Gateways to Joy

What plans do you have for yourself? Goals? Has God placed a longing ... a desire in your heart?  For many of us mothers, God has given us plenty of desires, goals and dreams. Desires goals and dreams that we, for now must put on hold. I remember my Pastor telling the story many times of his stay-at-home mother.  She was a mother to eight children, they were poor, yet her   desire was to travel the world. Her longing was finally fulfilled years later in her eighties.   Her daughter married a man,  Anthony Evans, who would go on to have a very successful ministry.  But not only would his ministry flourish.  Because of he and his wife's commitment to raising Godly children.  Their children would grow up to be a success in their own right, needing to travel. Guess who traveled with them?  Mother-in-law and grandma. In her eighties, Mother Cannings was reaping the benefits from her years of sacrificial service to her family. ...

It's 12:30 in the morning, I'm in the bathroom,  I'm fully clothed on the toilet talking to the Lord telling Him how I will not go. It's 2:30 in the morning, I sit on the floor near the toilet... crying, throwing up.  "No Lord.  I won't do it.  I won't go." It's 5:30 in the morning , I lay prostrated on the bathroom floor flailing, crying hard, covering my mouth so no one will hear.   "I am not going Lord!" My husband knocks on the door, "Are you ok?" "Yeah, I'll be out in a minute." It's 9:30 in the morning and there I am.  I feel shame and discuss when I enter the courtroom, embarrassment clothes me.  By the time I take my seat, I'm calmed and am overtaken by a peace.  A peace that surpassed my comprehension.   "I should not be in a place like this."  I think.   "Especially for the reason that I'm here."  I tell myself. The attorney's ask if I'm okay.  Sur...

Humility is a peculiar thing, once we think we have it it's gone. Humility is the absence of pride. For me to write and say that I have it... to count the ways in showing you how I use it— how I submit to it's beckoning would be vanity. Think of this seemingly peculiar act of service, the act that goes against the grain of our natural human tendencies as something not to be grasped with words.   It must be seen in our actions by others. It's our attitude of service toward another.  That is how we practice humility.  Humility always has recipients. Jesus humbled Himself to the death on a cross.  It was His attitude of service for His Father on behalf of a lost world.  He was willing to die so that you and I might live. Just as Jesus didn't let our rejection of Him stop His service toward the Father on our behalf, we shouldn't let our humble acts of service on behalf of other's stop us in our act of service to the Father. Once our intent is fixed ...

What does it mean to live with Jesus in the center of your life?  Today is  Walk with Him Wednesday community blog link up . It's  another gathering over at Ann Voskamp, writer of "One Thousand Gifts: A dare to live fully right where you are. What comes to mind for you when you think about that question? "What does it mean to live with Jesus in the center of your life"    When I   think about the question, the first thing that comes to mind is Matthew 16:24,  "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." Certainly this will look differently in each of our lives.  What you consider a denial of self—your cross, and a picking up of it will be different than the denial and cross of another.  For this reason, it is important to practice a "no comparison" life.  Do not compare your life to the life of another.  Notice that Jesus doesn't simply say...

M arriage: a covenant between a man and a woman that binds them together for life.  Today we will discuss, "The Practice of Marriage," as it causes us to Walk Closer to Him.  The practice of marriage is a practice of FULLY and COMPLETELY giving of oneself for the other—even when you may not want to.  It's a life long practice . Marriage teaches us to love the "seemingly" unlovable sometimes.  The same qualities that Christ uses with us—His bridegroom we must use with our spouse, and they with us. It's a union that's only released through death. It's the coming together of two to become one. "It's the worse of times.  It's the best of times ." In the practice of marriage, we laugh and we cry.  We love and we hate.  We learn how flawed and sin-ravished "we" are. On the surface it seems like a most "ordinary" experience, but it is the most HOLY of experiences.  For in marriage we practice: Livin...

T he practice of habit. Today we're participating with Ann over at A Holy Experience , where our spiritual journey leads us to 'The practice of habit .'  We're looking at spiritual practices that cause us to Walk With Him: Things that cause us to draw closer to His throne. Habit is define according to Dictionary.com as: "An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.  It's customary practice or use; a particular practice", etc. The logical question, for me, becomes: How do we go about Walking With Him using the practice of hait? I would like to echo the words from Elisabeth Elliot that ring truth over and over again in my heart and mind  "Anything if given to God can become our gateway to joy." Those words are worth repeating to yourself over and over again.  Why?  Anything that we give to Him can be a holy work.  Our holy experience.  The "thing" regardless of how treacherous it may ...

My word for the year: Petros: "Rock".   The year of the rock .  I hope to be one God depends on to do His will.  Be His rock.  Help build His church here on earth.  First by living it out at home, thus carrying it throughout the world. Each Wednesday I participate in community with Ann at A Holy Experience.  She asked us to name our year in this post.  I thought about that... after a while I thought it was a good idea.  How did I come to my Peter moment—my year of the ROCK?  Read on. Yesterday after writing the post MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH MY WORDS , I was determined to live how I wrote...practice what I'd preached.  Speak words of life into all around me. I didn't do so good. Immediately after cleaning my bedroom, my daughter brought her father's shoes from the living room and said, "Dad here are your shoes." "Sit them right there," he said, pointing to the floor in front of our bed. "No, put them i...

It's early.  Still dark out.  The house is quiet.  I can't sleep.  I toss and turn.  All that is on my mind is Him. "How have I lived my life?"   I think "Is my life counting for anything, really?" "Am I really making a kingdom difference here on earth?" "How do we know, or can we even know that we are living His will for our lives out as we should?" "How can I know Lord and be assured?" My craving sits me up.  Slowly I get out of bed, careful not to wake my husband of twenty-years (today is our wedding anniversary). The mattress makes an unattractive sound.  I head to the bathroom to wash up, while closing the door I hear a squeak...a loud squeak.  The silence seems so loud this morning.  I hope I don't wake anyone.  I want to be alone.  I need to be alone.  To think.  To listen.  To be... After washing up, I head to the kitchen to make a hot cup of green tea.  I hear the refrigerator....