The Joy Contagion

I often wonder upon the reasons God has done certain things.  Like why did He make the sky blue, why did He make trees green.  Why do some dogs have big heads and others small?  Why is the circulatory system repairable, yet the nervous system not?

And in His Great Glory, why did He create Human with free will?  Was it to create companions whom He knows are going to fall, but He allows to fall anyway because He knows that we must come to the precious discovery of our constant need for Him?

And in His Creation, He loved us enough to create companions for one another.  What was His great design?  When He created Adam and Eve to love one another, knowing their descendants to come would continue to create their own and so the Circle of Life goes.

On this beautiful day, did He see the Tree He was creating?  Well I'm sure He did, but do we?

We are all related in some way, even if just to be called Human.  We are all born of God's beautiful creation.  We may have different hair color, eye color, body shape and size, and even personality.  But we are all related.  We each have hopes, dreams,  good days and bad days.  We all experience fear and happiness.  And if we are really lucky, we learn to experience true joy.

In group today, we pondered the definition of happiness.  Is it a feeling or a state of mind?  And is it different from joy?  Well the consensus seemed to be that happiness is fleeting, momentary, but joy well that is down deep in your heart even your soul.

Joy = Peace.  To experience true joy in your life, there must also be a peace which you have to draw from.  Else it's easy to allow the challenges of life to drag you down and get in the way of the joy which God so wants for us.  In my life, in my experience, the Holy Spirit has blessed me with more peace / joy that I could ever ask.  By having lived an anxious and worried life, I know the difference.

So what do we do with that Joy?  Do we keep it for ourselves?  Or do we hide it away for a rainy day? You see, that's the kicker.  True joy can't be hidden, it must be shared, like a bright light in a dark night.  God blesses us with joy so we can share it - spread it to others so they can feel it too.  It's contagious.

So how do we share?  Well, I challenge you to start with your closest friends.  They may be family members, they may be best friends, church friends, school friends.  Share your joy with them.  Let them see you laugh, smile.  Encourage them, reach out to them and love on them.  Then venture out to those you may not be close to, you may not even know.  Give them a big Georgia smile and say "Hi, how are you today?" And if they turn away quite not sure what to say themselves, don't be discouraged, just move on to the next one.  You never know when you may brighten a person's day, even if they don't experience it in the same moment.

And you never know which part of the tree they reside, they may even be on the next branch . . .

Father, thank you for your beautiful creation.  Thank you for the tree of life we all get to reside.  May you be forever gracious in our lives and in the relationships we get to experience.  Please allow us all to remember The Good Samaritan on the road of life and be willing to share your Great Love with those we come in contact.

Your Loving Daughter,
Eve

Beautiful Skies and Geese in Flight

So I have found a new way to share devotion and worship.  Well, probably not a new way but new to me. . . .

Over the last 20 years I have found that cardio is the best way to stay in good health.  I may not be thin, but I can walk 3 miles without too much effort at 40 years old and for that I am thankful :)

I have been in quandary over my time management, how to do everything?  Work out, have devotion, work, be a small group leader, go to Bible Study, etc . . .   Something seemed to have to go, right?

So my decision was the work out.  I've had issues with meds anyway which have me taking a sabbatical.  But unfortunately my body will not agree to that, so I prayed about it and God asked "Why do you have to do away with this?  You can do both . . . "

"Do both?  How can I do both?  That would look silly, me talking to God and doing arm curls . . ."

"What about walking?  I gave you two feet but that doesn't mean your lips, your tongue, your hands or your head are busy . . . ."

So I pondered, can I do this?  Can I pray and walk at the same time?  WELL WHY NOT?

So I find myself walking 3 miles with my hands turned up, praying (yes out loud) to our Heavenly Father.  Sometimes singing.  And I have shouted out a couple of times :)

You may say this takes courage.  Well I disagree, first you have to learn not to care what others think.  Secondly, I'm talking to my FATHER!  The one who CREATED ME!  Never should I ever have doubt about conversations with Him regardless of location.

And for this I am so blessed.  God shares His beautiful landscape with me.  He knits together a patchwork of clouds among blankets of blue.  He shares trickles of a flowing stream for me to hear.  And while singing Rooftops quite loudly, He serves to fly a Flock of Geese in perfect formation overhead for my excited delight.

So if you see me walking down Sugarloaf Highway in seemingly deep conversation with myself, don't mind me, this is my worship :)

Thank you Father for your continued Grace and beauty!
Your Daughter
Eve

A Writer's Response

I have been pondering quite a bit lately about why I have been so inundated this year with the need to write.  Seriously, words coming at me like MACK trucks.  I have to have my trusty phone with me so I can record or make a note at any given time (children I'm not texting, but recording the words when driving . . . )

So is God Blessing me out of tragedy or is He challenging me with obedience?  He has certainly called me to it, of that I have no doubt (considering I don't have a creative bone in my body).  And when I go over the last 5-6 years of my life, He has consistently been nudging me to this place.

In small steps. . . . Now if you know me, you know that I don't do anything small.  I typically jump in with all (4) feet and (6) hands and bulldoze my way to the finish line.  Sometimes knocking everybody down in the process.

So it's not a surprise to find out that through the last years God is teaching me patience.  I am in love with the words of Justin Lathrop:  Learn more than you teach, Listen more than you talk, Add more than you take, care more than you are cared for.  In this little statement you can hear God whisper . . . "Patience . . . ."

So to get back to my need to write.  After 12 songs and 6 chapters of a book, I am at a crossroads.  You see I have been so excited to have God working through me that I find myself writing quickly to finish and move on to the next thing excited to see what He has next.  But maybe He is ready for me to slow down and soak in what I am writing.  That lends me to consider if I am writing to myself or maybe He is writing to me?  Wow, that's a thought which brings tears to my eyes. . . . Could He be so amazing and loving that He could write to me - through me?

Once again, I don't pretend to know the heart of God.  But I am so appreciative that He wants to share His Loving Heart with me.  Honestly if someone would have sat me down 30 years ago and explained the absolute peace which comes from a relationship with our Heavenly Father, well maybe I would have followed a different path. . . But then would I be where I am today?

Quandaries to Ponder . . .

But For Today, Dear Father thank you for your Love, for your continued blessing on my life and on the lives of others You Serve to Touch. . . .

Always your Loving Daughter,
Eve