Category: joy

At Rest: Free from Anxieties

 
 
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
(Mark 1:12-13 ESV)
 
 
As I enter the fifth week of Lent, I wonder how Jesus felt as He endured the last weeks of His stay in the desert. Those forty days, where the Spirit carried Him out to a desolate place, the place where He was tempted by the devil. Did Jesus know it was going to be a forty day experience? He had to be hungry, tired and anxious for the time to be over. Was He tempted to walk out of the desert? What kept Him there? What keeps me stayed on this Lenten journey?
 
I find the duration of Lent less engaging than Advent. Advent lends itself to much anticipation. Lent lingers and opens up my soul to lament. Even though I have been focusing more on a “honeymoon” attitude this year, basking in His love, the reality of Jesus’ suffering on the way to the cross haunts me, places me in a somber mood.
 
Although we are no longer under the actual shadow of the cross, we feel its burden. And yet we can rejoice, because we are living in the light of His resurrection.This dichotomy of His death and resurrection, simultaneously causes me grief and joy.
 
Bear with me in this angst of soul, I want to come with tidings of great joy. Yet the message of the gospel embodies both death and life, in that Jesus died and Jesus lives, so I must grapple with both. And I am most thankful that He asks me to remember both, not just one or the other.
 
I confess that I am tempted to gloss over the rough days ahead as we anticipate the week of  Jesus’ passion, (passion comes from the Latin word for suffering) and I desire to go directly to the glories of the resurrection. But there is wisdom in mourning, as it leads to comfort.
 
So I will rest with my Beloved, and recall His grief, as well as His triumph over death.
 
 
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 NIV)
 
Posted on by kelrohlf 2

Leaning, Leaning, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

The eye is the lamp of the body.
If your eyes are good,
your whole body will be full of light.
(Matthew 6:22 NIV)


I had a little scare this morning. My vision was impaired. I felt like darkness was closing in on me. I told my husband, and thought we might end up in urgent care before the morning was over. In a panic I called my sister, who is a nurse, and she suggested I eat something. In minutes, my vision was restored.

But in those moments, when I was losing my sight (that’s how it felt) I was quite terrified, and cried out to the Beloved to heal me. And He did. Apparently, darkening vision is a effect of low blood sugar. After breakfast, I decided to curl up on the couch, watching the snow softly fall, and asked my Beloved:

What kind of honeymoon is this? I thought we were going to go explore the town and write and have a grand adventure.

My expectations and reality don’t always merge the way I might like.

So here, the Beloved, once again encouraged me to be still. To spend the day at home with Him, just listening, watching and capturing moments. So after I regained my strength, I nested.

Here are some captured moments from my camera this morning. I think with the vision scare, I wanted to use my eyes.

These snapshots are my way of saying “Thank You” to Jesus for good eyes. Oh, how He loves you and me!

 
“Joy is always a promise.”
(Madeline L’Engle)

 

 
Quiet Listening Music.

 

 
Our cat who insists on stealing MY thinking chair.

 

 
A pile of library books to dream about
the St. Louis adventures ahead. 

 

 
“His love is as gentle
as freshly fallen snow,
His joy is lovely as winter’s glow,
His peace is the quiet place
our hearts can go.”
 
(quote on the pillow given to me by a dear friend,
who knows I often languish during the winter 🙂

Posted on by kelrohlf 3

Relax: To Deprive of Energy, Zeal or Strength of Purpose

 
 
Do not sorrow,
for the joy of the Lord
is your strength.
(Nehemiah 8:10b NKJV)

Relax, I tell myself. Again. I am not good at relaxing. I suppose I never learned how, or at least that’s what I tell myself.

Then last night, at the dinner table with my mom and sister, the youngest niece bounces in, snuggles into her mom. She had been throwing up just hours ago. He brother sleeps sprawled on the couch. She snuggles and nuzzles deeper into her mother’s side. She burbles with energy.

We all look at her astonished. We tease her, guess you’re feeling better. She grins. She bobs her head up at her mother and asks if she can show Aunt Kel something. Of course. She runs to her room to get it. She gets absorbed actually showing the game to her mom, instead of me.

My sister pauses, looks at the little child chattering away, lightly bouncing on the bench next to her. She asks nonchalantly,
“Do you know how to relax?”

Still full of glee, enjoying her  video game, without looking up at us she answers succinctly, “Nope!”

I laugh. I see reflected in this young five year old girl, a zeal for living, energy propelling her past obstacles and a strength of purpose that will serve her well. Growing up so fast and then I wonder if that’s why I never learned to relax.

She will have still moments, but they will be rare. I know. I can be still now, because I have trained myself, but really there’s always a stream of life flowing beneath the surface urging me on.


 


Posted on by kelrohlf 6

Fruitful: An Abundant Yield

On the ninth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me,
nine gifts for fruiful living.
 

 

 

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
(Galatians 5:22,23a The Message)

Posted on by kelrohlf 2

Sing Praise!

On the sixth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me
six reasons to sing praise!
 
 
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and
bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
(Isaiah 55:10-12 NIV)
 
 
1. Snow: We’re going to have a white
New Year’s Eve!
 
 
2. Bread: Making homemade bagels, a snow day tradition!
 
 
 
3. Word: Going to hide God’s word in my heart in 2013 using the 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart app and Kindle e-book!
 
Screenshot
100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart by Robert J. Morgan
Photo credit:
B&H Publishing Group
 
 
4. Joy: Christmas is forever!
 
 
 
5. Desire: Word of the year! Thanks to Melanie from Only a Breath for designing my free button! Check out her Bible reading printables and other fun stuff on her blog. I look forward to following her in 2013 for creative and spiritual encouragement!
 
 
 
 
 
desire fulfilled is a tree of life
(Proverbs 13:12b)
 
 
6. Peace: Forgiven!
 
 


Posted on by kelrohlf 2