The Wilderness

A children's chorus says:

"My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
Strength for today is mine all the way,
And all that I need for tomorrow.
My Lord knows the way through,
All I have to do is follow."

I was unable to find the author/composer, but found this recording which sounds a lot like a record I played as a child. The words keep reverberating through my heart as I do not know the way through my wilderness. I don't need to. I simply follow and trust that He will give strength and provision. 

This morning, I was reading in Numbers 33. Yes, Numbers. This chapter goes over the stages or seasons of the Israelites journey out of Egypt. It struck me today as they journeyed from place to place how WEARY they must be of moving, of always pulling up their tent pegs, of the dust, and of the mundaneness of it all. I thought about how it most likely wasn't their idea of what God was going to do to release them from slavery or how He was going to do it. They were told they were going to the Promised Land. They had everything they needed. God was growing them through this. And yet... it was... HARD.

Some of you know that my family is going through a wilderness right now as we journey with a close family member through the wilderness of terminal cancer. Our wilderness is hard. Our wilderness is long. Our hearts are breaking. The days seem weary and yet He cares. He is working through our wilderness! He will use this wilderness to draw us closer to Himself and to help us grow. Then, we will see the Promised Land someday! 

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness. All I have to do is follow. Strength for today is mine all the way, and all that I need for tomorrow. My Lord knows the way!

Christmas Letter 2015

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

2015 was incredibly challenging and blessed!

In the spring, my siblings and I (along with many friends) helped my parents move to a senior apartment. We are so grateful that they moved when they did as current health challenges would have made it much more difficult for them to take care of a house now. They are settling in and enjoying serving God where He has planted them. Dad continues to do pulpit supply while Mom serves and encourages all those around her. As we enter this new season of life, we are so thankful for God’s promises and the amazing family God has given us!

The beginning of the year, my health continued to weaken and decline. Doctors searched and searched for a cause to no avail. Through this difficult time of struggling every day to simply work, walk, prevent falls, do daily tasks and live, God remained faithful and gracious and strong. God taught me so many lessons; one of which is that His strength is made perfect in weakness. I began to wonder how long I would be able to continue to work.

And then, God stepped into my pain in a completely unexpected way. As I went to a routine checkup, I begged Him for wisdom in how to handle the health decline. That day, the doctor spent a long time with me working to determine the cause and decided to try a treatment for another condition although tests were inconclusive. Within a week of beginning treatment, I walked 2 miles without crutches or my walker and without falling, work AND do daily life tasks and move. 

The new condition requires careful management and life-long treatment, but God answered my prayer exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think. (For those who know me, I did learn that while it improved my strength level exponentially, it does not make me super-woman... Sigh... who knew that one person can't do everything. :) ) Learning to live again and maintain the condition has been overwhelming at times, but God is faithful through those challenges!

I continue to enjoy spending time with nieces and nephews, teaching piano, tutoring, and generally serving as God leads. It is incredible to have the time to do these things in addition to working. My heart’s desire is to use the new-found gift of strength for our precious Savior.

As I walked this journey, God brought people along who have and are walking it alongside me. What an amazing God we have. He provides for all our needs and draws us close to Himself! I saw first hand the abundant life that God can give - both in the good times and the bad! :) God is the Giver of Life!

In Christ,

Myrical Joy

John 10:10, “10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Ambassadors in Suffering

Sometimes, suffering feels like chains no matter the type of suffering it is.  

I was reading The Battle Plan by Stephen and Alex Kendrick this week. One paragraph really hit me as it was talking about Paul's ministry and prayer from prison (Ephesians 6:19-20). The book said, "To be locked up hand and foot, yet be bold enough to consider yourself free and ready to engage in whatever God has in store... that's NOT how normal people think. Unless we're people of prayer." It made me think of how sometimes the fibromyalgia/chronic illnesses "lock us up," but we can be bold enough to be free and ready to engage in God's plan! :) 

Another great resource which truly shows how to glorify Him and see His purpose in our suffering is Fibromyalgia: God's Grace for Chronic Pain Sufferers. The very suffering we endure is used greatly of God.

