Showing posts with label Seeking Joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seeking Joy. Show all posts

Sunday, January 29, 2023

Seeking Joy Through Trials


When you and I are going through trials, most likely, seeking joy is the last thing we want to or feel like doing. I have felt this way many times throughout my life, which is one of the reasons I started this blog to help myself seek joy and share this with others. Bible verses are a way of seeking joy, even if we feel resistant in a trial.
The following Bible verses are God's word to bring us hope and to know that you and I are not alone:

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow."
James 1:2-3 (NLT)

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV)

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (NIV)

"When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." Psalm 94:19 (NLT)

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 (NIV)

"But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in you." Psalm 5:11 (NIV)



With love,
Patty


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Sunday, October 30, 2022

God Created Each Of Us In His Own Image




This past week, I had a dentist appointment, and I saw a joke that is so fitting: What do dentists call their x-rays? Tooth pics! Jokes are a great icebreaker; they call us to smile, laugh, or even roll our eyes (right). Humor is a gift from God and, when used at the right time, is very helpful because, otherwise, we can take things too seriously.
We are blessed knowing God created us in His own image. "So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them: male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27. This Bible verse is a good reminder of how much God loves us.

This week, share a joke or a funny story with someone. If you would like, feel free to share in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.

With love,
Patty

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Sunday, January 23, 2022

Journaling Our Joy As Well As Our Heartache

 


"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever." Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

Seeking joy is easy when things are going well in our lives, yet happiness seems far away when experiencing grief, hardship, stress, and illness. It can be helpful to write out in a journal or a word document on the computer all the things causing heartache in our lives. Having something written or typed out will give us a place to pour out our hearts before the Lord. We will have a record of where we are now, and as time goes on, we can look back to see how far we have come. We can also record the things in life that bring us joy. 

The Lord can show us the way of life as we read in Psalm 16:11"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever." Psalm 16:11 (NLT).

In His presence, He will give us joy and comfort, knowing we will live with Him forever in heaven.


Let us pray together,

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come to You now asking for Your help in seeking joy. As we write out the things in our lives that cause heartache, we also want to also acknowledge the things that bring us joy in life. Please give us the strength we need each and every day.

In the name of Jesus, we pray,

Amen


If you have any thoughts on seeking joy, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to comment below.


With love,

Patty








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Sunday, December 12, 2021

Seeking Joy A Continued Journey


"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 (NIV)

As we all know, life is not easy. With the loss of loved ones, health issues, and the many stressful situations, we can find it challenging to be joyful in hope, as in this Bible verse from the book of  Romans 12:12. When we put our hope in Jesus, He will bring us joy because He knows our needs and desires.
One of my desires is to find a new house to call home. I have visited various places and communities for the past four years, and nothing has felt like the right fit. I did come upon a house in a quiet neighborhood on a lake with a beautiful view, priced within my budget, and a floorplan I liked. My first thoughts were, this is the type of setting I have been hoping to find. 
With trembling hands, prayer, and guidance from others, I put an offer in on this house. Within a day, I found out that my offer was not accepted. I did not feel joyful; I felt much sadness. One friend told me, "allow yourself to be disheartened." I appreciated those words. I would have to say this was a time of affliction where I needed to be patient and faithful in prayer. I will remain in prayer that another opportunity to purchase a house will come along the way. 
How are you doing with things in your life? Are you finding it challenging to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer? If you are, please know that Jesus cares for you. 
Let us pray together,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to you now and ask for Your help with the many things in our lives that make it challenging to be joyful. Help us as only You can to "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" as it tells us in Romans 12:12.
In the name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen

Thank you for visiting my blog today. 

With love,
Patty



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Sunday, October 17, 2021

Seeking Joy-A Lifetime Journey


Seeking joy is something that is a lifetime journey. When there is grief, stress, hardship, we may wonder where God is, and seeking joy can feel next to impossible. I would like to offer a few thoughts that perhaps will be helpful;
  • Look for a tiny thing to be thankful for each day. Gratitude helps shift our focus from our circumstances to something positive.
  • When things seem next to impossible, admit this to the Lord and ask Him for guidance. He cares and can handle any of our struggles.
  • In Scripture, Jesus gives us messages of joy in the following verses from John 15:9-11 "As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
  • Listening to uplifting music can bring joy. I often listen to Dappy T Keys YouTube Channel he offers simple, inspirational piano music. As I write this blog post, I'm listening to his channel. 😊
Let us pray together:

Dear Heavenly Father,
We are looking to seek joy when things in our lives are a struggle. We thank You for Your love and help us to remain in Your love and keep Your commands. We thank You that Your joy is in us, and our joy is complete in You.
In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen

With love,
Patty




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Sunday, August 22, 2021

Be Happy, Be You, Be Blessed

 Most days of the week, I like to go for a half-hour walk. There is a walking path nearby that offers a few small hills and a little shade. As I was walking recently, I saw words written with chalk "be happy" this immediately brought a smile to my face. As I continued to walk, I came upon more words "be you" with stars and smiley faces. Someone had taken the time to write encouraging words for people walking on this path. These words stayed with me even as I finished my walk. I want to add one more "be blessed" with God's word. "May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13



Let us pray together,
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for Your word that is alive, active, and is a blessing to us. Your word is here to fill us with joy and peace as we trust in You.

