Splashed with Joy

Psalm 28:6-7

Praise be to the Lord,
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.

I have the joy, joy, joy...down in my heart.

I remember singing that chorus at church camp, my favorite place in the summers of my youth. Surrounded by friends who believed in Jesus, exploring nature, meeting together at the campfire to sing and pray, filled our souls with joy. Not happiness—but pure joy, the deep satisfying feeling that everything is going to be okay. And it bubbled over. The joy I discovered overflowed and tumbled onto other people. And their joy splashed all over me. When I came home, the delight I tucked into my heart carried me through my days. No matter what happened at school, or wherever I was, Jesus' joy bubbled. 

As an adult, I'm more conscientious of the joy I find in Jesus. Sometimes rejoicing is a struggle. On those days, I tap into his word and cry out in prayer to reassure myself everything will be okay. It's hard to experience joy when the world is so out of whack. But Jesus always comes through. As I trust in him for wisdom and mercy, he splashes me with joy. I love Jesus and he loves me back. I sing that same little chorus today that I sang at camp. I have Jesus' joy down in my heart, and I praise him because that joy carries me through the hard stuff, the frustrating things, the opinions, the anger, and the unkindness we are seeing in the world.

Even on days when my joy is more like a grain of sand that a solid rock, I'm thankful I have a glimmer of hope.

Let the joy of Jesus overflow like a fountain of love.

Fiction Review: The Heart of a Hero (Global Search and Rescue Book #2) by Susan May Warren

Book Description:

Jake Silver may not be able to put the memories of his time as a sniper and Navy SEAL behind him, but at least he can put his skills to use as a part of the Jones Inc. rescue team. Saving the life of pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Aria Sinclair on Denali helped too. Now he can't get her out of his head, and when he hears she is in the path of a hurricane down in Key West he can't help but jump on a plane to rescue her.

Aria has dedicated her life to helping children born with defective hearts. After all, she was one of those children. Now driven to succeed, she lives a lonely, stressful life. One she would have lost on Denali if it hadn't been for Jake. Jake is exciting and handsome, but he's also dangerous, and she's already lost one person she loves. She can't bear it again.

It's not until she finds herself trapped in the middle of a category 4 hurricane that she can admit she needs Jake desperately. With their very survival in the balance, can they hope for a second chance at life . . . and love?

My Description:
You've got two strong characters in the midst of a crazy storm which leads to a story of will-power, trust, and second chances. Susan May Warren weaves a story filled with energy and excitement. When Jake follows Aria to Florida, he's prepared to rescue her. What he finds is a woman who pushes herself aside to save others. In the midst of the chaos, some of the other characters try their patience and make them question their trust, while others teach them lessons they didn't know they needed. While they wrestle with their inner demons, they fight the elements and search for the light at the end of a hard and hectic tunnel. Filled with suspenseful moments as well as tender embraces, this is a great summer read. One thing I enjoy most about Warren's stories is her focus on the male heroes, flaws and all. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

Think on These Things

I saw this sign on Sunday and felt God calling me to share. 

"When joy is a habit, love is a reflex."

I'll leave that here for us to think about. 

Saturday I'll post more about the joy I find in Jesus.

Have a great Wednesday!

A Harvest of Hope

Psalm 33:20-22

We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

When I was young, we planted a garden. A big garden.

Dad plowed the space and created rows for us to plant corn, green beans, tomatoes, peas, and other good veggies. And he planted a section, down the hill from our pond, meant just for potatoes; which seemed gigantic in my young mind. Dad hoped to grow an abundance of food.

When it came time to harvest and put up the bounty, it was all hands on deck. My brothers, cousin, and I grabbed baskets and plucked beans and ears of corn off those beautiful plants. Later when we shucked the corn, I hated finding those gross, little worms that ate into the kernels. I did enjoy the relaxing rhythm of breaking beans and shelling peas. When the potatoes matured, we searched for them as if they were Easter eggs buried in the rich soil.

I look back on those days and remember how we all worked together. Dad plowed and planted, we picked, snapped, and shucked. Mom, Grammy, my sister and aunt canned multiple quarts of tomatoes and beans and froze bag upon bag of corn. We ran into snags along the way, too much rain or not enough and animals and insects who feasted on the plants. Yet, we still received a full bounty of food for the winter.

In these difficult times, the hope I have in Jesus gets me out of bed in the morning. I pray every day for peace, even as I harvest hope and store it up for times like these.

When life goes through winter seasons of bleakness and fear, the hope that fills my heart gives me courage to face each day.

Plant God's hope in your heart and encourage it to grow. 

Take Heart

We are living in a time of high stress, unexpected circumstances, and constant change. 

To navigate the choppy waters of 2020, 

I'm squeezing tight to the anchor of hope I have in Jesus. 

If I didn't, I might drown. 

My hope is in the Lord.

Historical Fiction Book Review: The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Book Description:
A traveling librarian ventures into the mining towns of Kentucky on horseback—and learns to trust the One who truly pens her story—in this powerful novel from the best-selling author of A Silken Thread.

During the Great Depression, city-dweller Addie Cowherd dreams of becoming a novelist and offering readers the escape that books had given her during her tragic childhood. When her father loses his job, she is forced to take the only employment she can find—delivering books on horseback to poor coal-mining families in the hills of Kentucky.

But turning a new page will be nearly impossible in Boone's Hollow, where residents are steeped in superstitions and deeply suspicious of outsiders. Even local Emmett Tharp feels the sting of rejection after returning to the tiny mountain hamlet as the first in his family to graduate college. And as the crippled economy leaves many men jobless, he fears his degree won’t be worth much in a place where most men either work the coal mine or run moonshine.

As Addie also struggles to find her place, she’ll unearth the truth about a decades-old rivalry. But when someone sets out to sabotage the town’s library program, will the culprit chase Addie away or straight into the arms of the only person who can help her put a broken community back together?

My Review:
As a former librarian, I enjoy the stories of these brave souls who ventured into the mountains to deliver literature. In The Librarian of Boone's Hollow, Addie's life is opened to a whole new world she never imagined. Set in the time following the Great Depression, Addie takes the only job she can find. I love the Kentucky mountain setting and variety of characters. Addie, Bettina, and Emmett venture into a time where they need to rely on God and one another, even when they think they can't. I love how the author brings out important issues and effortlessly weaves them into the story. Her writing offers hope. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

He Hears Me When I Call

Psalm 102:1-2, 17 (NIV)

Hear my prayer, Lord;
    let my cry for help come to you.
Do not hide your face from me
    when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
    when I call, answer me quickly.

He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

Prayer is a privilege. If I don't ask my heavenly Father for help, that's on me.

My five-year-old granddaughter bows her head and prays every night with her momma. During the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, she asked Jesus to "stop the rona." Her little heart echoed the prayer of many. I asked God to protect my family and friends from the virus and to put an end to its rampage through the world. I prayed for the folks who lost loved ones and healing for those infected. No doubt God's ears have been filled with cries for help.

Now as I cry out once again to end racial tension and distress in our nation, I ask God to hear me. Please fill my heart with how to love better and how to respond as a Jesus' follower.

In the Psalm, the writer of chapter 102 sought out God in a time of distress. He understood God heard his voice and his request. Yet he begged him to answer quickly. Even as God's timing isn't my timing, I need to remain faithful and believe he will answer. And he does. In verse seventeen, the writer reminds me, "He will respond." In the meantime, I need to follow his lead and love well. I need to be encouraging and caring. I need to reach out to people with the arms of Jesus.

If I doubt God hears my pleas, I read Philippians 4:6 and am reminded to take everything to God in prayer. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

He hears me when I call.