Down in My Heart

"I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart to stay." You know the old song....I bet it is stuck in your head now...lol.

Good, because we need the joy stuck in our lives so well that it doesn't leave! It is not hard to find reasons to be down, discouraged, depressed, overwhelmed, stressed, or worried....so much is always going on in the world around us. There is so much destruction and devastation lately...but...we as Christian have something that resonates in our souls, and drives us to keep pressing on. His joy does not come from our circumstance. His joy is rooted deeper than that, and can spring forth and blossom even in the mist of the struggles and sorrows.

Seek after Him right now. Stop Turning and twisting, racing and running in a panic to find a peace and for joy that can only be truly found in one source. Jesus.

I am so thankful that Christ is my everything today. I am so thankful for His joy! Nothing else compares to it. I was just listening to "Everything" by Lifehouse. "How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You. You tell me how can it be any better than this!" Amen!

love

I came to Ohio for spring break to celebrate the birth of my new niece, Peyton Grace Dillon. I could not wait to get to hold her. While here enjoying this new life, I had to also suffer a great loss...

My Grandma was one of the most loving, generous, kind, positive people that I know...she is a true reflection of the Jesus that she loves.

She is now dancing with her Savior...and although I am joyful for her, my heart, along with so many others, is breaking.

I think the main thing she would want us to remember as we celebrate her life, and go on living ours is...to love.

Grandma loved as the Word instructs us to do: without restraint, without judgements, without conditions...she just loved wholeheartedly.

So, let us love one another as Christ loves us...let us love one another as my Grandma loved us.

Grandma, you are loved by so many, and you were such an amazing woman of God to look up to.

I miss you...

blindfolded

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"....apparently this verse includes driving with a blindfold on through the mountains of Virginia. Well that is what it felt like at 4:00 A.M. with the rain pouring down and the fog so thick I could not see anything but the hazard lights of the 18 wheeler in front of me! I was scared out of my mind and shaking so hard the wind was not the only thing knocking the car around! I was praying, screaming, shouting, and crying out to God so intently you would have thought you were in a Pentecostal church meeting. I was begging, "Lord, help me see!!" I have made this trip thousands of times, this was the part with the 7 mile climb from the boarder to VA to Fancy Gap; where there is a cliff on one side and mountains on the other...I could see neither, but I knew they were there, and thus my fear was elevated. If this would have taken place on the straight highways of NC, I would have just pulled over...but on this particular spot on I77....there is no where to pull over unless you want to meet the mountain or the valley below! So...I had to keep creeping up the cliff hanging on tightly to the truck before me...hoping he knew what he was doing!! That was the longest 7 miles of my life!

Well....I did, thank you Jesus, make it safely to Ohio, and the trip of course is so worth it; to be reunited with my family and getting to hold my new niece! God's protection is an amazing thing that we should never take for granite!

I was also thinking...this is like our walk of faith. Faith is believing in what we do not see. God has a plan, a path, for our lives that He does not want us to veer off to the left or right of with all the dangers lurking in either direction. God has the whole picture of the plan already laid out...we just don't always see it before us. We may just only see a few steps ahead of us at a time. But we put our trust in Him and keep our eyes on Him as intensely as mine were on that semi's hazards! Seeking after Him with all our heart will help us stay on the path even when we can not see the finish line. It can be scary at times not knowing what is ahead of us...but just keep praying for peace, wisdom, and strength to keep pressing on. He will answer and He will guide you through it, just as he did me in the darkness of night...and the outcome of following His plan and serving Him...will be more than worth the trip!

P.S. My niece Cheyenne also just came to me this morning with her Bible and read this verse to me that goes along perfectly with this post. Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Get in His word and let it guide you.

His Voice

So many outside negative influences come flashing into our lives like lightening throughout our day; sometimes those noisy storms cause such panic in our hearts that we tend to lose focus of a more powerful presence in our lives. I call them storms because when you are listening to the chaos of the the world (or the opinions, worries, negative comments of others), then it can feel like a rumbling, roaring, deafening storm playing in your head. But....thankfully I have a different voice I can listen to in order to calm the racket and bring peace. I have a Savior whose voice is more powerful. He brings the calm. He brings the truth- the only thing I need to listen to! If you have not heard it, Casting Crowns has a powerful song called "Voice of Truth" that emphasizes the thoughts of this post; check it out! Remember to stay focused on His promises and keep trusting in Him. He is loving and faithful!