Currently Reading

I love to read both fiction and nonfiction. This has been true as far back as I can remember and is probably why I chose to major in English. Though I do enjoy both informational books and novels, when it comes to pure fun, novels win. They are an escape from the sometimes not so exciting realities of daily life. Not that I'm complaining about my life. It's a pretty good one. And in all honesty, I think if real life was anything like most novels, it would be way too dangerous and chaotic for my liking. While it's fun to read about a character's breathtaking adventures and harrowing near misses, if I had to go through all that in real life, I'd be drinking Malox by the gallon to calm all the ulcers I'm sure I'd develop.

Though I do like novels, sometimes it can be hard to find one that isn't filled with explicit language, sex scenes that are basically typewritten porn, or graphically descriptive gore. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I don't find that entertaining. While I most definitely do not advocate banning books, it sure would be nice to know what it is I'm getting into before I start a book. More than once I've started a novel, which I thought would be a good read, and start to get a little bit into the story, when I get bombarded by indecency. It would be nice if there were a rating system for books, similar to what we have for movies. I know I'm pretty safe with classics (which while they may be suggestive or tackle adult type themes, don't launch an all out assault on the imagination) or Christian fiction. But sometimes, I like to read something contemporary and explore different authors besides my tried and true favorites. I finally got the bright idea to google "clean fiction." And I'm so glad I did.

I found a great novel that I'm really enjoying, The Help by Kathryn Stockett. There are a couple instances of some swearing, but it's not a constant barrage. It's realistic fiction set in 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi about the lives of black maids and the white women for whom they work. It's well written and interesting enough to keep me wanting to read when I should be going to sleep. Definitely a thumbs up so far.

So what books have you enjoyed in the past? And what are you reading now? I would love to have some suggestions for what to read when I finish The Help.

Marriage Matters

Marriage matters. Second only to God is where it's supposed to be. I'd say that's pretty important. Definitely important enough to say it matters A LOT! I don't claim to be anywhere near being the perfect wife. And if you don't believe me, just ask my husband. Though I'm sure he'd be very gracious about it (because we really try not to EVER cut down the other, particularly when talking to people), he would have to say that I fall short. Though he would also add that he does too. But I do want to make it clear that we both try to pursue excellence in our relationship. Yet, like all other human beings, we miss it at times, sometimes more often than we care to admit. I realize that I'm extraordinarily blessed to have a godly man who loves me unconditionally and who tries whole heartedly to be a great husband. A lot of women, many who are much more beautiful, intelligent, creative, talented, kind, and just all around wonderful than I am, don't have this blessing in their lives. I get that some men are just, well, for lack of a better term.... jerks. Or else they just are unengaged, uninterested, unmotivated, and uninvolved. And I get that it can be really hard to put effort into your marriage when your husband is at best apathetic and at worst a complete ______ (any word I can think of to insert in the blank really isn't appropriate for someone attempting to live a godly life, so I will just let you use your imagination). But if we always wait til our husband acts in a "deserving" way before we make any sacrifices to better serve and minister to him, then nothing is going to change. I get that it's not "fair" for a wife of a less than stellar man to work on becoming a wife of godly excellence, but as I tell my kids, "Life is definitely not fair," so we can either cry and whine about it, or accept it and go on. God commands married women to honor their husbands. There's no clause afterward stating that we are released from that directive if we are married to someone who would come in last place in a husband of the year contest. I also realize that God commands husbands to love their wives. But just because a husband is disobeying God doesn't give us an excuse to. God expects each person to obey Him regardless of what anyone else is doing. And, yes, sometimes that's hard. Other times it's super hard. That's where things like grace, commitment, and perseverance come in.

