Let joy be your resting place

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5 (NIV)

Are you in that ‘poor pitiful me’ place today? Perhaps you were yesterday or you will be tomorrow? It happens to the best of us and especially to those of us who tend to turn inward when we’re feeling down. It’s a bad habit to get into. Getting sullen, quiet, backing off from the world because we feel emotional and sad only makes our pity-party grow into a major life event. When we’re downcast and sad, even if we know it’s a situational or even hormonal thing that will soon pass, God doesn’t want us to turn our pain within. He wants us to share it with Him, pour it out and praise Him even in the midst of it. Because the ‘boo -hooing’ will pass and joy truly will come in the morning if we set our heart and mind on Him and His agenda.

If you're not resting, allowing yourself to mull over worry, fear and pain again and again and again....please read on. If you're in a dark place and you can't see anything hopeful right now, I encourage you to look at the past. Did you think you'd ever make it today? Many of us can say we're shocked we're still here. Many of us can see we've seen dark days and felt such sadness that we didn't think we'd ever find a happy moment again. Many of us can say that our hearts have ached over our own choices as well as how others have treated us. Many of us must look back and realistically say that the days behind us were not all dark, though. In fact, most of us can see a myriad of highs and lows behind us. That's life. That's reality. If you look at life as it is today, remember that it won't always be as it is right now. If you're having a difficult time, remember that happiness might be right around the corner and in fact, likely is! If you're at a high point and happy moments are your norm right now, then don't take them for granted because life DOES happen. You'll need to remember that when times get tough.

No matter what...hold on to the joy that wells up in your soul. Being happy is simply about what's happening in the moment. Being joyful is about knowing what's eternal! Being joyful is about allowing yourself to remember that joy and peace surpass all understanding. When you put that smile of hope on your face and others wonder how you can feel joy in the midst of a situation that should otherwise make your soul feel downcast, you have just shown them that you know how to truly live beyond your circumstances and love yourself enough to allow joy to be your resting place.

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Have you ever?

Have you ever...played that game that preteens and teenagers play called, "Have You Ever?" It's a pretty simple and silly game but with pretty profound effects. It puts more than a bit of pressure on those playing to come up with something from their meager years to brag about and see who else has not done it. It's basically a competition to see who can best the rest of the group. "Have you ever....kissed a boy you didn't know?" Have you ever....shoplifted?" Have you ever...smoked pot?" Not only can it offer a pull towards exaggeration and lying, it can also plant seeds about what someone else might think is 'cool' to do or awesome to try out!

I prefer a different version of the game...one that is filled with hope and lessons for the Lord. It's more of a spiritual enlightenment or thought provoking kind of a "Have you ever..."

Have you ever....
Woken in the morning and gone straight to your knees in prayer?
Have you ever....
Been so filled with the power of the Holy Spirit that you could not contain your laughter?
Have you ever....
Cried until all your tears seemed to be gone? And felt the presence of God with you?
Have you ever....
Been so hurt by someone that your very soul seemed to ache...and yet forgiven him or her anyhow?
Have you ever....
Made a choice knowing precisely that it was the correct one...and felt peace like you had never felt before because you knew God must surely be pleased?
Have you ever...
Spent an hour just reading your bible...for the heck of it?
Have you ever....
Stopped and helped someone without asking for anything in return and not telling anyone else that you did it?
Have you ever....
Chosen to forego your own time, your own desires, your own wants...in order to help someone else or in order to give to someone else?
Have you ever...
Gotten completely silly? Danced in the rain? Run barefoot in the grass? Skipped down the street? Threw water on a friend? Put food coloring in your pancakes?
Have you ever...
Seen a soldier or a retired military person and just thanked him or her for their service to this country? Thanked them for continuing to fight to allow us to live in a country where we are free to worship our God and proclaim the name of Jesus without the punishment of death or political persecution?
Have you ever...
Loved someone so much that you put his or her needs and wants before your own?
Have you ever...
Had a friend you could truly trust with nearly anything? And proved to him or her that you could be trusted just the same?
Have you ever....
Told someone else about Jesus? Witnessed to someone in a public bathroom? At the store? At church? To your neighbor? To a stranger?
Have you ever...
Thanked God for the good, the bad, the forgiveness, the grace, His word, the love, the family, the friends...that He blessed you with?

