CHOOSE: JOY'S RECIPE

Intentionality is the buzzword in today's culture. Be intentional about your life choices!

It's certainly true for me. If I don't "intentionally" choose items on a long weekly agenda, they get lost in the shuffle. 

Even as I have decided to choose joy as my "focus" this year, I need a daily reminder. Sometimes an hourly reminder. How does one schedule joy? Can't joy always be a spontaneous overflow? I don't have answers to my own questions....

......But God....has graciously shown me new "intentional "sources of  "joy" in notes from an old (NIV) Bible. Notes to remind me how joy can overflow from my "healthy thinking." Healthy thinking that is a result of renewing my mind in His word. This time "my" marginalia helped as well.

It's the same Bible I used Wednesday for blog entry from Psalm 19 and to pray for friends, and the Bible I used again yesterday, in Psalm 17, as I prayed for a dear friend. This morning, I "intentionally" chose my same ragged NIV Bible blog entry with verses from Psalm 16.

More notes found.....

.....Marginalia 9/20/2009 ---between cancer surgeries, notes from Jonathan Morrow's (I haven't a clue who J. Morrow is.) "5 Ingredient Recipe for Joy."

"Joy"

1. Devotion. (Psalm 16: 2a)
2. Gratitude. (Psalm 16: 2b)
3. Surround self with others who trust God. (Psalm 16: 3)
4. Our inheritance. (Psalm 16: 6)
5. God's Guidance. (Psalm 16: 7-9)

Notes also included 2 ingredients NOT found in a JOY recipe.

One could label those as "Joy Killers."

1. Critical Spirit. (An inward critical spirit often overflows with complaint, is my thought.)
2. Unhealthy Thinking. (Joy flows from thinking, so don't interrupt the "joy flow!")

DO NOT Choose to add those ingredients into your life........

..........choose pure JOY instead!

brevi-TEA

God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:2)

Much time was spent this morning in God's Word. So much so, that when my phone rang at 12:20, I had to admit I was still in my gown-tail. (a Mama Davenport term) 

Yet, not one blog thought had been given. Not even a "tea" word. Was this the blog door closing? 

Verbose. Had I been writing too much? My desire has been to write in a "pithy with a punch" way? Were my own words overshadowing His truths?

Driving home from Bible Study tonight, I prayed, "Lord if you want me to blog today, please give me the words. So......here they are.

• Serve a cuppa brevi-TEA.
• Pare it down and pour it out. 
• Take truths from today's study & summarize.

There's a stark contrast between the godly who delight in God's Word and the ungodly who scoff at God. (Psalm 1) 

• God's Word: Delight. Meditate. Follow.

God reveals Himself in nature and His Word as we "look" for Him. (Psalm 19) 

• Look for God daily.

God's truths give completeness and purpose to life while wickedness centers on self without purpose. (Psalm 37) 

• "Fret not!"

Pouring out only a 1/2 cuppa of all I learned today. 

• 

Just enough. Sometimes brevi-TEA is best. 

God's Creation: A Pictorial Meditation

9-2-13 Psalm 19--a meditation from the Carnival cruise ship's Gideon Bible. Pix from balcony of 6297.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

    The skies display his craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.

They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.