Joy Is...

Joy is...

Sunset dinner on the deck on January 2nd, 2020...

Enjoying a delicious steak dinner with the family..

With hubby...

And the kids who just got back from a little mini vacation. (Sorry, I caught someone with a mouthful of steak...)

Who would believe we could do this in January...in our shirt sleeves?  This is our belated New Year's Dinner since they were out of town.  This is the best (and cheapest) steak house in the county!  (bought the steaks when they were on sale cheaper than hamburger and put them in the freezer for a special day...like today!)

 Hello, It's Me! (Please don't laugh at my hair...it has become one thing that I am NOT joyful about...LOL)

Joy is enjoying a beautiful day and giving God praise and glory for all the wonderful things He has done. 

Joy is a last look at the reflections of the Christmas lights from our tree and other decorations in the window before I decide to take them down and put them away for another year...

Probably not going to get it done until either the weekend or next week, but I saw this reflection and it made me feel joyful, so I just had to take a picture.

I love this little saying...I think this came from our "Friday Foto Friends" days, (which I miss!)

Joy is:

 A whole house full of Amaryllis flowers starting to bloom!!!

Some of the bulbs had been in the dark box too long waiting to be planted, and so they have crooked stems, but as they reach toward "the light", they should straighten out and be tall and beautiful...

That sounds like a lesson from the Bible, doesn't it?

Here are a few thoughts about "light"...

John 3:19-21

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, 

and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

But he who does the truth comes to the light, and his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

Matthew 5:14-16

"You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, 

and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

I Peter 2:9

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 

His own special people, 

that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..."

John 12:46

"I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me (Jesus) 

should not abide in darkness."

Ephesians 5:8

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light."

Ephesians  5:13-14

"But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, 

for whatever makes manifest is light.

Therefore He says:

"Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light."

Isn't it amazing how God can shed light on even something like an Amaryllis bulb and give us lessons on life?  Why? Because He created the Amaryllis Bulb, and He can use anything He created to teach us how to live.  

This reminds me of an  old hymn, written by Philip P. Bliss, "The Light of the World is Jesus".

Here is a video of this song...I hope you will sing along...

1. "The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   Like sunshine at noonday, His glory shone in;
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   • Refrain:
     Come to the light, ’tis shining for thee;
     Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;
     Once I was blind, but now I can see:
     The Light of the world is Jesus!
2. No darkness have we who in Jesus abide;
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   We walk in the light when we follow our Guide!
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
3. Ye dwellers in darkness with sin-blinded eyes,
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   Go, wash at His bidding, and light will arise;
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
4. No need of the sunlight in Heaven we’re told;
   The Light of the world is Jesus!
   The Lamb is the Light in the city of gold,
   The Light of the world is Jesus!"
5. 
   

Thank you for taking time to reflect on the "joys" of the day...perhaps you have some very special joys that you are thankful for today as well.  Let us share our joys and let our "light shine" to encourage one another as we travel together in this "joyful journey of life".  Sometimes we may not feel so joyful, but when we realize that "The Joy of the Lord is my strength"... (Nehemiah 8:10), we realize that it isn't our own "joy" that keeps us going...but the Joy of the Lord...that gives us the strength we need to take one more step. Without His joy dwelling in our hearts, we miss out on His strength as well.  So Lord, please fill us with YOUR JOY, so that we will have YOUR STRENGTH when we need it most. Amen.

"The Light Has Come" -Random Journal Day Update

This Original Post  was written on 5/26/2013...I think that was the last time I really washed my windows I am ashamed to admit...but this past year was a bit difficult...and clean windows weren't at the top of my list of things to be concerned about.  However, recently I have been noticing that there are cobwebs and many smudges and smears from bugs, birds and dusty roads coating my windows. It is time for another good window washing day before it gets too hot.  

Anyway, my friends, today is Random Journal Day, a day to share something that we've written in our journals or someplace that we want to share with the world.  I've admitted before that I've sort of run out of suitable journal entries to share...and most of my latest writing has been right here on this blog. So, my apologies to the other ladies who are sharing their deep dark secrets from their old journals. I hope this will still be a blessing to you today.  After reading this (again!) take a little stroll over to Enthusiastically Dawn - Random Journal Day and see what our other friends are sharing. I know you'll be blessed.