God will help us be ambassadors in suffering for Him. We can glorify Him!

A Heart Smile! :)

Sometimes, verses just make my heart say, "Wow" and smile! smile emoticonZephaniah 3:17 is one of those verses, a verse I needed to be reminded of this morning! smile emoticon :
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." 
So many thoughts... 
He, the God and creator of the universe, is here. 
He is mighty to save, and He did,does,will. 
He rejoices over me (seriously, over me!?!?) with gladness.
He quiets me by His love (so important right now in the midst of long, challenging, exhausting days).
He quiets my heart!).
He exults over me (me?!) with loud singing. smile emoticon This one made me chuckle. When my heart overflows with joy and praise for HIM, my singing tends to ... ahem... get loud. To think that He exults over His creation in the same way...
I am loved! smile emoticon Selah! smile emoticon

Peanut Butter and God

This past week, I tried natural peanut butter again as I follow a new eating plan. I had forgotten how amazing natural peanut butter is without all the sugar and additives. It was pure peanut goodness. On this new eating plan, my body has begun to crave the good food as well as feel more satisfied. 

Then, I began to think about Psalm 34:8a, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!..." When we "taste" the Lord and His Word, the distractions around us also dim in comparison. We also begin to be satisfied spiritually as well as desire more of His Word.

Consider Psalm 119  and Psalm 19:7-11.
7 "The law of the Lord is perfect,[a] 
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules[b] of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward."

Even as my more healthy eating plan is helping me crave nutrition more as well as become stronger, seeking God and His Word is helping me crave Him more and grow closer to Him. 

Won't you join me and "taste and see that He is good"?

In His Hands

We tend to want to be in control of our lives. Sometimes, we believe that we are in control. My personality tends to lean toward wanting my life organized and orderly down to the smallest detail. My family graciously reminds me that this isn't always the way life is. 

This year, God has been teaching me flexibility and spontaneity. These lessons first came through the weakness, fatigue, and pain that overtook my life and schedule through the chronic illness. Planning was impossible as fatigue crashes could happen at any time and last for long periods of time.  Oh, how hard these lessons were. Yet, I began to give my days to God each morning and watched as He structured my day. He was teaching me priority with very limited resources. These lessons were precious.

Consider these verses.

Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of man plans his way,   but the Lord establishes his steps." (ESV)

Isaiah 55:8-9 "8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. "

Psalm 31:15a "My times are in your hand;..."

God, in His sovereignty and for His glory, allowed me to have my health back with a new treatment. It was His doing, not mine. He was in control. He is in control. He continues to teach me to leave my life in His hands. (He does a much better job of it than I ever could!")

My new condition has also been used of God to teach me that my life is in His hands. My health continues to improve daily. Yet, this condition means that my body will not handle acute illness or severe injury without quick medical intervention. It reminds me daily that my life is truly in God's hands. What a wonderful reminder!

His hand is a good place to be. He loves me.

Jeremiah 31:3 "3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

John 3:16 "16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

As I daily see that my times are in the hands of the one who loves me, I see that I also want to use it for his glory, to get to know Him and His Word, to love Him, and to serve Him. When He takes me home, I will see Him face to face. 

Philippians 1:21-23, "21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." 

1 Corinthians 13:12 "12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

I submit to His will for my life. He is a wonderful Savior even when I don't understand all His ways! He loves me and holds me in His hands. That is sufficient!

New Every Morning!

In the first days of treatment, the difference in energy level was amazing. Each morning, I woke up and doubted the energy would still be there. Mentally, I prepared myself for another bout of fatigue, weakness, and pain. The strength was a pleasant surprise.

It made me think of the verses in Lamentations 3:22-24. My Lord is faithful every day and His mercy is new every morning!

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]

    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”