In August before I left for the world race I got a tattoo in Hebrew that means “Stand Firm”. To me it meant to stand firm in God’s truth, in faith, in love and to not be swayed by the lies and insecurities in my life. This month He taught me how to stand through trials and emotions. God has taught me that I am in a battle and I am called to fight through prayer, truth, and community. The enemy is deceptive and he wants me to believe that I do not have a choice, that I do not have power over my emotions, but I do. Jesus died to set me free, free from the lies and He daily gives me the strength to stand in Him.
So what has changed? I pray differently. I am intentional about battling in prayer. I am learning to not wait until things get bad but to be on the offense. I pray to protect my heart and my marriage.
When the lies come, I hold my thoughts/lies captive and speak out truth.
I am loved. I am forgiven. I am secure.
I belong to the Lord, and His desire is for me.
I’m working on community. I live with 6 wonderful Godly women and men. I share my heart, even the darkness in it. I ask for help, for prayer, for an ear to listen.
The Lord is teaching me how to live a life of joy.
Joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness is circumstantial. Joy comes from the hope we have in the Lord. Joy is always available, even when our circumstances are not good because we have hope in the Lord that never fails.
We live a life of joy when we live a life of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving changes our perspective in life, when we give thanks we accept God’s daily gifts. “When we realize that it is not God who is in our debt but we who are in His great debt, then doesn’t ALL become a gift?”
“The height of our joy is measured by the depths of our gratitude”. To give thanks is an action and to rejoice is a verb. We have to choose joy daily, by holding our thoughts captive and finding God’s daily gifts and giving thanks.
“The joy of the Lord if my strength”
