Cloud Shadows Cannot Hide a Good God

Psalm 34:8 The Voice 

Taste of His goodness; see how wonderful the Eternal truly is. Anyone who puts trust in Him will be blessed and comforted.

I love Autumn. It's so beautiful here in New England...although....it's usually far too brief as we jump from sweltering heat and oppressive humidity right into bone chilling wind and cold. It seems like just as the trees are finally all starting to look beautiful together...whoosh....super winds and rain pull them all off and we have months of bare, dull shades of gray and brown. Today I stood looking out my office window, to a cluster of trees on the other side of the parking lot. The sky was a vivid bright blue with clusters of fluffy white clouds mixed with clusters of fluffy dark gray clouds. Some of the trees were completely bare, some were covered in leaves of bright red or bright yellow, while others were still fully bright green and lush. It was windy too and I watched trees, bushes and tall grasses moving back and forth in the same direction the clouds were moving across the sky. Even though the sun wasn't visible, beyond the cloud shadows it made it's presence known with golden white light that rested on random things here and there.

A popular little thing that us Christians say sometimes is one person or group will burst out with, "God is good all the time....."  then another person or group will respond back with, ".....and all the time God is good." It's an encouraging rallying cry, that can find the Christians in a room full of people faster than a light switch can be flipped. People smile and get excited...think of it kind of like a spiritual fist bump.
The very thing we need as a rallying cry as we go through difficult seasons seems to be absent most of the time....at least for us Western Christians. Maybe that's one of the differences between us and our persecuted brothers and sisters throughout history and around the globe....we have an addiction to comfort.
Paul sang in prison, Stephen prayed for those stoning him, 40 martyrs of Sevaste willingly chose to freeze, bare naked in the middle of a lake rather than take the easy way out, Germanicus, Polycarp, Bonhoeffer, Elliot....and many more endured horrible things in their lives....far beyond just the normal crummy life circumstances we deal with. The ones I mentioned actually died for their faith....horribly cruel deaths...yet every one of them believed God was good ALL the time. In one of my favorite documentaries by Darren Wilson there is one sweet spirited man, that I just adore, who shows the scars of cigarette burns on his torso from being tortured for his faith. Yet he still cries tears of joy from the passionate affection he feels for how good God is....ALL the time.

God is good all the time.....ALL the time.....there is no hiatus...there is no vacation....there is no stalemate....there is no busy signal....and there is no failure to launch....God is good A-L-L the time....even when life is overshadowed by clouds of trouble....even when winds of change and harshness blow....even when seasons go from lush to stark.....even when warmth turns to cold.....just like the sun was still shining behind those clouds today as I looked outside...God is still good no matter what we face in life....and if we look for Him...we will be able to see His bright golden white light resting on things as we move along...reminding us that He has never left us alone and soon the clouds will pass.

Love,
Fran
~Joy All Ways~

I CHOOSE JOY....and why you should too!

I've always believed that joy is a choice and I still do. In my opinion, joy and happiness aren't the same thing and you can definitely have one without the other. Happiness doesn't exist in a bad moment....but joy actually can.
Happiness is a state of being..or in other terms...the natural flowing side effect of a good experience. Sooooo.......what determines if the experience is good or not? Well, that comes from each individual persons own definition of what they like or dislike. For example, I dislike snakes, but my husband likes them and can and will pick them up and enjoy holding and looking at them as if he's holding and looking at say.....a kitten. In that moment he's unbelievably happy....me.....not so much. Similarly, I really like the experience of shopping and can literally spend hours wandering through racks and aisles looking for bargains. In that moment I'm euphorically happy....Ben....not even close..he's in chest gripping dread thinking of what I could be spending or even considering spending.
Consider the photo of a person in a bright yellow bathing suit smiling at an under water camera with bubbles coming from their nose for someone that may trigger great memories of a tropical vacation and lots of laughter and adventure......good experience = happiness. For the person sitting next to them however, that exact same photo may trigger horrible memories where they couldn't breathe under water...or fear of the unclear water behind them that could be hiding dangerous things.....bad experience = unhappiness. How about the public announcement of a pregnancy or an engagement? For some those things are wonderful and happy because they've had good experiences, while for others those things can cause deep sadness, feelings of inadequacy, and even depression because they long for things that have yet to be fulfilled. A photo of a loving couple sitting in a romantically lit restaurant staring into each others eyes longingly may make one person's heart go pitter patter with feelings of romance.....while another feels disgust as they look for wedding rings and wonder if they are having an affair. Happiness is not an across the board given....it's subjectively based on our experiences or perceptions.

 Joy, however, well...it's more than an event...it goes deeper than that....it's a little more abstract....it's an essence....an essence of being one way in spite of things being another way....and it usually requires our cooperation.....it's a purposefully made choice. How though do we choose joy? How do we envelope that essence? It starts with us deciding WHERE our joy comes from.....what is our source. I mean dissecting the raw REAL source we draw our definition of joy from. Does our joy come from the fleeting and completely imperfect things this life and other humans have to offer...or does it come from something else? If our definition of joy is based on life circumstances and people....then we've unintentionally and unknowingly tied our definition of joy in with our definition of happiness. If that happens....our joy will always fall short and we will always be on a roller coaster ride based on how our day or our life is going. I don't know about you, but I don't like emotional whiplash.

For us Christians, our definition of joy cannot be tied to our definition of happiness. Instead, it MUST be based on the character traits of who we know and are learning the triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) to be.  

I cannot stress that last comment enough....so I'm going to repeat myself in a slightly different way...

.....our definition of joy MUST ONLY be based on THE CHARACTER TRAITS of GOD.......NOT on a person, circumstance, event, or situation and certainly NOT on a feeling.....not even on how we perceive God SHOULD perform....but on His character traits. 

 Like it or not, there are some things we Jesus folk really need to understand....and we just HAVE to grasp this because it's literally causing way too many Christians to sink in their faith walk because they are walking around miserable, hopeless, bitter and just plain dried out. Weary is one thing....we ALL get battle weary....but to be spiritually mummified is a whole other issue. We're supposed to bring salt and light to the world....not Jesus jerky. I know that may sound funny...but seriously....pay attention here...

1) Humans have free will, which means we and those around us can make horrible choices that are cruel and selfish and downright evil and can affect....well....almost everything. (Free will explained) (i.e. a) people we work with can be jerks b) spouses can lie or say cruel things c) drivers can cut us off d) people can commit heinous crimes etc. etc. etc. )

2) Since the fall of man....we live in a "fallen nature" (imperfect) world that is, ALSO like it or not, subject to the natural laws of science and nature instead of God's perfect laws. ( i.e. a) gravity pulls things down b) germs and lack of sleep can cause us to get sick c) weather patterns can wreak disastrous havoc d) lemon bars, potato chips and fettuccine alfredo make us fat etc. etc. etc.)

To choose to be joyful in the face of adversity and cruelty and trauma is hard....sometimes it feels impossible...but I promise you...it's not. I've been through some really hard things, some traumatic things, some potentially embittering things....many at the hands of people that I loved and trusted....and even now there is a battle that my husband and I are fighting together that could easily be cause to steal our joy. However, through EVERYTHING....even when I'm too wounded or weary to actually talk to God....I go to His Word and let Him speak to me and I feel my joy...my essence of being, restored in the midst of whatever hell I'm tearfully fighting through.
The cooperation portion of the essence is I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that there is hope. I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that God is actually who He says He is. I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that God actually really does love me and doesn't want to hurt me and let me down the way humans have hurt me and let me down. Don't fool yourself either...we all SAY we believe that...and sing the songs and run around like joy filled Polly Pockets when life is grand....but the reality is...when life is horrible we do not function in joy...we function in fear, anger, CONTROL, bitterness, rejection, etc, etc, etc. Choosing to cooperate with joy takes effort....God knows and has always known that. That's why in the Bible He makes a big deal of telling the Israelites to set up stones of remembrance to REMIND themselves of God's character through what He's done for them. He protected them, rescued them, defended them, repeatedly forgave them and gave them another chance, provided for them, rallied them.....SAVED them. In Hebrews 13:8 we are told flat out that Jesus (part of the triune God- Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is the SAME...yesterday, today and FOREVER....so guess what. That means God will STILL protect us, rescue us, defend us, repeatedly forgive us and give us another chance, provide for us, rally us, and has already saved us. So to get the essence of joy? KNOW GOD'S CHARACTER.....His character proves that we are safe in His care...no matter what hell we are currently in....no matter if we understand or not...we don't NEED to understand....we just need to patiently endure.

