“I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:6)
A joyful Thanksgiving to all!
The two greatest gifts I've inherited from my mother are the ability to laugh and the ability to cry. And I believe both are necessary to keep us sane, healthy and following hard after what really counts.
The last year has been quite the challenge. The spirit has been willing, but the flesh has often been so very weak. There have been a lot of tears, and also a fair amount of laughter. But as I spend time with God, the thing that keeps echoing in my spirit is: Recover your joy. Laugh again. Goodtime Linda has lost too much of the good times and she needs to have fun again.
“Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning”. (Psalm 30:5)
Life happens. And when it happens with a vengeance, it has a tendency to wear away our joy, to drown the laughter. What steals our joy? Loss, fatigue, busyness, whacked-out priorities, illness, loneliness, conflict, self-focus…
We don’t take God seriously enough. We too easily lose sight of His omnipresence, His sovereignty, His holiness. We toy with selective hearing and selective obedience.
However, we usually take ourselves far too seriously. So many serious things in life, but also so much sheer absurdity. Look at what God has created—for example…us?...and tell me if He has a sense of humor. Whenever I have a deep philosophical conversation with a three-year old, or find healing laughter in the goofiness of my dog, I see God’s delightful personality.
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17)
I have so many wonderful people in my life who point me to the Lord, make me laugh, make me smile, loosen me up when the seriousness of my work and the stress of life and the weariness of a long illness winds my springs too tight.
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Thank you to those who have the gift of seeing humor in the most unlikely places. |
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Thank you to the people who pepper my life with silliness. You know who you are. And I need you. |
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Thank you to those creative spirits who reveal fresh angles and colors and sounds. |
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Thank you to those who make Psalm One Ministries possible through your prayers, service, support and generosity. |
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Thank you to those kind souls who demonstrate such love and friendship, even when you barely know me, even when I haven’t seen you in ten years, even when we live 10,000 miles apart. |
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Thank you to those friends who remind me of God’s presence in the mundane things of life like errands, bills, details. |
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Thank you to all those who open up the “windows of my soul” (as Ken Gire describes it) and show me all the facets of relating to God and all He has made. |
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Thank you to who have show me what it looks like to walk with Jesus in grace, love, power, humility, trust, prayer, mercy, patience, humor and wisdom. |
“For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” (Philemon 7)
I have so much to be grateful for—my work, my home, my friends, my family. And I want to be thankful for every breath God gives me.
On the home front:
In the Bible studies, we have been studying “An Ordinary Day with Jesus”—slowing down enough to examine all areas of our lives and consider how we can live each challenging, mundane, ordinary minute fully surrendered to Christ. Our goal is not just to spend more time with God. Our goal is to spend ALL our time with God! In January, we’ll start in Galatians. The Bible studies are open to men and women, all ages. If you’re in the Oregonia or Cincinnati area, please join us.
We have another Day of Refreshing December 10. So important to center our focus and priorities on Christ, especially at Christmas!
In all areas at all time, may we recognize His goodness and give thanks—not just this week, but always!
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5)
Gratefully,
Linda