I am linking up with a host of other bloggers over at A Holy Experience, all of us writing about The Practice of Joy and answering questions like, "What does it mean to choose Crazy Joy?"... and, "How do we authentically walk through hard times?"... or, "How do we practice the 'gigantic secret' of Christians?"
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| Possibly the last rose in my garden before first frost arrives... |
I am not fond of winter...
It is only then... that we will be able to truly celebrate JOY!
This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics!
You read that right, friends! Now, the secret's out! Winter is my least favourite season of all {well, except for when it's Christmas time, of course!}. As I observe my garden slowly go into hibernation mode, I know Winter's not far away now.
I brace myself... then I go into denial mode... refusing to take out any socks to wear until it's too cold, staying in my Crocs or Birkenstocks until the first snowflakes fall. You get the picture, right?
But, eventually... Winter always arrives! And so it is with the winters in our lives. Just like that old hymn which says, "God hath not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through..."
So, how do we, as Christ-followers, live when winters come into our lives? Do we hunker down? Or can we welcome a season like that with joy? Ann Voskamp wrote this yesterday...
The answer *is* joy... when we submit to the call to be Christ-formed, especially when winters come knocking at the door... for it is "in Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)"
I brace myself... then I go into denial mode... refusing to take out any socks to wear until it's too cold, staying in my Crocs or Birkenstocks until the first snowflakes fall. You get the picture, right?
But, eventually... Winter always arrives! And so it is with the winters in our lives. Just like that old hymn which says, "God hath not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through..."
So, how do we, as Christ-followers, live when winters come into our lives? Do we hunker down? Or can we welcome a season like that with joy? Ann Voskamp wrote this yesterday...
When you know the call is not to be comfortable but to be Christ-formed, then the answer is joy.Yes, the answer is joy!
The answer *is* joy... when we submit to the call to be Christ-formed, especially when winters come knocking at the door... for it is "in Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)"
Christ-formed in our daily living. Christ-formed in our every decision. Christ-formed in the summers of our lives. Christ-formed in the winters of our lives. Christ-formed always.
This month of October, I am participating in a blog link up called 31 Day Series. I will be writing about Celebrating JOY! Click on the banner below for 1000+ other topics!
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I promise you will be blessed!
Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.
Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!
I am in the south and winter is not my favorite either! I go into denial too... and keep my flops on! Of course we do not have the snow and all.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. I almost quoted that same quote by Ann. So very true. :)
I am not sure how to link up. I am writing about *Celebrating JOY* but not sure how to link up. (blush)
Hugs~
Hi Teena! So glad you're writing about the same topic as me ~ Celebrating Joy!
DeleteThere's a few link up that I participate in. Mondays & Wednesdays are at Ann's... just link up at the bottom of her posts on those days.
For this month on October, I'm also doing the "31 Days" series... you can link up here: http://www.thenester.com/2012/09/31-dayers-2012.html and see all the different "31 Days" topics that others are writing about! :-) I think there are now over 1200 topics!!!