Abundant Joy: A Look Inside Me

"For you formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:13-14

Here again we see God's sovereignty displayed, only not in the vast comprehension of creating the universe and holding all things in His hand. No, this is an intimate picture of the God of the universe, "knitting me together in my mother's womb."

Read Luke 12:7, Psalm 39:4-5 and Isaiah 64:8~ these verses portray so beautifully how intimately God knows each of us. They also show insight to the fact that before I even had the opportunity to know God intimately He knew me. I was under His care and watchful eye. this picture of God's sovereignty is so precious because it reveals the heart of love that God has for each of His treasured creations. Now, we are undeserving of this kind of love, and as we will read in Isaiah 43:1-7, God's love and protection has nothing to do with our merit. Answer the following questions based on the text:

What is God doing here for the Israelites? Why? Who is verse seven speaking of specifically? How do we outwardly mark ourselves as "authentic believers" or those called by His name? Do you think in the world today you can have an effect on others because of how you "set yourself apart?"

I once heard RC Sproul, Jr. says that so many of us make a point to align our doctrinal beliefs and views clearly by what God says in His word. We make sure to align ourselves by His steady plumb line on the heavy theological issues of today. But then we tend to rely on our own guiding compass when it comes to music, friends, clothing, activities and our home life. How can we honestly say we have "set apart" ourselves for the purposes of God if we are not living in such a way that shows the world, "I belong to a Holy God!"?

Read Psalm 139:16-18.
How many thoughts does God have about the details of my life? How much value do you personally place on God's opinion of your daily life?

How is God able to love us and see us as precious when we do not merit this kind of affection? One simple word: GRACE. J.I Packer defines grace in his book Knowing God as, "God's love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love."

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found; was blind but now I see.

It is not popular to look at oneself as "wretched" of "in need." But that is certainly what I am without Christ. On days when I have relied on my own guiding compass, I often display this kind of attitude or judgment on the things of my life. An honest "look inside me" should reveal a heart that is knit together by a Master not an amateur. God can fully be trusted with all of me, after all I am His original idea. I am created with a unique skill set, spiritual gift, heart and mind that when given freely to Him has potential I will never be able to realize on my own.

Have you fully surrendered all to God?
What does this personally look like to you?
Where do you need to make some adjustments so that God can be developing in you a heart that longs to solely please Him?
What does your heart long for that can only come from the hand of God?

Abundant Joy study

I love the journey. I appreciate the security I feel in Christ, even when the world I’m living in feels a bit shaky. The challenges, the pressures, the roles I have as a woman, the commitments…the list goes on and on. “Where exactly does the idea of joy fit into all of this?” Well, I say, right in the middle.

Not because it is always evident in our circumstances. Not because our lives are easy and blissful all the time. No, not because of us or anything in the world, but because of our amazing God! A loving and merciful God who saved us and made available to us, His everlasting joy. It is accessible, so you and I must choose to live it out each day, amidst our daily lives.

Abundant Joy was written to encourage us all to take time out and really look at what makes up our life. We will spend time evaluating what it is around us that influences us, where we find our priorities leading us and where we find that our life holds the most joy. My personal prayer is that joy is found in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray that the benefits of abiding in Him flow over into all aspects of your life and influence you in a profound way~ A joyful way!

God placed the idea for this book on my heart in November 2007, right before we went on a family vacation for eight days. I can tell you that I definitely battled with Satan on “feeling” joy during parts of the trip. We were tired, out of our routine and even sick with the stomach bug, but of course, God was faithful!

As I write this, we are traveling home in the car for eight hours and my two year old is singing in the back with Miss Pattycake, “When-o, when-o I pwaise God! Haweywujah.” My heart smiles at this precious sound. This is joy to me~ yes, I am tired and longing for my own home. I am also making sure my three year old throws up in the bucket and not all over the car. The journey. I have to choose joy over frustration. God’s way over my own. I am a natural optimist, but with Christ living in us, we can all make the choice to live in God’s abundant joy in whatever circumstances we face. In His joy, I have an inner peace and contentment knowing there is nothing I would rather do today or any other day!

I think about Galatians 5:22-23. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” God’s gift to us when we have a personal relationship with Him, is the Holy Spirit, which means the fruit of the Spirit is available to us at all times. Our relationship with God, gives us the ability to live a life based on love. Following love is the inward focus of joy and when it is in its proper place, the others are produced in us. We often long for the “outward” actions of the fruit of the Spirit, but without love and joy, we are incapable of actually using this gift we have received.