Hebrews 10:35-36(NLT) So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Psalm 40:1-3(NLT) I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair,out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed.They will put their trust in the Lord.

Here are some links to verses to help you learn the character of God and some to help you get that essence of joy going in the face of adversity. ( Click on each reference to read the verse.)

Romans 12:12

Psalm 94:19

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Daniel 3:16-30

Psalm 9:2

Isaiah 61:10

Daniel 6:16-28

2 Kings 6:15-17

Proverbs 17:22

Psalm 34:1-19

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Genesis 22:1-19

Philippians 4:4-9

Psalm 119:111

Malachi 4:2

Isaiah 43:1-7

Isaiah 43:10-21

Romans 5:3-4

Psalm 35:10

1 Peter 1:8-9

Psalm 16:11

1 Timothy 6:7-8

Psalm 119:114

Isaiah 41:8-13

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Psalm 46:1-3

Jeremiah 29:11

Psalm 34:4

Nehemiah 8:10

Psalm 91

Psalm 116

Romans 12:1-3

Love,
Fran
~JOY ALL WAYS~

Throwback Thursday - Hibernation

Time yet again for another Throwback Thursday to the old b+ days. 

Be encouraged,

Fran

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Hibernation

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
Anne Bradstreet,

Well.......it has certainly been an interesting progression into the winter months. from unseasonably warm Autumn days to sudden drops into frigid temperatures and mountains of snow. I was listening to someone discuss animals the other day and how they hibernate. That sort of thing always interests me because I do love little furry things. I found it quite interesting how some animals sleep for a while then wake up to eat and go back to sleep. Others sleep non stop. While still others sleep only when needed and come back at just the right time when food is available again. Interesting how that works.
I thought about that the more I thought of how cold it is and how nice it would be to sleep through the cold months and wake up when it's beautiful and warm again. However I also remembered that in the Summer when it was relentlessly hot and humid I looked forward to the snow and the cold. Funny how when we are in the midst of something we always look forward to when it's different and never really take time to enjoy the diversity of the moment. If it was Warm and like Summer all the time we wouldn't appreciate the beauty of it as much and likewise if it was cold all the time. There is a benefit to the changing seasons....it makes us appreciate the next thing more. So it is in our lives too.
While we are in the miserable heat of turmoil all we can think of is how wonderful it will be to be in the cool daily routine again. when we're in that daily routine all we can think about is how boring it is and that some activity would be glorious. Each season in life has it's joy and it's moments of praying for the next thing. It's human nature. Instead of anxiously looking forward and missing the benefits of the present season let's slow down and soak up all that God has for us in this season and then when it's time to change to the next it will be a glorious and exciting transition.

Wild Fire: When You Can't Take One More Hit

Hi Everyone,

Recently my husband and I were in a long season of continuous difficulties. It seemed like as soon as we would successfully conquer one battle, before we could even catch our breath, we would be blindsided with another one. To say we were battle weary would be an understatement. However, through it all, God sustained us and showed us favor on every front....and even though we weren't always HAPPY.....thankfully we never lost our JOY. I know so many of us seem to be living in that place.....that place that feels like you're inside of a blender and somebody keeps hitting the "Pulse" button. Well, then this is just a short little video that I recorded to send some encouragement your way. Please click this link and know that you aren't alone.
Fran Facebook Live Video - Wild Fires


💮 Joy All Ways,
Fran

Sifting Out The Impurities

Luke 22:31-32 (AMP)

³¹Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain,

    ³²But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren.

