Filled with Joy!

Gosh is it already Wednesday???  Where did Monday and Tuesday go?  I'll tell you......they are back on last week BEFORE my girls started back school!!!  Starting back school after a break is always a tough one because I have to get myself back on a schedule!  A schedule, I might add that incorporates not only my full time job, but also my full time job of mom, wife, student (because I am back to doing their school work with them) and teacher (all those LONG nights studying for their tests)!!!!  Don't get me wrong, all those hats I wear, I wear lovingly, however, it makes for a very tired me sometimes!!! LOL!!  Oh well, this too shall pass!! LOL!!

As I wear all those different hats, I have to really push for "me" time!  My "me" time incorporates, most importantly, my Bible studying as well as going to the gym to stay healthy and my wonderful world of art!! It's ALL worth it, mind you, but as I go through it ALL, I have to count it ALL JOY!!!  I was reading about Paul and Barnabas this morning and how they were expelled from their region because the religious leaders were mad at them, but even with the opposition and the circumstances around them, they just shook off the dust from their feet, moved on and were filled with JOY and the Holy Spirit!!  That is how we as believers need to react to daily circumstances!  They can be difficult, but God's Word says to count it ALL joy when we meet trials of various kinds....from the smallest to the greatest....count it ALL JOY!!  I believe the intent of being "filled" is to rise UP and OVER any circumstance that we may walk victorious through Jesus Christ here on this earth!  That's an awesome promise from the Father!!!

As I have mentioned before, I have many different journals at my home that I work out of and this one that I display a page out of today is a journal that I like to think of as on "the lighter side."  I do mostly spray inks or water color in this journal and Zentangles.  I save my heavier mediums for other journals.  But my studies this morning reminded me of this page where I used Dyan's Dylusions sprays, a couple of stamps and then incorporated my tangling.  I had some overage from another page on the side, but that never really bothers me because I look at it as part of more character to that page.  It was light and simple, but done out of a joy in my heart.

The scripture says "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11   God breathes His very breath of life into our body and as we grow, He wants us to grow into the FULLNESS of the peace, joy and love that He is!  Because of the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, on the cross, we are allowed to enter into His presence daily!  In His presence is the fullness of joy and as we receive, we are to also give that back out, that others may see and know! What a loving Father that He would freely give!

May you be filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit today, regardless of your circumstances...count it ALL JOY!

Blessings!