pursuing LOVE...and JOY...and WHOLEHEARTEDNESS!

I have been reflecting on the joy of the LORD. The Bible says that the joy of the LORD is my strength (Neh 8:10). Jesus said that He wants His joy to be in me and for my joy to be complete (John 15:11). I understand these verses to mean that God cares about my joy, that it is found through relationship with Him and that it is meant to strengthen me. I have a friend, Carly, who is an intercessory missionary in Istanbul, Turkey. She recently fell while getting off a trolley and broke her pelvis in 3 places. Carly has been in intense pain, has had almost no pain killers and little medical care. But, I’m still getting emails from her proclaiming that Jesus is worthy of all praise and that she is worshiping Him from her bed in Turkey. I read a letter from another missionary this morning. Her husband died very suddenly last September after a slight fall caused a massive hemorrhage in his brain. She is still grieving, but there was definite joy streaming through her letter as she tal...

I've decided to tell my Stitch Fix Story as a fun distraction from my usually serious blog material. :) (Actually, Stitch Fix is asking people to tell their stories and offering a grand prize of $1000 in Stitch Fix credit. This is what has truly motivated me.) Stitch Fix is a company that offers personal styling and sends items right to your home. You start by completing a style profile questionnaire that helps them determine your style and fit preferences. You pay a $20 styling fee that you can use toward purchasing items from your fix and you chose a date for your items to arrive. Then, Stitch Fix sends you a delightful box with five items picked just for you and the real fun begins. I first heard about Stitch Fix on my favorite blog, Chatting at the Sky by Emily P. Freeman. It sounded really fun and I knew that my sister Karyn, fashionista that she is, would love it too. So, we both completed style profiles and chose the same date for delivery of our Stitch Fixes. We w...

I have a client who has been pushing my buttons. I have prayed at least three times, asking God to take them elsewhere, out of my practice. I have also told God that my business is His business and that I will work with whoever He wants me to work with. Three times, this client has contacted me for an appointment almost right after I have prayed this. Last week, when it happened for the third time, I was mad. I was angry with God for ignoring my tired, overwhelmed and frustrated feelings and insisting that I see this person. I was mad at the people who were trying to encourage me and help me to see how God could be using these difficult circumstances to work glory in my life. I cried several times. I also shut down all feelings several times, when they got too intense. I reached an impasse. I knew that I could surrender my feelings to God and trust Him or I could insist on my feelings and surrender my joy. At first, I insisted on my feelings and was miserable. I was offended...