In Remembrance

April 16, 2015September 12, 2015 ~ Joy ~ 3 Comments

A memorial to Jewish soldiers who fought against the Nazis

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day.

I don’t quite know what to say…

But I must say something.

There are horrible things that happen in this world. And sometimes I wonder why I am blessed to be alive and happy and to feel the sunshine kiss my face.

What makes me different than any of those six million lives that died in the massacre of the Holocaust?

Nothing really.

We are all just as human, just as loved by God, just as fragile and dependent on Him.

Life isn’t fair, and that is hard to understand.

The holocaust is atrocious. It’s a reminder of how wicked mankind becomes when we reject God and follow our sinful inclinations. But what I want to share today is not another graphic reminder of the horror that engulfed so many.

What I want to share is hope.

Mount Herzl in Jerusalem (near the Holocaust Museum)

The Nazis tried to put an end to the Jewish people. But you know what?

They failed.

Israel is a living testament that the Nazis didn’t win in the end.

I’ve been blessed to visit that land several times. I’ve seen with my own eyes that Yahweh has returned the Jewish people to their home. I’ve walked in the streets of Jerusalem and heard the Hebrew language being spoken and songs being sung.

I’ve visited Holocaust museums in the Jerusalem, but after each dreadful visit, I’ve always stepped outside into the sunshine again to see Israel alive and well.

I’ve met Holocaust survivors and seen smiles on their faces. Yahweh can heal–somehow, someway.

I’ve heard stories of the courageous souls that defied Hitler. Some gave their lives. In every generation, there are those who will stand for justice. There are those that believe in hope.

We live in a broken, sinful world, y’all, but Yahweh takes the brokenness and makes something beautiful in the end.

We can shake our fist at heaven or we can fall on our knees and let Him lift us up again.

He alone can give us hope.

As we remember the Holocaust, let’s also look at the future.

Let’s put our trust in the God of Israel.

Let’s remember hope.

Love is Humble

April 8, 2015 ~ Joy ~ Leave a comment

Last weekend my family and I celebrated Passover and the Last Supper.

I feel like there are so many things that I could share about what I learned over the weekend, but a lot of it is still spinning in my heart and not ready for words yet. It was truly a blessed time of encouragement and fellowship and memory making.

Last year, I shared a bit about the significance of Passover and how my family celebrates it, but this year I want to share one of the many lessons that Passover teaches me.

It teaches me about love–my Savior’s definition of love.

Love is humble.

Love knelt down before his disciples and washed the dirt from their feet. Love spent the last hours of His life on earth as a servant to broken humanity. In the garden, Love felt the deepest anguish of the soul. He knew the torture that awaited Him, and yet He prayed, “Thy will be done.”

Love is sacrificial.

Love pierced His hands and feet to the cross. Love adorned Himself with a crown of thorns. He bled his heart to win mine.

Love is alive.

Love rose again on the third day. He conquered the grave and quenched the sting of death. Two thousand years later, His love for us hasn’t changed. It never will, because His love is eternal.

It’s steady and true.
It’s righteous and pure and inexplainable with words.

This same love He gives to us, not so we can lock it in our hearts, but so we can give it freely, and lay down our lives for others, as He did for us. Feed the hungry. Heal the hurting. Be the love that this broken world desperately needs.

Love is our calling.

This is My command, that you love one another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: that he should lay down his life for his friends.
–John 15:12 & 13

May we have the courage to say, “Thy will be done.”
May we be His Love.

How about you…Have you ever celebrated Passover? If so, I would love to hear what Passover has taught you.

For Love of Poetry

April 1, 2015April 1, 2015 ~ Joy ~ 1 Comment

At some point this last year I discovered a love for poetry .

A poem can be so simple–sometimes only a few lines long–and yet it can leave me speechless.

What is it like to have a baby
Fall asleep while holding your finger?
It is a soft, precious touch.
It is relaxing, yet exciting.
It is a feeling of trust and importance.
It is so soothing it makes me want to
Fall asleep.
It is a sign of peace and love.
What is it like to have a baby
Fall asleep while holding your finger?
It is a great gift from Heaven.
–Mattie J.T. Stepanek 1999

Sometimes a poem says what my heart would say, if it could speak so freely, and sends my heart spinning with joy.

