Red Carpet Ceremony - Anita van der Elst

Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:11 NLT

Music blared into the street from loudspeakers as we walked past the temporary barricades set up at one end of Main Street in our little town. Local vendors lined the sidewalks in colorful booths. A sign on one booth proclaimed, “Ice cream solves everything.” I assure you, it will take much personal experimentation to determine the truth of that statement. It was a red carpet ceremony. 

We discovered the main attraction was an official cornhole competition. A couple of dozen target boards occupied the street next to the curbs. Teams congregated on opposite sides of the street. They took turns tossing little bags filled with dried corn kernels across the street toward the holes in the target boards. Observers crowded the sidewalks, milling about, shouting encouragement and advice. Cheers went up as corn kernel bags found their mark. It was a grand occasion, and the winners were awarded.

But God is planning a much grander event for us as Peter notes (2 Peter 1:11). The gaiety and party atmosphere on a small town’s Main Street in its noisy chaos pales in comparison to the celebration awaiting us in the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Will it be a red carpet kind of scene? Will we jump and leap through that entrance, shouting and singing his praises? Or will it be a solemn procession? My heart wants it to be the leaping and jumping kind of event, especially since I’ll have that new body. Whatever the case, it will be better than any sports activity, concert, or awards ceremony here on earth.

Arrangements must be made ahead of time to enjoy this celebratory occasion. Trusting in Christ as our Savior is the key. Make sure you have made arrangements to be included in this grand red carpet ceremony.

Anita van der Elst finds joy in creating with words, believing God gifted her with the desire to do so. Married to her best friend, Edward, since 1976, she is a proud mom of four adult children and Oma to three of the most delightful grandchildren ever. Other joys in her life include bringing beauty to Facebook through photos she takes on her iPhone, exploring the state parks in the PNW, facilitating a small group of women, and participating in a Bible study. 

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are a grandparent or just want to hear grandparent stories, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Happy to See You - Martin Wiles

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 NLT

As I walked to the front door, the expression on his face revealed the joy in his heart.

My wife and I were once privileged to keep three of our grandsons. The middle one was almost one, and he was still learning to balance as he walked and now tried to run. When I came home from work each day, he met me at the front door with a huge smile and his arms waving. If I didn’t pick him up immediately, he would cry. However, His older brother was content to continue watching television or doing whatever he was doing.

The psalmist found joy in God’s company presently and looked forward to experiencing the same joy throughout eternity.

Happiness Is Not about What God Does for Us

So often, we tie our happiness in God’s presence to something he has done for us. God promises to supply our needs, and when he comes through, we experience joy. But if he doesn’t provide them as we anticipated or think he should, our happiness is tainted—or even absent. 

Happiness Is about God's Presence

Our goal should be to reach the pinnacle of finding joy in God’s presence, regardless of our circumstances. Additionally, we should relish the relationship itself, even if frills don’t exist.

Happiness Is about Maintaining a First Love

If we’re not careful, the passage of time and busyness can steal our first love for God. My excited grandson’s oldest grandson also once ran to the door to meet me. Age and interest in other things have curtailed his excitement over seeing Pop.

The excited grandson loved for me to stroll him when I first got home. Although his vocabulary was limited, he had ways of letting me know what he wanted. Neither can we have a normal verbal conversation with God, but if we look for joy in his presence, his spirit will speak to ours, and we’ll eventually find joy from simply being in his presence.

Learn to discover your peace and joy in the presence of God.

Father, may your presence in my life be enough to bring me joy. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

A Serving of Laughter - Anita van der Elst

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. 

~Proverbs 17:22 NLT

Could finding humor in everyday situations be beneficial?

A comedy routine was not what I had in mind as I rolled out the dough. Not that making baking powder biscuits isn’t fun. I enjoy mixing the ingredients, kneading flour into the sticky dough, rolling it out on the breadboard, and cutting out perfect circles that turn into puffy clouds of tastiness. This process is repeated until all the dough is used up, except for those bits that aren’t enough to roll out anymore. Yet, even they don’t go to waste. I ball, flatten, and toss them onto the baking sheet. The oven-baked result is satisfied tummies, signified by smiles.

