9.29.2011

Home is Where Joy Is

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here 

Day 25

We are quickly approaching October 1st. The beginning of fall in Chicago has brought lots of rain and cold  temperatures that keep my office space nice and chilly. (Getting good use of the blanket I brought into work on my second day). 

I have officially been in Chicago for 10 weeks. I've lived in 2 houses and become a part of 2 very different families. God has brought me joy in those extended families. I cannot believe that I have lived with the Mitchell's for a month and a half now. The time has simply flown. 

When I got home from work Ari and Levi (the 1 yr old) were hanging out in the living room and gave a big shout when I came in the door. After a long (and good) day at the office, that welcome brought me so much joy and happiness. Even Levi's little JackJack/demon noises were joyful to me. 


The Mitchell's house has definitely been my home because of all the joy that God has given me here, and I pack my bags a little reluctantly.

But who am I too stop God from continuing to bless me with joy? He has graciously provided me with another place to lay my head. Another family to become a part of. A place where I can officially unpack and find that place for everything.

A place where I can continue to find joy!


9.27.2011

What Joy Shall Fill My Heart

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here 

Day 24

I love my job.

Each morning we begin by studying a passage of God's word. This morning we also sang a hymn together. I am so filled with JOY that God gave me a place where, as a staff, we can sing praises to Him.

How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God,
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all
The works Thy Hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout
The universe displayed;

Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art! 

When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;
When Christ shall come,
With shouts of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim,
"My God, how great Thou art!" 

9.26.2011

Leaders are Committed

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here 

Day 23

Today began our first day of Leadership Training Event (LTE) certification. Myself and my fellow Base Camp Summiteers successfully made it through our first teaching session and Angie was quickly guiding us through session two in preparation for our teaching tomorrow.

Session one is about defining a leader. Session two is about Who Leaders Are. Everything was going well, until God decided to convict me by using one of the main teaching points.

Leaders are Committed -
They Say what they mean and they mean what they say

I could almost hear God telling me, "Heather, if you are going to be teaching this to students, you'd better be living it out."

How many times have I said in the past two weeks that I was going to make thank you calls to my partners who donated One-time gifts, a very necessary and helpful thing during these first couple of months as I get my feet under me.

So after five, as I stayed at work trying to print off my next newsletter (which didn't happen, so please be praying for our printer tomorrow morning as I declare war on the thing to get my newsletters printed!) I decided to be committed and make some calls.

First call, I left a message. The next few calls I got a hold of the person and had great conversations. And then I got to an older couple from my church. The conversation went as such.

dialed number and wait as it rings
Mr.: Hello.
Me: Hello, is Mr. or Mrs. ____ there?
Mr.: I'm sorry, we're busy right now.
upon thinking they thought I was a telemarketer I quickly say,
Me: Oh, Mr. ____, this is Heather Cheek.
silence
Me: a little louder This is Heather Cheek.
more silence
Me: Mr. ____. Hello?
more silence.... CLICK!

Oh dear, all I wanted to do was thank them for supporting me, and they thought I was a telemarketer.

I had to laugh a little. I'd never been hung up on purpose before. A little bit of joy fills my soul at the misunderstanding. I'll just have to try a different time to call and thank them.

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Have you had any misunderstandings today that brought you any joy?

9.25.2011

Too Much Joy to Be Creative With the Title

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here 


Days 16-22


So this past week and a half I've done a lot of traveling, and have been away from my computer, but I've still been racking up my days of joy. So here are several things that I found/chose joy in during that time.

Day 16: Road Trips. This used to be more difficult to take joy in (family road trips were usually long and tedious... perhaps I'll tell you more about the Great Circle Tours another day), however many college road trips has taught me that this is something I can easily take joy in. Hopping in the car with friends creates great bonding time, conversations, laughter and a large amount of time to get reading accomplished (I've read 3 books in the last 12 days)

Day 17: My Job. God has blessed me abundantly by placing me in a job which requires me to spend 45 undivided minutes in His word on trips. For my job I get to worship the Almighty Creator with my co-workers. For my job I get to work hard with my hands. For my job I get transformed so that God can use me to transform students.  For my job, I get paid to serve God in every moment
*Side note: thank you to all who has donated so that I can have a pay check and take joy in this amazing opportunity.

