All tagged joy
As I incorporated reverence into my practice, I began to recognize the presence of God. Yes, there was overwhelming need and sadness in this critical care hospital but in the midst of it all, if I stopped to be still and practice reverence, I witnessed how God was at work in this place.
The road to the fullest possible joy is a path of obedience containing opportunities to follow that are contrary to human nature and turns opposite of which people often imagine themselves taking.
Focusing on our future selves is certainly a biblical concept. For instance, Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” This passage encourages believers to think beyond immediate concerns and focus instead on eternal values and future promises.
The Trinity put on flesh through Jesus’s birth, and when you show up as Jesus On You, that moment becomes an uncontaminated image, purely the companionship of Jesus.
So share good news! Do it whenever you have the opportunity. And trust God to be at work in people’s hearts and lives, including your own.
As we wean ourselves off the holiday season, there is a part of me that wonders what it would be like to embody year-round the excitement of the season that celebrates the birth of Jesus.
There is no doubt that chaplaincy has its own share of challenges. But I have found that often our assumptions about the work of chaplaincy and the actual work of a chaplain are often quite different.
Hope is the thing. Not wishful thinking about a job raise or whether your football team will win, but Hope as the Christian vision for the living of our days.
Someone says a punch line, and instantly a loud, boisterous ruckus erupts. Before you know it, your side is splitting, and tears are running down your face. The sound is loud, free, and pure joy.
Tabitha obviously served with love, and that love was sensed by those who were beneficiaries. She lived out her faith in a tangible way that blessed others.
Rather than a single Resurrection Sunday, Easter is an entire season in which Christians explore new life containing eight weeks total.
As Epiphany wafts past today, let’s not miss the magnitude of the message through the Magi: the gospel is for all.
When we would rather erase the previous period of time rather than reflect on it, it may be that burnout, fatigue, or just plain discouragement is impeding our ability to feel anticipation or excitement about the future.
At my workplace, we have a jar with the phrase “good vibes” emblazoned on the side. Next to the jar are colorful strips of paper and a pen.
When at a crossroads, not knowing whether to go to the right or to the left, trust the voice of God who says, “Here is my way; walk in it.”
As the created world hosts humanity, we have much to learn from the soil, from the seeds. Stretching toward the light, cultivated hearts propagate God’s mission.
Our intrepid narrator is Emmett, and there is nothing special about him at all. What makes Emmett such wonderful company is that he is delighted with the world. (Fiction)
I am thankful we have forthright, get-to-the-point early Christian leaders like James to remind us of the key to it all.
Ministry requires us to build some walls in order to survive. But one of the walls we must build is that of joy.