I pray for us all to open our hearts to our awesome God and what He wants to teach us about His everlasting joy! Purpose to grab hold of His joy today and really live! Enjoy this process and continue walking steadfast in His Truth, abiding in Him each step of the way.

Each week our group meets on Fridays for the study and then creative fun of putting together our scrapbooks! I will post the study on Mondays here and a picture of my pages! I hope you will be able to join us in the journey and post a comment if you post your pages on your blog! Enjoy :)

Just For Fun!

Here are a few snapshots from my Year in Review album for 2008:

I used a watercolor book (bought at Hobby Lobby for about $8) as the foundation for the scrapbook. The monthly title pages I cut on my Cricut machine and then I used strips of paper for the accents. I printed all my pictures in sephia tone at Target and used fun stamping letters to stamp one word that seemed to really capture that month. The whole album took about 2 weeks to make. If I had 10 hours to sit straight through, I probably could have finished it in that amount of time also.

A very dear friend of mine gave me these awesome envelopes for Christmas! There is one for every month and I use them to put tickets, pictures I don't scrapbook, schoolwork, anything you can think of to fill it up! They are so easy to make!

1. Buy the larger mailing envelopes & cover them with your favorite paper.

2. Use the computer or a stamp to make the month calendar page.

3. Stamp, write or use the computer to make the month's name and attach it on the front.

Another creative friend of mine made a set and gave them as a gift for a friend of ours who had her third baby and does not scrapbook. She clipped them together with large clips and tied ribbons on the clips...Oh! So cute! :)

Have a happy weekend! Tonight is my Creative Connection night, which means.... girlfriends, creativity and peanut butter m&m's! (my fav)

One Day at a Time

At the start of 2009, I choose the word intentional as my word for the year. Earlier in December I had found a great challenge in my Creating Keepsakes magazine called Project 365. The concept is to take a picture each day of 2009 and scrapbook & journal, so that you have a year of "everyday life" when it's all over. I loved this idea from the start. It would be a great way for me to look at each day and keep those everyday memories that make up my "real life." So, here is just a snapshot of my book, which is different from the kit designed by Becky Higgins. (Which sold out very quickly and is not available for purchase right now.)

I am journaling on my computer, then printing out the pages. I printed my pictures at Target in a 5x7 collage, so they are each about 1 x 1.5 inches. I used a pretty 3-ring binder as the book and put each page in a page protector. The most challenging part for me is that I am stamping around the pictures, which is a new scrapbooking technique for me to use! I am learning very much about how to do this better, so I am hoping that over the year my stamping will improve.

My sweet husband added to the challenge that I could only take a picture on the days I had spent time with my precious Lord, which I am trying to do early in the morning. Which right now I am about 50/50~ remember I am a night owl, NOT a morning person! :) I have only missed taking a picture 3 days~ oh how I wish for those 3 days back, to have had my sweet time. Even at this time I'm not sure why it didn't get done, except that I did not make it a priority. Oh my precious Lord, please forgive my lack of diligence.

I thought it would be so great to add what God is teaching me through this year also. So I also have my spiritual journal amongst the pictures. He is really at work in my heart, so I am so excited to look back and see how He has caused me to grow!

The other aspect I am including is important papers or favorite art of my sweet boys! I also love that this project is simple and easy for me to keep up. I am going to work on this past week tomorrow night!

I thank God for each moment He allows me to be a wife and mother. I love all the everyday tasks that when joined together make a beautiful life. I have so much to be grateful to the Lord for and so much that brings me joy, even at the most random moments. For instance, sitting at the dinner table the other night when Luke got down without permission, then proceeded to run into the living room. Wesley said, "Luke, please come back to the table." Well...the sweet child (who was wearing socks) tried to stop and turn around and well, it is hard to explain but it was hilarious. Wesley and I could not keep our composure and completely lost it laughing so hard, we were both crying and out of breath!

Thank you Lord for providing the perfect balance of your joy even amidst the laundry, piling bills, discipline, lack of focus, trying moments, schooling, serving...the list goes on and on. BUT so does Your perfect provision and joy! I am looking forward to being able to praise you at the end of 2009 for all the goodness You have shown to me.

Just a few of my favorites so far: