Give Me Joy Day 17: Reaping and Sowing in your Thinking

 

May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness;

may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the

well-being of his servant.”

 -

Psalm 35:27

God, you have not forgotten me.

Even when I can't understand what is going on

Why I can't seem to get relief from the sadness of life.

 

You have not forgotten me.

 

Even when I am doing all that I need to do and still feel all alone and

without any answers.

 

 

You have not forgotten me.

Even when I have grown weary and can't think of one more reason I

need to go on.

 

 

You have not forgotten me.

 

 

I know you are always faithful to come into my circumstances

at just the right moment

or change my heart

or my mind on a matter that I am experiencing

And suddenly

Peace.

 

 

 

Reaping and Sowing

 

I remember an episode of a show called Little House on the Prairie

where a father was reprimanding his daughter for something she had

done and he said these words:

 

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

 

Later in life when I read the verse in the Bible, my mind immediately

flashed back to this memory and all I could think was how careful I

needed to be because all my bad decisions will come back and get me.

 

We understand our actions have consequences.

 

Thank God that He has extended to me tons of grace where that is

not always the case.

 

I started thinking that maybe… just maybe… GOOD things sown will

reap GOOD benefits. What if I extend that understanding to the

idea that good thoughts lead to positive outcomes?

 

Maybe there is something to be said about making a shift mentally

first. Perhaps this shift might elicit a subsequent change in the

outcome I will experience later.

 

 

Face a difficult task that needs to be done that recognizes the

potential benefit for future opportunities to come my way. Based on

my response. Reap. Sow.

 

 

Joy In Action Moment:

 

This week bring the reaping and sowing philosophy into one area in

your life which you are experiencing frustration. Take a moment to

really pay attention to all the thoughts surrounding the situation

including feelings of helplessness and despair. Decide on one or two

little adjustments in your perspective of how to handle the

circumstance.

 

 

Your Response:

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PODCAST MONDAYS: Seth Godin and the underpinnings of producing creative work

 

Seth Godin is an Author, Entrepreneur and Most of All, A teacher

Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 20 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. The latest book is The Practice, and creatives everywhere have made it a bestseller.

 Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!).

 By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world.

 In 2013, Seth was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both.

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Give Me Joy Day 17: Irresistible YOU

 

 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The

commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

-

Psalm 19:8

 

Lord, thank you for the beauty you have placed within me.

 

You teach my heart to love more deeply.

You help my mind to be free of worry.

You quiet my thoughts and remind me that You are in control

no matter what the circumstance.

 

 

I want to quickly recognize how much

you radiate that joy and peace through me.

 

Help me to feel that sense of peace more often.

 

Let your word continue to build

more joy

more peace

more patience that surpasses my understanding.

 

 

 

What makes someone irresistible?

 

Really take some time to think about this and come up with 4 or 5

characteristics of this person.

 

Here is what I see:

a quite confidence

a sense of peace

comfort in her own skin

grace under pressure

 

What I find about my list is that this is not something you necessarily

pick up on immediately.

 

You have got to spend a little time with someone in order to really

gauge these any genuine qualities.

 

There needs to be a relationship.

 

Someone can initially come across as confident but you find out later

on that there are some contradicting qualities that rise to the surface

like, for example, insecurity.

 

Someone so polished on the outside can really be hanging on by a

thread in her life when it comes to decisions she needs to make but are

afraid to step into.

 

 

Joy In Action Moment:

 

What about you makes you feel irresistible? What qualities would

you like to cultivate more to ground you into your most irresistible

self?

 

 

Your Response:

 

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Give Me Joy Day 18: Where is All That Despair Coming From?

 

 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will

praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

-

Psalm43:4

 

 God, I confess to you that my soul gets weary from the cares of this world.

 

 You tell me in your Word that you have overcome the world but you also tell me in that same breath

that in this world I will have struggles.

 

 

Bring me back to the truth of your Word.

 

 

You do know how hard this world is to live in

which is why you have given me your word

to combat the lies of the enemy.

 

 

The truth is that you have created me with a purpose and a plan for

my existence

 

 

… to touch lives in the same way that Jesus touched lives.

… to complete good works that you have begun in me.

 

 

You love me with an everlasting love.

 

 

You do not give me more than I am able to bear.

AND you always provide a way of escape so that I may stand up

under it.

Blessed be your name Lord.

You are high and lifted up in my mind and heart as you should be.

For you are Lord of my life and Lord over my circumstances.

 

 

 

Where does the sense of lack in your life come from?

 

I am a list maker.

 

You can always find me putting together a list of pros and cons when I

have to make a tough decision.

 

I got to thinking about how grounded I feel when I take the time to do

that.

 

I wonder if maybe this might be a valuable practice to put in place

when I feel discontent showing up in my overall outlook on life?

 

 

Joy In Action Moment:

 

Take the time to really gauge where any sense of despair is coming

from. Is it from your health? Your job? Your relationships? Your

friendships? In the midst of taking the time to do this you will also

recognize the areas that are quite good right now. Allow this new

awareness of GOODNESS to empower you make the tough

choices you need to make to move past despair. What will you

CHOOSE to dwell on.

 

 

Your Response:

 

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Give Me Joy Day 19: What Are Your Thoughts Telling You?

 

 

Light in a messenger's eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

 -

 Proverbs 15:30

 

Lord, I confess there are times when I choose to look at the negative

things that are going on around me.

 

The setbacks.

The disappointments

The failures

The heartbreaks

 

 I wrapped them around me like a blanket

and get cozy

I hide under that blanket

and let it block any new faith filled movement you may be calling me to.

 

 I forget about those times when you have surprised me and delighted

me in ways that I did not expect.

Bring to mind right now some of those times:

 

Now Lord in that same way I KNOW that you will amaze me again as

 

I move into this new adventure with you.

 

 Give me one person to cheer me on and to stand in the gap praying

for what you are calling me into next.

 

 

Do you have mental discipline? Meaning do you allow every thought

that comes into your head run rampant without some sort of censoring

process?

 

Let's examine a thought that popped into your head recently

 

 If this thought was not censored, what kind of feelings did it manifest?

Hope?

Courage?

Fear?

Anxiety?

Peace?

 

 

Take some time today to really pay attention to your thoughts.

 

Do they leave you feeling hopeless?

Did they inspire you to act on new ideas?

Fill you with gratitude?

 

It is amazing how powerful these little silent opinions about your life

can be. Left unchecked, they can be dream killers.

 

 

How do you take a thought captive?

 

 

You hold it up to the light of reality and assess whether it is grounded

in any basis of fact. Is it true or is this something someone has placed

on me?

 

Is it possible that this is a limiting thought that I am placing on myself

as a safety net to resist change?

 

Joy in Action Moment:

 

Really pay attention today to the feelings your thoughts bring up and

how they may be dictating the quality of your life. Focus on one

particular thought that keeps popping up and find evidence to the

contrary. Talk to people who support you and let them hold you up in

prayer.

 

Your Response:

 

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Give Me Joy Day 20: Time to Give Yourself a Life Makeover

 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

-

Psalm 51:12

 

God, I want my life to look and feel as glorious as the world I see around me.

 

 Fill me with faith building adventures, and lovely relationships, and tender

moments and tons of wonder.

 

 

You cause me to look at the sky and remind me of how vast the universe is.

 

 

You tell me to notice the trees…

 

 

the strong oaks and the evergreens

 

 

… and remind me of your strength.

 

 

You let me see the intensity of a rainstorm and massive winds and remind me

of the power and the might that you show to the world suddenly

and without any sense of our timelines.

 

 

Holy and Awe filled God, bring back the sense of joy in the unexpected

…even when I can't understand what you are doing in my life.

 

 

You have been so faithful to cause all things to work together for my good.

 

 

Help me to be a little less hesitant and a little more willing to move toward

the new things you may want to begin in my life

 

I woke up the other day and | realized I was a bit tired of... me.

 

We tend to get into a rut about how we view things, talk about our

lives, worry about our future.

 

I decided that today I would do things differently. Just for a day. I

got up that morning and decided absolutely no internet surfing.

 

Then I sat down on my couch and watched 3 television shows in a row

without guilt that there was laundry to do or any other pressing chore

within arms reach.

 

Then I went to the coffee shop and had a pastry without any thought

of calorie count.

 

I went home and went through my closet and gave away things that I

just did not want to talk myself into wearing anymore.

 

Then I took a look n the mirror and cut some bangs in my hair and I

wore my makeup a different way. Finally when I felt tired I just went to

bed.

 

Now I will admit this was one of those rare days when I did not have to

be anywhere and my little one was being cared for by my spouse

which, to be honest, is actually part of my makeover day. I gave myself

permission to be by myself without feeling guilty of not taking

advantage of family time.

 

 

The next day I felt a little shift.

 I gave myself permission to stop expecting to accomplish so much in a day.

 

Joy in Action Moment:

 

Do you need to give your life a mini makeover? If so, what would you

do different, just for a day? What would you wear? What would you

eat? Who would you connect with? Pick the day and relish the time.

Then write about any shift you may have felt.

 

Your Response:

 

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Give Me Joy Day 21: The Purpose of a Goal

 

May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests

-

 Psalm 20:5

 

God, I am starting to realize that the purpose of a goal

that is bigger than what I can accomplish on my own

is so that you can show yourself mighty

And

I actually get to be a part of that.

 

 You tell me that your eyes search the world roaming to and fro

looking for those who have the desire to believe you for more power.

 

I want to be that person.

 

Show me in which area of my life that you want me to

exercise my faith more.

Believe you more.

trust you more.

 

 

How do you go about Setting Goals?

 

How to set joy filled goals:

 

Love justice...

 

Seek mercy...

 

Walk humbly with God...

 

Many times we set our goals based on success.

 

How do you perceive success?

 

This is an important question. Because when you really sit down and

take some time to think about how you define success, you might

begin to hear whispers that run counter to what others around you are

reaching for.

 

 

For me success is surrounding myself with people and activities that

exude

peace

nurturing

joy

 

 

Joy In Action Moment:

 

When do you feel the most successful? What people in your life

cause you to feel successful? What specifically do those

relationships bring to you that offer validation?

 

Your Response:

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Give Me Joy Day 22: Maybe It Is Time to Change What you are Focusing On

 

 Fill my heart with joy when the new grain and wine abound.

-

Psalm 4:7

God, I can feel that you are changing me

in ways I never realized

I could change.

 

 

As I continue to put my trust in you,

you are changing me before my eyes

into someone

I am so happy with.

 

 

Those areas that I have been longing to change…

that I have been unable to do on my own…

I thank you Lord.

 

 

Those habits that I could not seem to let go of…

I thank you God.

 

 

Remind me of the

situations

Circumstances

People

 

 

 

you have delivered me from

and reveal to me

a new sense of purpose for my life

 

 

 

Where is your focus?

 

Focus is a powerful tool. Athletes use focus all the time to

accomplish seemingly impossible feats of strength and endurance.

Artists and musicians spend years honing their craft despite the lack

of financial return and many times personal accolades for the gift they

are nurturing.

 

I tend to use the words FOCUS and DWELL interchangeably, I

think where your mind dwells, where your heart dwells, where your

energy is placed is the direction your life is moving in.

 

Trouble is this view on focus pertains to any area you put focus: past

mistakes, a bad relationship, and a failure.

 

Take some time this week to pay attention to where your focus is.

 

And then decide if those thoughts are taking you in the direction you

want to go.

 

 

Joy In Action Moment:

 

Read the verse Philippians 4:8 from the bible and take some time to

access where your focus has been lately; where your mind tends to

dwell. Make some conscious decisions about 1 or 2 shifts you need

to make.

 

 

Your Response:

 

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Give Me Joy Day 20: It's Time to Make the Decision to Impact your Surroundings

 

 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have

delivered.

-

Psalm 71:3

 

God, you want the world to see how you can take one life and make it Meaningful

Lovely

Fulfilled

joy filled

 

 

I want to look to you more to find that awareness for myself.

 

 

Bring to mind an area of my life

or an opportunity that you have placed in my life

that would deepen my understanding

of this abundant life.

 

 

And then help me to be mindful

that people in my community

– my family, my friends, my job, small group –

are curious to see what you are going to do.

 

 Who controls you?

 

A few months back I COULD FEEL the stress mounting in the

office I work in. We were in the middle of tax season and we were all

overworked and tired and attempting to keep a good attitude with

each other and a sense of humor about the amount of work that

needed to be done.

 

But each of us at any given time was waiting for the other shoe to

drop. This façade only works as long as we each are not given one

more thing to do.

 

Well you know what happened. Something needed to be done and

someone got assigned the task and the emotions flew and the mood

shifted and the tense silence set in.

 

These are the moments where finding joy has to be intentional.

 

Time for a time out.

 

Yep I think this should be mandatory for us grownups. Take the walk.

Hold the tongue. Breathe a few deep breaths. A little mental

distance from the stress.

 

More times than not intentional joy causes the tense situation to be

kept in proper perspective until the pressure subsides.

 

 

Joy in Action Moment:

 

Look for a time this week that you can take a time out and (a) see how

that feels for you in the moment when you make that choice (b) be

more mindful of the heart shift you feel when you take those few

moments to breathe.

