Choose Joy in the Journey

Satan has you distracted with drama in one area of your life so he can attack you in a completely different area of your life.     Miles McPherson The best way to defeat Satan is to remember that Jesus won the victory when He died on the cross.   Close relationship with Jesus is the key.   That probably means something different to each of us because our relationships vary.   Nevertheless, our passion for Jesus wins the battle for us every time. I felt heavily oppressed yesterday and so did my husband as well as my daughter, over 500 miles away.   Did we look vulnerable to the enemy?   We stayed united and consistent in God’s Word.   We had our ears toward whatever the Lord would say to us.   Today is so much better I'm happy to report! I listened to an inspiring message about the 23 rd Psalm on the way to work.   The speaker mentioned how we Christians are marked and the enemy knows the Shepherd’s sheep.   ...

What ingredient feeds love?   One answer is kindness.   A kind heart is an aware heart and sees where the need is and meets it.   I’ve been noticing how women respond to kindness and it’s just like I do.   We feel cherished. For example, my sister and I are fortunate to have kind husbands.   When she was cold at dinner the other night, her husband took off his sports jacket and wrapped it tightly around her.   I wasn’t cold but I’m allergic to lemons.   I was enjoying our lovely table setting.   I love water, but I didn’t drink mine because a lemon slice floated to the top of my crystal water glass with lots of pulp and juice throughout.   My husband leaned to my side and offered to drink my water so that my glass can be re-filled from the carafe of ice cold water on our table.   Now that’s kindness, and did I appreciate it! “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; an...

Our family flew to Chicago last weekend to attend my niece’s wedding.   Before the beautiful bride and handsome groom spoke their vows, the pastor gave an inspiring message.   His main point to them and to us seated in the pews was that a married couple is a present to each other.   Clearly, hearing a wedding sermon means more to us married folks who are not worrying if our gown is in place or if we will faint at the kneeler.   We’ve given each other a little flack over the years and it’s uplifting to think of our spouse as a present!   I wasn’t the only one who thought so.   I met with the bride’s father, my brother, the next day.   He asked me if I heard the sermon.   “Yes!”   I replied.   Then he told me that before he went to bed that night, his wife told him she always thought of him as a present to her.   He, too, was thinking of what a present she is to him! Can you imagine how different the world would be if...