A New Year, A New Word

     I've noticed lately that in addition to having resolutions for the New Year, some people choose a word that they want to live by for that year.  I put a lot of thought into what I think my word should be for 2018.  The one that kept coming to mind? Joy.

     Joy is one of those self-descriptive words.  When you see or hear the word "joy", your thinking doesn't shift to rain clouds and gray skies. It thinks of things that make you happy, things that bring you joy.
     Here are some of my favorite quotes on joy:

    

 

 Joy is not always an easy choice, let me tell you.  Especially when things just don't seem to go our way.

We find ourselves asking, " How can I possibly be happy in a situation like this? Anyone else in my shoes would be complaining and getting upset! Why can't I do the same?

The truth is, we can still be upset over things that disappoint us.  Maybe you studied really hard for a test, and just didn't get the grade you were hoping for?  Maybe you chose to put your trust in someone, and things just didn't work out?  Maybe you had plans to go to a certain school, or apply for a certain job, just to get turned down?

Of course, any of these things would upset someone!  I'm not saying that when something bad happens, we just be unrealistic and tell others that it didn't upset us. We need to be okay with feeling the feelings of disappointment, so that we don't squash them down and ultimately end up more upset than we were.

There are so many Scriptures that I am learning, well-known and ones I had forgotten, that remind me that joy can always be found.

In Psalm 30:5 it says that "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

In Habakkuk 3:17-19, we're told that whatever we are going through, no matter how much things seem against us, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will JOY in the God of my salvation."

And in James 1:2-3, "My brethren, count it all JOY when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."

Trials are not easy, but they can also teach us many lessons that we may never have learned otherwise. Speaking for myself, I feel like with each trial, I grow closer to my Heavenly Father. No matter what happens in this life, He is always faithful, He will never disappoint.

Nehemiah 8:10, "The JOY of the Lord is your strength."

The greatest gift I have been given on this earth is the opportunity to learn the Gospel. No matter what I am facing, as a Christian striving to do what is right, I have the promise of a home in Heaven. Forever! Do you know what a wonderful thought that is? 

Matthew 5:12, Luke 2:10, John 15:11, and 1 Peter 1:8 all give me this hope and a reason to live with joy in my heart.

These are some of the many reasons that I want joy to be such a big part of my life in 2018. I wish all of you a joy-filled and blessed 2018!💕

Christmas 2017

Merry Christmas! Christmas just happens to be my very favorite holiday. And even though I may not celebrate it in the way most people do, it is such an important day to me.
You see, I don't celebrate Christmas as Jesus' birthday. *Gasp!!!* The reason behind this, is that we were never told in the Bible to observe His birthday. We are not even told of his birth date.
In the Bible we are given all the knowledge we need to know in order to make it into Heaven. Nothing else matters, including when Jesus' birth date was.
Now, that is not to say that I'm not grateful that Jesus was born. On the contrary, I am beyond thankful that He came to this earth and ultimately gave His life for me so that I can live freed from sin. I try to make it a point every day to remember how blessed I am, not just on December 25th.
I do not say this to disrespect others for how they celebrate Christmas. I just wanted to point out some facts that come from the best source of knowledge in this world. And if you would like more research on this subject, please leave a comment below and I will be sure to contact you.
And once again, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night"!🎄

December 3rd

December 3, 2015 is a day I will never forget. It's a day that changed my life. And every December 3rd since then reminds me of the great gift that life is.
At 9:00 p.m. 2 years ago, I was in the emergency room at Arkansas Children's Hospital. An hour later, I would be hooked up to an IV, and having an EKG done, and being asked a bunch of questions by the ER doctors, before finally getting admitted to a hospital room at 1 a.m.
The next morning, I met Dr. Jessica Moore. I have so many reasons to be thankful for her. She gently told me and my mom how much damage the eating disorder had done, and would continue to do, unless things changed very soon. She told me I would need residential treatment for 2 to 3 months. Now, let me tell you, I am the type of person who thinks out all possible scenarios to a situation. The thought of requiring treatment elsewhere NEVER crossed my mind. Not once. I thought I would stay in the hospital for a few days, then go home.This goes to show you how much an eating disorder can affect your mind, not just your body.
For the next 13 days, I stayed at ACH, slowly getting some of my energy back, while Dr. Moore and my parents researched treatment centers fairly close to Arkansas. I was able to leave on December 16th, only to have to go straight to residential in St. Louis, Missouri.
Now there is a reason I just told you all of this. I want to share a lesson that I learned. Those 2 weeks taught me something; something I had always taken for granted - that life is a gift. A precious gift from God. He gave His own Son so that we can live for Him. We were created to enjoy life. And yes, even though an e.d. isn't a choice, it IS a choice whether or not you decide to go through life that way. Because I can tell you, choosing to live that way is not what God wants for you. He doesn't want you tied down to unrealistic expectations for yourself. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind ( 2 Timothy 1:7). He does not want us to base the way we live on how the world sees us, but on what He says. We are to be "living sacrifices" for God (Romans 12:1). We are to live for Him, pleasing Him by doing what He wants for us, not what the world tells us we need to do. We are commanded to TRUST HIM. We are to have faith OVER fear.
Faith over fear is a choice. An everyday choice. I wish I could say that I have chosen it every day the past 2 years, but I'm sorry to say I have not. But by the grace of God, I have the choice to choose it every day now. It's scary sometimes, but the reward is SO much greater than if I were to choose fear. The fears we don't face become our limits. This can be applied to all areas of life. Maybe it's being afraid to speak up for what you know is right; maybe you're considering a job or college out of state and don't know if you should take the risk; maybe it's introducing yourself to the new girl in school. Our fears and insecurities make themselves known in so many situations.  This is something I'm sure all of us struggle with, for some more than others. For me, it is a choice I have to choose every day, sometimes more than once. But, you know what? Choosing faith over fear means my faith in God is growing. Believing that He has a bigger plan for my life than my worldly fears ever could. And this December 3rd I am reminded of that. God is looking out for me. He has a plan. By His grace, I have made it this far, and with His help, I will choose faith over fear.