Advent - Joy - Faith Journal Update

This week of Advent the topic is Joy.

1Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen Him,
you love Him;
and even though you do not see Him now,
you believe in Him
and are filled with an inexpressible
and glorious joy;
for you are receiving the end result
of your faith,
the salvation of your souls.

I think this passage is so beautiful.

How is your Advent journey going?
Are you doing a study?
I'd love to know in the comments below.

I'm enjoying documenting Advent in my Faith Journal. Do you think I overdid the pink this week? I really had fun with it and love spending time with the Lord this way.

The color of the candle we light for this week is pink. In the church, the color pink represents joy. This week's candle is also known as the shepherd's candle. The shepherd's surly knew joy when they found the babe as the angel said they would.

My favorite Christmas songs for this year are:

"Mary Did You Know?"

(My favorite verse is "When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of the God.")

"O Holy Night"

(My favorite verse is "Long lay the world in sin and error pining; 'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.")

Do you have a favorite Christmas song?

I'd love to know that, too in the comments below.

Gratitude

1. Joy in the Lord

2. Believing without seeing

3. The Gospels

Phil 1:4

In all my prayers for all of you,

I always pray with joy.

Blessings,

Deborah

Mother is Home

I am pleased to report that Mother is home!! She went home on Sunday and is very happy to be there. She is still very weak (I think hospitals send people home to early these days) and needs 24 hour care until she is stronger, but she is feeling better. Praise God!! What a trooper she is.

Again, I thank for all you prayers and ask you to continue them for her speedy recovery.

God is still performing miracles. Ask me how I know.

Gratitude
1. Mother's healing
2. A new day
3. God's love

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

Jesus' Surprise Parties

My mother loved giving surprise parties. If she was in charge of a party it was going to be a surprise. You could almost count on this. She would invite you to dinner on your birthday, but the surprise was in who would be there.

Imagine the surprise when the two Marys went to the tomb of Jesus and instead of finding Him they found the stone rolled away and an angel sitting on top of the stone!! (Matt 28:1-7)

Imagine the disciples surprise when they went to Galilee and saw the risen Christ standing there talking to them! (Matthew 28:16-20)

Imagine the surprise when some of the disciples fished all night and caught nothing, but in the morning the risen Jesus appeared and filled their nets!!  (John 21:1-6)

Imagine, once again, the disciples surprise at Pentecost when tongues of fire appeared and came to rest over each of them, filling them with the Holy Spirit!! (Acts 2:1-4)

John 21:25 "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

I can only imagine the joy these surprises created and they must of felt kind of like a surprise party.

A surprise party given by the risen Christ.

I can only imagine...


Joshua 24:15
 "...but as for me and my household,
we will serve the Lord." 

Gratitude
1. My mother's surprises
2. Jesus' surprises
3. Grace

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

A New Christian

There is a new Christian in my family. I learned last night that my step daughter was baptized recently and to say I am happy is an understatement. I am joyfully ecstatic!! I have prayed for this a long time and God answered. Welcome to the family of God, sweetie!

Luke 15: 4-6 Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I found my lost sheep!"

Psalm 150
Hallelujah!
Praise God in His holy temple;
praise him in the firmament of His power.

Praise Him for His mighty acts;
praise Him for His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with blasts of the ram's horn;
praise Him with the lyre and harp.

Praise Him with timbrel and dance;
praise Him with strings and pipe.

Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
praise Him with loud-clanging cymbals.

Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord.

Hallelujah!

For you, sweet daughter:

Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace.

Gratitude
1. My daughter becoming a Christian.
2. Answered prayer
3.The love of Christ

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

Fruit of the Spirit - Joy

I don't know about you, but when I read some of the Psalms I just want to jump up out of my chair, raise my arms and dance! They are so joyful, uplifting and full of hope.

"Joy is in the presence of the Lord!" (Psalm 16:11)

David desired to be restored in the joy of God's salvation. (Psalm 51:12)

Psalm 66:1 says, "Shout for joy to God, all the earth," and Psalm 100:2 tells us to "worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs!"

We find in Psalm 126:3 that, "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

There are many more Psalms that tell us of joy, but we can find it in other books of the Bible, too.

Isaiah 12:3 tells us that water will be drawn from the well of salvation with joy and the humble will increase their joy in the Lord. (Isaiah 29:19)

As a mother I agree with 111John 1:4 that says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Did you know that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent? (Luke 15:7)

All of this makes my cup run over with joy! In a world of chaos we need all the joy we can find. You know where to look for some.

Nehemiah 8:10 "...the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Gratitude (prompts found on aholyexperience.com)
A gift n a plate, pot, package
1. Breakfast served in bed
2. Homemade soup
3. A present from a friend

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah