More than Words: Joy!

“Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life,
the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright,
and the determined choice to praise God in Every Situation.” – Rick Warren

JOY is one of my favorite words! Joy is different from happiness – very different. At least that is Christian joy and happiness.

Happiness is defined as a feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. Happy comes and goes. Things happen, moments in time that fill us with pleasure or contentment, overwhelm us with happiness…but then the moment passes, and the feeling can fade.

Joy is an inner gladness, a deep seated pleasure. It is a depth of assurance and confidence that ignites a cheerful heart. It is a cheerful heart that leads to cheerful behavior. Joy is not an experience that comes from favorable circumstances but is God’s gift to believers. Joy is a part of God’s very essence and the Holy Spirit manifests this supernatural joy in God’s children. Joy is the deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person who knows all is well between oneself and the Lord.

Happiness happens…but Joy abides.

To live a joy-filled life is a conscious decision to live life differently than the rest of the world, because as Christians we live with a hope in what is to come! To live a life of joy is not simply happiness – for true joy cannot be turned off and on like a faucet. Joy radiates outward from deep within your core. For the Apostle Paul to be joyful always is to see the hand of God in whatever is happening and to remain certain of God’s future salvation. There is great joy to be found amid sorrow and heart ache as well as in moments of celebration and happiness. Be joyful, always.

A prayer for us today:  Lord, as we continue further into this season of Advent may we be filled with the wonder of Advent and all that it holds. May we seek to live a joy-filled life. May we be filled with all the joy and wonder that comes as we anticipate the coming of the Christ Child. May we radiate joy throughout this season and into the year ahead. May we abide in joy and peace and hope with every breath we breathe. Amen.      

Advent Blessings,
Pastor Jenni 

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

More than Words: PEACE!

Peace is a difficult concept to grasp when fear and worry, anxiety and chaos are so handy. It is much easier to fret over something than to trust that God is in the midst of the storm. Anxiety is often the norm, at least for me, in almost all areas of life –peace would be so much better, yet it feels so unattainable.

When we are in that fretful state we are in good company. Those who knew Jesus best, traveled with him, lived with him, broke bread with him, heard his teachings first hand for three years didn’t get it either. They, too, never quite grasped everything the first time, or the second or the third, or even the hundredth time.

Even as Jesus was drawing closer to his final days and his teaching was exclusive to the disciples, they still did not understand the depths of his message. Jesus explained to them what was going to take place in the days and weeks to come. There, in all the chaos that lay ahead, Jesus offered these words of peace…

“I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.” (John 14:27, The Message)

That is peace, more than just a word, it is an overwhelming reassurance that when the storms rage – because they will – we are not left alone, we are not abandoned, we don’t have to ride the storm in isolation… Jesus is with us…peace overwhelms us.

Longing for Peace – to be peaceful…is to hold on to a peace that passes all understanding. Peace is a calmness…that overwhelms us when the world around us is chaos. Peace, true peace, comes when we trust in the One who is unshakable, the One who has conquered the world.

Peace in Advent is a pause. (Big breath in…slowly let it out. Repeat) Don’t let your to-do list steal your peace.  Don’t let the chaos win.  Peace in Advent is letting the calm of Christ wash over you.

A prayer for us today: Lord, as we continue further into this season of Advent may we be filled with the wonder of Advent and all that it holds. May we seek peace when the storms rage around us. May we be covered with Your peace as we anticipate the coming of the Christ Child. May we emanate peace throughout this season and into the year ahead. May we abide in peace and hope with every breath we breathe. Amen.

Advent Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:27

More than Words: HOPE!

Hope…it’s a word that we use often in our everyday conversations. “I hope you are doing well.” It is a word we write in our cards or emails, “I hope you have a Merry Christmas.” But, with all our “hope”-ing I wonder if we really understand the true depth and meaning of the word hope.

Webster’s dictionary defines “hope” as a desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment, such as - in hopes of seeing you.  It is also an expectation of fulfillment or success, such as – there was no hope of a cure. But hope can also be a verb: to cherish a desire with anticipation, such as she hopes for a promotion; or to expect with confidence, such as trust.

Hope is more than just a word.  It is more than how the dictionary defines it.  Hope is one of the foundations of our faith.  We Hope…we wait, we expect, we have confidence and we trust in God.

Hope is what we hold on to when life gets tough.  We are filled hope for all God has promised.  We have hope and the assurance of God’s amazing love for us.  We look forward with hope for what is to come. Hope cannot be seen, or felt, or physically grasped…it is something greater deep within us.

Hope is a word about waiting with great expectation. It signifies a deep sense of trust in a God who loves us more than we can even begin to comprehend. It is a simple word with a deep spiritual meaning. It is a word that is worthy of holding on to tightly…of perhaps even dwelling on daily.

A prayer for us today: Lord, as we journey into this season of Advent may we be filled with the wonder of Advent and all that it holds. May we wait with hope as we anticipate the coming of the Christ Child. May we hold on to hope throughout this season and into the year ahead. May we grasp the depth of hope in every breath we breathe. Amen.

Advent Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

May we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

A Heart of Gratitude

On Sunday we finished a short Bible study on “Cultivating a Heart of Gratitude.”  You should know by now my love for words and the meaning they hold… so each week I started with why I chose the title for this study. 

Cultivate means to nurture and help grow. Farmers cultivate crops, fundraising professionals cultivate donors, and celebrities cultivate their images.  When you cultivate something, you work to make it better. To cultivate anything requires attention to detail, an understanding of what is being cultivated, and a lot of patience.

Gratitude means thanks and appreciation. It's the warm feeling you get when someone helps you figure out a great solution to a difficult problem that you've been trying to solve.

Gratitude is more than a feeling, more than a habit; it is a mindset.  Gratitude is a learned trait, none of us come by it naturally.  It is something we must continually nurture within us.

Over the years I have begun to lean into a heart of gratitude.  It is a change in perspective that helps me see things through a grateful lens. It has been a gradual transformation, but I have found the results to be truly life changing.  I am at a place in my life that no matter what happens, good or bad, I am able to look at my circumstances with gratitude. 

How is your gratitude meter these days?  How can you cultivate a heart of gratitude?  If I could make a few suggestions…1) start a Gratitude journal.  At the end of every day take a few minutes to write down 2 or 3 things you are grateful for.  2) Write down a few scriptures about gratitude and put them in a place you will see them daily.  Putting God’s word in your mind helps cultivate gratitude in your heart.  3) Find a few friends and start a gratitude text chain.  Sharing one thing you are grateful for every day, this also helps you to be accountable in your daily gratitude!

As I get ready to spend Thanksgiving week with my family, my little Pastor heart is full of gratitude!  I am thankful for the amazing staff we have, that serve us with great passion.  I am grateful for your love, support, encouragement and friendship.  I am grateful beyond measure for the honor of being your pastor.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens.
This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. (1 Thess 5:16-18)