In the name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen


Thank you for visiting.

With love,

Patty 



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Sunday, August 15, 2021

The Oil Of Joy Instead Of Mourning

 


"And provide for those who grieve in Zion—
 to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, 
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
 and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. 
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
 a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor." Isaiah 61:3

As we journey through life, this Bible verse, from  Isaiah 61:3, can bring hope to us with some positive words:
  • Bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes-at times, our life may feel as if it is full of ashes. God's word is telling us He will give us a crown of beauty. Please hold on to these words.
  • The oil of joy instead of mourning-we have times of mourning and sadness. God's word is telling us He will provide the oil of joy. So very powerful.
  • A garment of praise instead of dispair-there is so much despair all around us. God's word is telling us He will give us a garment of praise. Truly amazing.
  • They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor- through Jesus, we are called the oaks of righteousness when He took our past, present, and future sins to the cross. We will have eternal life. 

Let us pray together,
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for providing hope for us as we journey through life. We hold onto Your words that provide for us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of despair, and that through Your Son Jesus, we have become righteous, we will have eternal life with You. 

In the name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen









































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Sunday, May 23, 2021

Seeking Joy


 I like going for walks outdoors most days of the week. Walking clears my mind and helps me focus on God's beauty. Since I'm in a cubicle for most of my workday, it feels great to be in the open air. The simplicity of walking brings me joy.
At times, the circumstances in our life, we may not feel any joy. That's ok; we can begin seeking joy in simple things;
~fresh flowers.
~spending time with your pets.
~share a smile with someone in the grocery store.
~sipping on a cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa. 
~spend time with children; their joy is contagious. 
~send a card in the mail to someone, letting them know you are thought of them today.
Seeking joy is an ongoing practice. Something I work on as well.

Let us pray together,
Dear Heavenly Father,
Seeking joy can become a challenge when life is tough. Please help us to seek joy whenever possible. Help us to keep this Bible verse hidden in our hearts;
"You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence" Acts 2:28.
In the name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen

Do you have any thoughts on seeking joy? If you do, I would love to hear from you. My contact form is on the sidebar of this blog.


Thank you for visiting my small, humble blog.

With love,
Patty


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Sunday, April 25, 2021

When Anxiety Is Great




Are you feeling anxiety right now? If you are, I'm right alongside there with you. I can feel anxiety about many things, where should I live, how can I accomplish my workload at my job, the world events, are my loved ones going to be ok? and the list can go on and on. What are some things that are giving you anxiety?
At times the anxiety can become so great; what are we to do? We can turn to God's Word in the Bible for comfort; Psalm 94:19 tells us, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." God wants to give us comfort, and through His comfort, we can find joy. The joy can come from knowing that He cares for us.  His words are alive and active and will not turn void. I'm including a link explaining that God's Word Will Not Turn Void.

Here are some additional Bible verses when anxiety hits:

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

" Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Let us pray together,
Dear Heavenly Father,
There are times when anxiety can be great and is not a place we like to be. We bring any anxiety to You right now and ask for Your comfort. Help us to find solace only in You and Your Words in the Bible.
In the name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen




 









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Sunday, February 28, 2021

Seeking Joy, Peace And Hope



"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13 (ESV)

In grief, it can become challenging to find joy, peace, and hope. After the death of my son, Joe, in 2008 and my husband, Paul, in 2017, many people would tell me, "you will get through" and "it will get better."
Those words were a way to bring me comfort. However, I just wasn't so sure how I would get through and how it could get better. Have you received comforting words in your grief?
As I write this blog post, those words have stayed with me, and because of this, I would like to take some time today and ask these questions:
Have I been able to get through?
With prayer, love, and support from family and friends, I have been able to get through. It didn't happen overnight and has taken time. I cry when I need to cry. Many people pray for my family and me. I'm so very grateful for their prayers. Do you have people that are praying for you? I want to offer this prayer for you from the Bible in Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope." (ESV)
Next question:
Has it gotten better?
The truth is life is never the same after losing loved ones. I will always want my son, Joe and, my husband, Paul, to be here. I'm sure you feel the same way about your lost loved ones.
With prayer, God can help us learn to adapt and be resilient. So, to answer the question-has, it gotten better? Life without Joe and Paul is not "better," daily prayer helps to get through. We can pray each day that God will fill each of us with joy, peace, and hope. Our hope is in Jesus; He took our past, present, and future sins to the cross. With this hope, we will have eternal life and see our loved ones again.
Spending time with family and friends can be very beneficial as well.

Let us pray together,
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you that You are the God of hope. We bring to You the grief we have in missing our loved ones.
It can become challenging to find joy, peace, and hope. May the power of the Holy Spirit help us abound in the hope that we can live our lives as You desire for us. Thank you for the hope we have in Your Son Jesus.
In the name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen

Thank you for visiting my small, humble blog.

I would love to hear from you; feel free to comment below or contact me. My contact is on the side-bar of this blog.

With love,
Patty








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