Expressing Joy

I found a quote this week from a lady named Shauna Niequist, the author of "Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life". In this book she says, "I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift." Ever since reading this I have wondered the last time I made God laugh. When was the last time I gave God a good reason to belly laugh, to be glad that he gave me life? All to often we take life, we take our Christianity so seriously that we forget to actually live, we forget to celebrate the gift of life that God gave us. We claim to be children of joy but we forget to tell our faces that it's okay to show it. So that is my goal this next week; to give God a good reason to laugh, even if its at me. I want to celebrate life and express the joy that only God can give to His children.

Peace

This Sunday for advent is the subject of peace. As I am trying to prepare for it I have thrown out my sermon twice and am finding that I am having a lack of peace. We talked about all that is happening with me emotionally during a Bible Study and it is believe that God has something for me through all of this if I will simply trust in Him, let my guard down, and seek God's help. I don't know what is keeping me from doing just that, maybe it is fear of the unknown, or the lack of control that I would have. I believe that this Sunday we may find out as I may be preaching without notes. So may God work through me this week, through my weakness, through my struggles, and through my lack of peace.