Finding Joy in All Circumstances

Its not as easy as it sounds is it? I think that when we’re talking about being joyful its not always what we might immediately think of. Happiness and Joy are two very different things. Believe it or not you can be joyful without being happy and vice versa. Happiness is a fleeting emotion that comes and goes based on circumstance where as joy is a state of being, you can be joyful even on the worst of days if you choose to be. God says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to “rejoice always”, this however is not always an easy command to follow. How do you find joy when you’re missing your boyfriend, family and friends? How do you stay joyful when you’re overwhelmed with school work or stressed out about finances or when you come to a time of suffering in your life? Well thats just it…I’ve come to the conclusion that we can’t hold on to joy by our own power, we need to ask Christ to renew in us a joyful heart even when we don’t feel like being joyful. Maybe this is a lot of rambling but i mean it to be an encouragement to you that you can find true peace and joy in Christ and that no matter what you’re struggling with He can replace your heavy heart with a joyful one :) I love you guys, God Bless! Sincerely, Sarah

Live it Out

Romans 12:9-13 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. This is a verse that I have been starting every day with the past few weeks. I’ve been praying and asking God to help me live this out everyday in my relationships with my friends and my family and I know that I still fall short every day but I know that God honors us when we ask Him to help us become more Christ like. I want to encourage and challenge you all to take these verses to heart and focus on one or two sentences each day specifically, and maybe even commit these verses to memory. There are so many things to take away from these verses that are applicable to our every day lives and I believe to be areas in which we can always use improvement. I love you guys and I hope you find this scripture passage as challenging and encouraging as I have! Keep Shining His light! Love Always, Sarah

Patience

Patience is one of the things in my life that I struggle with immensely. I am not a patient person by any stretch of the imagination, I get frustrated easily and often times overreact. I am very aware that this is an area of my life in which I struggle and it is something that I have to constantly lay at the feet of God and ask him to change my attitude and my heart, and give me patience in all my relationships and in all that I do. As Christian women we ought to be seeking to reflect God in our lifestyles. The Bible speaks often to Patience as one of God’s many qualities. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. If God can be so patient with me as a sinner and with all of us than I certainly ought to be able to be patient with others. And the Bible specifically calls us as believers to be patient. Galatians 5 lists patience as one of the fruits of the Spirit, which are all characteristics that should be evident in the life of a believer. Of course the standard of patience is one that I will always fall short of but is one that I will continue to pursue as I strive to grow more in faith everyday and although I know that allowing God to transform our hearts is not always an easy or enjoyable process it is a necessary one. The Bible speaks about patience in many different places but one that has always stood out to me is found in Colossians 3:12-13 which says "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." I'll leave you with that verse and with this reminder to be patient with yourselves as well :) “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them– every day begin the task anew.” ~ Francis de Sales In Christ, Sarah