Friday Post

 I hope y'all have had a great week, and I hope God has done something BIG in all of your hearts. Joy is such a major part of our lives as believers in Christ. I found this great reminder on Pinterest this week and loved it! I think I'm going to print this and frame it!

{via}

Happy Friday friends, and I hope your weekend is wonderful

--------------------------------------------------------------

Savannah

Joy: Savannah’s Story

While I (Savannah) was pondering on what I wanted to write this week, I asked my husband his thoughts on joy. He simply said, “Joy is something that can’t be shaken by outside events.” I sat there very impressed with his wisdom, and it immediately got the wheels turning.

Throughout my life I have always been very involved in my church. I went to the same church from the time I was born until I went to college. I was there every time the doors opened, and I loved being there more than anything. A big reason why I loved church was because of my friends, and my boyfriend also went there. I met him when I was in 7^th grade and we were together until our senior year.  He not only was my boyfriend, he was my best friend. For a long time I just knew that was who I was going to marry.

However, towards the end of my senior year, I didn’t feel like it was right. I felt like we had begun acting more like friends, and I knew I was meant to have more. I began to pray about it and I really felt like God wanted me to move on. It was a very difficult decision to make because he was what I knew and I was so comfortable with how life was going. Everything made sense when you looked at it from the outside, but I knew that it wasn’t what God has planned for my life any longer. I prayed and prayed and I was obedient.

It’s really amazing what God does in your life when you’re obedient. He eventually brought an amazing man into my life. Yes, that would be my husband. All of the things that didn’t feel right in my previous relationship felt right in this one. Josh was everything I had always dreamed of. Everything fell into place and God showed up big time!

Throughout all of the life changes that happened, something was always there. Because my trust was in Jesus, the JOY in my life was steady. IT WAS NOT SHAKEN BY THE OUTSIDE EVENTS. Even when I was scared and sad that I was loosing my best friend, I had JOY in my life. I knew that God always provided, and I knew I could trust in Him.

I think that as believers in Christ, we are so blessed to always have something that gives us JOY. We can always depend on Him for anything. How amazing is that? He’s not going anywhere! What more could we ask for from our King?

I know that many times it feels like God is not going to show up, but I can promise you that if you pray consistently and with great expectation, He will never disappoint you.

--------------------------------------------------------

Pray today that God will fill you with JOY that can’t be shaken. Thank Him that you always have Him there to talk to and find comfort in. Thank Him for the JOY that He brings you every single morning.

--------------------------------------------------------

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but JOY comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5

-------------------------------
Savannah

Joy: Jamie's Story

From the time I was born until about Kindergarten my family was extremely involved with church and we were there all of the time. At some point our pastor left and my parents decided it was time for us to find a new church as well. We never found another church. We became professional church hoppers. Then we just quit trying at all. If we went to church it was because it was one of those random weeks that my parents felt bad that we weren't in church anymore. Every time we would go I would secretly wish that we would go again the next weekend. I would see girls from my school and see how happy they were during worship. I wanted to be just like them. I wanted to sing the songs, but I was too embarrassed. What if someone saw me? They all know what I've done, I can't be a "church girl".
I lived with this belief inside of me for a very long time that I wasn't good enough for church. God didn't have time for someone like me.
I was a cheerleader, I was popular, I had a lot of friends.. yet I was always longing for that relationship with Jesus. I just didn't have anyone around me striving for the same thing. This made it very difficult. I fell into sin after sin until it just became who I was.
I was that girl.
That was me and there was nothing I could do about it.
I had no self-worth, I was a hopeless fool....

Fast forward into Senior year of high school. I had been working at a restaurant for about a year and had made some great friends. One of the girls I met invited me to this thing called "Young Life". I had heard of it before and knew it was some sort of "church thing". This girl went to a different school than myself so I wasn't expecting to see anyone I knew there, but I was wrong.. there were A LOT of people there that I knew...people just like me! I remember having so much fun and wanting to go back the next week. I went back week after week. Eventually I started dating a guy that I was friends with who was there the first week I went. He invited me to go to church with him, and before I knew it God was transforming my life before my eyes. All it took was that first time and I was hooked. I was meeting so many great friends. It was the craziest feeling in the world, but I knew that it was what I wanted to do. It was so tough because I felt like I was living a double life. I had my school friends and then I had my church friends. Even though it was hard and I was really worried that my friends at school would think I was weird and crazy I knew that I wanted to keep pursuing the Lord because I could feel him pursuing me.

