Restoring the Joy of Life

This time of year can be a difficult one for joy. Where we are, there is snow, snow, and more snow. It’s cold and blowing, cloudy all day, with layers of white on white. It can feel like our joy gets buried under there somewhere.

I knew it was bad when my husband stopped me to say, “It doesn’t seem like you have a lot of joy. I know you’re stressed, but where’s the joy?”

And I thought, “If I’m struggling to find the joy in this new season, there’s a good chance I’m not alone.”

I was shoveling our driveway the other day and Rend Collective’s “Joy of the Lord” came on (I like to listen to music while I shovel) and he references a verse from Nehemiah:

“…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10b

It occurred to me that joy is what carries us through the hard times. (See also: When You Feel Like You Can’t Fight)

So how do we find it, that joy that defies our circumstances?

Our son is six and he was writing a list last Saturday morning when I came downstairs. I asked him what he was making a list about and he simply answered, “Joy.” I asked him if I could use his list in my post this week and he gladly consented. I think he might be onto something.

Our son's list of things that bring him joy. Pretty sweet.

Joy is greater than momentary happiness. It is a state of being, the state of our soul. It is not dependent on current circumstances but can draw from the past and hope for the future. Joy is a gift of the Spirit, growing in us as we encounter God. It springs from our security in our salvation and from knowing the Eternal Father.

Joy is tied to peace and strength, fueled by gratitude, and rooted in God. It’s a funny thing – both experienced actively and existing deep in our being. But when the troubles of the world, this life, and the storms surrounding us are all we can see, that joy that is at the center of us can seem fleeting and difficult to grasp.

So how can we get it back?

While researching verses on joy for this week, I stumbled on a passage from 1 Peter. It’s long, but it really spoke to me. I broke it down into pieces so we could experience it together, one bite at a time.

Joy and Hope

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 1:3-5

We can take joy in the hope of the resurrection and the inheritance we have in Christ. We have God, standing with us, guarding us in our faith until He returns to gather us to Himself.

Joy and Suffering

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:6-7

Though we all pass through various trials in this life, we can have joy when our faith grows in the midst of the hardship, knowing that one day He will return. And that the product of our testing is faith as pure as gold refined by fire.

Joy and Salvation

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

1 Peter 1:8-9

The love we have for our Savior Jesus Christ produces a joy that is beyond the understanding of the world. It is independent of circumstances, a product of love and gratefulness for salvation we did not earn. We have joy knowing we are free from the bondage of sin, that we have an eternal inheritance, and that our Redeemer is coming back to restore the world.

Reclaim Your Joy

The joy of the Lord truly is our strength, our hope, our peace.

It’s the little things in the middle of big circumstances.

There is joy in watching my daughter experience wind in her face for the first time.

Joy in the communion with Him in prayer, knowing I have the ear of the Almighty any time I speak His Name.

Joy looking at the pictures of my children, knowing that God was faithful granting the deepest desires of my heart.

When I hear His voice in Scripture, speaking through ancient words.

Witnessing my own testimony to His faithfulness in the stories in my journals.

Dancing around in the kitchen to our favorite worship songs, forgetting inhibitions and the weight of the world around us.

Joy is watching my 1-year-old nephew trying to take my son down; hanging on tight as my son pitches and rolls with the weight clinging to his leg.

It’s in the laughter sharing a meal with family and friends.

It’s giving hugs and back scratches to my elderly patients.

Joy is in reading poetry, listening to a symphony, and watching a ballet.

It’s climbing over a dune to see the expanse of Lake Michigan across the entire horizon.

It’s a good cup of coffee, a hot bath, a warm sweater on a windy day.

So take heart, Jesus has overcome the world (see John 16:33).

Dance around like no one is watching, because God is for us, not against us (see Romans 8:31).

Find the joy in all circumstances.

Jesus is coming. We are forgiven. Be fueled by joy.

What are the things in your life that bring you joy? What do you do and where do you look when you’re feeling low on joy?