Day 18: The landscape of the USA. From the cornfields of Illinois to big sky of the TX flat lands to the mesa's of Arizona. I love the beautiful picture God paints every day for me to view. It is easy for us to complain about something we see every day while we drive, but have you ever actually stopped to think about how much detail God put in for our enjoyment. I've chosen to take joy from God's creation rather than complain about it.

Day 19: Music. I love to sit and just listen to someone pick out melodies on a guitar or piano. There is something just so basic and lovely about it. I could spend hours upon hours simply sitting and listening. What joy God has given us through our musical abilities.

Day 20: Spiritual Friends. God has blessed me with some great friends who are seeking Him alongside me. I love knowing that I have friends I can count on to pray for me and that they know when they need prayer they can count on me. True community that somehow in today's society crosses state borders and abounds in even greater love! 

Day 21: Exhaustion. Four of the past twelve days were spent working to renovate part of the  LT team house in Houck, AZ. As drained as I felt on the last day, it was so joyous to see the fruits of our hands and be able to praise God for giving us bodies that worked to total exhaustion to accomplish the tasks He had set before us.

Day 22: Well-worn Gear. During my time in AZ my air mattress sprung a leak and wouldn't hold air and my sleeping bag ripped on the hood section. Here is a great opportunity to choose joy rather than frustration. Although I will have to begin the search for a new air mattress and sleeping bag before January, I know that both of those things died because they were so well used. The sleeping bag was a hand me down from my oldest brother (at least 9 years of my own use... I'm not for sure how long John had it before me) and the air mattress was 13 years old (my family bought it on our first Great Circle Tour). They have been used beyond their life span and that brings me joy because they lasted with me through so many adventures. Hopefully whatever I get to replace them will offer just as many, if not more memories.

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God is teaching me so much as I search for Him and the eternal JOY that He offers. If you are doing your own joy challenge, I would love to hear some of the things you are finding Joy in. Please leave a comment with one or two things God has brought you joy in from this past week.



9.22.2011

Joy and Contentment

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here 

I took this photo Spring Break 2009. I think their faces reflect pure joy and contentment

Day 15

So I've been away from the internet for a week on a staff mission trip, but I have continued to count my joys. In the next couple of days I'll post another list of joys that I counted during the week. However, I want to share about finding Joy and Contentment in where God has placed you.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."
1 Timothy 6: 6

Meet AnnaLee. She is a woman probably in her late 60s early 70s. She has short gorgeous gray hair and is approximately 5 feet nothing. She smiles as she greets every customer at Chick-fil-a and not only asks if you need a refill on your drink, but wants to know where you are from and where you are going. Her smile does not fade as she begins to wipe down tables and wash windows. She is full of joy and learning to be content on where God has placed her in life - as a prophet of the Most High  stationed at Chick-fil-a in Texas.

Meet "Twigs". He is a rugby built 31 year old man with a beautiful wife and two adorable kids. After giving God his life in his early 20s he has radically followed God's path for him all the way from Connecticut to a church in Tulsa, OK. Although he holds the title "Youth Pastor" he does not proclaim it. He used to say he would never work for a church, now he is choosing to joy in following Christ's path for him and his family. He is  learning to be content in where God has placed him in his life - as a prophet of the Most High stationed as a youth pastor in Oklahoma.

Several times throughout this week I praised God for giving me a job where I can be challenged in his Word as I complete manual labor that makes me groan at the end of the week with every movement I make. I find so much joy when I am on a trip. As I continue work back in the office I pray that God reminds me to choose to be joyful in that situation too.

Are you choosing to be joyful in the job that God has placed you in? From Starbucks, to College Admissions, to Teaching, to Ministry?

How are you acting out that choice of joy in your job?



9.13.2011

Knees of Joy

I'm deliberately seeking joy for forty days. To start from the beginning click here.

