BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS · Lifestyle

Birds On A Wire

I absolutely adore Karen Stubbs and her Birds on a Wire Ministry. She is so real and genuine! If you are looking for a great devotional I recommend her book Moments With God for Mom’s, it’s one of my favorites.

Moments With God for Mom's | lookingjoligood.blog

Moments With God for Mom’s

“Whether you are a first-time mom of a newborn or a seasoned mom of a teenager, Karen Stubbs knows that you need encouragement and a little time out. This year-long devotional will meet you where you are and accompany you through the rewarding, challenging and God-ordained journey of motherhood.”

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Lifestyle

Joy is a Choice

If I’ve learned anything in these last several months it’s that joy and contentment are a choice.

Today I will choose to have contentment and be joyful!

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
Psalms 30:11‭-‬12

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18

Joy is a choice! | lookingjoligood.blog

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Romans 15:13

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Philippians 4:11

At my LOWEST God is my HOPE.
At my DARKEST God is my LIGHT.
At my WEAKEST God is my STRENGTH.
At my SADDEST God is my COMFORT.

Today I choose JOY!

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Lifestyle

Feeling Overwhelmed?

I wanted to share something with you that I read in my devotions the other morning….

“When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself, “Am I sacrificing my sanity or family to make this happen?”

Pray about how God wants you to spend your time. What is best for you? Your marriage? Your family? Creating healthy boundaries removes control’s talons and anchors them in freeing permission. Along with God’s prompting, only you are in charge of your calendar. Fill yourself with Him first before pouring yourself out.”

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28‭-‬30

screenshot_20180710-0831563754689003901887730.jpg

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Lifestyle

“What About The Things You Can’t Change?” A Devotional by Anna Light

I really enjoyed this devotional by Anna Light entitled “What about the things you can’t change?” It spoke to my heart and I wanted to share it with all of you!

Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalms 37:4 | lookingjoligood.blog
“We can’t change another person’s heart. We can’t change the past. We might not be able to change or control our circumstances. But do you believe, in His divine understanding, that God has placed you in this life with your issues, relationships, and station, for a specific reason? Could He be using those things that are out of our control, to teach us absolute trust in His perfect plan for our lives? God doesn’t waste anything. He doesn’t waste a hardened heart, tough circumstances, or things outside our control. What might He be showing you through the things in your life that you don’t like, but cannot change?”
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“Another question to ask ourselves: are we enduring the things we can’t change or embracing them?
There’s a big difference between enduring and embracing and the difference is in our attitude. Enduring means we do just enough to get by while embracing elevates us from survival to thriving, even in the midst of our hardship.
When we choose to embrace instead of enduring, nothing might change in our circumstances, but the change will be in our heart. He can use those unmoving circumstances to soften our heart, which might not have changed otherwise.
Psalm 37:4 can help us understand this idea a little better. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Growing up I always thought that meant if I did all the right things I would get what I wanted… only later did I learn the true meaning of the word “delight.” The Hebrew word translated “delight” literally means to be delicate. It carries the idea of being pliable and soft. So when God says to delight ourselves in Him, He’s saying, “Let Me mold and shape your desires. As you delight in Me, your desires will become My desires. What I want will be what you want.”
Is He asking you to dive into what He’s given you so that through the things that cannot be changed become the things that change you?
Mark 11:24 | lookingjoligood.blog

Mark 11:23-24 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Lord, there are some things in my life that I do not like, but I have no power to change. Show me what it is I can do to change my attitude and mindset. I want a heart of flesh, molded and shaped by your loving hands. Help me trust You even when I don’t understand what I’m going through. I place this difficult, unchanging situation in Your hands and ask that Your will be done.”
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Free/Good Deals · Lifestyle · Love and Life

The Greatest Gift- Eternal Life

I have been writing here on Looking JoliGood for almost three years now. (Wow, does time fly!!!) I have shared many things about all kinds of different topics, some beauty related, some health-related, some related to spiritual things.

Today I am sharing with you what I believe to be the purpose of our lives here on earth.  I believe that God gave us life so that we can love and glorify Him.

Many people believe that eternal life in Heaven is something that we earn through good works, or something we inherit because our parents are religious, or possibly we can attain it through good intentions.  While all these things sound good, the Bible tells us that eternal life is not something we can earn or buy, but instead, it is a gift.

God’s gift is eternal life with Him.

Romans 6:23 | lookingjoligood.blog

The thing about this gift is that before you can get it, you first have to realize that you need this it. Romans 3:23 tells us that “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

All of us have sinned by breaking God’s rules.  Some of the rules are broken by things that we have been doing, and some of the rules have been broken by things that we haven’t been doing.  We have all sinned in one way or another.Romans 3:23 | lookingjoligood.blog

Romans 6:23 tells us that the price for those broken rules is death.  That death isn’t just talking about our physical body dying, but about our spiritual body as well.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When our physical body dies, our spiritual body will go to one of two places, either an eternity in Heaven or an eternal death apart from God in Hell.