Look for next week’s post: Songs That Speak to the Heart if you want some inspiration for that kitchen dancing I talked about.

If you are unable to find joy anywhere around you. If you feel surrounded by darkness and can’t find much reason for hope, I encourage you to seek professional help. We are meant to live in light not darkness and there is help and hope out there for you!

What Does a Transformed Life Look Like?

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

After writing the post about the role of the Holy Spirit in transforming our hearts, I was thinking, “Yes, but what does a transformed life actually look like? I wanted it to be defined. I wanted it to fit in a box, with neat little boundaries. I thought I’d be able to write a list, complete with check boxes; these are the qualities of a person with a new heart. But God reminded me He doesn’t color inside the lines and cannot be contained in a box. When I considered a transformed life, He revealed His infinite creativity and the countless ways He can work through a transformed heart

Living with a transformed heart means living

beyond ourselves, beyond our capabilities, beyond our reality.

Sometimes by choice and sometimes by circumstance.

It looks like surrender.

It looks like a soul available – searching for assignment. Whether in seasons of preparation, testing, suffering, rest.

It’s a heart that knows God is all around, in every situation. Finding God and His work in all places.

Open arms. Open hearts.

Willing to be changed. Willing to grow. Willing to move. Willing to sacrifice. Willing to stand.

A life rooted in a secure identity as a redeemed, chosen, loved child of God.

A person who knows God is real; God is love; God is present.

Though the circumstances here, now may not be good, they trust God is coming back to make it good and the bad now is nothing compared to the coming glory.

It’s someone who knows there’s more than this present reality; our present situation, the present difficulty.

It looks completely different than everyone else.

A heart always seeking the face and will of God.

A soul abiding.

A life of supernatural wonder. A life with a new heart sees miracles.

It’s also a life that sees as much brokenness and pain as miraculous intervention.

It’s a heart peaceful in the tension of good and evil, resting in the promise that Christ will return and restore creation to its original beauty.

It’s being present where God is present – among the poor, oppressed, and marginalized.

A transforming heart draws closer to God, even in pain, knowing that we were created in His image and through the blood of His Son, we are slowly molded into our true selves.

It is an awareness of the life of God’s Word and its ability to sink deep into our pores, changing us from the inside out.

It’s a picture you paint together.

A love story between the Creator and created.

A journey, a pursuit, an adventure. Up’s, downs, pauses, and sprints.

Trusting in times of darkness, tension, and the unknown.

Faithful regardless of circumstances and perception.

A belief that God is bigger than everything we can see,

Knows more than we can ever know.

Often it means trusting He knows the way when we feel lost.

Even in the dark, when we strain to see light on the horizon, when we cling to the words He spoke thousands of years ago. Even when it’s work to get out of bed.

Even then we trust.

God’s constant call is, “Trust me.” A transformed heart…does.

So we hope against hope, knowing the Kingdom of God is near, God is good, and He loves His children.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”


2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

God, I pray that you would strip me of all that hinders my relationship with you. Peel away the layers of sin, the habits of my past, and draw me closer. Transform me into the woman you created me to be. I trust you…now and always. Amen.

Can People Really Change?

One of the most beautiful truths of the Gospel is that people can be redeemed by the blood of Jesus and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are then presented clean in front of the Most High God.

I believe people can change. But not on their own, at least not for the better, and not forever

My Own Issues

I struggle with mindless eating. I wanted to call it snacking but since I promised to be honest I have to call it what it is. It’s particularly bad when I feel isolated or lonely. Sometimes I have to do something I don’t want to do (like paperwork for my job) and sometimes I don’t have anything to do (let’s call that avoiding doing what I don’t want to do). So I eat. And I’ve told myself many times I need to stop. Because I do. But I fail over and over. Then I realized maybe it wasn’t about the food.

Food is the symptom, not the problem. It’s a physical manifestation of a spiritual struggle. Who’s in control of my life? Do I believe in a God who can intervene at any time in any circumstance? Do I trust He is good, His plans are good, and His WAYS are good?