I love poems that bring me closer to God and remind me of the truths in the Bible.

I love Psalms.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me.
–Psalm 23

I love the melody that words sing and the way that my heart beats along with them.

I love poetic prose.

It is slowly dawning on me
that I did not get to God by Nature,
like the poet,
but that I have got to Nature by God.
Nature is more and more a sacrament to me,
I mean the real presence of God comes to me
in the common elements
of earth and air,
the sea and sky and moon,
and human love and friendship.
–Oswald Chambers 1916

I love my Creator who gives me my love for words.

He is the purest poetry.

How about you…Do you love poetry? What’s one of your favorite poems?

Writers, Artists, & Cherry Blossoms

March 27, 2015March 27, 2015 ~ Joy ~ 8 Comments

Remember last year when I started the Thankfulness Journal?

Setting out to write 10,000 things that I’m thankful for was quite an endeavor. I’ve yet to reach that ambitious goal, but thankfulness lives on in my heart.

Here are some joyful things from this week:

Meeting Fellow Writers & Artists—This week I had the privilege of attending a three day writers’ workshop taught by Renee Andrews. She is an excellent speaker and so inspiring. It was wonderful to connect with fellow writers and artists in my community and share our nerdy love for the printed word.

Shannon @ Unfading Joy—I love her entire blog, but especially her post for this week. It resonated with my soul.

Cherry Blossoms—The large cherry tree in my backyard is in full bloom and showering the grass with white petals.

Mason Clover Music—I love the way that he weaves scripture verses and Hebrew into his songs. It reminds me of Revive Conferences where I first heard Clover sing and where I’ve made so many wonderful memories with friends.

How about you…What are you thankful for this week?

Spring is a Happy Thing

March 20, 2015 ~ Joy ~ 2 Comments

Yesterday I took a break from studying to enjoy the first blooms of spring.

Books can be read year-round, but spring can only be discovered once a year, so I let my mind rest and stepped outside to let my heart savor…

The sweet smell of the tulips

The lone daffodil in the side yard

The pink blossoms of the crooked peach tree

The first buds of the crepe myrtles

The dainty dandelion in a bed of clover

It’s these simple things that I miss when I bury my head in a book.

It’s these simple things that I never want to be too busy to enjoy.

Happy Spring Y’all! ❤

Honesty

March 15, 2015 ~ Joy ~ Leave a comment

I like to think of myself as this girl:

I like to think of myself as young and happy with a bright future ahead of me.

Most people think of me as a happy person. They tell me that my name suits me well–I love my name, and I consider myself a happy person too–but sometimes I don’t feel joyful.

I’m a private person (sort of confusing when I have a blog, huh?). I don’t share all my feelings. If I did, people would clearly see that I’m not always smiling on the inside. My emotions are generally a roller coaster. I’m happy; I’m sad. I’m calm; I’m worried. I’m peaceful; I’m fearful. It’s an ongoing circle.

I like the way tears feel on my cheeks. I like listening to melancholy tunes. I like staring out a window at the silhouetted evening.

But I also love sunshine and crisp, autumn air.
I love the giggles of my niece and nephew and siblings.
I love happy music and laughing and celebrating life.
I love these things more.

I want to be Joy.
I want to be known by my smile.
But I’m human too, and so I struggle.

Is joy a constant state of happiness? Is it the art of smiling when you’d rather be crying? Is it a hug when you’re falling apart, and a lilting voice when the world becomes a dirge?

If it is, I can’t be that. Not all the time. I never will. Try as I must, I’ll never fully be my name.

And in admitting that, I’m content. God is joy. I’m not competing with Him.

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t do everything right. I cry sometimes. But I’m not afraid to fall on my knees and look to Heaven. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m broken inside. I’m not afraid to be honest and tell God that I don’t understand.

I want to be Joy.
I want to trust God.

There’s a gentle peace in my heart reminding me that even when I change, Yahweh never changes. He’s always there for me.

He is my joy.
And I want to share that joy with others.

Dido?

5 Things that Make Me Smile

March 5, 2015March 5, 2015 ~ Joy ~ Leave a comment

Sure there are many things that make me smile, but here are just five things in particular that brighten my winter:

A Snowy Neighborhood–Last week we got our first snow this winter here in Alabama. I love how snow changes the atmosphere, making it so peaceful and bright.