One evening, as dinner ended, I picked up the bread basket and held it out to my husband, seeing that a couple of biscuits remained. “There are two more biscuits left. Would you like them?” 

The expression on his face was a dubious one. “What’s wrong?” I asked. 

Widening his eyes, he replied, “What happened to them? How did they get that way?” 

I shrugged my shoulders. “What do you mean?” 

He pointed at the biscuits, “Why would I want two more biscuits? Look, they’re all lumpy.” 

I explained how they were the last ones made with the leftover dough. 

“Oh,” he said. “I thought you meant they had tumors. You know, tumor biscuits?” 

That’s when I realized he was pulling my leg. I don’t know why I didn't expect that because he’s pulled it since we started dating almost fifty years ago. In fact, it was one of the factors in his favor. He made me laugh.

With so many things in our world that upset, frighten, confuse, and madden us, finding ways to lift our spirits, cheer our hearts, and bring on giggles is important. Research shows that laughter boosts our immune system, lessens pain, and relieves stress.

Connecting with your funny bone might take an hour listening to a Christian comedian, reading a clean joke book, sharing humorous stories with friends, or even being offered the last of the biscuits. But it's worth it. So, go ahead and take a serving of laughter. 

Think of methods that will bring you a smile and a hearty laugh.

Anita van der Elst finds joy in creating with words, believing God gifted her with the desire to do so. Married to her best friend, Edward, since 1976, she is a proud mom of four adult children and Oma to three of the most delightful grandchildren ever. Other joys in her life include bringing beauty to Facebook through photos she takes on her iPhone, exploring the state parks in the PNW, facilitating a small group of women, and participating in a Bible study. 

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are a grandparent or just want to hear grandparent stories, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

The Fulfillment - Lynne Phipps

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. 

~Galatians 4:4 NIV

Growing up, every Christmas ended the same way. My dad spoiled it. He was disappointed with what he did or didn't receive and sulked. He would get mad at something someone said, and an argument would ensue. Or the meal wasn't quite perfect, and the complaining would erupt. 

I came to dread Christmas day, waiting for his explosion. After waiting so long and anticipating the joy of Christmas, the actual day was anything but fulfilling.

How different the first Christmas must have been for Mary and Joseph when, in the fullness of time, God's Son came into their lives. Any discomfort or disappointment they may have felt about their lodgings or having to lay the babe in a lowly manger must have flown away after the shepherds' visit. Luke records, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19 NIV).

The fulfillment of the promise, which the angel Gabriel spoke to her and God later revealed to Joseph in a dream, had come true: the Holy Spirit would come upon Mary, and the power of the Most High would overshadow her so that the Holy one to be born would be called the Son of God. A truth that the shepherds testified to for everyone they met. The babe, whom Gabriel had instructed the couple to name Jesus because he would save his people from their sins, had been born. 

What a gift and miracle. What a hope that lay within that tiny bundle of human flesh. What a fulfillment of God's promise from the beginning of time that a Savior would be born to set His people free from the bondage of sin. How Mary and Joseph's hearts must have rejoiced that first Christmas when they gazed upon the face of this one called Jesus.

Each of us may have plans for a perfect Christmas day this Christmas. But what will happen if those plans go awry? Will we experience disappointment, fulfillment, or even anger? Or, will we choose joy and embrace the truth of God's fulfilled promise, which still brings good news of great joy for all people? A Savior has been born. He is Christ the Lord, who still saves people from their sins today.

Find fulfillment and joy this Christmas, no matter what may go amiss or what might bring disappointment, anger, and emptiness. The choice is yours.

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More.

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are a grandparent or just want to hear grandparent stories, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Be Happy - Martin Wiles

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT

My great-grandmother rarely ventured beyond the confines of her bedroom, but she was happy.

