Joy Comes in the Morning

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Since this winter there has been one promise from the Bible that has stuck with me and come to mind more than any other:  "...pain may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning."  Psalm 30:5

 God has sent it to me during many personal situations, as well as in times when I should share it with others who are struggling.  It fills me with hope that I do not have to stay down in the dumps.  When I put my faith in His promises that there is good to come, it never fails.  Then when I have been through the battle, I have a testimony that I can use to encourage others when they are down.  I hate the trials when they happen, but I am so thankful for the lessons they teach me, strength I gain from overcoming, and opportuinities to share with others that they give me.

 

add lyrics by Newsboys in Your Love Never Fails

Sometimes joy comes in the most unexpected or simple ways.  This picture, for example, was taken one morning before school when I had had a really rough morning at home.  I was starting the day off in a really bad mood!  As I pulled into my neighborhood friend's driveway to pick her up for Bible Study, my heart was lifted at this beautiful sight.  It was just a blessing to see these cute little cows grazing behind her house as the sun was rising.  It may sound silly, but at that moment, it made my day.

This was during the region 3200 race that I won for the second year in a row.  This spring was a rough one for me because of school stress and so much more, but the joy of the Lord always kept me going!  Even when I would have a bad race or practice, I could always find strength to keep on trucking.

Two different years, two different uniforms, two different locations, one goal and One God.

If you want to hear a little more about these two pictures from region this year, let your mouse take a detour for a minute.

There is this awesome social media account that I've mentioned before called Daily Bible Verses that you should check out on instagram and Twitter!  I have found so much encouragement from the verses and quotes shared on there and I am sure you will find something that speaks to you, too.  I also think it is great to have positive things like this included in your news feed so that it helps keep your mind fresh while you also look at the other things you follow.

***As a matter of fact, this is just one awesome and totally current example of how God is always working in our lives!  I love to experiece these moments, and love sharing about them, too!  As I was typing this post, I went to the DBV instagram page so that I could copy and paste the hyperlink, and look what the most recent picture was:

Is that crazy or what?!  God never ceases to amaze me.

This one was posted by DVB a while back.

klove's instagram page also posts lots of similar quotes and verses of enocouragement.

 

There is also a song that gets stuck in my head whenever I think of this verse.  It is so upbeat and makes me want to dance!  It's called Your Love Never Fails by the Newsboys.

Here's just a sample of the lyrics:

 

I know I still make mistakes
You have new mercy for me everyday
'Cause Your love never fails

You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night
But joy comes in the morning

...

And when the oceans rage
I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
Your love never fails

You make all things work together for my good

 

Back in the spring when I found this picture, it inspired this post.  It also gave me the idea to make my own version of this picture, because I love my morning coffee!   Earlier this week, I decided that now was the time.  I was going to stop putting it off for "another day" and was determined that I was going to get it done!

Here is my homemade morning joy:

Jesus

coffee

vanilla bean espresso almond butter pancake

 

No matter how restless a night may be, painful or discouraging a day you've had, daunting the tasks behind or ahead, each day is a new one, and God promises that He will uplift and renew your spirits if you simply surrender your mind to His peace.

 

Do it Now

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Apparently, God is sending me messages to stop dilly-dallying around so much.  Over the past week in my daily devotion, and now today in my Bible Study by Anne Graham Lotz, those words, "Do it now" keep appearing!

Yesterday I also had Mandisa's song Waiting for Tomorrow stuck in my head.

 

"Can't live my whole life wastin'
All the grace that I know You've given
'Cause you've made for so much more than
Sittin' on the sidelines
I don't wanna look back and wonder
If good enough could've been better
Everyday's a day to start over
So, why am I waiting for tomorrow"

 

Really, why do we sit around so much when we know there are things that need to be done?  Especially when those things are for Christ and His other children?  Because we are human, and life is difficult and busy.  The longer we wait, the less likely we are to do anything.  I know this from experience!

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."  Ephesians 5:15-17

What a Rainy Day...

For the second day in a row, I was woken up by my cat, Sophie,  That's okay, though, because I needed to get up and get going!  I finished my workout around noon, and fixed this omelette for brunch!

I need some work on my omelette-making, but I wanted to try today to work out some things to improve on.  I will use the smaller skillet instead of the large next time, and I will use less filling.  Then it should go together better instead of spilling out all sides.

My filling here is:

hummus

goat cheese

red bell pepper

jalepenos

onion

turkey sausage

mustard

salsa

spinach

celery

black pepper, dill mix, and cilantro

One thing I was really looking forward to doing over break is having more time to study my Bible!  I have, though not as much as I would like (you can never get enough of God's Word!).  This devotion book has one for each day, staring with January 1st.  It was a birthday gift to me from my friend Abby Mitchell (so many Abby's!), and I started it with the new year!  I think it will be a great challenge to me, because it has deeper language used, like the King James Version, but I am always up for growing in my knowledge of the Lord!  Since I am still using birthday gifts, this could go great with my "Putting My Birthday Presents to Good Use" post.

There is also a daily, online version of My Utmost for His Highest.