Joy is a Choice and a Decision

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I’ve been reading and hearing about this word for quite a while now in different Christian blogs and communities. There must be something to it, since it is discussed so often. Yet, why do we seem to forget that joy is a choice and a personal decision we make every day of our lives? It seems like we(and I’m totally including myself) want to use the excuse that circumstances and suffering in our lives are the reason we are so unhappy. Yet the Bible clearly directs us differently.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I wrote down a few tidbits from an article I found on the internet that I felt was written very well on the subject of joy.

Our source of joy is God, not our circumstances. Where are we to rejoice? “In the Lord.” (Phil. 4:4) There is always cause for rejoicing in who God is!

“We can make a distinction between joy and happiness: happiness being dependent on external circumstances, while joy is internal, a result of being controlled by the Spirit. Some people consider happiness to be a feeling dependent on circumstances and usually restricted to moments when life is going well. Joy is an inner serenity of the soul, rooted not in circumstances but in a choice to trust God’s faithfulness, regardless of what is happening externally.”

Some will immediately respond, “How can I possibly be always joyful with the hurts, the pains and the difficulties that God has allowed to enter my life? Jesus greets us with surprising resources to cope when our own reservoirs are empty – when we face problems for which there seem to be no solutions. We can do anything God wants us to do through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13).”

Joy is a choice! Trusting that, with God, there are no impossible circumstances, enables us to live as victors rather than victims. It’s when our future looks the bleakest that our Lord provides the biggest surprises. Tim Hansel reminds us from his own life of pain: “Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.”

•  To have joy you have to abide in God’s love; to abide in God’s love you have to obey God’s commands.

• Joy is a choice but it is an indirect choice and a byproduct of something else – our experience of God’s love.

• Joy is the result (fruit) of being controlled by the Holy Spirit

Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” When things get tough, pray like a child firmly hanging on to the hand of a loving parent.We can’t abide in Christ’s love without having a strong, vital personal relationship with Him

·         People who please God by obeying God are joyful (John 15:9).

·         People who please God by loving God/others are joyful (John 15:10, 14).

·         People who please God by being grateful are joyful (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

One of the great barriers to gratitude ... and thus to joy ... is comparison. Do you know the favorite expression of those addicted to comparison is? “It isn’t fair!” (Oh, boy, I'm guilty of saying that sometimes!)  It is so easy to compare ourselves with those who: 

1) Have families when we feel alone. 

2) Have money when our bank account is empty. 

3) Are in good health when we suffer from poor health, etc. 

Ten Biblical Resources for Choosing Joy:

1. Make a list of God’s blessings. We need to daily count our blessings!

2. Develop the attitude of gratitude. Thankfulness is an attitude, but it is also a godly habit that can and should be regularly cultivated. By intentionally thanking God and others, bitterness and entitlement are replaced with joy and the humble realization of just how undeserving we really are.

3. Learn to love what God loves. The only way to be full of joy is to look for it in God and not in our circumstances. Learning how to please God can become a great sense of joy!

4. Give away what you need. Giving(helping/encouraging others) takes our eyes off ourselves (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

5. Shift your focus. As we learn to focus our faith on Christ we learn to find our joy in knowing, loving and serving Him.

6. Create a comprehensive growth plan. If you do not have a plan and an intention to grow spiritually, you will be floundering your way through life!

7. Focus on knowing, believing, meditating and obeying God’s word. Obeying the truth is a powerful source of joy as well as the means by which we express love for God (John 14:21).

8. Realize joy is a fruit (result) of being controlled by the Spirit. The injunction of being controlled by the Holy Spirit is not a mere suggestion but a divine imperative – a command! (Eph. 5:18)

9. Learn how to experience the greatest joy on earth. Disciple making! We need to pass the baton of godliness on to the next generation to experience the greatest joy on earth.

10. Choose joy. We choose it by: 

    1) learning, loving and living God’s Word, and by 
    2) submitting ourselves moment by moment to the Spirit’s control. We choose joy by 
    3) cultivating an attitude of gratitude and learning the practice the presence of God in prayer.

To read the article, go to Joy is a Decision by Dr. Steven C. Riser

http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/_PDFArchives/practical-christianity/PC1W0809.pdf

Here are a few books on joy that looked like good reads:

 “Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy”

- challenges and equips the reader to live a life of intention.

 "Little Book of Joy” 

Lots of verses and quotes about joy.

“Created for Joy: A Christian View of Suffering”

Christians view suffering in a different way, with the expectation—in the face of all evidence to the contrary—that we are created to experience joy.

I know I have been writing down a gratitude list for over a year, now, and my outlook on life and daily circumstances have changed drastically! Having JOY does a heart good!

 Linking up at:

Faith Barista Jam
Winsome Wednesday
Grace Cafe' (Reflections of His Grace)

Teacups and Chihuahuas!