Mammy, my great-grandmother, lived with my paternal grandparents for as long as I can remember. Her bedroom was just off the living room of the old home, and in those two rooms, she spent most of her days. But she never appeared sad. Crocheting afghans was one of her passions. For weeks and months, she sat in a straight-back white chair, a basket of yarn beside her, an intense smile on her face, and worked her needles. Often, she watched Perry Mason on the television while she did so. If not him, a game show.

When Mammy wasn’t there, she lay or sat on her bed and read her Bible. I often sat with her and had long conversations.

Mammy was always happy. From today’s vantage point, she appeared to live a somewhat dull lifestyle, but obviously, she didn’t think so. She enjoyed the simple things. Wise King Solomon proposed eating, drinking, and enjoying life.

Happiness is a state of mind and not governed by circumstances or things—as Solomon discovered. Things may create happiness for a brief time, but eventually—like a child, we tire of them and want something new. And if we wait until circumstances are continually pleasant to get happy, we’ll only experience happiness infrequently.

A permanent state of happiness—like Mammy possessed—is only created through a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Knowing our sins are forgiven lets us live with a smile—and we should. We have something to be happy about. This continual state of heart happiness validates our witness to others. A contradiction occurs if we claim to know Christ yet always appear sad. Understanding that God loves us unconditionally and that we can never do anything to make him stop is essential for maintaining a smile.

Happiness can also be caught. I caught Mammy’s, and I hope my demeanor and the words I write will help others catch the “Be Happy” attitude, too.

Be happy. Don’t let circumstances govern your smiles.

Father, remind me I can live in a state of joy because of what you’ve done.

Tweetable: Do circumstances determine your happiness? 

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Joy in the Morning - Martin Wiles

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5 NLT

I had not suffered loss, nor had a doctor delivered a life-threatening speech—yet I grieved.

I had experienced the most life-altering experience I had ever encountered. I didn’t ask for it, but it came anyway. I didn’t want it, but I could not make it go away. I wanted to change the circumstances, but I couldn’t.

I did what Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her book, On Death and Dying, proposed people do when they grieve. I went through the five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance—and discovered the truth of her proposals. We may not go through them in the above particular order—and we may waver back and forth between the stages—but pass through them we will.

So I denied. This can’t be happening to me. I’ve done everything right, followed all the rules, acted as a good boy should. Why me? But there came a time when I could no longer deny reality. This was it. My new identity. I had to face the challenge and move forward.

I got angry. Not so much at God—even though He did have the power to change my circumstances. In fact, He could have prevented them. But He didn’t. My anger stemmed because I had done everything right but got hurt anyway.

I bargained. God, if you make this go away, I’ll do anything You ask. I thought I was already doing what God wanted me to do, but I could change directions … be a better person … do more than I was already doing. Whatever it took to change this unpleasant reality into something better.

Then depression set in. I didn’t know it, but the doctor knew. My repeated trips to the emergency room with symptoms that tests proved false clued him in. “Take the medicine, and stop going to the emergency room,” he told me on one such visit. I did.

Finally, I accepted my new reality. I couldn’t change the decisions of another. I had to move on. Adapt. Overcome.

Upon acceptance, joy came in the morning, just as it did for the psalmist. God proved faithful. I didn’t enjoy my circumstances—and they didn’t change—but my perspective did. This was my new life, and I had to make the best of it. 

Whatever your circumstances, let God bring you joy in the morning.

Prayer: Father, we ask for joy in the morning—regardless of our circumstances.

Tweetable: Where does your joy come from? 

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Joy from Tears - Martin Wiles

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. Psalm 84:6 NLT

The tears flowed only inward—if then.

I grew up in a home where tears rarely appeared. I never remember my father crying—not even when he performed his grandmother, mother, and father’s funerals. Nor when some church members he pastored treated him in unkind ways. Perhaps he did when he had his quiet moments with God, but never in front of me.

