JOY

God's really good, ya know? Before my awesome plan for lunch and the so appreciated Sunday nap, I had to to take a minute to talk about something I've really been thinking about and have been challenged in!

JOY

What is joy? Have you heard the statement that Joy isn't happiness?
I've always totally agreed with this statement; but it's not until I experience challenge and change in my life that my idea of joy was really tested.

Webster defines JOY as :::
{ 1.a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight
2.something or someone greatly valued or appreciated
3.the expression or display of glad feeling
4.a state of happiness or felicity}

Joy is the SOURCE, VALUE, EXPRESSION, and STATE of happiness. Joy isn't simply being happy! Happiness comes FROM joy. It's pretty true that when you study through the Bible, you no doubt stop at Job to visualize joy in action. But even Job needed a little reminding. In Job 33:26, Elihu is speaking to Job reminding him of God's faithfulness.

"26 He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state." vs 28 says :"He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, ^[g] and I will live to ENjoy the light.'"

Webster defines HAPPINESS as :::
{ 1.delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing
2.characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy
3.favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky
4.obsessed by or quick to use the item indicated }

Happiness is delightful, and pleasing; but it's limited to a particular thing. It's characteristic of joy, but it's often a quick, obsessive action stirred on by fortune.

My challenge has been to declare with my life that ALL my delight is in the Lord and I read that "In the Lord there is fullness of JOY" (ps 16:11) The word doesn't say fullness of happiness, or fullness of fortunate obsession.

It's lasting. It's steadfast. It's not moody. It's not conditional.

God's good!!! YA KNOW?!

Now i'm going to joyfully eat, and joyfully tap a nap, and joyfully... and joyfully... and JOYFULLY. :)

//meg

{ the things people do }

:::::GOPHER NOTES:::::

This morning in class I found myself laughing at... well... myself! And my classmate next to me.

Since the beginning of the semester we have both sat in the same seats next to each other in the front row. (yes, I'm one of "those" students) :) Unfortunately, right in front of us is a podium of some sort. (my prof doesn't actually use it, ever) This is ONLY inconvenient when the professor writes on the board behind it. I find myself doing what I call taking "Gopher Notes"...

"Gopher notes" is a way to describe the silly up-and-down/ side-to-side head bobbing me and my classmate must do to read the notes written on the board.

:::::THE OFFICE CHAIR SCOOT:::::

I ALSO found myself laughing at what I like to call the "office chair scoot." This is when you don't actually get up off your chair to organize and find things in your office, but scoot and rotate and spin around to get where you want to go. I have a cubicle, so my space is small, which makes it even MORE funny scooting, rotating, and spinning in a small circle....

:::::POSTURE:::::

I leave you with a humorous cartoon i found about office chair posture. Something i also laugh at
//meg

Psalm 51 (MSG)

1-3Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I've been;
my sins are staring me down.

4-6 You're the One I've violated, and you've seen
it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
whatever you decide about me is fair.
I've been out of step with you for a long time,
in the wrong since before I was born.
What you're after is truth from the inside out.
Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,
scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don't look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I'll let loose with your praise.

16-17 Going through the motions doesn't please you,
a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
don't for a moment escape God's notice.

18-19 Make Zion the place you delight in,
repair Jerusalem's broken-down walls.
Then you'll get real worship from us,
acts of worship small and large,
Including all the bulls
they can heave onto your altar!

{.TODAY.}

.TODAY.

I give up ::
the idea of my entitlement....{to give (a person or thing) a title, right, or claim to something; furnish with grounds for laying claim}

...to recall His sovereignty

I lay down ::
my self given rights...{a just claim or title/the interest or ownership a person, group, or business has in property}

...to give room for His righteousness

I let go ::
of my pride...{a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem}

...to glorify Jesus

I get over ::
my weaknesses...{a self-indulgent liking or special fondness, as for a particular thing}

...to remember His strength

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I pick up ::
my cross...{a structure or monument in the form of a cross, set up for prayer, as a memorial}

...to recall His sovereignty

I remember ::
the splendor of His majesty...{supreme greatness or authority}

...to give room for His righteousness

I act ::

in immediate obedience...{obeying or willing to obey; complying with or submissive to authority}

...to glorify Jesus

I wait ::
in the His presence...{The area immediately surrounding a great personage}

...to remember His strength

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.TODAY.
:: I abide ::

{to remain; continue; stay :: to have one's abode; dwell; reside :: to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship :: to accept without opposition or question}

.Who is with me?.

//meg

{Clinging to You}

There seems to be a theme about perspective this week, Tracy wrote specifically about perspective just yesterday (read HERE), and even Derek wrote about remembering God's faithfulness (read HERE).

This morning, I woke up excited about the day. I should wake up with this perspective every day, but sometimes I don't. So here I insert, in the right context, the question "WHY?"

This morning I open my One Year Bible to October 9th, which starts off in Jeremiah. I get to Jeremiah 13 and read about a linen belt. God told Jeremiah to buy a linen belt, wear it, and then go bury and hide it for a while. The Bible says A LONG time after, the Lord told Jeremiah to go un-bury the linen belt only to find it:

"...mildewed and falling apart. The belt was useless" (13:7).

“This illustrates how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship idols. Therefore, they will become like this linen belt- good for nothing! As a belt clings to a person's waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me," says the Lord. 'They were to be my people, my pride, my glory- an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me"(13:9-11).

What should be my position today? CLINGING to my Jesus; not following my own desires. I for sure don't want to be "good for nothing!" What a perspective!

As I ABIDE in my Savior, my Father, My Lord; I live as {His daughter, His pride, His glory, and an honor to His name}

{In honor of Tracy's "Song of the Day" dedications; I've decided today to dedicate "Clinging to the Cross" By Tim Hughes}


//meg

Aaat last...

The day has come when I drive up to the Starbucks drive through and the Barista says "Hi! Don't you get a chai?!"


I wasn't quite sure whether to be pleasantly surprised or finally conclude that Chai and I have become a little too close. hmmm.

NEXT time I'll mix it up and get a Carmel Apple Cider...

That'll really throw them off.....!?