If you have not done any of the above, then I challenge you to start with your list today....You will not regret it. More importantly, He will bless you for it.

Karen

www.womaninspired.com


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Toilet paper on my shoe...

"We are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor), all things work together and are (fitting into a plan) for good to and for those who love God and are called according to (His) design and purpose.” Romans 8: 28 (Amplified Bible)

There are days when nothing seems to work right for me. Not sure about you, but when I’ve been up most of the night unable to sleep my brain doesn’t seem to function well the next day and neither does my body. I know somewhere in this mess of hormone surges and hot flashes there is a soul with a purpose. But there are days when parts of me just seem like left-over parts God had in a heap somewhere and didn’t know what to do with, so He gave them to me.

I have no doubt that in His infinite wisdom He does indeed put things together to work out for my good and for His glory but when I have one of those days where toilet paper gets stuck to the back of my shoe and I drag it around Wal-Mart with me, I tend to doubt His plan. I need only seek His Word to again reassure and assure me that ALL things work together and are just right for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

I know I am called for certain purposes, including reaching out to women who are seeking more than a mundane life. I know that I am supposed to live while I am alive and not walk around as if I’m already dead just because I have aches and pains. So I will gladly take the reassurance offered in God’s Word and praise Him for it even when I don’t feel well…or when I get giggled at by the check-out lady as I attempt to get the toilet paper off my shoe.

Got some praise to go with that tampon?

There is probably no other time period in a woman’s life when her emotions carry her from anger to apathy; joy to jealousy or peace to panic more rapidly than the 28 days of highs and lows in the Pre-Menstrual Cycle. If any of you are remotely similar to the other typical estrogen-filled females God created, these highs and lows, cravings and crampings can take you through times of despair and frustration. They can also bring you to a place of believing that there is no relief, no choice and no freedom from the effects of woman-hood, except perhaps living at the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory as a taste-tester; or opting for a complete and total hysterectomy. And for those of you who have already hit instantaneous menopause via that hysterectomy or who are already there due to God’s natural physical path for our bodies, you can attest to the fact that with menopause also comes similar hormonal changes, hot-flashes, cravings and emotional roller coasters.

What many women don’t realize is that all of what I’ve described thus far is in the flesh and what is in the flesh can be overcome by what’s in the spirit. No pill, no herbal treatment, no organic juice and no measurable amount of yoga or palates can help a woman deal with her perpetual physical changes and hormonal upheavals like the power given to us through prayer, meditation and the unspeakable joy that comes from focusing on our blessings and praising God…even in the midst of cramps, bloating and acne break-outs.

So, in order to take you on a journey of praise in the midst of some of your highest highs and lowest lows, I’ve written this humorous, heartfelt devotional titled “28 Days of PMS - Praising My Savior”. I encourage you to set aside the chocolate bar and drop your Midol back in your purse for a few minutes each day to focus on something other than what’s going on beneath your belly button and join me as we take time out to praise our Savior.

As you take time to praise God, even in the midst of pain and seemingly endless water retention, you will hopefully come to realize,as I have over the years, that focusing on the God-given gifts, love and strength inside each of us garners us even greater amounts of strength, perspective and yes, even the ability to laugh at ourselves through each cycle and season of our lives.

So please join me as I share with you over the next months some of the insights, giggles, inspiration and convicted moments I've been through over the years...that have led me to Praise My Savior, even in the midst of PMS! (Click the link to the left automatically follow this blog.)

Interested in getting a "28 Days of PMS ~ Praising My Savior" devotional for you or someone else? Click the PMS link. (available in softback or Ebook for Ipad/Iphone)

PMS

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