Wordsworth Home, Lake District England, 2009
Today, with Joy squished in next to me, I found some really wonderful and fun pictures that we had taken on a trek to England. it just happens that I was in the midst of seeking to search out the subject of joy in scripture and to make it a place I wanted to live in--God's joy. I do not always succeed, but seeing this picture, I remember that Joy had said, "Mom, hold up your hands and do a I take joy pose." I didn't exactly know what that was but this was my reaction and it made for a good memory. And so in light of finding this old picture, I commend you to his joy today and a remembrance of what I had written in a short journal article, became a letter to some friends overseas. As I enter the vortex of conferences today, it is a great reminder of my commitment to seek His joy as that is what I want to spread this weekend in Colorado.
Please pray for us as we have women coming from 15 states, all ages, many backgrounds and all here to hear from the Lord. Me too. So I will be away from here, but my wish for all of you is that these next few days, His joy might creep into the crevices of your life and bring you rest. And here is the old article of my heart.
I take joy
I look for it, I create it, I craft it, I affirm it, I build my grid of life to see it through the lens of spiritually enlightened eyes.
This is, This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Years ago, I began to reflect on what I was becoming and saw and heard from many women, precious women, all over the world, whose lives had been shattered, whose hearts had been hurt, whose pathway had been quite wearisome and hard.
And yet, there were a few, a very few of these women, who seemed to have a secret delight, a power, a light that came through their eyes and heart and demeanor--the way they valued others, the way they pictured themselves as a giver,
even in the midst of their own darkness. They had joy even through all the years. I wanted what they had--that there would be this "life" surging through my life, because these special women were different from all the rest--the life and joy they created was palpable.
Shouldn't one who knows Jesus, the God who spoke the world into being and created pink sunrises,
baby's sweet chubby hands, rainbows amidst storm clouds, music that invites me to swing and sway, and chocolate--have the ability to give me joy, and a life beyond my circumstances.
And so I determined that joy would be a goal of mine, something I would seek, celebrate, live, choose every day, and so I started Itakejoy as a reflection of my commitment and I wrote Dancing with my Father, with the desire that I would hear the music of Him who was singing all the time and dance to the rhythm of His melody in and through my life.
This is the day the Lord has made, and so, I choose to rejoice, to look for His fingerprints, to light a candle in the darkness as much as possible the rest of my life.
Happy Weekend to all.