The View through my clean window

5/26/2013

For those of you who happen to also be my Facebook friends, you've already heard me bragging about washing my windows yesterday...13 of them...and that's only half of the windows in my house. I ran out of steam and had to quit.  I was so proud of the fact that I had spent my day washing these windows...and many of you were duly impressed. Obviously, window washing is not something that many of us enjoy doing, and that's why it is such a big event when it happens once or twice a year (maybe).  I happen to live in a national forest, and I love looking out my windows at the birds and the trees and all of nature surrounding our home.  If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that there has been quite a bit of wildlife to view  (Click on the highlighted words to check out some previous posts about this).




But the "wildlife" around our home in the woods is not really what I want to discuss with you today. No, actually, what I have on my mind is what I discovered this morning when the sun came up.  

You've heard the old saying, "Pride goeth before the fall"?  Actually that comes from the book of Proverbs 16:18 ~

"Pride goes before destruction, 

and a haughty spirit before a fall."

That's what I experienced this morning as I opened the curtains on my freshly washed windows to let the morning sunshine in...and what to my horror did I see but streaks and smudges on my supposedly sparkling clean windows!!! How could that be? I worked so hard all afternoon washing both the inside and outside of these windows, and inspecting every one before I put the freshly scrubbed screens back on and called it quits for the day.

This is when I realized a truth about myself and people in general...

You know, we can work so hard to clean ourselves up on the outside and inside, scrubbing every blemish and flaw and making ourselves appear to be smudge-free to the rest of the world.  And then the light shines through us, revealing the shadows and smears of dust and grime that the stains of sin have left in our hearts and minds and bodies.  We thought we had done a pretty good job of covering it up, but when the true Light of God's SON shines, the darkness of our evil hearts is exposed and we realize that cleaning ourselves up in our own strength just isn't going to cut it.

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world,

and men loved darkness rather than light,

because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light

and does not come to the light,

lest his deeds should be exposed.

But he who does the truth comes to the Light,

that his deeds may be clearly seen,

that they have been done in God."

John 3:19-21

Listen to what Jesus said to the Pharisees in John chapter 8:12 ~

"I AM the Light of the world.

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,

but have the Light of life."

Again, see this message in I John 1:5-7~

"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you,

that GOD is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, 

and walk in darkness,

we lie and do not practice the truth.

BUT, if we walk in the LIGHT as He is in the Light,

we have fellowship with one another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son

CLEANSES us from all sin."

Isn't it amazing the lessons that can be learned from a mundane experience such as washing windows? If we are listening and paying attention, God is speaking to us through many aspects of nature and basic daily life experiences. Perhaps we just need to "wash the windows" of our spiritual eyes more often to see the Light that He is shining upon our way. We may be surprised to see what is waiting for us right outside our windows!

I love to share old hymns with you...and here is one that goes along with today's thoughts:

"The Light of the World"

"The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin;

The Light of the world is Jesus;

Like sunshine at noon-day 

His glory shone in,

The Light of the world is Jesus.

Chorus:

Come to the Light,

'tis shining for thee;

Sweetly the Light

has dawned upon me;

Once I was blind,

but now I can see;

The Light of the world is Jesus.

No darkness have we who in Jesus abide,

The Light of the world is Jesus;

We walk in the light

when we follow our guide,

The Light of the world is Jesus.

(chorus)

Ye dwellers of darkness with sin-blinded eyes,

The Light of the world is Jesus;

Go, wash at His bidding, 

and light will arise,

The Light of the world is Jesus.

(chorus)

No need of the sun-light in heaven, we're told,

The Light of the world is Jesus;

The Lamb is the Light

in the city of gold,

The Light of the world is Jesus.

Chorus:

Come to the Light,

'tis shining for thee;

Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me;

Once I was blind, but now I can see;

The Light of the world is Jesus."

(Philip P. Bliss, 1838-1876)

My final thought for today...Have YOU "come to the Light?  'Tis shining for thee!"  

On a more practical note: some of my friends tell me that using newsprint paper to wipe the windows after applying vinegar or Windex will help to reduce the problem of streaking and smears. I'll have to try that next time!  Maybe another analogy would be to let the "Good NEWS" printed in God's Word wash away all our smudges and stains! Jesus washes us white as snow...and that's very Good News!!!