Good Friends—I love, love, love my friends, and I’m bountifully thankful that Yahweh has brought each and every one of them into my life. What a blessing! ❤

Hot Chocolate–This goes along with the snowy weather. After we played in the snow last week, I made hot chocolate for the fam. Since we rarely have hot chocolate, it’s a treat around our house. I savored the warmth. Winter never tasted so good.

Home by Josh Garrels–I am incredibly excited about this new album due to be released in early April by my all-time favorite artist. His music changes my life.

Today’s Burnt Pumpkin Pie–Because it reminds me that even when I have a super-productive day in the kitchen, I can still make mistakes, and that the best way to deal with it is to chop off the blackened crust and smile. Who needs the crust anyway?

How about you…What are some things that have brightened your winter? What makes you smile?

I Can’t Stop Listening to This Song

March 1, 2015March 7, 2015 ~ Joy ~ Leave a comment

Ever since last Wednesday, when I discovered Brandon Heath’s song “When You Look at Me,” I’ve listened to it every day (and sometimes several times a day).

The song feels like summer. And despite the fact that it was snowing outside my window, the imagery of redemption in the chorus resonated with my soul.:

It’s like I’m barefoot running through a golden field
Like a child that’s how you make me feel
Oh Lord when You look at me

It’s like I’m twelve feet tall without a care
Your forgiveness feels like floating on air
Oh Lord when You look at me

I love happy music that glorifies my Savior. It fills me with joy and reminds me of what Yahweh has done in my life.

It’s like the weight of the world falls off of me
And I can just be who You’ve made me to be
Oh Lord when You look at me

It makes me want to dance.

What’s one of your favorite happy songs?

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins (Recipe)

February 21, 2015 ~ Joy ~ 1 Comment

Strawberries hold many sweet memories for me.

One of my earliest strawberry memories goes back to when I was four years old. My great-uncle visited our home in Florida, bringing a bounty of fresh strawberries. We sat at the kitchen table and I feasted on plenty of those juicy red berries with him.

And then there’s the spring evening several years back when we invited some of our Alabama neighbors over for a cookout. We sat on the back porch and ate homemade strawberry shortcake topped with fresh whipped cream.

With strawberry shortcake on my mind once again, I made these muffins. They’re moist and slightly sweet with a hint of coconut.

They taste like memories.

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

Moist, wheat-free strawberry muffins with a hint of coconut.

Author: Joy

Yield: 18 Muffins

Ingredients

4½ cups oat flour (see notes below)
2 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
⅔ cup honey
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp coconut extract
⅓ cup flaked coconut
2 cups chopped frozen strawberries.

Instructions

Whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the coconut oil, sucanat, honey, and buttermilk. (It should be warm to the touch. This will keep the coconut oil from hardening when you mix it.)
In a large bowl, mix the warmed coconut oil mixture with the eggs, vanilla, coconut extract, and flaked coconut.
Blend in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chopped strawberries.
Line 18 muffin cups with muffin liners (or grease each cup with coconut oil). Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-23 minutes, or until golden and cracked.
These are delicious warm or cooled, but are better set after cooling.

Notes

Oat flour can be made by milling oats with a kitchen mill or by processing them in a food processor (or high-powered blender) until fine. I prefer to mill the oats with my kitchen mill, since that produces a finer flour, but either way will work.

The Art of Celebration

February 9, 2015March 7, 2015 ~ Joy ~ Leave a comment

I love Rend Collective’s latest album, The Art of Celebration. It inspires me to embrace my name.

I want to cultivate the art of celebration, being jubilant about what Yahweh has done in my life. I want to praise Him in the storm, even though my heart is breaking, because praising Yahweh shouldn’t happen just when I’m happy. Celebration shouldn’t explode only when I feel like it.

There are times when we cry.
There are times when our hearts break.

But that’s not the end of our story.
The end of our story is joy.

Sorrow may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Our God is bigger than bad times. He’s deeper than the aching of our hearts. He’s stronger than our fears.

He is our celebration.

Our greatest joy.

What is something you can celebrate today?

Blog of Joy

sharing the random joys of life