It felt like over night that I went from being a crazy, popular, care free cheerleader to a bible reading-worship singing-prayer warrior-jesus freak. and I couldn't have been happier. It's like I knew that this was what I was missing in my life but up until this point I just didn't have the resources to get myself there. It's amazing who God puts in your life.
And it's amazing how powerful prayer is. I can remember praying SO HARD to God that I could just let go and give my life to him. I wanted this, I knew I did, but I was starting to get scared. Over time and with the great guidance from my new found church friends I completely surrendered my life to Christ and it is still the best decision I have ever made.

The Summer after Senior year is what I like to refer to as my born-again summer.
I made some AMAZING friends. I grew so much in my faith and even got baptized!
I will NEVER forget that moment.
Such freedom.
Pure JOY.

After the summer was over I headed off to college.

I lived with 3 girls that I knew from high school.

This was the best decision I could have made for myself against everyone else's better judgement. I knew God was challenging me to stand firm and to be obedient to Him. I know that He was with me every step of the way that year.

I learned how to really lean on God. In the good times and the bad. I learned how to obey and honor Him with every decision I made.

After a year and a half I decided to end my relationship. I knew that this was what God wanted for me. Even though it was a tough decision I knew it was right. God promised He would take care of me and provide me with a man who would be my husband someday.

And take care of me He did. I had never depended on the Lord like I did the two weeks after our breakup.

Two weeks later God provided for me just like He had promised.

He allowed Adam and I to cross paths again after three years and fall in love.

He also provided a new living situation (and just for the record, I still do not regret living with those girls, I love them a lot and am still friends with them it just wasn't where I needed to be). I have now lived with McKinley for the last three years, and Katie the last two. Two amazing, Christian girls, who have helped me SO much! I am SO thankful for their friendship.

God also provided me with my Jessie Bear. I have never felt so connected to someone in my life. God knew what He was doing when he introduced us ;-)

Time and time again God has provided me with the things I've needed.

To this day I am still madly, deeply, forever in love with Jesus.

I have NO SHAME about my past. He has washed me clean. 

I know my God will come through, always. 

My life is filled with so much happiness and Joy because I am best friends with God. I am still SO thankful that He met me where I was and brought me back to Him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy."~Psalm 30:11

"But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me."~Psalm 13:5

"With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation"~Isaiah 12:3

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."~Luke 11:9

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My prayer for you, sweet friends, is that you will live a life filled with joy, that you will trust in Jesus always and know that if you knock He will answer. God is pursuing you, He wants you to stay in His presence. 

And now a song that encourages you to always trust that God will bring JOY to your life..no matter what you are facing, God will come through!

Joy: Jessica's Story

Ever depended on someone or something to try and fill the emptiness inside? Throughout high school I was constantly seeking something to fill me with happiness. From the outside my life looked pretty perfect, I had all the "cool" friends, varsity football cheerleader, I made good grades, and yes I was pretty much that "preppy girl" you got it ; however, I was constantly seeking happiness and approval from what the world wanted of me and not seeking God. 

I was in a relationship with a guy from my sophomore year until midway through my senior year, and it was not healthy. The relationship was my way of dealing with the uneasiness and loneliness that ate away at my heart, and I found that my relationship was a temporary fix to those awful feelings. However, I was investing my broken and unhealed heart with this guy, which is TOTALLY wrong on my part. During this relationship I got caught up with partying, which became another way of dealing with my emptiness. Obviously, the relationship was not built on the right foundation and eventually it ended. Things took a swing for the worst, my Dad unexpectantly died my senior year of high school. I will never forget that dreadful morning that my Mom and Grandmother awoke me to tell me the deepest and most sickening news that I had ever heard. After my Father's death I was filled with complete darkness, and I rejected my family's help. I grew very distant from my Mom. I dealt with the pain by avoiding the thoughts about my Father's death.  During this time I was very lost, and I was completely consumed with pain that I was trying to subside through guys. I was broken and so lost that I was longing for someone to simply love me; however, God was right there waiting on me with open arms ready to show me that He loved me more than anyone or anything. I just did not get it. 

