Love & Joy

I've been studying to give a little morning devotion at our upcoming ladies' retreat. And you know what, as I study, I'm overflowing with thoughts and words. Me, overflowing with words. Imagine. Though I'm not as talkative as I used to be since I found that verse years ago that says "Sin is found in a multitude of words." But, when I'm excited about something, look out. So, here's a tidbit of what God's been impressing on me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LOVE and JOY, joy and love. They go together. If you have joy, you can love. Love isn't an emotion as we think today. It's an action. Okay,okay, we do 'feel' loving, warm and fuzzy, but real love costs you something. It includes sacrifice. When we really love we sacrifice our wants for others, our comforts, our preferences, our ways, our time.

To have this type of love, we first need joy. Joy is something we possess in spite of our circumstances. Little children have joy. Look at the small child's wonder at the world around them. Their joy in just being alive is contagious. Everything is a marvel. We possess that same ability, though by responsibilities, hardships, hurts, pain and unforgivness, it gets pushed down. Sometimes, we can't find it. It may be way down there, like a diamond in mountain of coal, like a Dandelion root, like the bottom of my laundry pile, but it is there.

How do you find it? Make an effort. Look around you and begin to recognize all that has been given you as a gift. Everything we possess is a gift from a loving creator. He has given us all things to enjoy. He has overcome the world and its problems and pain, he has overcome the grave, and he forgives our sin. His grace is abundant; his mercy rich. And, when we know him, we get to spend an eternity with him! There's joy in that!

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Psalm 28:7

When you find your JOY, which is part of who God is, you will find that joy is strength giving, hope giving, it gives us focus and it gives us the ability to truly LOVE. Don't let anyone or anything steal your JOY!

Joyfully yours,
Heather

Our Thanksgiving Menu~

Thanksgiving Dinner 2011

~Menu~

Sage Rubbed Turkey

Delaware Farm Dumplings

Green Bean Casserole
(*the Green Bean Casserole was changed to
Lima Beans because my in-laws brought some
wonderful fresh beans from Delaware)

Corn Pudding

Baked Stuffing

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Homemade Applesauce
(*We left applesauce out because we had plenty of food!)

Seven-up Jello Salad

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Homemade Butter

Pumpkin Pie

Peanut Butter Pie
(*The P.B. pie was made 2 days later to go with leftovers!)

Cherry Cheese Pie Dessert

Cream Puffs
(These did not materialize since they are so time consuming.)

Lots of food means lots of leftovers! 

And, I like leftovers! 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We have so many blessings to count.

~

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

                                                              Psalm 100