My alone time can be constructive or destructive. I can let the Spirit do His work or shut Him out.

But I have to let Him.

The Real Issue

You can’t change you. Or anyone else. It’s not about the food. It’s about the brokenness in each of us. We all carry it in different ways. It’s a surface problem. The deeper issue is our separation from God. Instead of focusing on losing weight or changing our bad habits, we need to focus on opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit.

While each of us is free from the curse of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we still carry the scars of sin and give in to the lies of the enemy. We don’t have to sin. We choose to.

As we come to know more of the revelation of God, He will reveal the dark places, the lies that remain in our hearts. And He is faithful to light us up with His truth.

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31b-32

I have faith that as I get closer to God the lies of the enemy will get quieter and sin will lose power in my life.

I can’t change me. But God can.

Let Him Work

No matter where you are on your journey or where you’ve been in the past, change is possible through the movement of the Holy Spirit.

God loves to calm the restless, heal the broken, and use the unlikely.

Our pursuit of the Savior can’t be motivated by guilt but must be anchored in love. No one grows in a climate of fear and shame.

The path is not straight and many times it feels like climbing up the side of a mountain. But our God promises that with faith and time, He can move those mountains for us

But sometimes, in His infinite wisdom, He doesn’t. He lets us keep fighting, keep struggling. For me it’s about control. I don’t know what it is for you. Just don’t give up.

Lean in. Pray with desperation. God hears you.

He may not answer how or when we want, but He is faithful to His good plans; both for us and the world around us.

Let the Holy Spirit in. Let him start remodeling your heart. And one day will be the today you were waiting for; the day you see God’s will weaving through your life.

I believe people can change. In fact I believe we should constantly be changing, constantly molded into the image of our Creator.

God is searching for you.

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’”

Genesis 3:8-10

Will you hide in shame like Adam and Eve in the Garden or will you be found?

Give the Holy Spirit access to the dark depths of your soul and He will be faithful to transform you.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Romans 8:26-27

At all times and all places, the Spirit moves in an open heart.

Pray for Change

Transform my will to Your will, my ways to Your ways. Holy Spirit, change my eyes to match His, my heart to His heart.

“Your kingdom come,

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:10

It’s a dangerous prayer to offer up. Our desires will change, our lives will change, and our world will change.

Books, programs, godly friends, and professional help certainly have their place in helping us to root out the sin in our lives. But it all starts with opening the door for the Spirit to move.

Why I Don’t Have a 5-Year Plan

I’m a classic Type-A control freak. I love lists. And checking things off lists. And making lists for tomorrow, and having a calendar, and planning, and routines, and…I think you get it. So I eat it up when bloggers and other influencers ask me to write my goals for the year…and even the next five years. It’s an extra step of planning my life that I enjoy. They all say to have a great year, a great life, we must plan, make goals, and take control of our future.

Because wouldn’t it be nice if life were predictable? Like, if an item were on my to-do list it was sure to get done? Okay, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I were in control…all the time?

Yeah, now I sound like a crazy person. But that’s what we try to do isn’t it? We try to stuff our future in a box that makes sense to us today. We try to leave as little room for variability as possible.

Why?

Because the unknown is scary. And we’ve been taught that not having a plan is irresponsible.

I’ve learned that God laughs at my plans. Not because He hates me, but because He loves me. You see, I have such narrow vision. I leave no room for miracles or for Grace. I see through my own eyes and my perception is limited. So my plans are limited.

God doesn’t have small plans for me, or for you.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

John 10:10b

Not a predictable life. Not a boring life. Not a life up to you.

God exists outside of time and sees the whole picture, from creation to eternity. And He looks at each of us with eyes of love; a heart that desires the best for us.

