Count It All Joy!

All men seek happiness. Every decision we make is driven by that. We don’t make a single move without happiness being the desired byproduct of our decisions. We turn over every rock and look behind every tree believing that we will find it in whole or in part, but are we ever satisfied with what we find? Well, the truth is, we will never always be filled with joy. And the fact is that we live in a sinful, fallen world where two realities coexist. As stated in Ecclesiastes, “There is a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance; a time for war and a time for peace.” But there is a way to find joy in the midst of our contrasting and chaotic lives. In the midst of all the calamity and heartache, we can have inner peace and joy.

Our Father in heaven sent His one and only son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross on our behalf in order that our sins be forgiven so that we might live eternally with Him. That alone should cause us to rejoice all the time. But we are a forgetful people and we take for granted how truly blessed we are. So in order that we might remember why we ought to rejoice there are steps we must take.

FIRST we have to train our thought life. Our thoughts are a powerful thing. They can have a major influence on how we function daily. Our thought life can be defined as a constant conversation we have with ourselves each and everyday. They can either be positive thoughts or negative thoughts. If negative thoughts dominate our mind we will no doubt experience negative results. However, if positive thoughts permeate our mind we will most likely experience positive results. “The way we think determines the way we feel and the way we feel influences the way we act.” Satan is always ready to plant some kind of lie or negative thought into our mind. He is the father of lies. But we have the ability to either believe those lies and allow them to destroy us, or we can turn from them, and open God’s word and meditate on what is good and what is true. If we decide to think on the negative side of our circumstances it will surely lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and disappointment. Therefore, changing our negative thoughts to positive ones is essential in finding the joy that we seek.

The NEXT thing we can do is create a prayer journal. So often we find ourselves stressed and worried because we don’t know what’s ahead of us. That is because we have forgotten that we have a great God who has everything under control. We forget of all the times He has been there for us. We forget of all the times His hand has protected us. Or we forget how His hand has directed and guided us through everything. But, by having a prayer journal we can write down our blessings, and our desires, and our worries and all of our prayers. That way it is all recorded and you can easily go back and remember what you’ve prayed for and see God working and answering your prayers.

The LAST thing is to do something nice for someone else. So often we dwell on ourselves, our problems, our hurts and our pasts, but that will never produce joy. We get so caught up in our many responsibilities and feel we don’t have the time to stop and make a kind gesture. But if we take a moment away from ourselves and take someone out for coffee or bake someone some cookies. Whatever it may be, find a way to bless somebody and in return you will also be greatly blessed. “Just remember the words the Lord Jesus himself said: it is more blessed to give than to receive.”(Acts 20)

Sin is a terrible thing and it robs us of our joy. But as long as we are living in this sinful world we must expect a daily struggle between our flesh and the Spirit. As Christians and Children of the Almighty King we have a great reason to rejoice because of the great hope we have in Christ. Though, also in this Christian life, as stated earlier in Ecclesiastes, there will be seasons of sorrow and affliction. But, “God’s design in afflicting His people is their probation, not their destruction, their advantage not their ruin.”(Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible) But, we still have to decide for ourselves each and every day whether we will serve God or give into our flesh. Experiencing peace and joy has nothing to do with our present circumstances but has everything to do with knowing the Lord and trusting in Him through everything.

The Most DELISH Caramel Apple Pie!

I have a wonderful apple pie recipe to share with you all today!

( found in Better homes and Gardens:New Cook Book )

I love making pie. Especially fruit pies! AND... since it is finally beginning to look and feel like fall... I thought an apple pie would be perfect!

OK! So, first you need to start with 5 to 7 tart apples. Mine were pretty small, so I used a couple more.

THEN... you have to peel and slice them thinly.

MIX:

3/4 Cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

Dash salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

...in with the sliced apples.

For the Crust:

Combine...

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

Cut in...

2/3 Cup Crisco

...with a fork until pieces are the size of small peas.

Sprinkle...

7 Tablespoons cold water

...a Tablespoon at a time until the mixture is moistened.

Gather up with fingers; form into a ball. Then let stand for several minutes.

Divide dough in half. Form ball. Flatten slightly. Roll dough into a circle(1 inch larger than the pie pan). Form the bottom crust into a 9-inch pie pan.

Fill with half of the apple mixture. Then drizzle the apples with a store bought Caramel Sauce. Fill with the rest of the apples and then more caramel sauce.

Adjust top crust.

Poke holes into the top of the crust.

Bake in oven (400 degrees) for 50 minutes.

And THIS is what it should look like!

Enjoy! :)

Satisfied in Him...

“Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” -John Wooden

We often are trying to control every aspect of our lives. But every now and then life throws us a curveball

and our first reaction is to get upset because we didn’t see it coming. Life is full of unknowns and unpredictable situations. We stress out when we don’t know if we will make it into the college we want, or if we’ll pass a big exam. We happen to lose our job, or we happen to be somewhere we don’t like with someone we don’t like. Some situations we have no control over, but we do have complete control over our response to the situation.

It is said that ones true character is revealed in times of adversity, and how one deals with adversity. It is very easy to become overwhelmed and to get caught up into the negative energy that comes from difficult, unexpected, and uncomfortable situations. But the Lord does allow circumstances in our life that are difficult to test us, and to try us, and to sharpen us. Often we think the life of faith is a life free from troubles. But instead, the life of faith is a life overcoming troubles. And it is our faith that brings us victory. But with every victory, there has to be a battle.

I was eleven years old when my family and I moved from Southern California to Southern Oregon. I went from sunshiny city life to life in the country. This massive change in life styles was very challenging for me. I remember complaining all the time. I’d complain about the freezing cold winters, all the dirt, and the long drive into town. I always had something to complain. And all I could think about were the days in California where I lived my perfect life with my perfect friends in the perfect neighborhood. But I had no right to complain. We live in one of the most abundantly blessed lands in the world. This country enjoys plenty of food, shelter, electricity, running water, air conditioning, heating, transportation, and many modern conveniences and innovations. However this land is filled with grumblers. And as I reflect on it I was one of them, and can still be one. Although there are countless blessings, there seems to also be countless things to complain about—whether it be traffic, the economy, food prices, difficulties with family, or poor health. Just like the Israelite's who also continually complained. God supplied all of their needs and He preformed many miracles as theytraveled through the wilderness. He selected them as His people and promised to take them to a landfilled with milk and honey. But no matter what God did for them, it never seemed to be enough.But the Lord brought me to Oregon and He brought the Israelite's through the wilderness all for a purpose. We are not here on this earth to please ourselves. We are here to glorify the Lord and enjoy Him forever. And all that He decides to do is for His glorification.

And consider Pauls attitude when dealing with trials and afflictions: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.Whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

So, when we begin to feel stressed or anxious, let's not complain but let us pause for a moment and choose to have a grateful heart because we know that we can trust in the Lord, and we know that...

“All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose,”-(Romans 8:28) and because...

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

First Post! :)

Hello anyone and everyone who might be reading this!

I have decided to create a blog(as you can see)! No, I am not much of a writer... But right now I am taking a writing class at Pacific Bible College (www.pacificbible.com)... And not because I love writing. No, that is not it at all! It is actually because I have never been confident in my writing skills. I've always been fearful of writing and it was actually one of my least favorite subjects in High School. But I am now ready to conquer this fear of mine. And ever since starting this writing class I am not SO scared anymore, and I'm actually starting to enjoy it! :) SO... through this blog I will be sharing my thoughts, what I am learning in life, and anything else I can think of and I hope to be an encouragement to all! Hope you enjoy!

God Bless!