Joy

Discovering Joy: A Series of Letters on Authentic Friendship

November 8, 2011 By Joytimesfive 2 Comments

Oh my sweet Max-

I keep thinking back on the days we have spent together recently and I cannot help myself but to give thanks to a God who gives good gifts.

Friendship seems so hard for women now a days. So many have been wounded and most have retreated. Guarding their hearts and hiding behind well constructed pillars and beams. Walls surrounding them on all sides. Keeping feelings inside and sharing joys of intimacy with no one.

I am posting over at Max’s place today…. won’t you join me there to read the rest? It’s super easy… just click HERE

Filed Under: Discovering Joy, Friendship, Joy, Life, Love

Discovering Joy: A Series of Letters on Authentic Friendships

October 17, 2011 By Joytimesfive Leave a Comment

Oh Max-

This friendship thing is hard. Yet even in the hard places…… where the soils of our souls are cracked and laid open…. there is much joy to be had.

Looking out the window this morning, watching the leaves fall…. a definite season of change well underway. And I cannot help but think that our lives are like this Max…. and our friendships too.

Someone once wrote:

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown

Today my friends, I am posting over at Max’s place. Exploring further, the details of authentic friendships. Won’t you join me there? It’s easy….. just click HERE

Filed Under: Discovering Joy, Friendship, Joy, Life, Love

Answering the Call….

October 2, 2011 By Joytimesfive 1 Comment

A few weeks back, after a casual dinner meeting with friends, I felt a nudge. NO…. it was more like a shove. You know the kind. The very movement of another that propels you into a time and place of overwhelming joy and elated fear.

I am THERE!

And, I have been there since that night.

And the ~~nudge~~ er the shove….

Was my God…

Calling me to that God sized dream.

And almost instantly that annoying voice in my head stood up with a triumphant YES…. but, on the other side, my heart sank lower and lower with a fearful NO.

Not NOW, not ME…. and the list of whys began to grow.

WHY that is…. that I simply could not go to that place of the higher calling.

And for days I tried repeatedly to ignore it. I silenced the call every time I saw HIS name on caller ID.

I told HIM boldly one morning….

I am sure this arrangement is not mutual… you see, I am NOT equipped.

TO LEAD.

WOMEN.

IN MINISTRY.

Especially when the prevalent theme of the said ministry is FRIENDSHIP.

Thanks Lord for the offer but…

I think I might, uh, have to pass this time.

And HE began to shove more…. and HE shoved me to a place where my eyes were opened to the need. A place within my own heart that had been vacant for years. Collecting cob webs of self pity. Of doubt and despair.

It has been more than a month now since I first heard HIS request for me. Since I tried to ignore HIS call. HIS battle cry to walk triumphantly with my head held high. And though joy now fills this space in my heart… I march into this place, this GOD sized place…. with a head full of uncertainty.

You see, I think it is easy to answer HIS call when the pieces just nicely fall into place. When our lives are arranged in such a way that nothing bad ever happens and good always comes. These are the times that it seems easy to answer the call. To stand up and say yes.

But, in broken places where relationships are crashing in around you…. and your heart aches from the pain of devestation…

THESE are the times when saying YES to God is hard.

And THIS…. THIS broken place of crushed devestation. This place of heart ache…

THIS is my place.

THIS is my garden where HE has planted this seed.

And THIS is my time to answer HIS call.

He has brought alongside of me three of the most beautiful women I know. To share in this journey with me. To embrace my heart. To hold my hands. And most of all….

To say…

YES!

YES God we hear you!

YES God we see you!

YES God….

We will go…. where you lead!

And so, this week my friends, I ask that you would pray with me that our God would give us the wisdom and the guidance to lead these women with a heart for HIM. That HIS word would be the strength behind our ministry. That we will lovingly embrace each other as we seek to fulfill His desires for us. That we will stand with a YES heart even when we feel a NO…. and that we might be the hands and feet of JESUS showing one another the depth and the breadth of authentic, Christ centered friendships.

