Be Joyful Always

I've noticed a lot of my friends transitioned from Facebook to blogging when they announced their pregnancy or their families started to grow.  For some reason, it seems like the natural form of social media progression.  My reason for starting a blog isn't because of any family transition but instead to explore and share a LIFE transition, one that will be a continual, daily challenge.  

On January 4, 2011 I lost my job.  Since then, I have been challenged with what it means to truly follow the Lord's plan for my life.  I can look back even further and see where God has been stripping me of all control of my life's circumstances so that I will learn to rely on Him.  As I heard in a recent testimony, I am learning to be okay with the "I don't know's" of life.  

I've always liked the passage 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  I think many of us read these verses and think, "oh, that's nice" or "of course we should do all of those things."  Then, we go back to our busy lives, filled with work, friends, family etc. and don't really consider the true meaning.  What would our lives look like if we lived out these verses in our lives?  The first verse says to "be joyful always."  We were created to praise the Lord!  For me, this has been a challenge with life's many ups and downs.  I still struggle to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.  Scripture reminds us to always praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done for us!  Next this passage calls us to "pray continually."  We were designed to have a personal relationship with Jesus, so close that we can constantly turn to him in prayer.  Give thanks in all circumstances.  Okay, seriously?  You want me to give thanks for bills or illness or a death in my family?  This seems so unrealistic in a world full of suffering, but God calls us to do so.  There is always something that we can be thankful for.  Through my life's unexpected turn of events, I have been reevaluating my life and asking the Lord what His plan is for my life.  Well, the answer is in the next part of this passage, "this is God's will for you."  We are called to do all of these things; it is an act of obedience.  By now, you may be thinking, "how in the world are we supposed to do all of these things?"  It seems like an impossible task.  Don't give up!  There is one more part of this passage that we must not overlook--"in Christ Jesus."  Whew!  The beauty is we don't have to walk through this life alone!  All we have to do is be faithful and let the Lord take control.

Thus, the inspiration for my blog!  


I hope you will walk with me as I discover the Lord's plan for my life and as I walk with Him daily.