Yesterday was my birthday!
A day that is ordinarily celebrated and cherished has actually held a lot of pain since I’ve lived away from home.
I guess it comes down to never realising the fully blessing of your family until they’re not physically right by your side!
As much as I love big parties, I’ve found that it’s easier on a heart level to get through a birthday when there are many little exciting things to look forward to.
For example, this year, instead of having one big party... I organised many different tea and cake dates and picnics with friends... I've made notes of specific days I'm going to do a 'Birthday thing' whether that be buying a bouquet of flowers, sitting down to a coffee in a cute coffee shop, going shopping, watching a movie.... you get the idea!
And it makes me think about how we go about life… are we passing each day waiting for the ‘big moment’ and not putting much effort or interest into anything else… are we letting moment just pass us by because we haven’t looked at them as important enough to hold our attention.
Are we missing the very present moment?
Or are the simple joys of each moment enough?
There is always something to be thankful for so long as you have breath in your lungs.
Joy in the sunrise and remembering Gods faithfulness.
Joy in the budding flowers and remembering God’s provision.
Joy in the vast starlit sky and remembering God’s sovereignty.
Joy in the seasons and remind God’s perfect timing.
It’s all around us, all around the beauty of creation literally handing us opportunities to be thankful, to smile, to find joy.
And this doesn't have to be a reflection of a perfect time, or a fake smile to plaster on top of a difficult season....
Joy can be cultivated too
The Scriptures are full of times when God brought life into places of darkness. It's not that the situation was wiped away but that His presence came near. There is nothing that God can't turn for good and for as long as we live, we will never understand the difficult and painful times, but we can ALWAYS look to a God who has held steadfast to His nature.
So in all things, we can unearth Joy. We can lift up our hands in praise and say "Let your Will be done."
We can intentionally set our minds on things above, we can intentionally bring things into our lives that bring a smile to our face and warmth to our hearts ~ no matter how small it is.
Because so much of our circumstances is how we choose to see life?
Here's a couple of verse to spark joy in your life!
(1 Thessalonians 5vs16~18 AMP)
"Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4vs4~6 AMP)
"Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]."
(Matthew 6vs25~27 AMP)
“Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by worrying can add one hour to [the length of] his life?"
(Philippians 4vs8 AMP)
"Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]."
(Deuteronomy 30vs19~20 AMP)
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore, you shall choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding closely to Him; for He is your life [your good life, your abundant life, your fulfillment] and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lordpromised (swore) to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Remember, God cares for you. He has plans for you. He wants to know you and you to know Him. He has a life perfectly planned for you and you will never miss out on anything so long as you are walking with your eyes fixed on Him.
Intentionally tune into what He is saying.
Intentionally tune into what He is doing.
Intentionally tune into where He is moving.
Intentionally tune into Jesus, the source of our life, the author of our Joy.
~ X ~
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