By the end of my senior year of high school, I met an amazing Christian guy. I was in no place to start a relationship, however; we did start dating. His family invested into my life, and I would attend church with his family as well. I grew a lot within myself, but I was still broken from my father's death and I was still carrying the sins from my past, which were heavy on my shoulders. However, I was on the edge of understanding that I did not have to carry the weight of my past regrets, but I never fully surrendered to God because I felt ashamed and unworthy of a relationship with Christ. The summer of 2009 my boyfriend's father died of massive heart attack, which really rocked my foundation. I was broken because I loved my boyfriend's father, but I was also hurting for their entire family. I wanted to jump inside each of them and take all the pain away because I knew exactly how they were hurting and longing for him. By January 2010, our relationship had became very complex because of the deep emotions that were going on within him and myself. 

So there I was stuck, VERY STUCK, and confused. . . I looked back to my old journal and found this entry from February 2010,

"I want a stronger relationship with you (God) !! I want to find myself, but I am scared to be alone. I need your strength and guidance. Please help me!"

I wanted out of my misery very badly, and maybe you are in that place right now?! Well let me give you some advise, DON'T DOUBT GOD because he is right there with YOU, and in Colossians 2:5 we find, "for though I am absent form you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is."
 He was with me in the midst of my dark days, but I was so focused on the negativity of my past that I was very prone to just give up.  God delights in your strong faith, and all you have to do is rest assured that you will make it through the dark because he is with you. The moment that you are going to fail is when you start resisting him, and when you jump away from his arms into the darkness you will trip and fall.  

I remember being very conflicted during those months about things in my life; however, I wrote,

"God I want to give thanks to you. I am sitting here because you gave your one and only Son to come and save me and everyone from their sins!! I am forever grateful." 

So there you have it, I had a breakthrough with God and trusted him. I started the devotional "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore, and that was the last entry in my journal for awhile. I fell apart once again because I did not have strong support system, I felt ashamed to talk to anyone about my past and I did not feel like I would ever fit in with the "goody-goody Christians" yes, those were my thoughts!! 

I was not seeing the light and  the evil one had a strong grasp on me, and I jumped right out of God's arms straight into the darkness of the party scene. There are many times I remember being SOOO incredibly empty and mad at myself even though I was in the midst of a ton of people having a "great" time at a party or bar. I was a mess, and eventually I found myself at rock bottom and knew that I had to figure out how to get out of this lifestyle.

I started attending Athens Church in January 2011, and my journaling began again. I wrote, 

"God, I pray that you help me to create a stronger relationship with you. Help me to move past my regrets and mistakes and give me hope for the future. I am now yours and I want you to guide me and protect me from all evil things and people. Help me to always be JOYFUL"

 So that is my story and to God be the glory because he saved me, and in the bible Colossians 3:9-10 it says, "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator"!

JOY is abounding in my heart. . . 

I am in love with JESUS CHRIST, and this love fills me completely (answered prayer). So therefore, I am no longer constantly searching for something or someone to fill the emptiness inside of me.

I completed the "Breaking Free" study by Beth Moore and it changed my life radically. I gained a deep understanding that the regrets and pain of my past no longer had to hold me captive. Slowly, I began pouring out everything to God and asking for forgiveness. I also forgave myself. 

I have many wonderful Christian friends (answered prayer) that I am SO thankful for. I believe that God is using each and everyone of them to push me forward in my faith. Having a strong community of believers helps to keep you accountable and they are there for encouragement. 

I am giving back to God through leadership at Athens Church. I am a 6th grade Transit leader, and I am so thankful to be a part of these girl's lives. My passion lies in helping these girls develop a strong and personal relationship with Christ. Two of my girls gave their life to christ at our retreat in September, and I was completely consumed with an immense amount of JOY! 

I still struggle and my life is not fear or worry free, but I am building a foundation on Christ's solid rock. I find strength through reading the bible, and I cannot get enough of reassurance and wisdom from it. I find that talking with with my friends about my faith helps me to grow, and I also depend upon them for support. Another way that my strength in my faith is built is through and constant prayer and journaling. I am a much more positive and joyful person all because Jesus Christ lives within me. This is the life that you want because it is so full of joy that it will knock you off your feet !!!!!

