"  "I will bless the LORD at all times:

 His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

(Psalm 34:1)

 

What a convicting verse...to bless God no matter what happens in our lives and to go even further than that by continually praising Him with our mouth. WOW! Reminds me of the verse that teaches basically, "What is in our hearts will come out of our mouth." If I am blessing God in my heart and not taking the bumps of life and allowing them to make my heart bitter and ugly, then my mouth will praise Him continually!

Take a moment today, set aside the business of life, and specifically thank God for something/someone special He has done for you today. Then take it to Him in a grateful prayer and praise Him for what He has done in your heart!



"The LORD your God is in your midst,

a mightly One who will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness;

He will quiet you by His love;

He will exult over you with loud singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

 

Have you ever been overwhelmed by life? Maybe you feel your plate is full to overflowing and adding one more thing to it will push you beyond what you can handle. Life has a way of "feeling" that way at times. From stress at work, to sleepless nights, to worrying over your children, praying they will want to live for the Lord like your heart desires they would. Fill in your struggle, longing, fear.

 

As I was sitting down for my quiet time with the Lord I stopped and listened to the quietness and peace that seemed to surround me (yes, there is such a thing as peace and quiet with six kids...you just have to get up pretty early!). I then went through each child the Lord has graciously blessed us with and thanked the Lord for one specific trait I love in each one of them. Not to forget my loving husband as well, I thanked the Lord for several things that have touch my heart this past week. This verse became real to me. "He will quiet you with His love." How does a busy, tired, loving mom often quiet her child? She does with her love! This week, I have consciously been making myself stop and get a better perspective of what God has called me to do at this point in my life. It's to train my children the best I know how to honor and serve Him and stand firmly by the man God has given to me as my husband. How can I do that if I fail to slow down and spend time with them, thank God for the "inconveniences" that pop up all the time, and turn frustrating moments into training moments for them and me! Often, I find myself longing for peace in our busy home and in turn my kids and husband long for a piece of mom. Take time to give a piece of yourself to your child(ren) and hubby, and wow! Don't be surprised if your heart really has peace you have longed for! You see, as you let the Lord quiet your heart with His love, you will find you will in turn quiet your home with your love...because that kind of love is from above!

 

Take time to give and give and give a piece of yourself to others and in turn your heart will be filled with peace of HIS love!



"Ye are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden...

In the same way, let your light so shine before others,

so that they may see your good works

 and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven."

Matthew 5 14,15.

What kind of light is your life giving today? Is your life a beakon showing forth the glory of our Lord? What will people remember of you today? Did your words encourage another? Did your heart for others show in how you responded to an unexpected visit or call? Did your children sense God's love through you in your response to their childish ways? Did your husband feel your love for him as you took time from your busy schedule to make time for him?

All these and many more are ways we are to let our light shine...NOT so that we get the glory but that our Father in Heaven receives the glory. We are the only light that many may see....so shine until Jesus comes. Be that beacon of light like a lighthouse that brings others to the Lord.

Today would have been the birthday of a very dear friend of mine. God, in His infinite mercy, took her home to heaven this year. I dearly miss a special friend that God unexpectedly brought into my life over 15 years ago. God knows what each of us needs and often gives us more than we could ever ask for. Rachel was a very unexpected blessing but oh how grateful I am that the Lord allowed our paths to cross. Her quiet manners, her steadfast friendship, her listening ear, her laughter at the small things, her caring spirit for the underdog, and oh so much more.

Throuh her homegoing to Heaven, I have become even more aware of what life should be like in the light of Heaven. God has reminded me over and over again of many things I needed to think hard and long on. Is my light shining for Him every day? Do others see I do want to listen to them and encourage them or am I too busy with "my things" to bother to listen and encourage. Am I available to others? Can they call and know I care? Do I "snicker" at the small or big things that come my way? In other words, instead of getting up set and downhearted, learn to laugh and smile and thank God for those things!

Thanks, Rachel, for teaching me so many things about how our life for the Lord aught to be. These verses from Matthew 5:14 & 16 are the verses I have chosen to remember you and keep before me...Miss you greatly but forever grateful you trusted in the Lord as your personal Savior and chose to be a follower of our Lord.



We have moved!!!!!!

After 2 years plus, the Lord opened wide the door for us to move to North Dakota! We are pretty much settled into our new home...ok so there are a few more boxes and corners to organize...but I would say we are "moved in!"

Many have been asking, "Why North Dakota?" and inside I am shouting...."Why not North Dakota!" I am saying that out loud now as I enjoy a fresh cup of coffee, windows wide open, happy birds shouting out the glory of the Lord, and all kids are sleeping still...all this equals peacefulness at the moment!