I know He smiles when I try to make plans. Because my Father likes to surprise me. He likes to show me how big He is. And He wants me to trust He is faithful. All the time. In every circumstance.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Psalm 119:105

One step. That’s it. One step at a time. The Lord may give us a vision for our future but He rarely gives a timeline.

Do the work. Show up. Go after God. And trust He will get you where you’re going…in His time.

I’m so grateful God doesn’t always give us our own way. I wouldn’t trade anything for where I am today. Yes, it’s been hard. And a lot of work. Oh, and no, I’m not immune to disappointment when things don’t turn out the way I want them to. But I see God everywhere in my life.

And that, my friends, is worth more than anything. To be able to feel God’s Presence surrounding me, to hear Him in music, teachings, and the voices of friends. To witness His hands working in and through the people around me.

No, no 5-year plan I could ever write would compare to the way God writes the story. He is infinitely more creative and good than I could ever hope to be.

And He takes me with Him.

If I’ll just humble myself to trust Him, He’ll bring me along.

And that is all I could ever hope for.

The direction I thought my life was going is nothing compared to where I am now.

By holding on too tight, we risk squeezing the adventure out of life.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9

So instead of making goals about what I want to do, maybe I’ll try focusing on who God wants me to be.

Now when people ask, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

I can answer, “Wherever God takes me.”

Make plans. But leave room for God to work in marvelous, unforeseen ways this year.

God, grant us vision for who you want us to be. Give us patience to wait. And help us to trust that you are good. All the time. Amen.

When you look back at your goals and plans, do you see where God’s hand took you in a different direction in order to bring you closer to Him?

How do you see God working in your story right now?

P.S. Launching this blog was my goal for 2017

A Letter to The Lost

Years ago I found myself on the floor of my bedroom, weeping because I felt so lost, so disconnected, so far away from God. I wondered if He was real. I questioned if He could be known and if I could be saved. The realization that I had nothing to bring to a big, holy God washed over me. What could He possibly want with me, a person who tried and failed, again, and again, and again?

He met me there, in my nothingness. And He accepted me. He loved me. He called me closer instead of pushing me away.

No matter how far your life and your choices have taken you away from Him, just turn around. He is there, waiting for you. His arms are open and His heart is burning with love. Just turn around.

Stop striving. Stop searching. Stop running. You’re going the wrong way. You can’t help yourself. The enemy lies and says that salvation is found in the pursuit of self but Jesus says to find salvation you must die to yourself.

I know you get so far away, so deep into the darkness that you can’t see any light. You feel the weight of the curse brought on by the disobedience of the first woman and the first man. You live under the curse and can’t find a way to save yourself. And with each day, the light fades until there’s total darkness.

You’re in the way.

What you see is your own shadow. Turn around and the light of Christ will receive you.

Jesus loves those who know they are weak, who know they can’t get it together on their own. He died and conquered death so we could be saved.

He loves you.

You’re familiar, maybe so familiar with this verse that it’s lost any meaning. But read it with new eyes…and keep reading.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:16-21

God welcomes those who come with child-like faith1, desperate faith2, broken faith3; those who are guilty4, those who are on the outside5, those who have nothing to offer6. This world is broken, but He will restore it. He wants to bring as many people to Himself as will have Him. He’s waiting for you.

Because the truth is, He wants our hearts. Not our good works, not our limited human helpfulness. No, he wants us. All of us. He took the weight of the curse to the cross and broke free. And He offers that same freedom to us.

Turn around. Meet His loving gaze. And spend the rest of your life drawing closer to Him.

He’s there. All that matters is that you turn to Him. He’ll take it from there. Please, just turn around.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20

  1. Mark 10:13-16
  2. Matthew 9:20-22
  3. Luke 7:36-50
  4. John 8:3-11
  5. John 4:1-42
  6. Luke 23:40-43

Do This To Remember

My grandfather passed away unexpectedly in the fall of 2016. He was everything a grandpa should be: loving, kind, patient, and fun to be around. After the funeral, the cousins all sat together at a table off to the side in the church basement, trading stories of childhood. We remembered sitting at the kids’ table which was in the living room while the adults ate in the kitchen. My oldest cousin would stand close to the door while we all waited in silence for him to tell us grandpa was done praying. We couldn’t hear him from the other room, but we paused our conversations out of respect.