_______________________________________________________________ 

My Challenge

1. Give into God and put your trust in him. His plan is greater for your life than you can truly envision. He loves you and those past regrets are not going to keep you from his love and they joy that can come alive inside of you.
Romans 8:38-39 

"For I am convinced that neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" 

2.Start reaping good and uproot all the negativity and bad influences in your life. 

In Romans 6:21-22 we find, "What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

3. Figure out what you are depending on to fill you with happiness ?
Whatever it may be, I can promise you that it does not compare to the love Jesus can ignite inside of you. That fire and passion will burn in you, which will keep you striving positively forward with a joyful heart.

______________________________________________________

With SO much Love,

Jessica 

Joy: Nicole's Story

This week on the blog is all about JOY, the second fruit of the spirit. We will each be sharing our own experiences with joy this week and I (Nicole) am happy to be kicking this week off. My story starts in the pit. But, oh girls, am I glad it doesn't end there. I know that many if not most of you will understand my story because most of us have been in our own pit a time or two. When it all boils down, each of our pits look just the same; dark, dirty, hopeless, scary, and chain-filled. But, the things that get us in the pit, or the experiences we have while there differs from person to person. 

I can't really tell you what got me into this pit in the first place except the lies of the evil one.  After the holiday season 2010, I returned back to my college town to an empty apartment and an even emptier heart.  The loneliness I felt in this season completely engulfed my life.  I made the pit my home and decided that I wouldn't be encouraged no matter what.  No, I didn't consciously choose to be discouraged, but I know that you must consciously CHOOSE joy, and I did not.  I allowed the devil to speak negatively into my life over and over and over.

You're not good enough.

You're a terrible friend.

You aren't worth pursuing.

You can't ever get anything right.

You are utterly and completely not worth it.

For months and months I chose to believe bits and pieces of these lies at different times.  I would get caught up in sin because I allowed these lies to become truth in my life.  As I started to let go of the loneliness, I held harder to the sins that met me in the pit.  

Anger

dis-contentedness

resentment

disobedience

gossip

slander

Throughout the past few months, God has been working in me and addressing some of the sins I have found myself in; some because of the pit, and some not.  He has pushed and encouraged me to LET GO of the things that have entrapped me, but the negative words of the evil one have continued to ring in my ears.

"You're not good enough."
"Who are YOU that God would love a person like YOU?"


I was so embarrassed to return back to the Lord.  Where do I, a sinner by choice, have a place in front of the Lord's throne?  I kept hearing a quiet whisper to return, because He said that he loved me anyways.  I was reminded that he loved me because it was his nature to love, not because of my own actions.


In Deuteronomy 7, Moses is reminding Israel of this very truth.  This is what he tells them is verses 7-9:


"God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important-the fact is, there was almost nothing to you.  He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors.  God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt.  Know this:  God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon.  He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations."


Oh, what relief this brings to my heart.  God choose me in the darkest moments of my life, not because I was worthy, but because He loves me that much.  He broke the chains of my disobedience and stepped in and saved me from the slavery I had sold myself into.


I can depend on him.


For the longest, I found my security in others.  And, girls, I can promise you that there is NO joy when you depend on others for it.  But, God is a God we can depend on (v.9).  When I finally choose obedience instead of disobedience and when I came to a place in my heart where I looked to him alone to fulfill me, I found joy.  Verses like these in Deuteronomy have given me such peace and freedom.  Yes, God wants me to be obedient to Him and live a life that honors him, but on the days that I fail and I fall down again, He still loves me.


WOW! With that truth in mind, how can we NOT have joy?  My joy came when I allowed the Lord to free me from the bondage I had found myself in.  Joy, for me, is understanding (in my tiny, human brain) who God is.  He is a loving, true, dependable God who loves regardless of our actions. Joy does NOT have to be sucked from our lives just because we've sinned.  Romans 3:23-24 says, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins."  Yes, we've fallen short, but God still declares us righteous.  Christ died so that we may know what freedom feels like.  He WANTS us have joy.  


My challenge for you today is to reflect on your life and see if you've truly experienced the joy that the Lord wants you to have.  Are you still chained to your past mistakes?  Ask the Lord to remove those chains.  
Taste freedom.  Feel joy.


Questions or comments about my story?  Email me at fearlessbloginhim@gmail.com


----------------------------------
Nicole