Jesus can take you:
From fading to favored
From hindered to helped
From stretched to strengthened
From weary to winning
Are you ready?
Check out Matthew 11:28-30
From Weary To Winning
Tag Archives: Joy on the Journey
Heaven’s Gift Is Here!
It came upon a midnight clear
The King was born, foretold for years
The stars they shone, God’s love drew near
Heaven’s gift is here!
The great I AM came down to man
Immanuel, God’s perfect plan
The angels cheered, as He appeared
Heaven’s gift is here!
He lived, He died, He rose again
The Lamb of God to take our sins
Devils trembled with such fear
Heaven’s gift is here!
Ascending up to take His throne
All power in heav’n and earth His own
On Pentecost, He again drew near
Heaven’s gift is here!
It will come once more on a midnight clear
The King returns, foretold for years
His bride will rise, she’s all prepared
Heaven’s gift is here!
Kim Batson, JoyOnTheJourney.com
The Quiet Beauty Of Winter
First snow of the season,
Maybe the last,
Either way we’ll survive,
This cold winter blast.
With a fire in the fireplace,
Hot chocolate, and all,
We’ll stay cozy and warm,
And watch snow gently fall.
It won’t last forever,
Perhaps gone in a day,
But for now quiet beauty,
Blankets our way.
Kim Batson, JoyOnTheJourney.com
From Stricken To Soaring
From:
Stricken to Soaring
Slighted to Sought Out
Rejected To Rejoicing
Felt Worthless, Made Worthy
~ Kim Batson
#God’sGrace
JoyOnTheJourney.com
From Pain To Power
From pain to power…
From hurt to healing…
From trials to triumph…
From victim to victory…
– that’s what God will do for you!
~Kim Batson, JoyOnTheJourney.com
Aspirations, Inspirations & Inclinations
As you are planning what you will do this year, hope to achieve, or aspire to, are your plans based on inspiration or inclination?
What do I mean by that? And why is it important?
Consider, for a moment, the definition of these 3 words:
Aspiration:
- “A hope or ambition of achieving something”.
Inspiration:
- “The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.”
- “A sudden brilliant, creative, or timely idea”
- “The drawing in of breath; inhalation”
Inclination:
- “A person’s natural tendency or urge to act or feel in a particular way; a disposition or propensity.”
If we dive headlong into our year, purposing and planning what we will do, or hope to do, based on what we are ‘inclined’ to do, we may be selling ourselves short.
We all have a tendency, or propensity, to act in a particular way, to make choices and decisions based on our nature, our environment, our feelings, and what may be going on in our lives at any one time.
And there’s nothing wrong with that, necessarily, but often it can lead to shortsightedness, selfishness, and sadly, not fulfilling our true purpose in this world.
We ‘tend’ to take the path of least resistance, we ‘tend’ to focus on our own needs and desires, we ‘tend’ to not go for the big goals or the higher vision, but rather follow our own inclinations.
Contrast this to aspiring and planning for the year based on inspiration. When we are ‘inspired’, amazing things happen in our lives and in the lives of others we interact with. We become more creative, we find timely ideas, we are more excited, more engaged, more productive, and most of all, make more of a difference in the world.
But there is a trade-off to moving in this realm. We don’t ‘plough ahead’ and quickly put our own desires into action, setting schedules and making plans to suit ourselves. Instead, we open our hearts to be inspired, which takes a discipline all of its own, and then once inspired, seek to put inspiration into action.
Remember again that inspiration is “the process of being mentally (and I say, spiritually) stimulated to do or feel something”. To be inspired, you’ve got to slow down, and listen to your heart, and for us as Christians, more importantly, to listen to the heart of God. For, as the Bible says, our own heart can be deceitful. Our carnal flesh has tendencies that, unless checked, can lead us astray, or away from our God-given purpose.
But the awesome thing is this: if we will listen to the heart of God, He will speak. And when He does, wow, get ready for some amazing things because, as He has so rightly said, “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
And as Ephesians 3:20 states: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Our Father is able to blow our minds with what He can do in us, and through us, if we will simply stop, listen, and ask Him to speak to our hearts.
We do this by waiting on God in quiet time with Him, listening and not always talking. Turning off all things that would distract (and oh, how we need to do this in this ‘always-on, always connected’ world). Opening the Word of God, meditating on it, and waiting on Him in prayer. He will respond to a heart that seeks Him, and when He does, it will inspire you!
The word ‘inspire’ means to ‘breath on, or in’, and that’s what God will do, if we will let Him. “Breath on us, O God, and let us hear your voice, so that we may know the way in which we should walk.” That is my prayer for this year. How about you?
If you are ready to soar and go higher on this journey with God, move forward into this year by first listening for the voice of God, and build your aspirations on inspiration, rather than just on your inclinations. Then watch what happens!
I’d love to hear your thoughts, feel free to comment below…
Blessings,
Kim
Joy On The Journey.com
Refresh, Renew, Regenerate
As I watch the final leaves fall from the trees in our garden – after a windstorm last night – I pondered on the reason for the season changes.
Some people view this as a sad time of year, but actually, it has some amazing benefits.
Three words come to mind:
- Refresh
- Renew
- Regenerate
Leaves, which, during the warmer times of year, were an asset (providing needed photosynthesis and coverage), during the winter become a liability when light is less, and could likely freeze with snow, becoming too heavy and breaking the branches.
