Love & Kindness....

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've heard the phrase..."Joy, your just too nice...you care too much about others & let them take advantage of that." I mean, I heard it the other day. So my question to you is do you think there is such a thing as being too nice? Do you believe there is such a thing? After all, as Christians we are called to love others with a Christlike love.

I want to show people love no matter what the cost. I want to change their lives because of it. I want people to see love & acceptance who have never seen it before. If that is how my sweet Jesus chooses to use me then so be it. Even if it means getting nothing in return. I'm learning it's not about me. It's about others & getting to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them by showing them His love & kindness.

Mark 12:30-31

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

Have Your Way...

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy & peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

Feels like I've been here forever,
Why can`t you just intervene?
Do you see the tears keep falling?
And I'm falling apart at the seams.
But you never said the road would be easy,
But you said that you would never leave.
And you never promised that this life wasn`t hard,
But you promised you`d take care of me.

So I`ll stop searching for the answers,
I`ll stop praying for an escape,
And I`ll trust you,God, with where i am,
And believe that you will have your way.
Just have your way.
Just have your way.

When my friends and my family have left me,
And I feel so ashamed and so cold.
Remind me that you take broken things
And turn them into beautiful.

So I`ll stop searching for the answers,
I`ll stop praying for an escape,
And I`ll trust you, God, with where i am,
And believe that you`ll have your way.
Just have your way.
Just have your way.

Even if my dreams have died,
And even if i don`t survive,
I`ll still worship you with all my life.
My life.

And I`ll stop searching for the answers,
I`ll stop praying for an escape,
And I`ll trust you, God, with where i am,
And believe that you will have your way.
Just have your way.
Just have your way.

Have Your Way by: Brit Nicole

New Study....

Never done this Beth Moore study before but have heard amazing things about it. I'm excited to see how The Lord is going to use it in my life!

At This Moment...

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crookedly lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...
I never leave Your hands

Your Hands By: JJ Heller

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

GiGL Fun!

We've been having LOTS of fun in GiGL these past few weeks......

Round Up Weekend....

Laughter....

Creating our very own sheep!

1, 2, 3...Aim!

Worship Unraveled.....

Appearing LIVE in GiGL right now.....

Our preschoolers are learning all about worship right now with a little help from our sheep band The Herd! All of the Bible stories we are teaching are based on David the ultimate worshiper!

Keep Your Head Up...

Yesterday I listened to two one of Steven Furdick's sermons & can I tell you it met me right where I am? I'd encourage you to podcast it when you have some time. This series has been based out of the Psalms and on David. I LOVE this because it's what we are teaching our preschoolers about in GiGL right now. Worship. Just wanted to share with you some of the points he made that hit home to me.

The sermon was titled Keep Your Head Up & was based out of Psalm 3. Key verse: Psalm 3:3 "But You are a shield around me OH LORD; You bestow glory on me & lift up my head."

Many times when we feel like we have been betrayed by someone in our life we take that burden on us & give it major control. We let it consume us. We want justice & we want it now & what The Lord can use in your life as a blessing can turn into an ugly, evil root of anger & bitterness. Waiting for someone to apologize can be a very long process & you know what it may never come. Praise The Lord we serve a God who is just and will make everything right in His sweet time. Then he said something that The Lord used to speak directly to my heart. Even though I didn't want to hear it. Isn't that always the case y'all? "When we embrace God's purpose the thing that they did to you or hurt you can be the greatest thing God uses to get you to to where He wants you to go-to do what He needs to do in you."

Oh. My. Stars. Steven Furdick....did you really just say that! Can I just say that The Lord has a funny sense of humor.

Maybe, just maybe He's using that hurt to move you to the next step but first you have to be willing to embrace His plan. His sweet & perfect plan. Stop trying to figure it out & accept it for what it is. Forgive. Let Him heal your heart & turn that yuck into something good.