Laughter

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:2

Morning! I pray that you enjoyed your holiday weekend as much as I did! I love how Psalm 126 equates joy in The Lord to our outward actions. When we smile, laugh, and enjoy ourselves, outsiders observe that there's something a little different about us. Our demeanor should reflect the contentment and joy that a relationship with Christ provides. Sometimes, it's easy to feel less than joyous, but the fact that you woke up today and are able to serve The Lord just one more day is a blessing! Happy Monday! 

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh." Luke 6:21

Contentment vs. Complacency

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 

I don't know about you but, I absolutely love this verse. It's awesome that God provides our needs, but what about our wants. What if we have shelter, food, clothing, employment but are dissatisfied with the quality of one or all of them? We are called to be content but when does contentment become stagnant settling? I've been finding myself asking those questions recently- I honestly don't know the answer. My thought is that if you want something to change, pray about it, start making moves to change it, but be willing to let God direct the process or tell you to abort the mission. In the end, he will provide. Happy Thursday! :) 

In a rush?

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" Psalm 1:3 

Moment of transparency: I sometimes fall victim of the comparison game. Not to say that I'm super envious of people and what they have, but it's easy to start to think "ugh it would be so nice to drive a new luxury car" or "that's awesome that this person knows every Bible scripture for every situation" or even "I wish I loved my job as much as they do". When those thoughts come, I immediately pray and remember that preparation is key. Right out of college it's not realistic to expect to live the life of someone who has been in their career for 20 years. We all go through preparation for each season in life. Even Jesus took nearly 30 years to prepare to walk in the full capacity of His calling! Patience is key. Instead of comparing, let's trust that God will direct us to the fulfillment of our purpose. Happy Tuesday! Stay WARM!

Proverbs 13- Vanity & Discontentment

"A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is full of life" Proverbs 13:7

Media surrounds us with images of new, shiny, expensive things. They market the myth that we can't be happy without a particular item. They market the myth that this new and improved thing will change people's perceptions of us. In reality, they are fueling the discontentment that we feel when we compare ourselves to others. No, there's nothing wrong with buying new things but there should always be a balance and a heart check.  We don't need everything that we can afford. Let's make sure that our heart and motives are pure this holiday season and we're not buying things to avoid/ cover up the root issue. Let's be content with our portion that God has blessed us with. (Psalm 73:26; Psalm 16:5, Lamentations 3:24)

"Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off" Proverbs 13:11

(Original post: December 13)