Day 14

Sometimes I think I'm too comfortable with God. I see him better as Friend and Father than Savior and Lord, especially in my prayer life. I'm amazed by the reverence shown by other religions. For example, those serving Allah get on their knees every day, five times a day. What dedication and reverence they show by getting down on their knees to pray 5 times a day. Why do I not show even greater respect for serving the ONE TRUE GOD? 

So this morning when my alarm went off and I felt God tugging at my heart, I slipped out of bed and on to my knees and lifted up my prayer. I joyfully recognized that I am minuscule in God's plan, and yet he still is patiently waiting for me each morning to have a conversation with him. What joy filled me this morning in the brief five minutes I took to recognize the might and power of my God to kneel and pray.

Part of the routine my job offers me is a morning "Life Session." Our first 30-45 minutes of the work day are spent as a team seeking God's word. The Lord continued to bless me as we spent this morning praying together. Although we did not physically get on our knees, we were figuratively gathering together, getting on our knees and presenting our requests to God.

What a glorious God I serve who pours out joy over my life simply because I choose to lower myself to my knees in honor of him.

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Please join me in the choice to live daily in joy.
How do you find joy in your relationship with God? 

9.12.2011

"Don't Ask yourself what the world needs...

...instead ask yourself what makes you come alive. For what the world really needs is people who have come alive."

For forty days I'm choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here.

Day 13

Last Friday I finished my first week of official, "real world" work. That evening I felt so much contentment knowing that I could actually relax during the weekend. No homework! So joyous.
And I really enjoyed my weekend. Sleeping in, hanging out with friends, and doing the one piece of "homwork" that I needed to accomplish before work on Monday.

So this morning rolled around, and when I woke up to my alarm going off I still felt content. I was actually looking forward to coming into work this morning. I was joy-filled because I am passionate about my work. Even the tedious tasks are interesting to me. 

But, as I've learned from the past 13 days of seeking joy, it will hide sometimes. So when another Monday rolls around and I'm not excited about work, I'll remember Day 13 of my joy challenge. I'll choose to be joyful each and every Monday because I know that I am passionate about the work that God has set before me.

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So what makes you come alive?


9.08.2011

The Invitation

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, start here.


Day 12

We spend a lot of time waiting on invitations. As a young child the birthday party is THE party. We were so excited when we finally received he invitation to your best friend's birthday party (and it was a slumber party... awesome!) People join sororities and fraternities just so they can be invited to the IT parties at college. After college we cannot wait to get the invite to your friend's wedding - we even give pre-invites for these things.
We wait and expect and are disappointed on some level if we get left off the invite list.

I mentioned a couple days ago that I started work this week. In one of our training sessions (you'll hear a lot about this in the future as I have 14 more weeks of training in my future) the president of LeaderTreks, Doug Franklin was talking to us about connecting the students to the trip. One thing he said really stuck with me. 

"God does not need you here to accomplish his work, He has invited you to come see and be a part of the work that He is accomplishing."

It is not just the students who come on a LeaderTreks mission trip who are given this invitation. I am given this invitation each day that I go into work. I find so much joy that I got the invite. I don't have to be disappointed that I got left off the list, because I didn't. Wow! How joyful I am that I made that list. 

I want to pass that joy along too. Your invited! God offers you the chance today to see the amazing work that He is accomplishing around you. I want you do know that you don't have to go work in a ministry position and ask people to support you in order to be given this invitation. Each person who has a personal relationship is offered this invite each and every moment of EVERY day. 

I'm JOYFULLY saying 
YES!

Will you?


9.07.2011

Joy Comes in the Morning

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the begging, start here. 

Day 11

Although I don't always live like it, I am a morning person. I love mornings when I wake up and get up before my alarm in the morning - 
when the house is still and quite because everyone else is still in bed
when I have plenty of time to open the Word and study it (sometimes with the wonderful help of my Greek dictionary)
when I don't feel stressed about getting time to get a shower, apply my minimal make-up, grab something for breakfast, and make my lunch
when there is simply less pressure and plenty of time.

