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? 

"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?

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?