Together we will march on in HIS call. We are THE {DEPENDS} GIRLS.

And, we do….

REAL. LIFE. {DEPEND}able. FRIENDSHIPS.

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Psalm 62:7

Filed Under: Faith, Friendship, Joy, Life, Prayer

DISCOVERING JOY: A SERIES OF LETTERS ON AUTHENTIC FRIENDSHIP

September 26, 2011 By Joytimesfive Leave a Comment

My Dearest Max-

It has been nearly a year since we first sat at this table. You looking out over the water…. basking in the stillness of HIM.

And I ask myself, how is it that we have arrived at this place?

Some may call it coincidence…. others would call it luck. This friendship of ours. Still some will see it through jealous eyes and there are still those who will embrace it…. as we have, and water the seed that He has planted.

I see it as a blessing Max. A carefully orchestrated maneuver of the Master’s timing.

Today my friends, I am writing over at Max’s place….. please join us as we go together in this discovery of friendships. As we dig deep to find what lies at the heart of authentic friendships. Come with us as we discover JOY there….. in what Christ calls us to do…. Fellowship with one another! You can find me and read the rest of this just by clicking HERE

Filed Under: Discovering Joy, Friendship, Joy

Seasons…

September 8, 2011 By Joytimesfive 3 Comments

I cannot help but notice, when I look around me, that we are amidst a season of change. Of literal sorts. Trees are changing color. Some are even dropping their leaves. The sun shines differently in the crisp blue sky and temperatures are dropping. All this in preparation for a winter transformation.

And while many may argue the depressing factors associated with letting go…. of warm days and what seems like endless summer play…. I might, on the other hand, argue the beauty in it all.

More than anything however, I am particularly struck by the deliberate submissive behavior of inanimate objects that surround our daily lives. And, in thinking on such things, I cannot help but wonder where we, the hands and feet of God, fall short.

You see, our Creator has a divine plan for all of His creation. If you live in a climate where seasons are easily defined, you can clearly observe the annual dying off of winter eventually giving way to the new life and new growth of spring. And, in this circle of life we see no opposition. No tendency to run. No option to hide. In fact, all of nature has but one option…. to simply BE. To humble itself at the hands of the master. To face transfiguration in the wake of His grace.

And aren’t we one of the same Creator?

And, doesn’t He beckon us change? Character molded in hearts crafted like Christ. His handiwork daily on display in our words and our actions.

But we run still. Resisting change. Straying from the risk. Finding only temporary comfort in idols of this world. Possessions that zap not only bank accounts but emotional wells that run dry.

And isn’t it at the hands o our own where we meet our fate? Destruction embedded deep in a failure to yield…. the right of way… to the ONE who has the way.

And really, it’s about time. Because change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the manifestation of days giving way to a transfiguration over time.

And we rush through our days. We praise idols and set them on pedestals. Erecting temples of fame and fortune. All the while ignoring the call of our Creator. His words whispered gently….

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

So today my friends…. won’t you take a few moments…. to worship Him with your time? Allow Him to transform your heart and mold it after His own? Will you just BE?

Can we be like the trees standing tall, accepting of the change…. His will for our lives? Can we live in joyful anticipation of a new growth of spring?

I know one thing for certain…..

I may not know what the future holds

BUT…

I am confident in my relationship with the ONE who holds the future!

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…. Psalm 37:7

Filed Under: Encouragement, Faith, Grace, Hope, Joy, Life, Praise

Seeking Him… At the Well

August 22, 2011 By Joytimesfive 4 Comments

I think it would be a serious understatement if I told you that the past few weeks have been anything but crazy for me. Most days I am meeting myself coming and going and some days my demeanor has been anything but graceful.

I have cried. I have laughed. And, I have cried some more. And friends have plotted with me to custom outfit my car…. what now seems to be, my home away from home.

You see, this year, I have the triple play.

