I Will Rejoice This Year

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it”.

How many times have you heard this verse –

Yet it’s so difficult to live it out. Life gets all up in the way.

We set our expectations for the year on Jan. 1st and we never even give thought to the bad days that will inevitably come.

People are rude. The to-do list grows by the minute. You get a parking ticket. You spill your coffee.

It seems so difficult in these moments of annoyance and frustration to say “-I will rejoice”.

More serious things happen.

We lose a job. Our friends leave. People get sick. We lose loved ones.

It is nearly an impossible task to get up the next morning and say “-I will be glad in it.”

For the longest time I thought if I just fake it, plaster a smile on my face and say this verse, no one will know that inside I’m really saying “Why God?” “Why did you create this day? This is not the one I had in mind.”

Friend, He has you in mind. This is why we can rejoice. This is the reason that we can look our circumstances in the face and say “The joy my God provides is greater than my present situation, and today, this year, I choose to rejoice.”

Hard days this year are sure to come. But God’s love, provision, strength, and joy go before them, are in the midst of them, and are all around them. We can choose to be victims of our circumstances, to let them crush us and our spirit, or we can stand tall and say

“Yes, this may be happening but my God hasn’t left and because of that I rejoice!”

“I may be getting beat down, but I stand firm in the word of the Lord and it says no weapon formed will prosper and because of that I’m glad. (Isaiah 54:17).

“I may be hurting right now but He turns my mourning into dancing, so I will choose to say this is the day that the Lord has made I WILL rejoice and be glad in it.

Because of who our God is, we can rejoice in the hard times.

Let this year be the year of rejoicing in His goodness!

Faith and football… by Melissa Rathmann

They each have the unequivocal power to bring people together. And when an unexpected event like the collapse of Buffalo Bills’ defensive back Damar Hamlin during last Monday night’s football game unfolded, prayer became the bridge between the two.

In the moments following Hamlin’s collapse, we witnessed his teammates and coaches take a knee to form a prayer circle on national television. We watched fans from both teams unite in the stands to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Later that evening, we saw prayer vigils form outside the hospital as Hamlin received lifesaving medical care. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky paused during NFL Live to boldly and unapologetically pray for Hamlin. Then in the following days, we watched the donations in excess of 8 million dollars pour into Hamlin’s Go Fund Me, “The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive.”

Regardless of race, religion, or fan base, the world came together in support of Damar Hamlin.

In John 17:22-23, Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.”

When a group of believers join in prayer, it brings the unity that Christ prayed for.
The Lord himself said: “Where two or three are gathered in my name I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

On Saturday morning, the Buffalo Bills tweeted that Hamlin “remains in critical condition” but is “making continued progress in his recovery.” His neurological functions remain intact and he is able to breathe on his own and speak.

A miracle can be defined as an “extraordinary and astonishing happening that is attributed to the presence and action of an ultimate or divine power.” Was this a medical miracle? I am not sure. But this tragedy has the characteristics of a modern day miracle in that this event united people at a time when the world’s faith not only in God but in humanity desperately needs to be restored. The Lord used a tragedy to remind us of His presence, and the world responded in prayer.

When Hamlin asked his doctors who won the Bills-Bengals game, they responded with “You’ve won. You’ve won the game of life.” And this is nothing short of miraculous…

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.”
~ Psalm 77:14

In today’s day & age everyone is always trying to advance. Whether we want more things, more money, more time, or more friends, we are all trying to have more than what we already have.

But in reality… we already have everything we need: JESUS!!!!

When God sent His son to earth He was giving us the only thing that we needed to live. Because once someone accepts Jesus into their lives as Lord and Savior, they will live forever.

But.. how are we going to share this good news, and this great joy if we Christians in the room aren’t showing Jesus??

My question is: are you showing the joy of the Lord everywhere you go, or are you constantly trying to gain something that will never satisfy you?

If you said yes to that last part then my response is this – don’t postpone joy. Because Jesus is joy. And He is right at your fingertips if you’ll just take a hold of Him!

So many people in this world look to other things to give them joy. But Jesus is our true source of true joy.

As we go into this new year, I encourage each of y’all to look to Jesus for joy instead of earthly things. Instead of watching a show or reading a book or going out – I challenge you to pray, read God’s word, or worship when you are feeling down.

Once we start to find joy in Jesus, we can share the joy of Jesus.

So, don’t postpone joy because you can have it right now!

“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:10-11

Psalm 91:1. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

As I look back over 2022 I know without a doubt how important those two verses are in my life.

This morning I finished day 75 of a read through the Bible in 90 days plan. Even though I have been pretty faithful to Bible study over the years this plan has been a game changer. It immerses you into the Word. It’s definitely a challenge to read or listen to that much everyday, but it has been so worth it.

In order to not be conformed to this world I have to diligently renew my mind. I have to dwell with the Lord and remain in His shadow. His Word is the way to get that done.

Sisters…..

Get. In. The. Word.

Don’t neglect it. Don’t take it for granted. I’m not going to get too messy, but check your screen time (🙄 preaching to self), you have time. The enemy wants us to stay out of it. He doesn’t want us to be the warriors we are called to be.

As we go forward into 2023 let’s do our part to take control of what we can control. Let’s surrender part of our day to the Word. Let’s dwell with Him and abide in His shadow. Let’s keep our minds renewed. Everything else will fall into place if we seek Him first.

Praying each and every one of you has a blessed and prosperous 2023.

If you need a Bible study partner send me a friend request on the YouVersion app.

Maggie asked me the other day if I had a New Year’s resolution.

I don’t think she knew the can of worms she was opening or the fact that she was about to get a good ol’ momma sermon.