If the leaves aren’t shed once a year, the tree could be seriously damaged, or even die.
If they don’t fall from the trees, we might be looking at dead leaves next season.
If the old leaves are not removed, there is no room for new growth.
Dropping the leaves allows the tree to solidify it’s core. It’s going through a needed cycle.
Sometimes we need to shed things in our lives that, although at seasons are an asset, if we hang on to them at later times, become a liability.
There are things that are core to our lives, and there are things that are extraneous. And at various seasons in our lives, these could change.
What is core in your life? And what are you hanging on to, or adding to your life, that is weighing you down?
Sometimes we need to take a seasonal look at what needs to change, what habits and other things need to be shed from our lives, so that we can make room for new growth.
If we don’t shed some necessary things occasionally, the winds of life may facilitate it for us. It seems to me that being a proactive participant in this is preferable!
Take some time this season to be refreshed, renewed, and regenerated. You’ll find the next season will be so much better.
Peace Like a River
Hasn’t the world seemed a little crazy lately? Turmoil and trouble everywhere on the international and domestic scene.
While we view the news headlines with furrowed brows, we crave peace, don’t we? Not just around us, but inside us also.
Did you know that God has promised that you can have “peace like a river”?
Who doesn’t enjoy relaxing under the shade of a tree on a late summer’s day, breathing in the fresh breeze, and gazing at a river’s gentle ripples? Beautiful. Peaceful.
Rivers are continuously flowing. Regardless of activity around, or in, them, they continue on. Nothing seems to adversely affect them, water flows on, either in a gentle meander or a spirited over-the-rocks forward movement.
Perhaps that’s why God used the metaphor “peace like a river” to describe the peace He has for us. Isaiah 48:18 indicates that we can have this flowing peace, if we listen to, and obey, the voice of God: “Oh that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river…”
So many people spend their lives searching for peace – in all the wrong places. Craving peace, they search everywhere BUT God to find it, not understanding that a troubled world doesn’t have the capability to give them peace.
However the source of peace is found in the Prince of Peace Himself, as Jesus promised: “My peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27.
What I love about God’s peace is that regardless of circumstances, we can have a quietness inside, a peace that continuously flows “like a river.” The world may be in turmoil, but we are not.
Want peace? It’s yours if you’ll ask for it. Seek it from the Prince of Peace, and sit on the river bank of His love and grace today.
Does God Speak to Us Individually?
Have you ever heard God speaking to you? Whether you have, or you haven’t, I think you’d like to hear this amazing story…
At the recent International Convention of the Familia de Dios in Seattle, the Rev. Francisco Zuniga shared this:
Around 20 years ago, when visiting Seattle from Chile, he was struggling with a major decision.
As he visited a church where his daughter and son-in-law, my mother, and my husband and I attended, something awesome happened…
During the worship service, Bro. Francisco was standing somewhere in proximity to my mother. He didn’t speak any English, and my mother, didn’t speak a lick of Spanish. However, all of a sudden, while she was worshipping, he heard her speak clearly IN PURE AND PERFECT SPANISH: “What you are thinking of, do it!”
A seasoned man of God, he knew immediately that the Lord God was speaking an answer directly to him. He made his decision, went back to Chile and put the vision that was in his heart into action. Over the next two decades through prayer, hard work, perseverance, and the blessing of God Almighty, he trained and raised up hundreds of passionate men and women, young people and adults, who have, in turn, taken the Gospel of Jesus Christ and spread the Good News to multiple nations, including Chile and the United States, but also to several others.
As this gentle servant of God looked over this international convention with tears of joy…he smiled at my elderly mother seated in the back row – a woman who had spoken the message God had given her, in a tongue she didn’t understand, 20 years ago!
This testimony, and a million others like it, verify that God speaks to mankind, and speaks to us as individuals. I know He has been so kind to speak to me so many times.
So, the question isn’t “Does God speak to us?” but “Are we listening?”
What God Thinks About Me Is Infinitely More Important…
In this hyperconnected world in which so many people spend so much time in social media, do you find yourself wondering what your network thinks of you?
I think, if we’re honest, most of us would say “Hmm…yes…” to that.
The more important question, however, is “What does God think of me?
We know that God loves us. And wow, what an amazing and wonderful truth that is.
But what does God really think of the way that we live in this world? And does it matter?
The scripture says that God knows our hearts. In fact, He knows us better than we know ourselves.
He also told us that if we are to spend eternity with Him, we must return His love, with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength. So, yes, it matters.
Fortunately, when you fully realize how much He loves you, what He has done for you, and the amazing plan He has for YOUR life, it’s easy to surrender to His love.
It might not be so easy, however, to fit your actions to your intentions. That is why He offers us His Spirit to lead, guide and empower us to do what we know we should do.
So here’s a couple of reflective questions to finish this thought today:
Knowing that He knows your heart, your thoughts, your attitudes, and your actions:
Would you say that your life is spent pursuing the applause of Heaven or the applause of people?
Which means more to you?
And which do you think means most to Him?
I think you know…
P.S. ~ Hat-tip to the person who coined the phrase: “What God thinks about me is infinitely more important than what others think about me.” If you know who they are, feel free to let me know in comments below…
Joy On The Journey 