“Gratitude produces deep, abiding joy because we know that God is working in us, even through difficulties.” ~Charles Stanley I recently attended a concert where I sang at high volume and clapped my hands for a full two hours straight, accompanied by drums, guitars, vocals and a fiddle along with confetti and bright flashing lights - now that's a great description of JOY!  We might not imagine the face of Jesus when we think of joy, but He is the creator of joy.  He wants us to experience His joy in this life and He wants us to know that joy comes from Him.   W orship the Lord of Joy Lord, this world shouts at us about all the ways we can find joy, when really we must come to You as the source of the purest and highest sense of true joy. Fill me with Your joy today! John 15:9-11 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.   If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's ...

                                        Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, — St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer Where does God dwell? Our God, who is invisible to the human eye, who is larger than life, the infinite, eternal God, where can we find Him? Is His presence confined to heaven or maybe to the church buildings? Wherever He can be found, that is where I want to be. I long to be in His presence, to sense His nearness and to know Him as closely as if I were dwelling in His home. God is omnipresent, which means He is always present, never far from us. We can pray to Him wherever we are and we can commune with Him anywhere. Not only does God invite us to join Him in His dwelling place, to draw near to Him in...

  “Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”  Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! — Thomas O. Chisholm Throughout the scriptures, we see God making covenants and promises to His people as He declares His purposes that will be seen through the people He has chosen. We can look back and see how God fulfilled His promises with Abraham and with the people of Israel again and again. He is a faithful God and if He says it, He will do it. God will never leave our side and He will not give up on us no matter what challenge we are facing. However there are many promises that took hundreds of years to be fulfilled and even in our own lives, we may have to wait to see God's plan and His purpose in our pain. H...

  God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest path to Himself. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer No matter what stage of life you find yourself in today, you will always be making decisions, making choices, and seeking next steps. Whatever concern is on your mind right now, you can seek guidance and wisdom from the One true Wise God. Isaiah 30:21 says Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice  behind you, saying, “This is the way;  walk in it.” May the desire of our hearts be to have open ears that will hear His voice guiding us.  W orship the All Wise God Lord, Your wisdom is so much more than I could ever understand - I fall to my knees in worship of the only One who understands the minutia and the infinitude of this universe! Your thoughts are beyond what I could ever imagine or understand. I long to know You more, to understand even just a tiny bit of Your thoughts an...