A journey involving a quest for joy is not without trial. For what is authentic joy but that which is refined by fire? Though beginning my One Word 2021 journey with JOY, filled with anticipation, I likewise maintained a cautious outlook. Experience teaches me joy exists outside of circumstances, joy walks with grief and joy shines brightest in the fire….
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Secrets to Finding Joy in the Midst of Trials
The Soothing Gifts of Winter Mindfulness
The seasons of the year are not so unlike the cycles of life. Spring, summer, autumn and winter each portray for us seasons of life we traverse. Spring often evokes a feeling of new beginnings, summer regales the fullness of doing, autumn entreats feelings of “being”, savoring the bounty of good labors. While winter with its stillness, beckons us to…
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Beloved Treasure of the Heart of God
Beloved. The tenderness of the term caresses the heart as it flows from the object of our heart’s desire. The deepest longing of the heart is the knowledge of another’s paramount love for us. Sadly, in our broken world, the cry of many a heart is that of rejection, indifference, even abandonment. Though human love’s flawed efforts may leave you…
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Waiting Wisely with Mindfulness
Waiting is not something anyone enjoys doing, yet daily we wait in varied ways. We wait in traffic, at appointments, in shopping lines; we even wait for our food to heat in the microwave. On a deeper level we are waiting for COVID to end, the time when we will gather with friends, enjoy concerts, sporting events and hugs. We…
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An Infinite Love Reaching to the Heavens
Perhaps surprising to some, Valentine’s Day gift spending comes in third behind Christmas and Mother’s Day here in the United States. A commentary on the value people place on love, seems the price of candy and roses. Valentine’s Day arrives in a few short days, heralded not so much by the calendar, but by the prolific bombardment of retail advertisements….
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The Power of Joyful Moments
The power of joyful moments opened my eyes to a form of mindfulness I previously missed. In my earlier post on my adventures chasing joy, I shared how God showed me joy lived in the present. Joy is like the manna the Israelites gather each day; they gathered only enough for that day. Meditating on that thought each day reminded…
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Overcoming a Victim Mentality
Do you or someone you know struggle with a victim mentality? It’s far more common than you realize, posing a threat to spiritual growth as I wrote in my recent article. A victim mentality is an insidious form of pride which alienates us from God and others. Even worse, indulging in victimhood we wrongly portray God to others as weak,…
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The Treasures of the Snow
All my life, winter sat at the bottom of my favorite seasons list. Autumn, by far holds first place in my seasonal heart. When I wrote about my love of Autumn in this POST, I received many comments from readers about their favorite seasons. Winter popped up more than I expected. Since then, I kept an open mind about winter,…
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The Transforming Power of Love
There is no more powerful force than that of love. Love holds the power to transform everything it touches. The transforming power of love heals the deepest wounds and softens the harshest scars. Transfused into any situation, love alters outcomes and has changed the course of history. We observe change in hard hearts and hopeless situations when touched by the…
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