I don’t do resolutions. That’s a whole other blog for a whole different time. But I am in a constant state of trying to be the best me that I can be.

Lets talk about that.

When you’re setting goals for the New Year are they God aligned? Are the basis of the goals God centered? Are your goals about furthering God’s Kingdom or furthering yourself?

When you’re trying to become the best version of yourself, don’t forget what that version is – God’s version. He has been creating that version since He created you inside of your mother’s womb.

If we are not aligning our goals with God-

If we are not centering our life around God-

If we’re not focused on our role in God’s kingdom-

Then we will never, ever be our best self. And that’s just the truth.

This year I pray you set the goals. I pray you achieve the goals. And I pray you see God’s hand in all of it – each step of the way.

I love December 26th.

Kind of weird, huh? But December 26th is the day I purchase my prayer journal for the new year – and my journal is basically an extension of myself.

My yearly journal holds my prayers, my sermon notes from church, my goals – basically my entire life in written form. And this big ol’ dreamer loves everything about it.

I have all of my past journals lined up on a shelf in my closet. I often flip through them – looking back at answered prayers and unanswered prayers. Every time I flip through them is a time of thankfulness and reflection. It’s a time where I can really see how God’s hand was working in everything – especially the unanswered. I catch myself saying, “Oh, that’s why God.”

I challenge you to get a prayer journal this year. I challenge you to spend quiet time with God. I challenge you to pray and reflect and hope. Write it all down.

I challenge you to dream big for God.

“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:11

November brings Thanksgiving celebrations that call us to remember the past, while encouraging an awareness of our present. November reminds me of my daddy’s birthday. Although I’m always thinking of him, there’s something about seeing the date on my calendar. With his birthday comes sweet memories of days gone by. We call them “precious memories” – valuable memories stored in my heart. I liken it to a personal filing cabinet that only I have access to.
Some people have amazing memories and can recollect things like the names of their classmates from 40 years ago, the toy they received on their 7th birthday, etc. My memory is okay, I guess, but my husband’s is better. He will ask me things like, “Remember so and so?” “Remember when we saw this or did that?” Many times I honestly cannot remember or the details are rather foggy.
Did you know there are individuals who have what’s called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory- HSAM? These individuals are able to accurately recall dates and details of their lives, even going back decades. According to research, HSAM is extraordinarily rare with less than 100 people in the world that have been diagnosed with HSAM.
There came a time that my daddy forgot who I was.
It didn”t happen instantly, but over time. It was a slow fade of his memory and then the diagnosis came-Alzheimer’s. When we first noticed the difficulty he would have retrieving information about people and events, we would engage him with stories of the past, display pictures, and place mementos out that we hoped would keep him with us a little longer. Eventually memories of his life and his family became silent. His memory problem became a heart problem – my heart problem.
A memory problem became a heart problem… I”ve found myself reflecting on this thought.
Moses warned God’s people about what memory problems could do to the human heart. He called the people to remember all that God had told them and done for them in the past as they prepared to go in and occupy the land God had promised.
“Deuteronomy 8:11-When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws, and his decrees that I am giving you this day.”
“vs. 14 – then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” We know that the people did forget and that caused a heart problem.
Because God knew we would have a heart problem, He gave His one and only Son. I am thankful Jesus was willing to give His life as a perfect sacrifice. A sacrifice that redeemed me from the slavery of sin. I am thankful that God knew I would need help remembering, so that a

memory problem wouldn’t become my heart problem. I am thankful that I have His Word to remind me… because my memory isn’t always the best.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalms 103:2-5 NKJ
Happy Thanksgiving!
May you always be reminded of the great things He has done.

Be careful little eyes what you see

Let not desire keep you from being free

A content heart

A grateful heart

Full of thanksgiving

Is what keeps the soul from being captured

Ensures it remains in peace.

On New Year’s Day several years ago, I created a “thankful” jar. For that year, every time something happened for which I was grateful, whether for me or my family, I wrote it on a piece of paper and placed it in that jar.

The following Christmas morning, I gathered my family, and one by one, we retrieved each of those papers and read them aloud. We took the time to recall every memory and verbally gave thanks to Jesus for what He had done in those moments. That was His birthday present from me that year, my intentionality in remembering all the things He had done. It didn’t matter the size of the moment, God still showed Himself big.

Sometimes, we can become so overwhelmed by what we are lacking that we forget to remember and be thankful for what we do have. I encourage you to find something like the thankful jar and begin to cultivate a garden of thankfulness in your heart and mind, a garden that can be harvested from no matter the season, and watch your perspective of everything you encounter each day shift.

I once heard someone say, “You steer where you stare,” and it’s true. If you keep your focus on what you lack, that’s where you will steer your heart, life, and mind, and you’ll find yourself wondering why you cannot see the light of day. Keep your eyes focused on Him and what He has provided, and you’ll find yourself fully surrounded by all of Heaven.

Make no mistake, all of Heaven is around you no matter where you’re staring, but it’s so much harder to glimpse something that’s in your periphery than it is when you’re eyes are locked directly onto it.

When God created Adam, he could have spoken him into existence just like he did everything else, but He didn’t. He formed him with his own hands and then breathed life into him. When Adam first opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the Father’s face. Why? Because that’s where God wanted our focus from the beginning. He wanted our eyes on Him and nothing else. He knew that if our eyes ever left His face we would fall. And we did. Just ask Peter what can happen if we take our eyes off of the One.

Be careful little eyes what you see

Let not desire keep you from being free

A content heart

A grateful heart

Full of thanksgiving

Is what keeps the soul from being captured

Ensures it remains in peace.