I am a proud owner of two Chihuahuas! I also love teacups and teapots, so I thought I would share some cute "teacup" Chihuahua pictures I found to combine two of my favorite things today.

This teacup Chihuahua comes with her own "tip" money!(How generous for such a little doggie!)

Source: hoobly.com via Ann on Pinterest

If you have a cup of "sad" Chihuahua. just add sugar and spice!!

Source: dog-obedience-training-online.com via Ann on Pinterest

A teapot full of "Chi"

Source: recycler.com via Ann on Pinterest

A "Chi" Party!!!

Source: fineartamerica.com via Ann on Pinterest

Cup of "Chi" to go!

Source: photobucket.com via Ann on Pinterest

A "mar-Chi-ni"on the rocks!

Source: depositphotos.com via Ann on Pinterest

This is why tea is better than coffee!!!

Source: dogs.thefuntimesguide.com via Ann on Pinterest

This didn't have anything to do with tea, but I just thought it was too cute to pass up!

Source: cheezburger.com via Ann on Pinterest

Here are some pictures of my Chihuahua babies!! (Though, they are too big to put in one of my teacups)
Jet is a short-haired and Sophie is a long-haired Chihuahua. Many people are surprised that long-haired Chihuahuas do exist. We didn't know until we saw her for sale at a flea market!

When Sophie was a pup she sat on my son's shoulder(then less than a pound). 
She's 1 and a half now and is too big too sit there.

Both dogs like to investigate in the yard, 
but going for a walk on a leash is a whole different story!

 I was thrilled when Jet posed so nicely in this fall picture!

 I love using this picture to show how small Jet is.(He weighs in at a whopping 4 lbs., 

Sophie is about 3 and a half lbs)

 Jet loves bike rides. 'Course, he has the best seat and doesn't have to peddle!

 O.k. I admit, I have dressed my dogs up a few times for Halloween  and other holidays.

Here, Jet is a punk rocker, with a bone to pick!!

 

Trying to get both dogs to cooperate on a cold winter day wasn't easy. 

They hated the cold, even though they had sweaters on!!

This Christmas shot is one of my favorites!

 Sophie loves to stretch and just rest in this position - 

front legs down in front with her rear in the air.

 What a sweet face!!

Enjoy your day and have a little tea on me and my Chi's!!!

Linking over at these blog hops:

Rose Chintz Cottage(Tea Time Tuesday)

Artful Affirmations(Tea Cup Tuesday)

Oh, Amanda (Top Ten Tuesday)

God's Mercy, God's Grace

You may have heard that God’s grace is what saves us, but what about His mercy? I’ve heard that these are two gifts that set Christianity apart from any other religion. But what really is the difference between grace and mercy? Here are the definitions:

• Mercy is the act of God by which He withholds what we do deserve. It is the forgiveness Jesus gives us, even though we are worthy of judgement    "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him" (Daniel 9:9).

• Grace is when we get something even though we don't deserve it.“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”( Eph. 4:7)

It seems as if a companion to His grace is His mercy. They just go together. Because of Adam and Eve who sinned in the garden, sin has been passed down to everyone through all generations. We are all sinners and deserve total judgment. Believers have been saved by grace through faith.

All we need to do is to respond to His grace and have faith in Him for our lives. It is by grace and grace alone, God declares the sinner righteous and from that moment on the sinner justified by grace begins a process of growth toward maturity. 

So without His mercy first to forgive us our sins, we really couldn’t experience this gift of grace he bestows upon us for salvation. What an amazing process! God is so merciful! Because of His mercy I can experience His grace!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your mercy (which I don’t deserve) and Your amazing grace, which is a true gift from You alone!

 sources:

http://www.godsmercyandgrace.com/indexm2.htm

http://www.graceandmercy.org/

http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/cbnteachingsheets/promises_god_mercy.aspx

Sharing His mercy and my grace-filled days!(Taking the Joy Dare)
Light that caught you, a reflection that surprised you, a shadow that fell lovely:

375.  The sun on a clear winter day.

 












      


376. A puddle of water on a gloomy day.

 

      377.  My own shadow, taking a picture.

       A gift that’s sour, a gift that’s sweet, a gift that’s just right:

     378. Lemon juice 

     379. cookies 

     380. vanilla chai

Three yellow things that strike you as fresh mercy:

381. Sunflowers

 382. A butterfly

383, Chicks

 

Source: blog.hydroflask.com via Ann on Pinterest

3 sounds you hear:

 384. Computer fan
 385. My dog barking

     386, My hubby snoring

     3 ways you glimpsed the startling ways of God  
 387. His mercy in my life
 388. His wonderful gift of grace.
 389. It's in complete stillness that I find Him!

Linking on over at:

Let it Snow....Let it Snow....Let it Snow

Well, this time of year(between January and April) is my least favorite time. It's cold here, where I live and roads can get pretty icy and hazardous at times. The sun doesn't shine too much and skies are gray. There are a few good things about this time of year:

1. The days are now getting longer and spring will be coming.
2. Because of the cold weather and snow, I don't feel guilty reading and writing and blog-hopping.
3. Even though I don't like the cold, the beauty of the snow falling and layered on the ground and trees is very beautiful!