Nowadays with all the modern processing and regulations for food it really isn't necesary to sift flour or grain like it was in the past. It used to be sifted to take out clumps and impurities...like bugs. EWWWW.......
On October 5th I began an unexpected spiritual journey....a sifting period that I certainly didn't want....but that I decided the best way to walk through it would be to walk with hope and expectancy that God would show Himself faithful like I believed He would. Sooooo, I made a list of rules that I would not compromise on; No whining, no complaining, no fault-finding, no bitterness and no unforgiveness....just daily seeking the heart of Christ......no matter what. The second night God gave me a Bible verse that really spoke to my heart...I discussed it briefly in my entry titled Water In The Wilderness. Don't get me wrong....I've cried....and I've worried a bit...and I've had a few moments of feeling sorry for myself, but every time God has either used the Bible, my husband Ben, song lyrics or Christian friends to encourage me and speak the truth to me.
During it all there was a thread I kept seeing regarding God's faithfulness as it related to people's obedience and times before great victory.....the number 40.

• It rained for 40 days and nights with Noah (Gen 7:12)
  
• Moses spent 40 days on the mountain with God...then he spent ANOTHER 40 days on the mountain with God after he disciplined the people. (Deu 10:10)
  
• The spies searched out the promised land for 40 days. (Num 13:25)
  
• The Jews wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of their complaining and disobedience. (Num 14:33-34)
  
• Goliath tormented the Israelites for 40 days before David killed him. (1 Sam 17:16)
  
• Elijah spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
  
• Ninevah was given 40 days and in that time they repented and were saved (Jonah 3:4)
  
• Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days (Matt 4:1,2)
  
• Jesus appeared on earth for 40 days after the crucifixion and resurrection (Acts 1:3)
  

 So whyyyyyyyy am I mentioning the references to the number 40?  Well, last Friday morning as I was brushing my teeth I looked up at the bathroom mirror to where I have stuck a post it note with the Bible verse Isaiah 54:10 (MSG) written on it. As I read it I suddenly felt what us old dog Christians call "a prompting in my spirit" that said, "Your 40 days are almost over". My body shot up straight as an arrow and I ran into the kitchen to look at the calendar. With toothpaste dripping from the side of my mouth I counted the days since October 5th. Sure enough.......Monday, November 14th marks 40 days. Since it's after midnight now as I'm writing this.....that means TODAY is my day 40.
Does that mean that everything is suddenly going to be hearts and flowers.........I don't know......maybe, and maybe not.........I have no idea what the next 22 hours hold...or beyond that.  I do know however that God has a plan and it is better than anything I could ever ask for or think.  I also know that I've made it through the past 40 days with God's grace and total favor and I have seen Him work in ways that have deepened my passion for Him and for His never ending faithfulness. I also know that even if I continue to go through a season of being sifted like wheat....I will CONTINUE to JOYFULLY praise God even in the face of adversity because I know that the byproduct of sifting is that impurities are removed. If I only praise Him and thank Him in the good times then what kind of faith do I really have....and if I think I have no more impurities that need to be removed then who do I really think I am? Only God is pure....and I'm certainly not God.

I don't know what you are going through right now, I don't know how hard your battle is or how long you've been carrying it....but I do know that God is faithful...even when we don't see or feel it. So don't give up or lose hope....your victory is on it's way.

Psalm 34:1 (KJ21)

 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

There is Water In The Wilderness

 

Have you ever felt exiled? Felt like you are walking in the wilderness? 

I'm sure you have....we all have at times. It's a normal part of our life here on earth and as a Christian it's a normal part of our walk and growth. I'm in a season of that right now. Does it mean God isn't there? Not at all. These are the times when He is closer than ever. These are the times when we will look back and say.."....as hard and painful as it was....I would go through it all over again to get to where I am now." For every thorn there is a rose. For every curse there is a bigger blessing. When your times and seasons of wilderness come, and they will...don't turn your back to God and don't shut down and crumble. Instead latch on to Him stronger than you ever have. Here is a verse He gave me last night and it is giving me great encouragement. I pray it does for you as well when you are in a wilderness season. Always remember, it's not the event(s) that determine our time in the wilderness....it's how we handle it that matters. I pray that you and I handle our times of wilderness with grace, honor and faith.

Isaiah 54:10

The Message (MSG)

 ^9-10"This exile is just like the days of Noah for me:
   I promised then that the waters of Noah
   would never again flood the earth.
I'm promising now no more anger,
   no more dressing you down.
For even if the mountains walk away
   and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won't walk away from you,
   my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart."
   The God who has compassion on you says so.