This morning I joyfully accepted God's invitation to enjoy the morning personality that He created in me. I woke up 20 minutes before my alarm went off. Part of that time I admit I thought about falling back asleep, but then I decided to talk to the Spirit who gently pulled me from refreshing sleep and thank him for a much gentler wake up call than my alarm clock. I thanked him for the desire I had to spend time with Him, and then I got up and opened his word.

Today I started another Reading Plan. In the past four years I have read through the Bible three times, in several different ways. This morning I started a Chronological Plan. It is set up to complete in a year, but my goal is to complete it by June. I am excited to see what God shows me from this incredible journey I have started on this morning and will be sharing in future posts some of the discoveries God gives me.

This morning I also continued my study of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 (here's where the Greek comes in.) This morning I looked up the Greek text for the key words in vs. 3-7. Here is a passage from The Complete Word Study Dictionary edited by Zodhiates Th.D. that stood out to me most this morning:

"Meekness, but not in a man's outward behavior only, nor in his relations to his fellow man or his mere natural disposition. Rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul, and the expressions of it are primarily toward God (James 1:21; 3:13; 1 Pet 3:15; Sept.: Ps 45:4). It is that attitude of spirit we accept God's dealings with us as good and do not dispute or resist. Prautes, according to Aristotle, is the middle standing between two extremes, getting angry without reason, and not getting angry at all. Therefore, prautes is getting angry at the right time, in the right measure, and for the right reason. Prautes is not readily expressed in Eng. (since the term "meekness" suggests weakness), but it is a condition of mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness, not in weakness, but in power. It is a balance born in strength of character."


9.06.2011

First Day

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the begging, click here.


Day 10

Today was my first day of work out in the "real" world.
Today was a day of schedule.
Today was a day of new things.
Today was a day of leaning written policies...
and unwritten policies.
Today was a day of laughter.
Today was a day of seriousness.
Today was my first day of work out in the "real" world.
Today was my first day of work at LeaderTreks.
Today was
JOY

9.01.2011

My List of Joy

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy, to start from the beginning, click here.

I may have been a slacking a little bit on posting here, but I have not slacked in my joy challenge.
Since the last post I have flown back to OKC and have been helping my mom as we prepare for my brother's wedding which is happening this coming Sunday up in Wichita, KS. So admist, I crazy schedule here are some of the things that I've found/chosen joy in.

Day 6 - Sunday evening I spent with my host family and their friends. We made dinner and then started a camp fire and played several rounds of mafia (yep, that crazy middle school youth group game). This was a little bit of finding and choosing joy. Here I was having fun with practical strangers having fun very similar to the fun that my community back at JBU would have choosen for a relaxed evening. I found joy in remembering all of those fun times with the people whom God placed in my life for the past four years. I choose to set aside some of those memories also so I could enjoy time with this new community that God has placed me among in Chicago.

Day 7 - I have found lots of joy returning to OKC and getting to see and hang out with my family. Right after flying in, I went and saw a movie with my mom. The next evening my grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousin came over to celebrate my birthday with me. I got pedicures with my mom AND my dad last night. I know that more joy with family is to come as I head to Kansas this weekend to celebrate my brother's wedding. This is one of the most joyful reasons of the weekend:
My niece the flowergirl! Can't wait to see her tomorrow.

Day 8 - The other night I had trouble falling asleep and was just thinking through some things that I discovered joy in from this summer. So day eight is dedicated to a past joy
- living without mirrors -
The church I lived in for three weeks while on trips only had mirrors located in the boxing gym in the basement. So I learned how to live without looking in the mirror, and actually avoided looking in the ones that I knew were there. Reasons I found this joyful:
+ I found that it was actually easier to see myself as beautiful since it was harder to view the things I typically critique
+ You learn to trust your friends to tell you about the important things that we've leaned to use mirrors for, such as (a) food in your teeth (b) hair looks too ridiculous or (c) when a zit is ready to pop.

Day 9 - Finishing a journal brings me a small amount of joy. I feel joy at knowing my relationship with God is growing and changing and living. Each journal represents a certain stage in my life and I smile at knowing one day I will go back and read where God has brought me from and remembering what he has done in my life and what he will do because of that.

So have you been thinking about your choice to live in joy?