Nor did I ever witness my mother cry. Not when she lost her father and mother. Or when one of us three boys would do something stupid that got us in trouble. Or when one of our marriages fell apart. No tears of sadness. No tears of joy.

I suppose my parents got this honestly because I never saw their parents cry either—and I spent enough time with both sets of grandparents to notice.

So, I followed suit. No tears. Not outwardly at least. But I was a crier. Inwardly. When I watched a sad movie. When a pet died. I’d secretly wipe the tears, hoping no one noticed them streaming down my face.

The change came when Dad died. As the music played at his funeral, I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. They flooded from my eyes. Loud wails pushed from my throat. I’d never experienced this type of grief before.

According to the psalmist, those on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem would find joy even as they passed through the Valley of Weeping.

God has a way of bringing joy from tears—tears we shouldn’t hold back in times of sorrow and in times of joy. Society once taught boys not to cry. Doing so wasn’t manly. Perhaps my grandparents taught my dad that. But tears bring a cleansing to our souls, especially in times of sorrow. Our pent-up emotions are released. Stress is released. Tears help joy return.

Tears demonstrate empathy when we shed them for others. They also demonstrate our trust that God controls the situation bringing the tears. We trust His judgment … and timing.

Tears don’t mean we’re happy about what we’re crying about. Happiness and joy differ. Happiness depends on the circumstances. We can experience joy regardless of the circumstances by remembering God is in control.

Go ahead. Shed those tears. God will gently dap them away and give you a new perspective.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the tears that cleanse our souls.

Tweetable: Have you discovered joy from tears? 

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Harvesting Joy - Martin Wiles

The grapevines have dried up, and the fig trees have withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees—all the fruit trees—have dried up. And the people’s joy has dried up with them. Joel 1:12 NLT

Had the harvest dried up, so would have my grandfathers’ joy.

At twelve years of age, my paternal grandfather inherited a farm. Not because he wanted it, but because his father unexpectedly died, and my grandfather was the oldest boy still at home. With the help of an uncle, and some cantankerous mules, they made a go of the farm. Had the harvest not come in due to unfortunate circumstances, the situation would have devastated my grandfather, his mother, and his brother and sisters, causing their joy to evaporate.

Mom’s dad was also a farmer, but not by force. He chose the occupation and relished every moment of it. He loved to watch cows calve, hogs birth piglets, cotton reveal fluffy white bowls, and soybeans fill their pods. But his joy, too, would have melted away had the harvest not come in. My grandmother didn’t work outside the home. Income from the farm was all they had. A bad harvest meant loss of money—or having to borrow from the bank until next year’s harvest came in.

Famers anticipate the harvest, and when it doesn’t come—for whatever reason—joy vanishes. Joel wrote to those steeped in an agricultural economy—an economy that locusts and drought had destroyed. And while both were an act of nature, they were an act of nature God had sent to punish the people’s disobedience. Now their joy had vanished.

We may use the words joy and happiness interchangeably, but they’re really not. Happiness relates to my circumstances. If everything is going my way, I’m happy. If adverse circumstances haunt me, I’m not.

Joy is happiness taken to a higher level. Joy has nothing to do with my circumstances. This is why Paul could tell us to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). I can experience a financial meltdown and still have joy. I can see loved ones die, contract a terminal disease, be abandoned by a spouse, have children rebel, or lose everything I have and still have a sense of joy in my heart.

And not because I can manufacture joy myself, but because God places it deep within my soul when I connect with Him through faith. Joy comes from believing that He controls my circumstances—good and bad—and that He will work things out for my benefit and His glory.

Don’t let circumstances keep you from harvesting joy.

Prayer: Spirit of God, we thank You for giving us an abiding joy, even through the trials of life.

Tweetable: How are you harvesting joy? 

