Sunday, May 27, 2018

Joy and Peace

   I have been meditating long on these verses, have memorized them over the years and taught them to my children, but it's consistent application has often illuded me. 
Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness,  gentleness, moderation, considerateness, be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
I've talked a lot about peace being a matter of perspective, where or on Whom one sets his mind, but it's also where, or on what one sets his joy.  What satisfies, thrills, delights me?  Is my primary joy fellowship with God, living in the light of His pleasure and presence and letting Him alone satisfy my need to find joy, rest in something?  Or do I misplace my celebrations in fleeting, temporary or illusive things like checking something off my to-do list, my childrens' good behavior, relationships going well, a clean house... Don't get me wrong, these are good things and we should enjoy these things, walk in gratitude for them, but that's the key - gratitude brings us back to the central, faithful, unchanging Pleasure, Giver of these transient gifts - pointing us back to that which is intransitive - stands alone.  He is the object, the Real thing, the end and the beginning not a means to an end or a dependent or situational factor.  Setting primary joy, satisfaction on any lesser thing, will inevitable lead to anxiety.  Because we are made for joy, it is our endless drive - to run after pleasure.  When we find and satisfy that in God, we have unshakeable peace.  When we seek to satisfy it in temporary things, accomplishments, people, we wrap ourselves up in anxiety over whether this will pan out, whether our to-do list will be checked off, our children happy/obedient, our relationships satisfying, our goals, needs, desires met. The good or pleasure in these things is only meant to further solidify our Joy in that which nothing and no-one can take away.  This focus, satisfaction in Supreme Joy, settles us, secures us, quiets us deep down at our core from which every other thought and action flow. 
   Do you notice that when you're anxious about things, your responses aren't the gentlest?  I know when I'm anxious, I get rough around the edges, easily riled up, tend to talk in shorter, clipped, frustrated tones because the anxiety makes me "at capacity".  I can't handle other negative stimulus or sometimes any other stimulus at all because my internal negative stimulus is leaving me all tied up in knots, stretched thin and one other thing could cause me to snap.  Anxiety causes us to live in extremes.  We become pendulums swinging from frustration and fear to transient satisfaction.  Rightly appropriated joy centers us in unshakeable peace- allows us to respond in gentleness, live out a life if moderation, be reasonable/rational in our thinking, considerate of others needs rather than our own.  It shifts our attention from focusing on our own needs and fulfillment  to blessing others because our own craving for joy has been supremely and forever satisfied.  And a life like this cannot go unnoticed.  In a world seeking pleasure in every other thing, one satisfied, gentled by satiation is evident to all.
















  This is possible because God is not a God far off, illusive and disagreeable or intangible.  He is near at hand, closer than our next breath. If He's close enough to know when a sparrow falls, close enough to clothe the dawn in brilliant colors, He's close enough to satisfy, to meet us in our broken, messy places and provide an unshakeable constant, a deep, undrainable well of joy and reason to rejoice. 
  I hear these things, see them, write them and still find myself asking, "Yes, that's all great... but how?"  I think the answer to that lies in repitition, practice, reminding ourselves as many times and as often as it takes until it becomes habit, second nature.  Until we have come to see and be so satisfied in that Joy that we no longer go searching for it elsewhere because we have tapped and retapped it and found it to never grow old or run dry.  Gratitude plays a large roll too - to be continued...


  1. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
    All ye that are upright in heart;
    And ye that have made Him your choice,
    Bid sadness and sorrow depart.
    • Refrain:
      Rejoice, rejoice,
      Be glad in the Lord and rejoice;
      Rejoice, rejoice,
      Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.
  2. Be joyful, for He is the Lord
    On earth and in Heaven supreme;
    He fashions and rules by His word—
    The “Mighty” and “Strong” to redeem.
  3. What though in the conflict for right
    Your enemies almost prevail?
    God’s armies, just hid from your sight,
    Are more than the foes which assail.
  4. Though darkness surround you by day,
    Your sky by the night be o’ercast,
    Let nothing your spirit dismay,
    But trust till the danger is past.
  5. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
    His praises proclaiming in song;
    Let gratefulness give all a voice,
    The loud hallelujahs prolong!
  6. Be Glad - Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir      Song - Be Glad in the Lord and rejoice African style