THREE…

School Calendars

Drop off times

Pick up times

And then there is the extracurricular stuff like skating and scouts and youth group.

And somewhere in between all of this is LIFE. And breakfast tables filled with pop tarts (yes, I did just say that) and peanut butter smears from sack lunches. Dirty shirts and socks that fill hampers and carpets to be vacuumed. Toys scattered about and a television that falls silent when the last feet scamper…. out the door.

And I have found myself struggling really. To find a routine. To make sense of the chaos and on most days, to find the energy…. to make it through the day.

I spent a great deal of time this past weekend just playing catch up. On laundry. On housekeeping. On the nitty gritty of life.

And because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy…. this here Jack and Jill got a sitter and spent an evening with friends. And while the guys immersed themselves in all things football and computers, us girls headed up those stairs… to a comfy place. We jumped straight into a “GOD” talk. It’s what we like to do… and quite frankly, it’s these conversations that I cherish more than ever. These words that feed my faith. That grow me up and guide my journey.

And while I listened to her talk, sharing with me about her moments spent in His word…. the pieces began to fall together. She shared with me but one verse. The one that made me realize…. The AH HA moment.

… The river of God has plenty of water. Psalm 65:9 NLT

And isn’t it true… that there is always a well. And, it is NEVER dry.

And all of this is just life. A blessing coming from the One who gives. And the chaos beckons we drink and be filled. That our thirst be quenched. And my eyes are opened.

The well is always here. God is always here- precisely because He does care.

You have to want to see the well before you can drink from it. You have to want to see JOY, God in the moment.

There is always a well- All is well.

My human experience is the sum of what the soul sees and I see precisely what I attend to and what the eyes focus on is what the life is.

The practice of giving thanks… Eucharisteo… that is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don’t have to change what we see. Only the way we see it.

The only way to fight a feeling is with a feeling.

Feel thanks and it is absolutely impossible to feel angry. We can only experience one emotion at a time. And we get to choose- which emotion do we want to feel.

But wells don’t come without first begging to see the wells; wells don’t come without first splitting open hard earth, cracking back the lids. There’s no seeing God face-to-face without first the ripping.

But the secret to JOY is to keep seeking God where we doubt He is.

-ANN VOSKAMP One Thousand Gifts

This week, things are different. The lens has changed. And I see differently. I see clearly, life that streams from the well…. and there is JOY.

So, I will not ignore the thirst…. but I will quench it. There is a well… and all is well.

… but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:13

Filed Under: Encouragement, Faith, Joy, Life

Sunday’s Are For….

August 21, 2011 By Joytimesfive Leave a Comment

Bowing heads low.

Bending the knee.

Awakening to the splendor….

of worshiping the SON!

… For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning: Great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion: therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 23:22-24

Filed Under: Faith, Hope, Joy, Praise, Weekends

Somewhere…. Under the Rainbow!

August 15, 2011 By Joytimesfive 1 Comment

She’s my artist. I always knew she was inspired that way. Carrying markers and a sketch book with her every step of the way. And, it should come as no surprise then, that she would pull them out… when there are a few minutes to spare, between services, on a Sunday morning. And at a small table in the lobby she laid them all there, her workspace complete with every color in the rainbow. Except for green. But, it seemed no issue.

I watched as she drew her heart on this canvas. A simple piece of white paper. Pure. Ready to receive… the touch of an artist’s hand. And as she continued to sketch beauty, I was further drawn into it… so unlike her usual drawings of princesses with crowns and all things girl. This was different. Today, she drew her colors in landscapes. And, she beckoned for help with her art. Looking up at him with her innocent smile, she begged her daddy’s help. Placing one simple marker in his hand. YELLOW. Informing him emphatically of his role.

“Every story has to have a sun daddy and every picture needs to have one too! Here…. that’s your job. YOU draw the sun!”

I smiled as I observed them. The two, working together as one.

