You are not Alone

Two footprints...actually mine. How lonely they look upon the sand as I approach the ocean. The ocean...such beauty, but totally terrifying to me. Those waves, the unknowns...facing the "what ifs"...what if a wave comes crashing down on me...or what if "Jaws" is alive in the Pacific?

Everyday we are faced with the "what ifs" of life. Everything is all calm and then a great big wave unexpectedly comes crashing in our life...our life which we thought we had total control over. 

"My" footprints take on a whole new meaning. I can't do this alone. These footprints are those of my Jesus whose footprints in my life, has saved me...when I chose to jump into His arms. 

He carries me....as I walk towards the ocean.

He is with me, at all times...through the good, bad and ugly. He never leaves my side. When I am weary, He carries me. When I am happy, He laughs with me. When I am sad, He washes away my tears. When I am afraid, He holds me . 

When I am anxious, He fills me with His peace. 

When my eyes are focused on the unknowns of life...I will fear, I will be anxious....but when my eyes are fixed on my Lord, I will be filled with His peace, His joy....just knowing that He is carrying me as I walk into this ocean called life. 

May Jesus' footprints make an imprint on your heart...today, tomorrow....always. 

Rest in the following truth...

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze
For I am the LORD, your God the Holy One of Israel, your Savior" Isaiah 43:1-3

Peace to you, 

Joni

Born...to Die

Jesus received what He didn’t deserve, so we could receive what we didn’t deserve...and He did it anyway! Jesus was born so He could die. His purpose was to die…to die a sinners death without sin. To sacrifice himself totally…even though it was unjust, it wasn’t fair for Him to die..He didn’t deserve to die…as I don’t deserve to live…to live perfectly in eternity. It truly doesn’t make sense in this brain of mine. He walked in peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, all with self control…even though He was treated unfairly..but He had His eyes focused on one thing…beyond the cross. Am I focused beyond the cross…beyond the crosses of my life…the trials…the sadness…the hurt and the pain loved ones all around me suffer….Are my eyes fixed on my guaranteed happily ever after ending? Life is unfair…there is no questioning that. The rich get richer …the poor get poorer…the mean get meaner and the nice get nicer. The unjust win , the “just” lose….Jesus…lived it all…He lived the just life while being treated unjustly. He knew He was right…and He still chose to turn the other cheek …because He knew the ultimate truth. The scorn and shame was so temporary...just a blip…as compared to eternity. That is why He was able to scorn the shame on the cross..because He looked beyond the cross…He knew that His daddy was God. He was secure…He knew the truth…beyond what His eyes could see. He never tried to convince others who He was, because He knew who He was. He never had to defend Himself, because God had His back. It didn’t matter what anyone would say about Him, or what they would do to Him…because He stood firmly in what was true. He took the nails…He wore the chains so I could be free. So when trials come my way, and the pain and the sting of death is all around me…I will stand firm to the truths that I know…When I get treated unjustly, I don’t need to overreact…I can respond as a child of the King, in peace, and turn the other cheek, because I know that God has my back…and Jesus has a room all ready for me to rest my head in eternity.

Focus
Always
In
The One and Only
Hope

Now... if "faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see..."
 Why do I spend so much time
with my eyes focused on 'lil ole me?
Which then fills me with uncertainty,
  stealing away any hope,
Then "Me, Myself and I"
   find it impossible to cope.
"We" get all anxious and fearful
running aimlessly in despair,
Seeking out anyone or anything,
to show that they do care.
Then God graciously reminds me,
that He is holding me in His palm,
All that He asks is that I believe by faith...
so He can infuse me with calm.
How quickly I get sidetracked,
and forget that He hasn't left my side,
It is me that usually moves,
In Him I am to abide.
To fix my eyes on the invisible,
as I go about my day,
Fills me with His Hope and His Peace,
then I'm joyfully on my way,
I then can accomplish all things through Him,
who infuses me with His strength,
His love covering this heart of mine,
because He went to such great lengths.
He sent His Son to earth,
one glorious silent night,
Wrapped up in swaddling cloths,
this Babe came to make things right,
Knowing that my future is secure
in His gift of eternal life,
Believing this truth by faith
removes any strife.
So thank You God for this reminder...
You Penned in Hebrews 11:1,
Of the assurance of my hope,
that is wrapped in Your Baby Son!

His Glorious Peace for you,
Joni

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.'
Hebrews 11:1

Unspeakable Joy!