Monday, May 14, 2018

Keeping count for Mother's Day

Image result for mothersWhere you treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Treasure.  It's something we count, store up, focus on, lay aside and keep coming back to.  And gradually, your heart follows, becomes like that thing that you treasure, keep track of.  That thing we place value on, our value, our worth.  As it's Mother's Day, I consider that we treasure our children, I need to treasure more the little moments- smiles, hugs, moments of sacrifice and service, expressions of love.  Sometimes, do we treasure more the "good behavior" of our children then our children themselves or place our sense of worth on the balance, the count of their obedience, cheerfulness, goodness vs their bad attitudes, messes, disobedience and feel like that balance is always coming up short of what we dream, desire for them, for us?  I know I don't want my sins counted against me and am so thankful that my Father not only doesn't keep count but sees me as perfect, altogether lovely, washed white and remembers my sins NO more!!
Image may contain: 6 people, including Marcella Lie, people smiling, outdoor
Some that I treasure most
   Image may contain: 2 people, people smiling Image may contain: 2 people, people smilingImage may contain: 3 people, including Sue Loughmiller and Bill Loughmiller, people smilingImage may contain: 2 people, people smiling, people sitting, child, baby, outdoor and closeupI've begun exchanging my treasure, replacing those counted failures, stored wounds with tellings, retellings, sightings of God at work, breaking through, setting free.  I'm in the process of recognizing what was in my treasure box and replacing it with that which really has value, that in which I want my heart to follow. To see and draw out the treasure, the value in others - because the heart will follow.  We maybe have little treasure boxes attached to all of our relationships - things we store up, recount...and our heart follows, reflects in that relationship the things we've hallowed, set apart.  I want to store up the beautiful.  Those things that are lovely, praiseworthy, excellent, of good report.  Then, what will my heart feel?  What will my heart reflect in my day to day and in my relationships.  If all around me, I look for, count, recount, treasure the truth, goodness and beauty of God, of others, of the situations He gives just to express his love, put a smile on my face and those that are purposed to draw me in, bring me to my knees, to surrender and dependence, to learn to be an overcomer...then my heart will expand like a flower breaking out into full bloom - it's like feeding and watering the beauty, truth and goodness inside and allowing the full expression of it to burst for in glorious day, fullness of joy.
    And. of course, there is that Highest Treasure, Great Reward Himself, storing up faith in Him, absolute trust, reliance and counting, recounting the works of His hands, the revelations and promises He gives, the sustenance and hope...Gen. 15:1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Image result for jesus  treasure
Jesus, Priceless Treasure
1 Jesus, priceless treasure,
source of purest pleasure,
friend most sure and true:
long my heart was burning,
fainting much and yearning,
thirsting, Lord, for you.
Image result for jesus  treasureYours I am, O spotless Lamb,
so will I let nothing hide you,
seek no joy beside you!

2 Let your arms enfold me:
those who try to wound me
cannot reach me here.
Though the earth be shaking,
every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear.
Fires may flash and thunder crash;
yea, though sin and hell assail me,
Jesus will not fail me.

Image result for jesus priceless treasure
3 Hence, all worldly treasure!
Jesus is my pleasure,
Jesus is my choice.
Hence, all empty glory!
What to me your story
told with tempting voice?
Pain or loss or shame or cross
shall not from my Savior move me,
since he chose to love me.


Image result for jesus  treasure4          Banish thoughts of sadness,
for the Lord of gladness,
Jesus, enters in;
though the clouds may gather,
those who love the Savior
still have peace within.
Though I bear much sorrow here,
still in you lies purest pleasure,
Jesus, priceless treasure!
Psalter Hymnal, 1987Story behind the hymn
Jesus, Priceless Treasure- beautiful rendition