And I wondered if this is how she was sharing with me, with us…. the details of her morning. Time spent with others and time spent with God. And while he continued to perfect the sun, she set down her color and pulled out her Bible. Which, was also tucked neatly inside her bag. Something had made her think to look it up. To read it to me and share. The basis for her picture…. the landscape really… of our lives. Her words almost seemed a whisper as she read aloud. Eyes wide with wonder as the pieces come together. Reality shaping in an eight year old mind. And you could tell…. how it all made sense for her.

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever, I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth. Genesis 9:13-16

And as she smiled at me from across the table… giggling a bit, I nodded my head. “The rainbow mom… in your car… it’s THIS!” And she had a confidence in knowing….

The PROMISE!

The COVENANT!

Of a God and His people.

And while my heart beat wildly within, she simply picked up her marker and carried on. Finishing the masterpiece that she had begun.

But I couldn’t just stop, couldn’t just go back… to where I was, without first considering the truth in all she had shown me. The beauty in all she had told me.

I glanced back over her page, complete now, with a single sun and a beautiful rainbow. And her words ring in my head. Resonating the presence of a very present God.

…..For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Romans 11:36

And I wonder still…

Do we see the rainbow?

Even in the rain?

And… are we the picture needing a Son?

And… is my canvas pure, white…. ready to be painted by the hands of the Master Himself?

“For I know the plans I have for you, ” declares the Lord, ” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” Jeremiah 29:11

Today Lord, let my life be the page that you write. The masterpiece that only you can create. Let your color paint the hues of my ways. Open my eyes to see the brightness of Your Son and make me humbly aware of the rainbow… Your covenant promise with me and all the people of this land.

Filed Under: Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Joy, Life

On Growing Up….

August 10, 2011 By Joytimesfive 3 Comments

He jumped out of the car as others pulled behind. And almost with complete uncertainty, he began his trek to the door. Seeking first what the eyes can visually see, scanning for the familiar. Something to cling to. That which gives comfort. That which tells us… “it’s going to be o.k.!”

And I remember the day I brought him home. Bundled and dressed in blue. And how I looked at him. Set him down before the dog. Myself searching for the familiar in all that seemed so…. unfamiliar. And oh how anxiety mounted as he grew and I learned.

YES…

Learned from this child. The very essence of life, in the palm of his hands.

And for years I have raised him up. Showed him the ropes and showed him love. And there has been joy and laughter in our days. And we have cried tears and hearts have been wounded. And we have come to know the dance of parent and child. The rules for life. For happiness. For forgiveness. For grace. For all of our days.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 ESV

And does he know now…. the symphony we created long ago… harmonizes still? A chorus of three parts wildly singing praises?

…. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

And how my heart felt empty a bit that day? The one when I watched him…. walk off into the distance, the world before him. And how I prayed that day that I raised him up well? How I mourned the childlike innocence gone before I knew it? And how joy rang out… watching this boy… becoming… a young man?

The memories flash before me and I can see it there on the wall. A poster hanging in my own classroom. Reminders for me, the teacher. Basic life principals taught out to young children . Elements I shared with my own.

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don’t hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don’t take things that aren’t yours.

Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, be we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup- they all die. So do we.

And then remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned- the biggest word of all- LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The golden rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all- the whole world- had cookies and milk at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

“All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten” by Robert Fulghum

And it seems so basic, yet so profound. The moral of the story rings true… no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together…

I sat in my car, watching from my rear view mirror. And the words whispered from my mouth…. hold hands son, hold hands…. with the SON! Yes, my child… today, Go…. Fly on those wings. And always remember…. His covenant with you…. Yes, in my absence child, think on these things….

… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20

Filed Under: Encouragement, Family, Grace, Hope, Joy, Life, Love, Parenting, Prayer

A Weekend of Rest….

July 30, 2011 By Joytimesfive Leave a Comment

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

This weekend my friends, find yourself resting in Him. Set down your cares. Release your worries. Find peace…. in His arms!

Wishing each of you blessings more abundant than the mind can imagine…..

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Psalm 40:5