Gateways to Joy

Right before I got ready to publish this post, I received an email from another blogger, Angela England, whose post I subscribe to.  What caught my attention about this particular post was her title, 'The Power of Exposing Your Dreams.' I opened the email and this was her introduction: "Did you know that a dormant seed is so well protected it can survive for years in a dead-but-not dead, alive-but-not alive state? In fact, kernels of wheat found buried in ancient Egyptian tombs were able to be germinated. The wheat survived for centuries, yet never served its true purpose." We do that with our dreams, don't we?  We keep them safely tucked away and protected in the shell of our minds and hearts in a state of dead, but not dead, alive, but not alive, and no one benefits.  Why do we do this?   Because we're fearful.  Fearful of the unknown, fear of failure. After you read the blog post today, please take time to listen to Alma Loveland and Melani...

For a while on this blog, I will share my quiet times notes on the book of 1 John  and my thoughts on a book that I'm reading as part of a book club with Priscilla Shirer and the women on her blog. The name of Priscilla's book is: The Resolution for Women. In the book, Priscilla says, "So let me just be clear. This book is slanted. It's decidedly and purposefully designed not to take into consideration the actions {or inactions} of the other members of your family or the people who live and work and go to church with you.  I'm not going to be addressing your husband or how he should behave.  This is about what you will do, what you will become by God's grace from this day forward. This is the Resolution for WOMEN.  More specifically, one woman.  You." In both the book club and the online Bible study I find evidence that "God is calling me to make hard yet necessary decisions for this season of my life." And sometimes, honestly, I become so ov...

Ladies, ladies, ladies, I am fired up over here! I've just had great quiet time , I'm cleaning my house, schooling my kids and have spend some time with some of my online friends this morning.  Yes, ma'am, I've been a little busy bee over here. This morning I shared the live stream with you all from Priscilla Shirer over at Going Beyond.  I joined the book club over there The Resolution Revolution for women and let me just tell you it is exciting.  We had a blast fellowshipping with Priscilla, the girls and even Jerry :-) What I am really finding exciting about this particular book club is that we have pen pals.  We've tried to link up with other women in our city, but if that isn't possible it's okay, we just link up with another sister. In light of me doing the book club and the Bible study with Good Morning Girls, I wanted to share another way with you for studying the Bible.  This is closely related to the SOAP method that Good Morning Girls u...

Hey Girls! Today is the day that we introduce ourselves.  I would love to hear your testimony, if you're married tell us how long you've been married, if you have children or not, and anything else that you're comfortable with. Let's take today and tomorrow connecting with one another, and then on Monday... we will begin. If you have any prayer request please share them with us on the blog or send me an email. On Monday, wake early, read your Bible and then contact us or me to let us know you had your quiet time.  Please share with us something you learned and are praying about.  Let's be open and encouraging with one another. See you back here on Monday ladies! xo, Angela

Usually, I stay away from topics that tell men how to be men. I don't like it and I feel that it isn't my place as a woman.  Even now I am a bit, shy, in posting this as I am in no way trying to tell men, "To step up and be a man." What I am hoping to do by sharing this video, and Dennis Rainey words is to help you "woman" and you "wife"  encourage the men in your family and your husband's in their God given roles. {friends scroll down to quiet the music.  I really love this trailer} Dear Friends, Can a few "mouse clicks" ignite a positive change for American families? The answer is a resounding "yes," and together we can make it happen. How? Take a look at this  short video  and you'll see. For the past 12 years, I've talked to men of all ages and life stages about what it means to be a man, and what I found, frequently, was a fundamental lack of honest equipping and encouragement. I also found men eage...

Last night by the time he came home I was exhausted. I had been home all day with the children, schooling, cooking, watching my mother teach a granddaughter how to bake a cake. . . watching her teach Math-it concepts by memory to a new generation of her grandchildren. We all need each other.  We all need to know that we're here for one another. As I sat on my bed, listening to Lysa and Ann, my tired husband walks in. His face echoing my feelings of exhaustion. He had been out all day working, selling. Going door-to-door, using his skills to make provisions for his family.  He'd also find time, though tired, to go to Wholefoods Market. He hands me my coconut which hold the coconut milk I've grown fond of. "Oh, thank you." I say as I reach up to give him a hug. "Here.  I bought you these too.  Since you're back schooling you're going to need your energy."  He says this as he hands me the multivitamins I get from the market. Then ...

{ a repost from the archives ... a remeberance for me as I began planning the new school year} Last night when talking with one of my children I wanted to have a big old fashion hissy-fit.  Quickly, words of Elisabeth Elliot's ran fluid in memory.  Words that began to resonate within.  Words that quieted the flare-up that wanted releasing. Don't train your children to respond to your frantic gestures, rants and threats . Instead we mothers should be sure to have their attention first before we began to instruct.  I've found with some ... especially my boys, I do best to have them repeat to me what I've just said.  This method for me causes less feelings and emotions to flare. So mothers lets be sure that we have our children's full attention and speak in a calm normal tone of voice. Warning mothers:  Say what you mean and mean exactly what you say.  If you don't mean it, then by all means don't say it. Fo...

G od's will for your life ... Are you ever concerned with being sure you are fulfilling it? I think on this often, " What does He will for me today?"   Not in the complete sense necessarily, but I wonder,  "How will what I do today—my choice, effect the whole picture. I've been reading Philippians and in it I read these words by Paul,  "...but I press on so that I may lay hold of that which also I was laid hold for by Christ Jesus."   Then he goes on to say,  "Breathern, I do not regard myself as having hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  Many of us have problems with  "laying hold of that which also we were laid hold for."   Why?  We have a problem with moving forward.  Some of us get stuck, and even more of us get stuck in the past. Being stuck makes it hard for us ...