Here are some winter pictures from the internet that I found reminded me that wintertime and the snow have a beauty all it's own!

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
   or seen the storehouses of the hail,
 which I reserve for times of trouble,
   for days of war and battle?

Job 38:22

Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments,
embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.

John Boswell

Isaiah 1:18 

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

 

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."
William Shakespeare

There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very
hollows in snow.  It is the still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every
blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance.

William Sharp

Proverbs 25:13 

As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.

Prayer to the Snowy Owl

Descend, silent spirit;
you whose golden eyes
pierce the grey
shroud of the world—
Marvelous ghost!
Drifter of the arctic night,
destroyer of those
who gnaw in the dark—
preserver of whiteness.

"Sweet bird!  thy bow'r is ever green,
Thy sky is ever clear;
thou hast no sorrow in thy song,
No winter in thy year."
-  John Logan,  1748 - 1788 

When the snow is still blowing against the window-pane in
January and February and the wild winds are howling without,
what pleasure it is to plan for summer that is to be.

Celia Thaxter

linking up at:

No Ordinary Blog Hop - Theme of the Month

Relationships Take Work! (FAITH)

Okay! I was working on a post for my blog and have felt directed to change (or more clearly, attach) another topic to this post. As you read in the title, I was writing how relationships, specifically marriage relationships, take work! What does it take to make relationships work? Right in the middle of writing, I came across Barbie’s blog over at My Freshly Brewed Life. Interestingly, Barbie is just starting a weekly link-up with what is called the Made to Crave Journey.  

 

“Made to Crave” is a book about losing weight through a healthy lifestyle, but as the book relates, this journey starts with our relationship with God. To top this off, my hubby and I just started a weight loss challenge(along with 700 other area residents) through our local Chamber of Commerce and YMCA. I had purchased the book when it first came out, but never got past the first chapter. After reading Barbie’s post, I am encouraged to follow along with her in reading each chapter and writing each week about this journey we are taking together. We can use all the encouragement we can get when it comes to a healthy change in our lives! Not only is any positive change going to take work, but so do relationships, including our relationship with God. Ahaaaaaa…..segway! 

After reading the Introduction and Chapter 1 of the book, I think the most influential statement for me was-

“Getting healthy isn’t about losing weight. 
It’s about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change- 
spiritually, physically, and mentally.”(pg.16)

Our relationship with God is like any relationship, including marriage. It takes effort! We can’t expect God to do all the work, just like we can’t expect our spouse to do all the work and have the relationship succeed! 

O.k., back to my original post - 

In a few weeks, my hubby and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. Being married for that amount of time to one person has definitely taught me a lot about relationships. So, I want to do a little mini-series on marriage and relationships over the next several months. Most of the information I am posting about will be from the website “Biblical Foundations For Freedom” – Building a Great Marriage” Series.

http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/Marriage/Great_Marriage/BGM00_Index.html

There are  3 important steps that  need to be a part of any successful marriage: faith, forgiveness and friendship. Today, I’m covering the “faith” aspect.

1.      Faith: Keep God's design clearly in focus, which include:

a)      Hope does not solve problems, but it does put us on the right track so we can work out the many big and small difficulties that we face in our marriages.

• Many couples do not know how to peaceably resolve things. They have no clue as to how to work through differences and misunderstandings. The spouses only know how to preserve their privileges and rights via arguments and fights. Hope will help you become the kind of spouse who will learn how to work with God in your marriage

b)    Unconditional Love. The design of marriage is modeled after God’s own redemptive plan that is reflected in His own person. The scriptures call the parallel between Christ and the church and the husband and wife. Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)

 ^"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it"

• Husbands are to love their wives with agape love: unfailing and persistent love.(as Christ loves the church)

c)   Submission In response to their unconditional love, wives need to subject themselves to their husbands in order to develop a great marriage.

 (As I realize that this can be a controversial subject for many women, I decided to provide a link for those interested in reading more, if you choose to do so) http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/Marriage/Great_Marriage/GM03_Principle2_Submit.html

The world feeds its lies to women so that they will not subject themselves to their husbands.

                  Subtle Arguments, not from God:

                  Argument #1: Husband and wife should keep their independence

                  Argument #2: Protection for Self and Family

                  Argument #3: Submissiveness means they are unimportant or unvaluable

                  Argument #4: Submission is equal to suffering

 

d) Oneness "... And the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:3-32)

• Marriage was meant to last.

• To the degree a couple builds upon this truth, the marriage will grow and mature. To the degree a couple live out their own independent wills, their marriage will suffer. The oneness is created by a perfect blend of their two lives.

Linking over at: My Freshly Brewed Life, A Journey of Love, Best Posts of the Week,