Having preached my little sermonette here, I'll share one way that I do this.  Don't worry, this tidbit isn't a real huge sacrificial thing. You know this blog is all about joy. And I'm a big fan of making everything as much fun as possible. We do dates. Yeah I get it. There are lots of excuses why we can't do them consistently. Too expensive, too time consuming, too hard to coordinate schedules, too tired..... and blah blah blah. OK I'm here to knock the excuse tower down. You can do cheap or even free dates, quick dates, dates that don't require a lot of energy, etc. Maybe you think you aren't creative enough to come up with ideas. Cool part is, you don't have to. There are many ideas for dates that fit around whatever your limitation is. You can find books, probably apps, definitely internet sites that are chock full of ideas. Some of them might not be your thing, but I bet anyone can find something they might enjoy. And who knows? Maybe one of those ideas that sounds a little stupid or weird or not you or just meh might actually turn out to be better than you think. It doesn't hurt to try. And if it does end up being a total flop, you and your husband have created a memory you can look back at and laugh. So even a bad idea can end up bringing you joy.

I'll give you an example of a date that cost zero. Yesterday, I made breakfast for Jim and me (used food I already had in the house) and brought it up to our bedroom, locked the door, and told our kids we weren't available. So we enjoyed breakfast in bed together. Simple, No money spent. Didn't even have to get dressed or go anywhere. Once breakfast was made, this date didn't even require energy. Well, not while we were eating the breakfast anyway. And that's all I'm saying about that. Just in case anyone who might be bothered by any further narration of the rest of the morning is reading (AKA any person to whom I gave birth). ;-)  So that was my daily bliss for yesterday.

My next project is to find a good resource for studying one of the books of the Bible in depth since my weekly Bible study will soon be ending for this year. I'm sure I can find something suitable online. What did I ever do before Google?

So in keeping with our theme of joy, what date ideas have you done or would you like to do? I'd love to read about them.

Caring for my Spirit

I claim God as my top priority in life, yet if I don't purposefully make time for spiritual matters, it's all too easy to ignore the One to whom I owe my very life. He is the only source of true joy. Daily Bliss is great, but it's not enough to truly bring me the abiding joy my soul craves. Even bigger things that go beyond the daily bliss,such as a vacation or new car, can't fulfill me the way that my Lord Jesus Christ does. There truly is no one like Him. Yet, my relationship with Him isn't automatic. It takes effort and time just like any good relationship does. The challenge here is that the Lord never screams for attention, where other people and circumstances often do. My physical needs , my family, my obligations and appointments, are so obvious, sometimes urgently tugging on my inner resources. I don't deny the importance of any of these, but the problem comes when all these other things end up crowding out my growth in God. That's why I need to make time and effort to pursue intimacy with God and spiritual growth. That's what I call caring for my Spirit, the part of me that communes with my heavenly Father, my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

But what does that look like? I believe the Bible gives us specific things to do if we want to grow in Christ. One is to be part of a Bible believing church and attend and participate consistently. As in showing up each week and truly participating in the service through actively engaging in worship, really listening to the sermon, and looking for opportunities to minister and serve others. It doesn't count if you just are a body warming a pew, but your mind and heart are elsewhere.

I also go to a weekly Bible study, that has daily reading and study questions to do at home. This gets me reading my Bible and interacting with God's Word each day. I also need time away from others, where I get alone with God and worship Him, talk to Him, give Him my requests, and share my heart. But just as important, maybe even more so, I take time to just be quiet, and wait and listen to see whether I sense the Holy Spirit speaking to me. It's not anything weird or spooky. I don't hear an audible voice, but sometimes I get an impression, an image, a sensing, or a leading in a certain direction. Sometimes, I may not sense much of anything, but that's OK too. I know I've spent time in God's presence, and that brings me peace and joy.

I also have decided to set spiritual goals to make sure my walk with God doesn't end up on the back burner. My latest one is reading through the Bible in a year. I've been a Christian since I was 9, but have never read through the whole Bible. I admit, I've begun this project multiple times throughout the years, usually starting in January, along with all those other resolutions, like losing weight, exercising, yada yada yada. But this time I'm not waiting til another year begins. I started today, well past the first month, and half way through the current one. Because the truth is, the starting date isn't important. What matters is sticking with it.

This isn't to say that all my mini joys are meaningless. I still do my daily bliss. God isn't a killjoy. I don't believe for one moment that He wants me to live in drudgery. Yesterday's bliss was going to Caribou with my friend Dawn and enjoying a caramel hot chocolate as we spent time together.

So, how do you keep God first in your life? What things do you do to keep you growing spiritually? I would love to read your thoughts!

Live joyfully in the presence of the Author of joy!