I wish you a day of rest, peace, and the joy of spotting a cardinal or your own favorite bird. Matthew 6:26 says “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns…” Happy Sunday.
Tag Archives: joy
Go Out In Joy
Have you ever watched a tree while the wind is blowing…or even just a breeze? The leaves seem to be clapping their hands. It always reminds me of Isaiah 55:12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Happy Sunday.
Getting Along With Others
“Mine your own material” was assignment sixteen from #everydayinspiration. Well, I spent quite a few hours doing some mining and came up with the following, due to so much unrest in today’s world. It’s material from a past post which I’ve edited for this one…words of wisdom from various sources for peaceful living.
If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you…The Purpose Driven Life – page 143.
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because you know they produce quarrels…be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful…2 Timothy 2:23, 24
Thoughtless words can leave lasting wounds. God did not put us on earth to hurt people’s feelings. (Source unknown)
I am resolved in all human contact to meet petulance with patience, questionings with kindness, hatred with love, eager always to do the kindly deed that brings the joy of service and that alone makes human life truly human…Ralph Waldo Trine, In Tune with the Infinite.
Love your enemies for they tell you your faults….Benjamin Franklin.
…Encourage each other daily….Hebrews 3:13.
Compassion is to share with another whatever it is that circumstances are bringing to bear on that other. It means to be with, to share, to overlap, no matter how difficult or painful it may be…Madeleine L’Engle, Author…A Wrinkle in Time among other books.
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can…John Wesley.
Let everyone you meet be happier for having met you, for having spoken to you. This you can do by spreading joy….Edgar Cayce.
…Never hold grudges…Forgive the person who offends you…Col. 3:1
…Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippi9ans 2:3,4.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people…Romans 12:18
How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
When the choice is to be right or to be kind, always make the choice that brings peace. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow…Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead…Just walk beside me and be my friend…Albert Camus, French Novelist 1913-1960
Our world right now is in much need of getting along with others, and we all need to do our part, however small it may be, however infinitesimal, be it ours to do by all the means we can as John Wesley so wisely said.
HAPPY EASTER
And now the good news is not that Jesus lived and died but that He died and lives!
The Power of a Six-Year-Old
A few days ago I posted “Call on the Power Inherent in You”. It wasn’t among the most popular posts and I wondered why. Perhaps owning our power is a little hard to understand. Perhaps we don’t know how to go about it. Yesterday, I found the following on the internet. It is about a six-year-old little boy using his power to make people smile. Just click on the link and find yourself smiling and crying at the same time. God bless his little self! https://www.facebook.com/doc.hallenstein/videos/10206458106986026/
If It`s Good Enough for God…
A Catholic couple were guests in a protestant church once, and asked me what I thought of dancing in the church…this after watching a liturgical dance, of which they disapproved. I knew it was in scripture somewhere, and said so. (Let them praise his name with dancing…) Psalm 149:3. (NIV) Where else do we praise his name if not in church?
All these years later it brings to mind other things which are sometimes frowned upon in a church…not all churches, but some. For instance some people raise their hands, or exclaim, “Praise the Lord!” when some hymns or anthems move them to emote their joy in the moment. (Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the lord) Psalm 134:2 (NIV)
Applause is another thing which is not welcome in some religious institutions. But you know what…sometimes we can’t help applauding a perfectly performed rendition of The Lord’s Prayer. Sure, we may be applauding the singer but the song or hymn is what stirs us to take such action, because that performer is elevating our level of worship. (Clap your hands, all you nations…) Psalm 47:1 (NIV)
In my book, and it’s the “Good Book”, if it’s good enough for God, it’s good enough for me. So, shall we lift up our hands, even clap our hands, bring on the liturgical dancers…enjoy praising the Lord…it`s what he tells us to do. (Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.) James 1:22 (NIV)
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Psalm 100:1 (KJV)
When Pigs Fly
My best friend had a penchant for pigs. She collected replicas of these kind of cutesy animals by the dozens. It became a challenge to find a pig that Tanya did not have, or to find a birthday card with a pig picture and words that were particularly piggish. It was always fun to find a new pig for my friend’s collection. I once found a singing pig which belted out “My Girl” when it’s belly button was pushed. I can still hear her laughter when she played it for the first time.
Tanya did love her pigs, and yesterday I came across something on Facebook that made me smile my face off when I saw it. I’m posting it here in memory of my dear friend who moved to heaven in 2008. I still miss her very much and it gives me joy to send this flying pig to tell her so.
Our Daily Bread
Following are some wonderful quotes for every day living. They are from a little booklet, Our Daily Bread, which is available through Discovery House Publishing in one-hundred and fifty countries.
Here, then, are a few nuggets for your living enjoyment.
God has not promised that your life will be easy…indeed, it may not be. But he has promised to sustain you in your struggles and uphold you with his mighty arm. If you trust him, he will empower you to make your way bravely through extraordinary difficulties with faith, hope and love. God will not allow you to be pressed beyond endurance.
Unexpected changes are opportunities in disguise.
God’s love cannot be explained, it can only be experienced.
If God has already told you what to do, you don’t need to ask him again.
God’s commands are given to enhance our lives rather than restrict them.
To multiply your joy, count your blessings.
You don’t need to know where you are going if you let God do the leading.
God uses ordinary people to carry out his extraordinary plan.
In God’s garden of love, you are his forget-me-not.
Each edition of Our Daily Bread is packed with inspirational stories and quotes such as these. I love it!
Joy vs Sorrow
Yesterday I encountered both joy and sorrow, not personally, but via social media.
The first story was about the death, on Mother’s Day, of Lauren Davis, the beautiful twenty-four old daughter of a well known media personality, Erin Davis, co-host of the Toronto radio station CHFI morning show. The tragic details are unknown at this time but the news is definitely one of sorrow…deep, deep sorrow.
The second story is about love. It’s about a couple who lived in Ottawa, dated for four years in their teenage years, drifted apart, each married other people, and became widowed in recent years. Happenstance caused them to reunite in Ottawa and rekindle the old flame. Today they are eighty-two and eighty-four years of age and planning to marry in June of this year. This is a story of joy…deep, deep joy.
These stories touch me deeply. I feel the sorrow of a mother losing her daughter to death; it breaks my heart. I also feel the bliss of the couple reunited after sixty-five years; it fills my heart with joy.
Joy and sorrow…each capable of filling the soul with heartfelt emotions…each capable of holding the heart captive…each a part of life…joy and sorrow.
Heavenly Joy
Have a heavenly Sunday.
My Precious Life 