God doesn’t want to be separated from us! Romans 5:8 says “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 

Christ died for us | lookingjoligood.blog

The price of our sin is death, but Jesus Christ already paid the price for our sins when he died on the cross.

Jesus came to earth as God in the flesh. He lived a perfect life and voluntarily took our place on the cross, all because He loves us!  He took your place, He took my place, He paid your price with His life. He loves you!

The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9 | lookingjoligood.blog

Any time you get a gift you have to accept it in order to own it.  It is no different with the gift of eternal life, you have to turn to Christ and place our full trust in Him alone.

Romans 10:13 tells us that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:13 | lookingjoligood.blog

 

If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ to be your personal savior, you can do it right now! It is as simple as believing in your heart that Christ is the only way to have eternal life in Heaven and saying a prayer that is something like this…

“Dear Lord God,
Thank you for the sacrifice you made in sending your only perfect son to die on the cross for my sins!  It should have been me sentenced to that horrible death, but you Lord, gave Jesus to save me from the punishment that I deserve.  Thank you for this free gift of salvation! Amen!”

You will never regret that decision! I know how much this decision has changed my life!  If you have just trusted Christ and received the gift of eternal life, I would love for you to tell me!

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Lifestyle

Do You Have A Cluttered Mind? Are You A Hoarder of Information?

Have you ever watched the show on TLC called Hoarding: Buried Alive? So. Much. Stuff.  Just watching that show makes me feel anxious!

Hoarding: Buried Alive | lookingjoligood.blog

I love organization, I love when everything has a place to go!  I hate clutter! Clutter actually gives me major angst!  Usually, if my house and surroundings are cluttered it is a sure sign that my mind and soul feel cluttered as well.

Quite often, when things in my life get hectic, and I have a lot on my to-do list or there are important decisions to be made, I tend to be a hoarder of information.  I  look for more and more input and advice, rather than less.

During these times, I often put the cart before the horse and start thinking about the “what ifs” and “but maybes” of potential situations… I basically become filled with clutter in my mind. Be Still Ps 46:10 | lookingjoligood.blogInstead, I need to take a minimalist approach to my daily decisions and plans for the future! I need to clean out the clutter in my mind.

While I am in no way a minimalist, I love the idea of minimalism. I recently heard minimalism defined as “not owning nothing, but instead that nothing should own you.”  What a simple way to put it!

The Bible says in Ps 46:10 says Be still and know that I am God.

Stillness is to the soul as de-cluttering is to the home. By taking some quiet time for reflection with God’s word, I am making space to quiet my mind, to clean out the clutter, to be still, and hear God’s voice.

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Lifestyle

Matthew West – Broken Things

This song has been running through my head the last few days.  I love that God can take someone who is broken and still use me!

If grace was a kingdom
I stopped at the gate
Thinking I don’t deserve to pass through after all the mistakes that I’ve made

After all the mistakes that I’ve made

Oh but I heard a whisper
As Heaven bent down
Said, “Child, don’t you know that the first will be last and the last get a crown”

Now I’m just a beggar in the presence of a King
I wish I could bring so much more
But if it’s true You use broken things
Then here I am Lord, I’m all Yours

You use broken things

The pages of history they tell me it’s true.
That it’s never the perfect; it’s always the ones with the scars that You use

It’s the rebels and the prodigals; it’s the humble and the weak
All the misfit heroes You chose
Tell me there’s hope for sinners like me

It’s always the ones with the scars that You use

Now I’m just a beggar in the presence of a King
I wish I could bring so much more
But if it’s true You use broken things
Then here I am Lord, I’m all Yours

Grace is a kingdom
With gates open wide

Grace is a kingdom
With gates open wide
There’s a seat at the table just waiting for you
So, come on inside

 

Romans 8:39
Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:39

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Lifestyle

O Wondrous Love

I have had this song stuck in my head for several days now.  I wanted to share it with you.

My favorite part is from verse 3

O wondrous love that sings of Calvary
The sweetest sound this sinner’s ever known
The song of Your redeeming Son
Whose wondrous love will never let me go

VERSE 1
O wondrous love that will not let me go
I cling to You with all my strength and soul
Yet if my hold should ever fail
This wondrous love will never let me go

VERSE 2
O wondrous love that’s come to dwell in me
Lord who am I that I should come to know
Your tender voice assuring me
This wondrous love will never let me go

CHORUS
I’m resting in the everlasting arms
In the ever faithful heart
The Shepherd of my life
You’ll carry me on Your mighty wings of grace
Keeping me until the day
I look into Your eyes

VERSE 3
O wondrous love that sings of Calvary
The sweetest sound this sinner’s ever known
The song of Your redeeming Son
Whose wondrous love will never let me go

CHORUS
I’m resting in the everlasting arms
In the ever faithful heart
The Shepherd of my life
You’ll carry me on Your mighty wings of grace
Keeping me until the day
I look into Your eyes

VERSE 4
O wondrous love that rushes over me
I can’t escape this river’s glorious flow
You overwhelm my days with good
Your wondrous love will never let me go
Your wondrous love will never let me go

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You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.