Uncategorized – Page 3 – Tattoo It On Your Heart

Joy

is deeper

and

higher

than happiness

It is harder to uproot or lose

It is a deep satisfaction of the heart and soul

Happiness is

a momentary giddiness with the circumstances at hand~

like a sugar high

Splashes

Happiness

Fountains

Joy

Happiness is like Fourth of July sparklers

Joy

is a slow burning fire

that warms you through the night

Happy is a pretty bird

a flirt, who is easily frightened away

Joy

is a Faithful Friend

a well to draw and drink deeply from

(Updated 2/21)

Something or someone may bring us joy, but joy is not as easily dismissed by invading circumstances as happiness is. Happiness is by enlarge dependent on current conditions, but it is possible to have joy in the midst of calamity.

You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. Psalms 4:7 NLT

Joy is linked to faith and hope in God and right things. There is joy, peace and security when we rest in, and are dependent on Him.

…Don’t be dejected and sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

Sin- living a life of duplicity will steal our joy. Ungratefulness, distraction, neglecting to spend time in God’s presence will deplete our joy. Having a wrong perspective or focus, lack of hope and vision will steal our joy.

We access joy when we allow God to bring correction to our lives.

My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs ‭3:11-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray. Proverbs ‭10:17‬ ‭NLT

Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Psalm 32:2 NLT

We find joy

When we love what God loves

When our hearts are right with Him

When we are in His will.

There is joy in His presence

The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commandments of the lord are clear, giving insight for living. Psalm 19:8 NLT

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 NLT

True and eternal joy begins with salvation.

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record is cleared of sin. Romans 4:7-8 NLT

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I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 NLT

God, I love Your Word. Jesus, I’m so in love with you.

Got Joy?

Happy Birthday America!

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Happy birthday America!

My, how you’ve grown, and how I love you. But it seems like you are leaning away from The life giving Light.

“Let us, then, search the Scriptures … The Bible contains the revelation of the will of God.” – John Quincy Adams

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Isaiah ‭5:20-21 NKJV‬‬

By letting go of the Godly principles upon which we were founded, we trample underfoot the names and the precious blood of those who laid down their lives to secure our great country’s freedom. If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” – Ronald Reagan

“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Education is useless without the Bible. The Bible was America’s basic textbook in all fields. God’s Word, contained in the Bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct. – Noah Webster

In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed … No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. – Noah Webster, Preface Noah Webster Dictionary, 1828

Dear Church,

We are called to be Light bearers. It is easy to say what a mess our church, country, or world is, but the responsibility of moving God’s heart on our behalf rests squarely on the shoulders of the Christian. Before we can effectively pray for our church and nation we must first get ourselves right with God. We can’t give to others what we don’t have.

Judgement, repentance, and revival begin in the Church. He is a holy, jealous, passionate God. He will not share affection with any other gods or idols in our life. He wants to be our first passion, our go-to. He is calling us to return to our first love and do the first works.

It’s the Church that has made herself right with God that will move God’s hand to bring healing and revival to our families, churches, country and world. What if we each became broken before God and repented of our sin? What if we fell on our faces and sought Him for Himself, for that personal relationship and because He is worthy- not just for what He can do for us? I believe, then, we would see what we were looking for.

Awake! Cast off sin, distraction and trivial pursuit. Let us lay our hearts, our lives before our King; re-enlist in the army of the ultimate freedom fighter, Jesus Christ, who laid down His life to free the souls of mankind from the bondage of sin.

“[The Bible] is the rock on which our Republic rests.” – Andrew Jackson

If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14

Limbo

Limbo~ an uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution

Rachael_M_Colby_Tattoo_it_on_Your_Heart_Limbo Oxford: an uncertain situation that you cannot control and in which there is no progress or improvement

Webster: an intermediate or transitional place or state

Lord, I am all tangled up in the loose ends of my life. Where do I start?

“Pray”

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I am suspended-

Like a clock pendulum.

Just waiting.

Wait-ing.

Wait-ing…

…While the Must Know Nows nip at my heels.