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Celebrating God’s Goodness - Solace from the Psalms - Martin Wiles

For thousands of years, people have found comfort in the Psalms. No matter what emotion you are experiencing or fight you're facing, the psalms have something important to say. For the next little while, Love Lines from God will feature, "Solace from the Psalms." We hope you enjoy. And please share them with a friend.  

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. Psalm 92:1 NLT 

Retirement years weren’t always celebrated—and with good reason. There were none.

People worked until they died or became physically incapacitated, at which time they depended on family and savings. Then a reason for celebration happened. While the United States of America was in the grips of economic depression, Congress passed a law creating the Social Security system. Income now flows in a person’s senior years.

Social Security and retirement savings give reason to celebrate our latter years, and the worship experience is the believer’s opportunity to celebrate God’s goodness. Unfortunately, worship becomes drudgery when performed for the wrong reasons, such as coming because of rote tradition instead of a heartfelt desire to encounter the living God. Or showing up at church out of guilt, hoping the songs and sermon will alleviate emotional pain.

The psalmist’s picture of worship is radically different. Worship celebrates God as Sovereign ruler and Savior. It entails joy over His provision of our daily needs and celebrates His promise to work good from all life’s circumstances—the enjoyable and unenjoyable. This only occurs when we’ve examined our heart’s condition prior to the experience and come desiring to encounter God, not merely fulfill a duty.

Worship also celebrates God’s eternal qualities. Our earthly future and eternal destiny are in His hands. Worshipping God in the present prepares us for an eternity of the same but at a higher level. But if we’re not intentional, temporal responsibilities and attractions can sabotage our loyalties.

Those who master worshipping God effectively flourish like trees and bear fruit into their old age. Worship isn’t about carrying on a family tradition, but celebrating an individual relationship with a living Lord. One that transforms the way we think, feel, and act.

Enter into worship with anticipation.

Tweetable: Are you celebrating God's Goodness?

Prayer: Father, may our worship be vibrant, exciting and heartfelt as we realize we’re worshipping a great and glorious God.

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Joy in the Body - Martin Wiles

For the joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

Buffed bodies and bragging rights. But not me.

The bragging started around middle school. I heard the remarks from male classmates: “I can bench press ….” Or, “I can leg lift …” Or I can squat with ….” I wasn’t one of the braggers. They either played sports—and were trying to build their muscles—or attempted to make an impression on some of the popular girls.

Me? I had no interest in sports. For one thing, I was as skinny as a rail. I could have buffed and toned it and been lean and mean, but I still wouldn’t have made the team. And my interest in girls hadn’t started yet. Nor were they interested in skinny boys—who, by the way, were shy also.

Although only a middle schooler, my joy came not from sports or girls but from another place: my relationship with the Lord. Dad and Mom taught me the need of attending to my relationship with God . . . making Him happy. I attempted this through spiritual disciplines that to me carried more importance than anything else. As a result, the girls ignored me and most of the boys made fun of me. But my joy remained.

As Ezra the priest, Nehemiah the governor, and the Levites read and interpreted God’s Word for the people, the people wept. They realized how far they had fallen below God’s standards. But Nehemiah encouraged them. God would forgive their sins. They needed to find their joy in serving the Lord.

I could have played sports, lifted weights, and served the Lord at the same time. Sports and weightlifting weren’t sinful. I decided, however, to find my joy in spiritual pursuits.

Weeping over sin almost seems a lost art. I’d rather use another word that’s less offensive and picture God as a God who overlooks sins. Sin offends God, but God also forgives when asked. When my slate is clean, I find joy by serving the Lord. Doing so changes my priority list. I don’t have to own certain things to find happiness—which is only momentary. Joy lingers no matter what I have and regardless of my circumstances.

Joy is the overflow of having received Jesus—along with His continual presence—and of living obediently to His principles.

Don’t look for joy anywhere else other than in your relationship with God.

Tell us how you handle self-esteem issues. 

Tweetable: Are you satisfied with your body?

Prayer: Father, may the joy we experience be found in our relationship with You.

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