At Home...

...in Mitford. If you've never read this series by Jan Karon, do it!

http://www.amazon.com/Mitford-Years-Box-Set-Volumes/dp/0147717795/ref=pd_sim_b_1/102-8513901-4332956?ie=UTF8

And if you have, reread them! Last time we were at the library, I was in the mood for something uplifting, something familiar and comfortable, yet something that would challenge my soul to be more close, more daily with God. For me, this meant rereading the Mitford books. The series is set in a small North Carolina town with characters (in the full sense of the word!)...but there is definitely depth. An ever-present reminder to pray "the prayer that never fails" (Thy will be done.) mixed with lots of nuggets of encouragement, definitely some challenges, and good ol' fun!

I've had this little blurb from Light From Heaven bookmarked for a couple of days and wanted to share it.

He prayed the prayer attributed to St. Francis.
"Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give Your angels and saints charge over those who sleep. Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest Your weary ones. Bless Your dying ones. Soothe Your suffering ones. Pity Your afflicted ones. Shield your joyous one. And all for Your love's sake."
"Amen," they said.
"I'm always moved by his petition to 'shield Your joyous one,'" she said at last, "by his (St. Francis') recognition that joy is a terribly fragile thing, and the Enemy is bent on stealing it from us. Such a wise thing to ask for."

JOY seems to be a theme in my life right now. Our church is doing a study in all our small groups in Philippians and so I'm getting bombarded (hmmm...is there a hint here?) with Philippians - a woman's study on Monday's (A Woman's Guide to Joyful Living) and then a couple's study on Wednesday nights (Run the Race).

Even before these studies, I would have said that Philippians is my favorite book of the Bible, but it had been quite some time since I had really read it.

The truth that JOY is so much different than happiness is key. There is JOY throughout life...giving thanks IN every circumstance, not necessarily FOR every circumstance because HE is in control and not me (thank goodness!). There are so many things that I overthink and so many things that I wish I thought more about. Getting back to JOY - for me, that means letting the little things go. And by little things I don't mean ignoring the dishes or whatever that might be, but ignoring the petty joy-stealers. These tend to be the things that I overthink - like dwelling on what someone said or didn't say that hurt me, or obsessing over the decisions that someone else is making in their life that I really can't control nor can I help, or getting sucked into the thinking that the things that matter are not the things that REALLY matter.

It is so hard to LET GO and be JOYFUL in the circumstances that He has placed in my day.

I want to be available for my friends and my kids and that means making different decisions and being there when it's time. When I think of the things that have brought me the most joy in the past week, one specific time comes to mind. One of the table leaders from our MOPS group called asking for our coordinator's phone number (she had just moved). I gave it to her and then asked if everything was okay. She started to cry and told me that her mom had just been diagnosed again with cancer. We talked for a while and then prayed together. It was such a neat time with a woman that I've been wanting to get to know more, but felt like I was "the outsider" and couldn't live up to the coordinator that we currently have...but here comes the joy-stealer. There was a moment where I dwelled upon the fact that she wasn't really wanting to talk to me, she wanted to talk to the coordinator; I wasn't even first on the list to get the coordinator's new number, she had called 7 (yes, 7) other people and I was the only one home. BUT here's what God brought to my mind...I had you home for a reason. She called when both kids were down for naps for a reason. I wanted to use YOU. And in being able to be there for her, there was great JOY...no matter how it happened, it happened!

So, instead of dwelling or overthinking...I'm thankful that I was there and God used me...and I will NOT allow that JOY to be stolen!

May God shield your JOY today and always.