FEAR...it paralyzes. It steals away the joy of every blessing. It is natural to fear the unknown or a scary situation...but have you ever feared "good"?
Have you ever been afraid of joy?
Have you ever been afraid of peace?
Have you ever been afraid of love?
Have you ever been afraid of being free?
Being free of fearing fear. Being free of habitual patterns in your life. Being free to enjoy your life right now, no matter what may be happening around you.
I was sharing with my husband this morning, that I feel so blessed... yet I am fearful to "just be" and enjoy my blessings...as I have lived my life waiting for the other shoe to drop. I am tired of living that way, especially knowing Who I know. There was just something that was getting in the way of my truly living in the freedom of the unspeakable joy that the Lord has for me....And I found what it was...It was ME!
If God is for me, why was there a constant angst following me?
If God loves me unconditionally, why am I not living as secure, significant , and accepted?
Why am I not jumping up and down with joy...just because God said that I can?
Fear...Fear of joy.
How absurd that sounds, but don't you think most people live like that? We want what we want when we want it....but what happens when we receive the blessing? Is it enough to fill that void in our heart so we live in that unspeakable joy?
I had a rude awakening this morning, as I counted my blessings....yet there was something missing...or should I say "Someone".
I know the Lord loves me. I know the Lord is in control. I know the Lord wants me to receive all that He has for me so I can live in His peace, His joy, His love. Yet, I have chosen fear to block my door to all that He has for me.
Well, this morning I did the unthinkable. As I ran to the beach, gathered up broken shells (my anxieties) to throw in the ocean, to surrender to God...I stopped. I was afraid to release it "all" to Him...rather "ALL" of me. I was afraid to be truly free to just be Joni. As I cried out to my Lord, He answered. Instead of throwing the shells in, I went in the ocean. I faced my biggest fear...the ocean. I was drawn to it, as I stood barefoot (couldn't go in with my sneakers)...and I joyfully took a wave....loving every minute of it.
Freedom....totally free....to run back soaking wet in my running clothes...yikes! But I did it.
No longer afraid to live "in" the glorious truths of the bible.
To be free to be happy. To be free to enjoy. To be free to be peaceful. To be free to be joyful...just because I can. Just because you can...just because God said so.
Free to be who God made you to be.
Free of fearing the good!
May you face every wave of fear in your life with the unspeakable joy of the Lord...and live in His freedom...His gift to you.
In His Glorious Peace,
Joni
"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" I Peter 1:8

His is Risen...Every Day

This morning as I saw the sun streaming through the windows ..reminding myself it was Easter ... I felt empty. It's Easter and I'm feeling like it is just an ordinary day. I put on my sneakers, and off on a run I went... to ask my Lord what does this all mean?
Does it mean plastic eggs filled with candy and a basket filled with hay?
Does it mean eating the traditional dinner that one worked so hard to prepare on Saturday?
Does it mean wearing your special new clothes?
Meditating on these thoughts, made me feel more empty than before. So as I continued talk to God, while looking upon the shining sun and glimmering waves. I asked Him to make the Spirit of this day, fill my soul.
And 'lo and behold... there on the beach was a cross, draped with a piece of linen!
My Savior.. no longer on that cross.
My Savior crucified on that cross.. just three days before..
Forsaken for my sin.
My Savior ... Resurrected in my life.
My Savior who put me back together .. Peace by peace...
By grace..
So I could wake up on a beautiful morning... Put on on my sneakers... And be able to run to the beach.. to see His Father's creation.. The waves hitting the sand and the sun casting light on my empty soul.
Easter is not about a day, a plastic egg , special mea!, or a new outfit. It's a day... That falls on a Sunday... To celebrate... like any day of the week,.. the resurrection of our Lord.
Because of the cross, every day I get to run as a resurrected joni... A joni forgiven for all I have done, for all I do, and all that I will do.
"Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!" (Psalm 118:24)
Thank you dear Lord for that cross... That cross that remains empty...
Because your Son conquered sin on that bloody day so I... So everyone... could live... Happily ever after... Forgiven.
May the Lord resurrect those places in your heart that crave His Light.
Have a Blessed Resurrection Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday....Always.
Peace to you,
Joni

Well...I just saw another cross on the beach! What a day!

"Hole-y Business"

What does this "puttied" filled dent on my floor mean...
More than meets the eye...
It represents...
A divine appointment
It represents...
God's perfect timing.
It represents...
the heart of the man who patched it up

It could have represented...
A missed opportunity...
as I was going to cancel the appoinent because I had bible study in my home that morning....
But my heart told me otherwise..
As he was working on the floor, little did I know that...
the words of the music playing in the background
was touching his soul...
& that the words my friend and I were sharing were also music to his heart...
God using the moment to reach this man...
This man, who with tears in his eyes, had to tell me that he couldn't believe what was happening. He had to share how the words he was hearing were just what he needed. He was in awe... As I shared what God wanted me to share..
A divine appointment that would have never happened if there wasn't a dent on my floor.
An insignificant blemish, that I could care less about, yet the builder wanted it to be fixed.
God used my kitchen floor to speak to the man fixing it. A man who was at the end of his rope... and who received Gods message of hope..
God's perfect timing.
God...always working behind the scenes....He uses all things...even a kitchen floor...to get to a heart.
Who would have ever known what was going to happen in my kitchen that day.
The dent ...filled with putty...still remains a blemish on my floor. I asked him to leave it that way, as it reminds me of our awesome God, and what He
did on this day to this man's broken heart.
It also reminds me of how He is always working in our lives
"putty-ing" the wounds in our hearts, as we bring those hurts to Him....
...one layer at a time.

So keep Michael in your prayers as he got to taste the peace of God. I may never see him again.. but I pray that the Lord has many more divine appointments set up for him, so he will be at peace... because Jesus resides in his heart.
So keep your eyes and hearts open today... as God has divine appointments waiting for you.
Peace,
Joni
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3