Tag Archives: Psalm 16:11

Learning to laugh

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Carol Burnett just received her Lifetime Achievement Award. What a well deserved honor! She and Tim Conway, and Red Skelton before them, committed their lives to making people happy. That’s not a bad legacy to leave, don’t you agree?

 

Life is serious business. But wholesome laughter is good medicine for our soul. And the bible has quite a bit to say about having a joyful spirit. One of the “fruits” of a spirit-filled life is joy. Joy should naturally blossom from the love God gives us to share with others. Do you know that God rejoices over you? We’re often so hard on ourselves, thinking we’re not good enough. But God has adopted us into his family and made us heirs of his kingdom. Regardless of how you feel, you might as well face the truth: God loves his children and is filled with joy over them, including you. Psalm 16:11 reminds us that there is joy in God’s presence. So why are we so eager to let everything else get in the way our most prized joy? The closer you grow to God, the more joy and fulfillment you will experience!

 

I like the expression in Psalm 126:2. “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” Can you help but smile when you recall how very many ways God has intervened to save and bless his people? Expecting God will show up in your day should bring certain joy and cause for celebration. I wonder how many small things we let frustrate us when a better response would be to laugh it off.  Solomon reminds us (Ecclesiastes 3:4), “there is a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” If the wisest man in all the world recognized this, shouldn’t we also join in the celebration of life? Only in the power of God can we rejoice in our trials. Only by the faithful promise of Jesus can we accept, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” Our troubles will not always plague us. He who catches our tears in a bottle will cause us to laugh again one day.

 

““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! (Some versions say, Be of good cheer!) I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

 

Learn to laugh more. Help others to laugh. If God is filled with joy and laughter, shouldn’t we be like him?

 

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” We can rejoice, because regardless of the burdens we face, because God Almighty sees us where we are, he stays with us always, and we will live in the house of the Lord forever! Be blessed in being filled with his joy and hope!

 

Watch Carol Burnett’s humble acceptance speech for her lifetime achievement award: http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/01/carol-burnetts-speech-at-the-sag-awards-is-gold.html

 

The Christmas gift of presence

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Are you getting ready for Christmas? Lots of people are! For most of us, it’s easy to be a Christian at Christmas. It’s easy to blend in with the holiday crowd and get caught up with the merry songs, colorful decorations, twinkling lights, the festivities and tidings of good cheer, and the tradition of giving and receiving gifts. And the baby. Who doesn’t love the news of a newborn baby?

 

For some in this world, it’s never easy to be a Christian. To bear the mark of Jesus is to invite hardship, persecution, torture, and even death. It’s not a popular Christmas theme, but it is at the very heart of the Christmas story, the story of the child who would come into our world for distinct purpose of dying for us. The baby was marked. And I wonder, are we? Do we bear the mark of a Christian or a mere holiday goer?

 

I’ve been made fun of and scoffed at for being Christian. But I have never experienced real persecution for my faith. Chances are, you haven’t either. We’ve dealt with politically correct school officials who insist on “winter solstice” concerts and store owners who compel their employees to wish us “happy holidays.” But (so far) it’s pretty easy to be a Christian in the western world.

 

It’s also easy to get caught up in the trappings of traditions, thinking we can’t have Christmas without the tinsel. Maybe you’ve thought, “We can’t have Christmas without (fill in the blank).” We got rid of all our Christmas decorations a few years back, anticipating our move to the mission field in South America. Cancer set those plans for a while. But we found the real celebration of Christmas in an undecorated hospital room. You too can find Christmas anywhere, if you look for it.

 

Imagine if there were no presents under the tree and even no tree. If you are apart from family and friends, are you able to unwrap the real meaning of Christmas? Can you see past Santa to find the Savior? If so, you can find the very best gift, the gift of God’s presence that shines deeply into your soul.

 

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

 

 

We have known great joys together

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“We have known great joys together. If Aslan gave me my choice I would choose no other life than the life I have had and no other death than the one we go to.”
(From The Last Battle, The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis)

The commonality of great books and inspiring quotes is that they speak to us in ways that both our mind and our heart recognize as having lasting and essential value. They cut through the distractions and frivolity of life and lead us into the presence of eternal truths. Like the life saving beacon of a lighthouse, they guide us through rough waters to the safe harbor God intends for us. They remind us our purpose is not to drift aimlessly through life, but to be guided by a secure and firm hope of living well and finding satisfaction in our journey’s end. Like the CS Lewis quote above, they keep us focused on living life honorably and without need for regret, because we have known great joys together. In this quote, the word ‘together’ refers to the Christ-character of Aslan. In our life, it is the joy of sharing in the joy of Christ himself; the same Christ who freely offers to live in the hearts and lives of his followers.

I hope you will take time today to celebrate the joys of living well, with God and with others, so that we may one day die well too and enter a new prosperous life that lasts forever. How else will your light shine in the world?

“You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Psalm 16:11

Three Week Update – Joy on the Path of Struggle

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Several people have been asking how I am progressing post stem cell transplant. God has been so good to us. I passed my first follow up appointment with flying colors. So well, that instead of 2-3 appointments per week, they are satisfied with seeing me weekly at this point and will back off to every two weeks, then monthly.

My white blood count, including the infection fighting neutrophils are at the low end of the NORMAL range and the other blood cells are slowly increasing. This demonstrates that my donor cells are working! Of course, these cells are not fully mature, and don’t offer full immunity protection. But I expect them to progressively mature and multiply as they have already started.

My difficulty with swallowing is nearly healed, though I need to be careful with rougher foods. The GI tract may take some time to heal as will the painful chemo ‘burns’ on my hands and other areas. But overall, it seems I am well ahead of the curve, even with tiring days like yesterday and today.

As we’ve written earlier, pain demands attending to. But often it is our choice how we perceive it and how much we let it control us. A lesson I learned thirty years ago is that ministering and reaching out to others in need diminishes the focus on our own painful situation, be it physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual. (I am constantly reminded of how much I still need to improve in this.) Cultivating a real relationship with the Spirit Jesus gave us is of infinitely greater value in coping with limitations, frustrations, anxiety, and pain. Author Sarah Young writes:

“Keep your eyes on (Jesus), not only for direction but also for empowerment. I never lead you to do something without equipping you for the task. That is why it’s important to seek My will in everything you do.”

If my pain and struggle were exactly the same, yet I didn’t have this eternal truth, I can assure you my experience would not be nearly so optimistic. Yet with this truth, a measure of joy is revealed on the same path of the struggle. It is available to you too.

Thanks to everyone who is praying for us and encouraging us.

“You have made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11