Issue 4: Joy
Jots & Tittles
The Onion
by Unknown Author
I was an onion before Christ set me free.
Layers upon layers of iniquity.
An ugly old onion whose fragrance was strong;
That my Jesus bought and loved all along.
Unknown to me what He was going to do.
Of what He was planning, I had not a clue.
Pulling each layer off one by one.
In order to make me more like Jesus the Son.
The first layer wasn't so bad.
I saw all the sins that I knew I had.
They were easy to fix, just change the way I talk.
And learn more of how He wanted me to walk.
Reading His Word, and learning again;
How to put aside my life of sin.
But the next layer was pulled which hurt more.
He was getting closer to the core.
Unknown what He would find there.
I simply gave it to Him in prayer.
As another layer was removed, He started to cry;
Pulling this layer brought pain to my Father on High.
And I was crying over the sadness I felt;
The brokenness and all of the guilt.
Past memories that I thought were gone;
But they were buried under layers disguised
in a fragrance so strong.
As onions peel more and more;
And they put tears in our eyes as we get close to the core;
So my father wept over my pain;
Giving me a balm of comfort and strength to sustain.
"NO MORE LAYERS." I would scream.
As he continued to peel them off of me.
"I'll have nothing left my Lord, what will I do?
I'll be nothing but a worthless core to you. "
But He just said "Trust me," and continued to peel
I was sure He was blinded to my pain that was so real.
Year after year I shrunk more and more;
Until all that was left of this onion was a core.
It was then that I began to understand;
As the Lord embraced me in His loving hand.
He said, now and only now can you be;
The creation that will minister before me.
Clothed with the righteousness only from above;
Gone are your layers of self so you can be filled with my love.
He took my layers of sin, hurt and pain;
And clothed me with love, truth and mercy in His name.
Yes, we are all onions, learning with each day;
How to overcome as each layer is taken away.
Some layers tear and pull at our heart;
While others grieve us to our innermost part.
But we are nothing but an ugly onion without Christ.
Layers upon layers of pride, sin and strife.
Only God can take those layers away.
And clothe us with His righteousness in that final day.
STEPPING STONES
Forwarded Message
The Lord Came to Me like a Dream One Day
And asked, "Why do you SORROW ?"
I answered, "Lord, My Life is so full of Pain,
I can't Face one more Tomorrow."
The Lord sat down Beside Me, and gently took My Hand.
He said, "Let me Explain to You and then You'll Understand."
Each SORROW is a Stepping Stone ;
You must Surmount each Day,
And every Stepping Stone You Climb
Is a SORROW that's Passed Away.
Every Stepping Stone You Climb,
Makes Spirit and Heart grow Strong.
Exercising Character and Faith
This Road seems Painful and Long.
The Way is Paved with Stepping Stones,
To Uplift Your Heart and Soul,
Though Difficult they Aid Your Way,
To a City Paved with Gold.
This Joy Is Just For You
If you only knew
If you only knew
The joy in store for you
Those who place their trust in GOD
This joy is just for you
This joy is just for you!
No greater love was His
He gave His life
For more than friends
He blessed the bread
He blessed the wine
And then He died
He blessed the bread
He blessed the wine
This joy is just for you!
Now in these later days
While we sing His praise
What have we in our hand
To thank this Son of Man
What have we in our hand
To thank this Son of Man?
If you only knew
If you only knew
The joy in store for you
Those who place their trust in Him
This joy is just for you
This joy is just for you!
Music & Lyrics by Pam Wiseman - 1998 2000
For Stay-At-Home-Moms
One step at a time.
Sometimes I search for the true meaning in my life…
Am I a mother, teacher, writer or wife?
Can I be all of this and more?
And can I do it perfectly?
I'm not sure. All I'm confident that I must do…
Is take one step at a time as God leads me to.
[Written for all us moms trying to make the right decision on staying at home.]
A Smile In My Pocket :)
I carry a smile in my pocket and joy in my heart.
I try to remember to take them out each day at the start.
If I forget….and sometimes I do... :(
My face looks funny and my spirit feels empty too.
You see these are gifts God gave me to use!!
These things He never meant for me to misplace or lose!!!
[Happiness, Joy, Bliss, Contentment
are all a state of the heart …
not circumstances of the mind.]
A Mother's Joy
from Eeyoreky2
Joy is… waking up to a small face in yours.
Joy is… crayon marks on walls and bedroom doors.
Joy is… a 3yr old with peanut butter and jelly.
Joy is… stretch marks and a protruding belly.
Joy is… little voices that repeat what you say.
Joy is… trying to do laundry when they wan you to play.
Joy is… a bath with lots of splashing and fun.
Joy is… knowing the dinner dishes are done.
Joy is… when he says he's mommy's little boy.
Joy is… when your attention is his favorite toy.
Joy is… choosing to be there for all the "little things".
Joy is… knowing I reached for and got the brass ring.
Joy is… the thought of them looking back on their memories and such.
And understanding Mommy wanted to stay home because she loved them that much.
Joy is… the opportunity God gave me when he gave me my boys…. Zachery, Tyler and Jacob Lee.
"Out of the Mouths of Babes"
The Bible from a Child's Perspective
from Liz in California
The following statements about the Bible were written by children and have not been retouched or corrected (I.E., bad spelling has been left in).
- In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off.
- Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree.
- Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark.
- Noah built an ark, which the animals come on to in pears.
- Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.
- The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with the unsympathetic Genitals.
- Samson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah.
- Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.
- Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.
- The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterward, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten ammendments.
- The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
- The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.
- Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.
- The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.
- David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.
- Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
- When Mary heard that she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.
- When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.
- Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.
- St. John, the blacksmith, dumped water on his head.
- Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you.
- He also explained, "a man doth not live by sweat alone."
- It was a miracle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.
- The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.
- The epistles were the wives of the apostles.
- One of the opossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.
- St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.
- A Christian should have only one spouse. This is called monotony.
A Joyful Note From Jenny
Editor's note: I was in email contact with a Christian woman who was a little down in the dumps. I suggested to her that she might think about writing a little article or something for this newsletter. Her response was heartwarming. And I think you might find it has an encouragement to do some writing of your own.
"Mary, Hello! Thinking about this little project and looking up scripture has been therapeutic today! I go to college on Tuesday and Thursday and my children are at a sitter's on those afternoons, so I had the quite time to spend with the Lord and look up some scriptures. I think I told you we were trying for baby #3 and we actually got pregnant, but I had a miscarriage so lately I have been kind of depressed. You don't know how much of a blessing your simple request was because it gave me a purpose for looking this up. I've been struggling with this very topic. So your request has been good for me!!! Here's what I came up with:
Are you weary? Are you burdened? Are you exhausted? Are you grieving? Is your heart filled with worry, pain, anger, hurt or sorrow? Christ tells us in...
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
In Nehemiah 8:10,11 we read that the JOY of the Lord is our strength.
I believe that we as the body of Christ must claim these scriptures for our lives. Let's not merely pay lip service to them. Satan would love to see a discouraged and powerless body of Christ. He loves to see us weary, burdened, exhausted, grieving, filled with worry, pain, anger, hurt and sorrow. It's in this state that we are powerless to fulfill the greatest command that Christ gave us. Matthew 28:19 states, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age."
Let us truly cast all our cares upon Christ and claim that the JOY of the Lord is our strength! Let us nail our burdens and worries on the cross where Christ took care of them. Let us not take them back from the Lord after we have given them over to Him. It is my hope that we as the body of Christ will be JOYFUL and remember this when we are tempted to be heavy hearted. May the JOY OF THE LORD be your strength!"
[P.S. Jenny and her husband are now proud parents of Baby #3… a healthy and beautiful son!]
NECESSARY STRUGGLES
from Sandra, California
I asked for Strength…
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom…
And God gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity…
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for Courage…
And God gave me Danger to overcome.
I asked for Love…
And God gave me Troubled people to help.
I asked for Favors…
And God gave me Opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted
I received everything I needed.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. May the desires of your heart come true and may you experience peace in everything you do. May goodness, kindness and mercy come your way and may you gain wisdom and grow in the Lord every day.
The Crocus
We grow because we struggle.
We learn and overcome.
We all smile in the same language
A Special Prayer for Special Friends
from Debbie, Arizona
I asked God to take away my pain.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.
I asked for God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
Her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is earned.
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me LOVE others as much as He loves me.
God said, Ahhh, finally you have the idea.
HEAVEN'S GROCERY STORY
Attributed to the Netherlands
As I was walking down life's highway Many years ago,
I came upon a sign that read, "Heaven's Grocery Store."
When I got a little closer, the Doors swung open wide
And when I came to myself I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels.
They were standing everywhere.
One handed me a basket and said, "My child shop with care."
Everything a human needed was in that grocery store.
And what you could not carry, you could come back for more.
First I got some Patience. Love was in that same row.
Further down was Understanding, you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom and Faith - a bag or two.
And Charity of course I would need some of that too.
I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost. It was all over the place.
My basket was getting full, but I remembered I needed Grace,
And then I chose Salvation for Salvation was for free
So I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me.
Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill,
For I thought I had everything to do the Master's will.
As I went up the aisle, I saw Prayer and put that in,
For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run into sin.
Peace and Joy were plentiful, the last things on the shelf.
Song and Praise were hanging near, so I just helped myself.
Then I said to the angel, "Now how much do I owe?"
He smiled and said, "Just take them everywhere you go."
"Really now, How much do I owe?"
"My child," he said, "God paid your bill a long time ago."
God's Boxes
I have in my hands two boxes
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold."
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be."
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they're all here with me,"
I asked, "God, why give me the boxes,
Why the gold, and the black with the hold?"
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go."
We should consider all of our friends a blessing.
Send this to a friend today just to let them know you are thinking of them and that they are a joy in your life: A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.
BEFORE THE DAWN
Before the dawn, this morning heard…
the free-will chirping of a bird.
And wondered of it's musical phrase
so crisp and clear, a song of praise.
Yet, all about was darkest night,
before the dawn, absent of light.
Soon my mind in thought, remembered
my life when in darkness, was living sin.
Absent of joy, nowhere found peace;
looking for answers, beg the tumult cease!
Before the dawn, absent of light,
surrounding darkness, insurmountable height
Was then that Jesus reached out HIS hand
and touched my heart, saved this drowning man.
Now Joy and Peace much abound within,
crisp and clear a song of praise to HIM…
who saved me from the darkened night,
granted forgiveness, what a beautiful sight
to grace this heart and give new birth;
for Jesus came to free the earth.
Thus in the morning, before the dawn
my free will offering, I'll join the song…
of praise to Jesus.
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