Y eah, we're back online!  Blogger has had some major issues since yesterday evening, and we ... those who blog using Blogger were unable to get to our Dashboard.  I'm not going to complain, though.  I was happy that they kept the post in "reader" mode for you all. Technical glitches is a part of  a bloggers life.  Moving on— Ladies, we need those close relationships don't we?  We all have at least one person, I hope, that we can be transparent with.  That person who knows the real deal us.  Our relationships are there to help us move toward growth and maturity.  I have to think on that often when dealing with some of my "complicated" friendships.  "Love them in spite of."  I whisper.  The hard ones ... the ones that I love, yet have to fight so hard for are the ones that I can now see are the ones that move me closer to Christian maturity.  And they help me understand ... just a little on the magnitude of...

I pressed "publish post," and "Where hides the joy of the Lord" is published.  Still there is a gnawing sensation in the depths of my soul.   All is not as it should be. I reflect on my own written words about "giving thanks" and I reflect on words of Ann Voskamp.  I ponder hard and give much thought.  I bow and utter more words to Him who understands.  Still soul flame flickers much.   Wicker is damp...flame continues to burn out. Though I don't want to, I do the next thing while continuing to bow the soul and utter thanksgiving.  Still, the countenance isn't right.  A battle brews within.   Nevertheless, I continue the mind-chant, "eucharisteo always proceeds the miracle!" Finally, the miracle came!  It was after I'd made the Spanish rice to accompany the refried beans and the tacos.  I was tired and grabbed my Bible, headed to the backyard for more chants of the heart.  I'd been reading Colossians all day, Sunday a...

"W here hides this joy of the Lord?"  That's the question that's been plaguing my mind lately. God loves me this I know.  But I don't feel it.  I see it, yet I don't see it.  I see things in my life working, yes, but how is it working for my good???  I wonder.  These feelings are the feelings that in times past caused me to travel inward.  Isolate...turn back in search of fullness .  I'm hungry and need God's fueling... I bow the knees time and time again.  I skim through the Scriptures looking for morsels.  I find nuggets, but the soul doesn't seemed touched as it normally is. I utter these words...these feelings quietly to Him in prayer.  I fight.  I fight the feeling, but eventually it overtakes me and I give in totally to the lie.  Clenching it closely even .  "God is withholding good from me . "   I'm totally embarrassed by these thoughts for I know they are not true, yet they seem to hav...

"M iss Mabel Shaw, one of the first two missionaries sent out to Rhodesia by the London Missionary Society 1915, wrote: 'They told me a lion had been about ... at last I rose to go, and was just about to mount my bicycle when out of one little hut came the old leper headman.   He held a spear between the stumps that once were hands, and he went hobbling along the path in front of me.  I called to him and he stopped and looked around.' 'Where are you going?' 'I am going to escort you to Mbereshi village.   You can't go alone with lions about.' He would not have it.  It was not fitting for me to go alone.  I looked at him, a feeble old man, handless, feet half eaten, his whole body covered with marks of disease, and his face most pitiful.   I said to him, half-banteringly, and with a smile, 'Now what could you do if a lion came?' He drew himself up, and with a quiet dignity said, 'Have I not got a life to give?'  I was silent, se...

E very Wednesday I participate in community over at Ann Voskamps A Holy Experience, where we share a spiritual practice that draws us closer to God, allowing us to walk with Him.  Today's post won't be a "spiritual practice" about what we are doing for Easter per se, but instead I chose to focus on "The suffering's of Christ" giving gratitude and attention to what took place leading to His death by bowing the head and knees—hourly in recognition to these sufferings on my behalf.  I'm choosing to take the time to learn about the physical and spiritual sufferings and to share them...testify. I pray that the introduction to the sufferings of Christ will cause you to pause .  Give gratitude.  Put skin on holy words realizing what Jesus allowed to happen only because He loves you and me.   The torture of Jesus is cruel, inhumane, and disturbing , but I've chosen to learn about it and walk through the agonizing, bone-chilling, stomach tight...

`A ll I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson I read that quote and pondered on its meaning while folding warm towels in my quiet room.  Lights were dimmed, candles burned...fragrances were taken in and I was at peace to do more mind-travels.  This time my minds eye took me back to an illustration that I once heard a pastor give. A child was up high on a sliding board, when he became frightened.  He would not come down, nor would he turn around and go back the same way he came up.  He felt stuck.  Stilled. "Jump," said the father of the little boy.  I will catch you. "No," said the child. This went on for a few seconds, and then the little boy jumped.  Landing into the arms of his loving father.  What the child had in his father is what many of us adults lack in our heavenly Father:  Trust.   How did such trust come to flourish in the child to the point where he finally must...

I 'am tired.  My back hurts, neck aches, and I want to get back in bed, but I can't.  There's too much that needs to be tackled in the house today. I've been staying up late into the early mornings.  Not for writing, though, sometimes I try and use my time wisely and concentrate on that task.  No, I'm up late now, mostly waiting for my husband.  Remember he and a friend just opened the restaurant...eatery?   Being up late like this with house quiet and no one to talk to causes a mind to travel-think.  And I began to travel, think about what I am doing with myself...my life's work. Cleaning, cooking, refereeing, chauffeuring, encouraging, respecting, loving... all my responsibilities to my family.  This is my high calling service to God. It is my first responsibility—even before writing.   It is: heaven's work.  And I'm proud to be one called to this service.  Being a stay-at-home moth...