“The Waiting Place…waiting for the mail to come, or the rain to go, or the phone to ring…waiting for a yes or no…for the fish to bite… for wind to fly a kite…or a better break…just waiting.” -Dr Seuss, Oh The Places You’ll Go!

What do I do Lord?

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I will wait on You Lord.

But I grow weary from holding on.

I’m

afraid

will

slip.

“But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.” -Dr Seuss, Oh The Places You’ll Go!

“For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The silence is so loud.

SO – loud.

Speak to me, Lord! Not my will; not my version of Your will either. I want your will, God.

“You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. but mostly they’re darked.” -Dr Seuss, Oh The Places You’ll Go!

I will trust in You, Lord.

Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, a heart to obey, Jesus.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 NKJV

“I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus,

You are Jehovah Shalom. God of peace.

I will hide myself in You.

You are my refuge.

“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

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Selah.

In Step With My Father

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I remember Daddy holding my hand as we entered the gates to the botanical gardens, Wrigley’s gum, Elephant Ear pastries, Matchbox cars, him carrying me when I was hurt and scraping every speck of black pepper off my food. And bumper cars. I hated them, but I never told him, because I liked to hear him laugh- and we were together. He was pale and shaky after riding the corkscrew roller coaster. We made kites with bamboo and tissue paper. They always crashed, but that was okay. I remember driving too fast in his little ultramarine Triumph Spitfire.

“You gave her the tie dye set. You get her cleaned up!” said Grandma as she pushed us outside. A bucket of soapy water, a scrub brush and our stifled laughter under the mango tree. Pinned to the clothesline, my brightly colored creation flapped happily in the breeze. I loved that hat!

He gave me a piano, like Schroeder’s in the Peanuts comic strip. I played it as loud as I could, because I thought it would make him visit sooner.

I pretended I didn’t know him when he took me to Disney World. Fearing someone might recognize us, I walked several feet ahead, or behind, because I thought his camera bag looked like a purse. Tears coursed down my cheeks when he wouldn’t let me run off for the day with the boy I met at the resort. All the boys were afraid of my daddy.

He was a businessman. He laughingly called me his “rapacious little capitalist” for running my underground fudge business at school. I made over $1000 dollars before they caught me. We were proud of the “F” I received for my class presentation on a controversial topic. I did a good job on it; I stood for what I believed. When I ran away, he followed me.

Daddy had his problems, but he loved his children and grandchildren. Sometimes he missed the mark. We all do, some more than others. But God will use imperfect fathers, imperfect people, to guide our lives sometimes, if we let Him.

Then, one day he was gone. Just. Like. That. No warning. I didn’t know that was our last “I love you.” I wasn’t ready. But God is the one who numbers our days; He said it was time. We have a finite amount of time to love, to know, to understand and reconcile with each other. He wasn’t a perfect father. None of them are, you know? Except for one.

God is the only perfect father. He is a father to the fatherless. Jesus went to great lengths to meet us where we are. He left his throne in Heaven, donned human flesh, and died to save us from our sin, and reconcile us to Himself. He loves us in spite of ourselves. But we have to accept Him.

“Daugh-tah, come here. Child of mine. I love you so much, yuh see.” my father would say in his accent. God calls me daughter too, he calls me to himself. He wants to call you son or daughter too. God wants to do life with us. And when people fall short of our expectations, and our needs aren’t met, God is always there for us. He is our sufficiency, the difference maker. He is enough.

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. ‭‭John‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans‬ ‭8:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Father, daughter, son, is there a breach that needs mending? Will you start the journey to restoration? Just take one small step. May I suggest the first one be to pray; and the second, forgive? Maybe you won’t get where you’d like to on this side of eternity. Maybe you are only able to take those first two steps. That’s okay. Just start, and let God be God, the mender of hearts. Extend grace, like God does for us, even though we don’t deserve it. Step.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”   Matthew‬ ‭6:14-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”   Matthew‬ ‭18:21-22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.   ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:31-32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The Blessing – Jim Trick