 

 

Your Response:

 

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PODCAST MONDAYS: Jennifer Louden and the need to release yourself from unimportant things

  

 

 For 28 years and counting, best-selling author and passionate teacher Jennifer Louden has been a leading voice on self-care and creative transformation.

 

WEBSITE 

 

PODCASTS

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Give Me Joy Day 21: 5 Questions to Ask to Gauge How you See Yourself

 

 For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your

hands have done.

-

Psalm 92:4

 

God you have said that you delight in how you have made me.

You formed me in the womb and you know my uniqueness.

 

 

Those things about me that I need to celebrate and appreciate more,

help me to do so.

 

 

The flaws that I need to recognize as unique qualities

help me to embrace them.

 

Those areas that I am hanging on to and wrapping my insecurities in

as a way to shield myself from the world,

help me release myself to you

 

 

to change me

and

to move me

more fully

into the

 

 

 

ME

That

you

see

 

 

How do you see yourself?

 

 

If you had to come up with 5 words to describe your life what would

they be?

4 reasons your life is better than last year?

3 people who are impacting you?

2 decisions that you need to make?

1 goal that you want to achieve about all else?

The 54321 method of looking at your life gives you a snapshot of

 

 

where you are but also

where you are headed.

How are you feeling about the portrait?

What sort of tweaking do you want to do?

 

 

When You Look Around at your Whole Life What Do you See?

 

 

 

Joy in Action Moment:

54321 – Go!

If you had to come up with 5 words to describe your life what would

 

 

they be?

 

 

4 reasons your life is better than last year?

 

 

3 people who are impacting you?

 

 

 

2 decisions that you need to make?

 

1 goal that you want to achieve about all else?

 

 

Your Response:

 

 

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Give Me Joy Day 23: What do you believe about your future?

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy

and be glad all our days.

–

Psalm 90:14

 

God I have finally let go of the belief that the future you have in mind

for me is NOT good.

I believe it will be

Abundant.

Satisfying.

Fulfilling.

More than I can even ask

Or

think.

 

 

I pray in this particular area

 

 

that you will delight me with your purpose.

 

 

Begin to give a sense of what you are doing

so that my heart will be filled

with hopeful expectancy.

 

 

You never fail me Lord.

 

 

 

I thank you that you bring me a deeper understanding of that reality

every day.

 

 

How often have you spent time assessing how your life looks like

NOW

Vs.

1 year ago

5 years ago

10 years ago

 

 

If you have not spent much time really getting a clear vision for your

future, this exercise will give your insight for planning your today and

your future.

 

The same is true for how much joy you are experiencing.

 

There needs to be some clear cut agenda for allowing more joy in

your life.

 

What activities do you need to incorporate more of in your life?

 

What experiences have you had that are causing you anger/misery

which you need to make peace with and let go of?

 

What relationships do you need to eliminate all together or to

enhance/deepen?

 

 

Joy in Action Moment:

 

 

Proverbs 29:18: without vision, the people perish...

Take the words of this proverb and apply them to one of the

questions listed above

 

 

Your Response:

 

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Give Me Joy Day 25: You Know Sometimes I Just Need a Little Light to Help Me Shine

 

 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.

-

Psalm 126:5

 Lord,

sometimes discouragement comes out of nowhere

and overwhelms my sense of hope in what you are doing in my life.

 

 

I come to you Lord when I am weary

and

your Spirit

holds me close

your words whispers reminders in my ears

your people offer the hugs I need

to bring me back

to where I need to be.

 

 

Help me to never forget

the way you have provided for these times in my life

as if to say

there is no avoiding

this type of discouragement.

 

 

You show yourself mighty

 

 

 

even in this:

that you provide a way of escape

out of the discouragement

so that I can stand up under it.

 

 

Glory and honor and praise to you God,

my provider of all of my needs

physical

emotional

spiritual

 

 

 

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true,

there is life and joy."

-Proverbs 13:12

 

 

It seems to me that hope and dreams are intertwined. In the most

adverse circumstances that I have faced, I find that if I am able to hold

onto a little goal, a little dream, something that is placed just a bit

outside of the realm of the situation...

 

 

I can find a way to will myself forward.

Take one more step.

Not lose hope.

 

 

Today reflect on some of those times in your life where

You had no answers

You did not know which way to turn

You had no choice but to endure…

Yet somehow…

You found a little hope.

 

 

 

Joy in Action Moment:

 

 

What activity did you use to help you stand up under the weight of

the circumstance that was before you?

What was the thing you focused on?

What helped you to endure?

 

 

Your Response:

 

 

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