We played wiffle ball in his backyard, rocked on the old wooden swing, watched for cardinals on the feeder, and had some of the most magical Christmas’ of my childhood. Us grandchildren are blessed to have such amazing memories of our grandpa and our grandma who passed away before him.

Our son Isaac with his great-grandpa.

When we got home, my husband Chad realized we still had peanuts in the fridge my grandpa had given us. He had picked them up when driving through Georgia on the way back from Florida. They were raw, which meant Chad had to figure out how to roast them. And when he did, the smell of roasting peanuts filled our home. The smell of my grandpa’s thoughtfulness.

I never really understood Communion. I saw the tables with the inscription, “Do This In Remembrance of Me” at the front of many different churches, but it never had any real meaning to me. Of course I knew they were the words of Jesus, and that He had spoken them the night before He died, but I didn’t really understand the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper.

Until the peanuts.

When we ate them I thought about my Grandpa. And I told the kids about their Great Grandpa.

I realized somehow my Grandpa was still teaching me about God’s Grace, even from eternity.

You see, there’s a miracle in taking Communion, a transformation, a connection to the risen Christ. We remember His death, the price He paid for our freedom, when we eat the bread and drink the juice. We remember His love and the sacrifice He made to cleanse us from our sin.

And we are reminded of His promise that through His death and resurrection, He has established a new covenant with humanity. That through faith in the living Christ, we can be clean. And He grants us new life in Him.

“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,’This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’”

Luke 22:19-21

Christ died and rose again for you so you could live through Him.

Father, we bow our hearts and remember your sacrifice. When we eat this bread and drink this cup, may we be ever more transformed by your love for us. Amen.

When You Feel Like You Can’t Fight

As I was developing this blog, I came up against many obstacles I wasn’t prepared for. Turns out I’m no tech guru and learning how to design a website involves a steep learning curve. I scoured Pinterest for any and all information related to site design. My laptop sat open, a blank WordPress template taunting me for hours and days. I knew what I wanted. I just didn’t have the skills to execute it.

Then the doubt set in. Maybe I’m not supposed to do this. Maybe I can’t do this. It’s too hard. I’ll never figure it out. I felt like I stood alone on the battlefield, outnumbered and unarmed.

Then I read the verse of the day I receive on my phone:

“But I will sing of your strength;

I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.

For you have been to me a fortress

   and a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,

for you, O God, are my fortress,

the God who shows me steadfast love.”

Psalm 59:16-17 ESV

We aren’t meant to be strong. God is strong. He is strength. When we are overcome; when we are weak; when we are not enough, we are commanded to run to God. He is our fortress.

We can be free from the shame of our weakness because our God surrounds us with His strength.

But God is so much more than just a fortified defense. He promises not only to provide a place of strength from which to fight, He promises to fight for us.

As the Israelites approached the Red Sea, with the powerful Egyptian army swiftly descending upon them, they became terrified and cried out to God. He heard their cries and answered.

“And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 14:13-14 ESV

When we reach the end of our human strength, like the Israelites who saw no earthly way out, we are tempted to retreat or to complain against God. Instead, let us stand still. Remain calm, don’t panic. God’s got it from here. There are no lost causes, no soul beyond redemption. Our God has infinite resources and infinite reach. Our God can.

So what does it look like to fight from the fortress of God? It certainly doesn’t mean sitting idly atop the wall. It means we don’t give up when we can’t figure it out. It means we suit up in the armor of God and fight with all we are and all we have to keep going. And we trust that when we reach the end of ourselves, God will press on.

Let our hearts be transformed with an eternal awareness of eternal strength.

How can you choose to battle the enemy from the walls of God’s fortress today?
Do you trust He will fight for you?