A little over 2 years ago, we received a call from good friends of ours. Now, this just wasn't a "Hi! How are you?" call! It had been suggested time and time again that we should move up north and we always said..."Find us a house for little rent and we will consider it." We own our home in Indianapolis and we knew we couldn't afford to have two homes so this was about all we could handle! Well, back to that call.....the person on the other end said something to the effect....we have a house possibility for your family....its out in the country, big, little rent, and we have suggested it be offered to your family. WOW!!!! This could be a dream come true! It sounded good and yet we knew we had several things that needed to be all in a line to make this work. After visiting the place and talking to the owners (who now are great friends of ours!), we decided we would look further into this great idea. If I could describe the past couple of years, I would say it was like climbing a mountain. As we climbed, we caught beautiful glimpses of "what could happen" as well as "dark, hard, discouraging, rainy days. Always in the back of my mind at least, I had this thought..."Its too good to be true... so it probably wont happen!" The Lord knew I personally needed to have my faith in Him straightened.

My husband and I knew we needed to "upgrade" the house we were presently living in in Indianapolis. Six energetic kids need space and freedom to grow! We started praying that if this move was of the Lord, He would need to clearly show us that and open wide the doors to walk through. We visited the house and owners several times and saw the improvements they were making on the house. We then started asking God's direction as to what we should do with our house in Indianapolis. To make a long story shorter, we were lead to a property managment group with which we felt comfortable with in managing the technical side of business...ie..finding a renter and maintaining the house for us. Before we even moved out of the house in Indianapolis, the Lord provided a renter for our home! Talk about excitment and shock all in one!

We then set a date to move. The Lord provided help and support in loading up our home into the back of a trailer that my husband David was able to pull with his semi. The Lord even provided a trailer for David to use at little cost. So, on May 1, 2012, we officially planted ourselves in the beautiful country of North Dakota!!! And from day one, we have not regretted our decision! What a change from city life! I now can watch my kids ride endless hours on their bikes, play on a beautiful wooden play set set up in our huge backyard, watch them fly kites with no power lines and few trees to avoid, and one of the best...watch my huge garden grow!

The Lord truly has done great things for us whereof we are VERY glad!

Thank you to all who prayed with us in this adventure; helped in various ways to make our dream a reality! But most of all, all the glory and honor must go to our great God who truly does give well beyond what we can think or imagine!

For those of you who would like our new address and phone number, drop me an email or inbox me on facebook and I would be glad to share that with you. Our email is dandjcomings824@gmail.com

"Being" Is The Most Imortant Thing You Can Do!

Recently, I have been working my way through a very thought provoking booklet. It has hit topics like taking time for God and His Word, being a Mom your children need, being the wife you should be....all very convicting topics for sure.
This morning as I read through some things some pages and it dawned on me that the most important lesson I can learn in my Christian walk is "being" not "saying"! What do I mean by that? What if Jesus had only told us what we should be, how we should walk, when we should be "like Him" but never gave us a proper example as to how that is to be done? It is too easy to tell another what we "should be" in the eyes of the Lord...but do we "be" what we know we should be in the eyes of the Lord.
Being is the most important thing you can do! Let's stop being a hypocrite, especially to our children! It can be easier to tell about God's grace and mercy than reflecting God's grace and mercy to our children, to our husbands, to anyone we come in contact with.
How do I "be"? Glad you asked! Seek God and pursue Him with all your heart! Your heart will reflect where your priorities are! So, get in the Word. Ask Him to make Himself real to your heart. The more you study who God is, and chase after Him, the more you will find yourself becoming like Him!
So, take the challenge! Be that woman, that wife, that mother that God always intended you to be by pursuing Him with all your heart!

"Look well to the ways of (your) household." Prov. 31:27

Are you a weary lady who desires to do what's right? Very recently, I heard a very challenging message from Matthew 7:7-11. As I listened, it seemed as though the "eyes of my understanding" were being suddenly opened to what this verse can really mean to a struggling mother, a discouraged housewife, a sorrowful lady. I have always seen this verse as Asking God for some need or desire, seeking Him diligently, and knocking on His door for answers. And indeed this verse does say that! But let me share how my heart has been softened to the gentle touches of the Savior!
Look back at previous verses...also known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has been teaching his followers what a life devoted to Him should look like.

• (Ch. 5:1-22) He shows what the character of those who follow Him should be. 
• (Verses 12-20) He then states we are to be different from the world .
• (Verses 21-26) we are instructed to watch our temper. 
• (Verses 27-30) tell us to be very careful of our thought life. 
• (Verses 31-32) be sure you are a trustworthy spouse. 
• (Verses 33-37) give warnings about our tongue. 
• (Verses 38-42) watch how you treat others. 
• (Verses 38-48) instructs us to take care of tensions in our lives Biblically. 
• Chapter 6 has many warnings about not being a hypocrite in our Christian walk. 

