Restored Joy

I haven't posted in a while, but I finally feel "blog-worthy"! For about all of January, I have been in some kind of funk, and I mean no joy-having funk! Like I would know that things needed to be done around the house, look and them and go "yeah, I don't care" and so things were really "blah" around here for awhile.

I had been praying, reading my Bible everyday, praying some more, other people were praying for me, and then one day...POOF! My joy came back (God renewed my joy). This is how it happened..One Tues I was talking to my friend Kim, about how I had no joy what so ever, and how I didn't know how to get out of this funk. That same Thurs, I was on my way home from work, on the phone with my friend Jennifer, and it "just happened". "What happened?" You ask. Well, my joy was renewed, God restored my joy and gave me a new found hope. I was excited to go home and be with my family, this was a first for a few weeks! I walked in the door with a smile on my face and glad to be there. My husband noticed the difference right away! And he asked what Jennifer said to me that restored my joy, and it wasn't anything Jennifer said, it is what happened as I was dialing her number and listening to the phone ring...There is no other explanation than this-God renewed my joy. He gave me the desire to want to be the wife and mother He calls me to be. This is not something I can do on my own, this is something that we can only do through Him!

I think this was the lesson He was teaching me. Kinda the same as the lesson He taught me several years ago.."You can't be happy anywhere, until you are finally happy with where you are" (Another lesson God used my friend Jennifer to help me see). This time, I knew that I couldn't do anything without Him, but yet I was still trying to, without even realizing it. I was falling for that LIE FROM SATAN...you know the one, the one that takes God's word and twists it all around to say "You need to do EVERYTHING in your house or you aren't a good wife and mother" You are supposed to do it ALL BY YOURSELF, or you aren't following God's plan" "If your kid can't read, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU ARE A BAD MOM, and so on, and so on."

This is a bunch of baloney straight from the pit of hell! And on Thursday God showed me that I was not following His plan for me, but that I was trying to take it all on my own shoulders, as my own burden to carry. Hmmmmm, isn't that right where Satan wants us? IN BONDAGE! Well, no more bondage over here my friends! I am singing the glory and praises of Our Lord and King! (Yes, Kim, Singing Loud with great JOY to The Lord!) LOL! To My Savior who paid it all, so that I could lean on His strength, not my own!

So, here is to my new found hope! That the prayers that I felt from my friends, will continue on, since I know from experience that Satan does not give up! Well, I am continuing to turn to God, I am continuing to wake up daily prepared to fight the battle with the greatest warrior in the world on my side!