 'The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt."Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea ..." ~ Ex. 13 18, NASB In this situation the wilderness was a blessing to Israel.  And if you're in the wilderness right now—be careful how you respond because you just may be in the middle of your blessing. In thinking about this passage it reminded me about an experience I went through some years ago when my husband and I purchased some land.  We'd moved out of our apartment i...

I wasn't going to participate in this:  writing about "The practice of marriage." as Ann asked.  Why?  It's too hard.  There are so many hurts that run deep.  But after sitting back thinking, I've come to realize, as I always realize:  My husband is my friend.  My best friend. We've struggled a lot along the way, and even after 20 years it seems like we still struggle.  It does seem as if it is a little easier now, oppose to when we first began our journey.  Even though times aren't perfect I can also say that, "I can't imagine my life without him."  The man I began dating at 16. What helps me?  Remembering what Ann always says: "All is grace." God bestows grace on us...our marriage, our family.  My husband bestows grace on me, and I on him, and we keep moving.  Keep breathing.  Keep trying to work it out and figure out how to be a success in this thing called marriage and family.  We...

"W hen there is deep misunderstanding which has led to the erection of barriers between two who once were close, every day brings the strengthening of those barriers if they are not, by God's grace, breached.  One prays and finds no way at all to break through.  Love seems to "backfire" every time.  Explanations become impossible.  New accusations arise, it seems, from nowhere {though it is well to recall who is named the Accuser of the brethren}.  The situation becomes ever more complex and insoluble, and the mind goes round and round, seeking the place where things went wrong, brooding over the words which were like daggers, regretting the failures and mistakes, wondering {most painfully} how it could have been different.  Much spiritual and emotional energy is drained in this way—but the Lord wants to teach us to commit, trust, and rest. "Leave him to me this afternoon, is what his word is.  There is nothing else that I am asking of you this ...

T here's nothing like the pain of harsh words coming from a soul that is wrong, and has wronged you, but won't admit to the wrongness: pain. Our words—the utterances that flow out of our mouths... we praise with these utterances, and we lash the soul with these same utterances from the mouth...from the heart. Friendships are built and friendships are torn down by the choice of our words.  Words give us a glance into the soul of the speaker, sometimes a troubled heart is able to hide, seemingly fool with their words, but it's only for a season.  Eventually the true heart and true self give way to truth. His Word tells us ... A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly.  ~ Proverbs 15: 1-3 This week my heart has been broken...shattered into pieces by the harsh words of a friend. I want to fade away, but I don't....

W hen some out-of-the ordinary supply is needed in order for us to accomplish the job God has given us, we can be confident He will provide. "Shoes of Iron " were asked of Moses' blessing for Asher, an impossibly long-lasting provision from God.  The old spiritual says, 'I got shoes, you got shoes, all God's children got shoes ..." But not all God's children have iron ones.   Only those who need them. Our heavenly Father knows exactly what we will require to fulfill His purposes for us .  It is wrong—it is in fact, a sin for us to worry about where the shoes will come from.  "Trust me!"   God says to us.  "I'll give you iron ones if only iron ones can do this job." I worried this morning about the seemingly impossibility of doing everything that needs to be done today, tomorrow and for next week since I'm now working outside the home for the next three months (and still homeschooling). Then I remembered this a...

I t's still dark out though it's morning.  The house is hushed.  Still. I rise to talk to Him—Creator and the creature.  I'm remembering my spiritual practices—the one that draws me closer to Him.  The things that we write about on Wednesday's over at Ann Voskamps. I'm reading Colossians—not necessarily trying to memorize it as Ann and other's are doing.  I'm simply reading through it.  I plan on reading through it several times this year to see ... what He has for me there.  I love reading and then re-reading scripture.  I always over look things and He always has more to say to me during each read and re-read.  I love that, communing with Him.  And I love when He works through others...setting me on fire by the ordinary person, His men and His women. That's what He's doing to me through Ann and a few other bloggers.  Who would have known when I began this journey of blogging that it would first be done to share my walk wit...

T his year seems to be the year that I've taken to consciously form habits.  My goals are simple: energetically search for wisdom.  treasure His commandments within my heart. make my ear attentive to wisdom.  incline my heart to understanding and ... search...search and pray for the hidden treasures that wisdom holds. Ann Voskamp has written a book, "One Thousand Gifts:  A dare to live fully right where you are."   I haven't been able to shake that title—that dare.  I'm going to accept that dare, challenge, if you will.  This dare is what I'm going to practice to become habit.  Living fully right where I am.  To do this I believe the above goals are necessary for it takes wisdom to see the true beauty in such a dare.  It takes wisdom to recognize the hidden treasures of the  one thousand gifts that stare us in the face each and every day—365 days a year. How will this practice of habit began f...

J esus what can I say to you that you don't already know? First, I want to tell you what I'm taking part in with Ann & Holley (and some other lady bloggers).  We're calling ourselves "Word Girls." Each Tuesday each of us Word Girls are linking up to Ann's blog: a holy experience and sharing our series of letters about loving you with our words. So dear Lord, how do I love you? INSTANTLY sadness befalls my heart.  My heart knows that I don't love you like I should. BUT ... You love me— even still. The next question that comes to mind is ... Do people see your love displayed through me? Not often enough. Last week Holley's letter to Ann was titled: "Why You and Your Words are More than Enough." I've been thinking about that—pondering on the truth of that statement.  Is it true Lord?  Are me and my words enough? It is true.  "Just offer what you have.  I will make up the difference."   That's wha...

T he LORD never cease to amaze me. Have any of you ever desired something, never really praying about it.  Well, I take that back—you pray about it, maybe even often, but you pray and then leave it alone.  Believing that He will answer, but not until the far-future (you believe). I wish I could express my feelings in regards to this issue in a way that I know you could understood.  What I'm trying to convey is that God does give us the desires of our hearts.  Some times we have to wait a long time for some of those desires to come forth and sometimes we don't. Regardless, please be encourage that when we have desires and needs... The Father gives us some of those desires when He knows that He will be glorified. The Father also graciously takes care of the needs of His children. Day-by-day He is continuing to care for me before I can even breath out through words what some of my desires and needs are. I'm so glad that my Father in heaven loves ...

I ' d like to share with you a Scripture that's been on my mind: I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit.  He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit.  He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.  (John 15: 1-2) I've read this so many times and I've heard it read, but some where along the way...I seem to have MISSED, "EVERY BRANCH IN ME THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT.  HE TAKES AWAY AND EVERY BRANCH THAT BEARS FRUIT.  HE PRUNES IT SO THAT IT MAY BEAR MORE FRUIT." Don't misunderstand:  I've READ it— but I haven't really READ it, know what I mean? Do you ever do that?  Seemingly by-pass something in Scripture? This passage tells me that NOT ALL CHRISTIANS are being pruned.  I didn't realize that.   Only the  CHRISTIAN'S who are bearing fruit are worthy. The word PRUNE is defines as something to rid or clear of (anything s...

F acing  times of troubles? In my morning devotions I read a conversation between God and Jeremiah where God explained to Him why he was having troublesome days. I'm so sure God's  respond is the same to YOU and ME many times. When we're going through problems troublesome moments can be very useful.  A good way to look at our troubles is to think of them as "Our training."  They're our "training days." I'm convinced that it is in the days of difficulties that we are able to see what kind of character we've developed.  To check your character begin to discern your own actions—learn what they mean.   You can check for things such as: What is your thinking like when you are facing certain troubles? How do you feel within? Are you angry?  Why?  Why not? Are you blaming someone else?  Or have you taken on too much of the blame? How is your relationship with God, now? How is your relationship with...