Looking at all these different but very important issues, I think to myself "I can never be/not be all of this." EXACTLY where God wants me to be...I can't do it on my own. How gracious God is to not forget to tell us how to be the learning, changing, growing Christian we ought to be.
ASK - He promises to give you the strength to change what needs to be changed. That discouraged outlook on life...that hopelessness "I can never be what I should be"....that wrong attitude you struggle with. You cant change it on your own!
Seek - His direction...get into the Word. Write out verses to place in prominent spots so that when you find yourself slipping back into that wrong habit, or your anger is getting the best of you, that you have God's Word to help you get your focus back on the Lord.
Knock - He will ALWAYS answer. Luke 11:13 is a parallel to this passage in Matthew but Luke adds something special to it. "If he then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Without the Holy Spirit, I can't tame my tongue, or change my thoughts, or hunger after His righteousness!
"Look well to the ways of (Your) household" today and ASK God to give you energy and a vision to see your home as a mission field...your husband needs encouragement, your children need to see you depending on the Lord, your friend or neighbor needs that listening ear or word of encouragement.
Stay  in the trenches and claim this "Great is He that is IN YOU than he that is the world!" 

What Flows From Your Heart?

I have been working my way through the book entitled "The Heart of Anger" written by Lou Priolo. I would highly recommend it!!! Tonight, I was really hit hard with the following illustration.

The "Pitcher" of the Heart

If the pitcher is filled with water, what would pour out of the spout?

If the pitcher were filled with milk, what would pour out of the spout? 

If the pitcher were filled with iced tea, what would pour out of the spout?

If the pitcher were filled with gasoline, what would pour out of the spout?

If the pitcher were filled with arsenic, what would pour out of the spout?

If your child's heart is filled with foolishness, what will pour out of his mouth? Prov. 15:2, 12:23

If your child's heart is filled with deceit, what will pour out of his mouth? Prov. 12:20

If his heart is filled with pride, what will pour out of his mouth? Ps. 101:5, 131:1

If his heart is filled with anger, what will pour out of his mouth? Prov. 26:24-26

If your child's heart is filled with wisdom, what will flow out of his mouth? Col 3:16

If your child's heart is filled with righteousness, what will flow out of his mouth? Ps. 37:30.31

If his heart is filled with virtue, what will flow out of his mouth? Prov. 22:11

If his heart is filled with faith, what will flow out of his mouth? Rom. 10:9,10

And if his heart is filled with meekness (an antidote to sinful anger),

what will flow out of his mouth? 1 Peter 3:4.

Just some words of wisdom that I wanted to pass on...how much our words affect either for good or for bad. Make sure your words help, build up, and shape your child in a Godly manner.

Psalm 18 - Celebrate the way that God has shown His love to YOU!

During my quiet time this morning, I chose Psalm 18 to read and meditate on. I found it full of precious reminders and promises from our loving Lord. Here are a few thoughts I gleaned from it...and as time permits this coming week...I'm sure I can share many more!

"I love you, O LORD, MY strength. The Lord is MY Rock..." Personalize who God is in your life...is He YOUR strength and YOUR Rock? My Rock, what does that really mean? When I think of a rock, I think of something that is hard, tried, solid, strong. Thank the Lord for being dependable; for being strong enough and stable enough to take care of you, your husband, your children, your needs. It's so easy to "say God is my strength and my rock" but is He truly that to you?
Take a moment and write down in your journal some ways God has proven He is dependable and strong enough to take care of you. Then celebrate in your heart and in your prayer time with Him those blessings. And as the song says...."Count your many blessings name them one by one, Count your blessings see what God has done."

Gentle and Quiet Spirit...Sound Impossible?

1 Peter 3:4 - "Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."
What a challenge this verse gives to all of us! Who really takes a deep interest in the "hidden person of the heart?" God does...in fact, He states its VERY PRECIOUS! If it is that important to God, shouldn't it be top priority to each of us personally? 
Recently, I have been reading a very challenging book that deals with deepening our walk with the Lord. Too often, I find myself filling my day with important things but allowing those important things to take over the most important thing of the day...my quiet time with the Lord.  The busier I get, the more apt I am to become impatient, discontent, frustrated, worried, and many other negative emotions. Emotions themselves are a very part of our being but how we manage them determines how I respond to things that happen during the day. 
So to start of this new month of 2012, my challenge to myself (and now to you since you are taking time to read this:-) is from Psalm 119:59 "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies." Where am I spiritually now and where do I want to be in a day, week, month, and year. Consider this, what are you doing to get rid of the sin and excuses you make to not spend time with our precious Lord and what are you going to replaces those excuses. I want to challenge you, if you are not doing this already, to start with just five minutes a day with the Lord. Write out a verse on a 3X5 card and place it where you will see it often. For me, this is at my kitchen sink. Take that verse with you thru the day and let God work on your heart. And guess what....you are on your way to teaching your heart to be gentle and quiet!  

Welcome to Joyful Jots from Judy!!!!

Over a year ago, I started to blog. But, as a busy mom of six kids, that ambition didn't get a good launch! Not that I have more time now.... :-) .....I have been challenged to restart this and see where it goes from here!

My main intent with blogging, is to share with others what God is doing in my heart and life. It really saddens me to see so many defeated Christians who are just "trying to get through the day." I want to help and support those who long for something more than that. So join me on this "joyful journey" and let's team up and grow in the Lord together!