January 25, 2009

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm working on the computer for a few hours before we meet for Parable tonight. I always look forward to Sunday nights with the Parable family. And we feel very much like a family, sharing joys and burdens, praying for and celebrating with each other. God allows the best relationships between His children. It's hard to explain to anyone who doesn't know Him as Father. I pray that those people will see this special love and seek it.

Tonight we will be celebrating the dedication of Colton Mihelich, the newest addition to our church family. We will all join together in promising to cover Colton and his parents, Frank and Allison, in prayer and to help them raise him in an environment of Christ's love. I'm sure we will all be scrambling to get our due time of holding him tonight. What a happy time!

Yesterday, I had a great visit with my friend Carol. We shared brunch at a favorite diner and then spent some time in her apartment listening to music and talking. Carol is a very gifted musician and composer. It is always a treat to hear her music. She has a Jewish background and I enjoy her stories and her insights about religion. I learn a lot from her about things I have not experienced. She enjoys hearing my experiences having a salvation relationship with Christ. She calls me spunky, and says she enjoys my 'simple' prayers. We are encouragers for each other as we both are challenged with physical problems. We will continue to discuss our understanding of the Bible and what it means to our lives, and just be there for each other.

I have so much to do in the next few weeks concerning media. This is one area that I am not very educated in. I'm thankful for friends here who are very good at different aspects of technology. I'm praying that we will have the time to work together in these next weeks. There is so much I want to share visually. I'm looking forward to improving in these skills.

I'm currently researching 'Joy'. God has laid that word on my heart for 2009. I feel challenged to find the joy in every situation. I know that will be a complex and interesting task, and that every day will be unique. Some days will be filled with happy blessings that will be called joy. Some days will be filled with strife and struggle and it will be an adventure to find the joy on those days. I want to learn all I can about God's joy and how it is supposed to impact my life. (If anyone has input or suggestions on Bible studies, research aids, songs, poems, etc., please forward them to me.) I'm looking forward to following through on this commitment to know more about this part of God and His love for me. I pray I will grow closer to Him, have a deeper relationship with Him, and learn how to better bring joy into the lives of those He brings across my path.

Next week is already filled with appointments to meet, volunteer, serve, visit, pray and share with and for people. I'm looking forward to each moment. It's hard not to over extend myself as I have in the past when there are so many opportunities. Since I am still healing physically, it helps to keep me more aware of my limitations and need for rest. It's the same in my spiritual walk. I get excited and charge on ahead of God sometimes. I need to follow His direction and be more aware of what He is planning for my day and to keep separate the time to rest in Him and heal and grow in His peace. I'm thankful for that (seemingly inconvenient) process that keeps me open to feel His grace.

I pray you find joy in your day, too.
Blessings!