Joy

Abiding Joy does not depend upon what's happening around us;

 it exists because of the One who's living in us.

~ B.J. Hoff

What brings you joy?

lately.....

....we've been a little busy with this guy:

William was born July 10th at 11:36am!
At his 1month check up last week he weighed in at 11lbs and 23inches!
We're in love!

more to come.....

Contentment (Philippians, iv. 11)
By William Cowper


Fierce passions discompose the mind,
As tempests vex the sea,
But calm, content and peace we find,
When, Lord, we turn to Thee.
In vain by reason and by rule
We try to bend the will;
For none but in the Saviour's school
Can learn the heavenly skill.
Since at His feet my soul has sate,
His gracious words to hear,
Contented with my present state,
I cast on Him my care.
"Art thou a sinner, soul?" He said,
"Then how canst thou complain?
How light thy troubles here, if weigh'd
With everlasting pain!
"If thou of murmuring wouldst be cured,
Compare thy griefs with mine!
Think what my love for thee endured,
And thou wilt not repine.
"'Tis I appoint thy daily lot,
And I do all things well;
Thou soon shalt leave this wretched spot,
And rise with me to dwell.
"In life my grace shall strength supply,
Proportion'd to thy day;
At death thou still shalt find me nigh,
To wipe thy tears away."
Thus I, who once my wretched days
In vain repinings spent,
Taught in my Saviour's school of grace,
Have learn'd to be content.

Sanctuary

I'm linking up with Lauren for To love Their Husbands Tuesdays finally!

Every Sunday night Bryan and I read out of a devotional book called "Devotions for a Sacred Marriage".  This past Sunday night when he finished reading Bryan put down the book and said "That was beautiful". The topic? Being a sanctuary for our spouse...
"There are those who will tear us down, assume we have evil motivations, be inclined to think the worst of us and even misrepresent us to others. They will gossip, slander and ridicule. But God has given us a mate, a shelter in the storm, who knows us better then anyone. When that mate loves us, adores us, and respects us, what it does to our souls is without question one of the most gratifying experiences in all of human existences. It is a powerful, powerful ministry to honor and adore your spouse, to become his or her sanctuary in a world that often seems predisposed to hate, to wound, to hurt, and to tear down........I would face all the demons in hell to defend her (wife). She has been my sanctuary- and I will adore her for all of eternity."

 ~Gary Thomas

So....this week I am devoting myself to the JOY of being my husband's sanctuary. Do I given him 100% of my attention when he is expressing concern, fear, joy, or love to me? Do I reassure him of my love? of God's love?

In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength....

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD

for the display of his splendor.
~Isaiah 61:3

It is not your hold on Christ that saves you; it is Christ.

It is not your joy in Christ that saves you; it is Christ.

It is not even your faith in Christ, though that be the instrument;

it is Christ's blood and merit.

~Charles Spurgeon

waiting......

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5

This is becoming my "theme" for the year. I know that the picture does not match the verse completely, but I'm not a fan of waiting. Quite frankly this is how I feel about waiting. It's not that I consider myself an impatient person. But God has reveled somethings to me....and I don't want to wait.
But...
I know I must.

There is something magical about waiting on God though. To know that your hearts desires are in line with God's desires for you...

and to know that he is working out the details!

Love Mercy
Micah 6:8

I myself am an NIV girl, however, I've had a peticular verse in my head today in the form (for lack of a better word) in the King James Version.

Be Ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deciving your own selves. James 1:22

just thought I'd share.....

His banner over me is Love

I have had a song stuck in my head for the past few days from my childhood:

The Lord is mine and I am His

His banner over me is love
The Lord is mine and I am His

His banner over me is Love

His banner over me is Love

I realized that I have felt so much love from God over the past few weeks expressed to me through other people. Marrying Bryan would of course be at he top of the list. And I don't even know what to say about that except from that it is an amazing feeling! Bryan has shown me in many ways everyday that I am loved and appreciated. We now know (thanks too a book that was recommended to us by the wonderful Pastor who married us) that quality time means a lot to both of us and we have enjoyed making that a regular part of our day.
I also feel lots of love from both of our parents who have been helpful and supportive in each of their own ways. I don't know if they know how much that means, but, love abounds between the four of them.

And of course who could forget all of the wonderful friends and family who were at the wedding and helped to move it indoors so quickly! And friends that were at the reception in MI! It's nice to feel so much support from people that have helped you and watched you grow up, Friends that have been with you through so many milestones!
God has also provided for us in other personal ways over the past week as we have begun to get our household in order and at the same time, he has given us invitation to grow closer to him in love and in trust. My prayer is that we continue to accept his banner of Love as our own banner.

Pride

So lately, through various bible studies, books, or conversations, the subject of pride has come up. In a country where the word "no" is not PC, I think we view pride as a characteristic rather then a sin (ok...pridefulness as a characteristic). This is not to say that you can't describe as proud, but we consider it to be "what it is" and nothing that greatly effects that person or the world that they are in. The truth is that not only does the Bible state that pride is a sin, it gives accounts for several kings and countries whose downfall resulted from pride. 2 Chronicles follows a whole lineage of Kings who had pride issues... and not always the "struck down by the hand of God" issues. For example, Hezekiah, who by all accounts was a very Godly man, rebuilt Judah and reclaimed the land for God, struggled with pride at the end of his life. After believing that God had spared him from illness and extended his life 15 yrs based on his merit, Hezekiah showed off everything (gold, silver, army, technology) he had to the son of the Babylon king. Infact, he was even proud that he had shown off everything! Guess who Babylon attacked...
I think we are proud even when we don't realize it...I for one tend to be proud when I'm having a "discussion" with someone about religion... and it's more in the tone of my voice, or how defensive I get (this is not to say that I shouldn't stand up for what I believe in... or say that what someone believes is right for them...if I took that stance then I wouldn't have very strong faith for what I believe to be right [sorry liberals]...just to say that my defensiveness will not bring anyone, myself included, closer to God).
The Bible says that we should have pride in the Lord. 1 Co. 1:31~ Let him who boast boast in the Lord. We can only boast in the Lord, though, if we have faith to see what he is doing in our lives. If we have that sort of faith, then the joy that we have from the work he is doing should radiate...and boast in the Lord.