JOY TO YOU

written by Martha Shipman
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His Eyes Are on Us
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance, From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do, No king is saved by the size of his army, no warrior escapes by his great strength, a horse is a vain hope for deliverance, despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 
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Fifty Years of Blessing
Next week is my 50th birthday. I’ve lived 50 years and a majority of the time felt alive and useful. This past year has been different. I became an empty nester in 1994 at the ripe old age 40. (Click here for more)

My Daily Prayer
Lord, help me through the days. Let them be full of you at work where I can see. If you want me to be your hands…take my hands Lord and move them to the ones that need Your touch. Lord, if it be my smile…fill me with your joy so I can show approval and acceptance to those You have placed in my life for this short time.  
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What a Day
Whatever the day brings, God is there! Thanks be to Jesus He’s in the ‘taken care’ of us business when it comes to living as he asked. Loving and doing good.  (observe the past tense of ‘taken care’) HE was victorious at the cross! I can live according to that truth no matter what the day brings. (Click here for more.)

Proud Daddy
Last Sunday I was sitting next to my Music Minister and his son Ben. My Music Minister tapped my shoulder and signaled for me to look down at what his son had written. He had written the name “Jesus”. It was written with the J backwards but his daddy and I both knew that name. I looked up at his daddy’s face. He beamed with pride.  (Click here for more.)

Joy in Obedience
This is much the same way our days move along in our walk with God. He is forever faithful and present.  I look and listen to his leading-his calling me.  He sometimes calls me places that cost me time or money or fun! (Click here for more.)

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
This phrase from the doxology has been running through my head over and over in the past few months. So as I usually do, I asked God, “Why”?  Is it so that I will recognize the truth in this phrase? Lord, who else have I given credit for what only you could have done?  (Click here for more.)

Good Morning, Lord
Driving to work the other morning I saw the sunrise.  The next day it was rainy and dark.  Two days later it was sunny again.  Today it is muggy and sometimes ‘a sprinklin’.  This is my life. And probably yours.  Sometimes dark, sometimes cloudy but it’s always a day.(Click here for more.)

Joy at the End of the Ages
Some of His disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God.  Jesus said, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” (Click here for more.)

Joy in Believing
I want to share with you about the God I believe in. The one true God. The God of creation.  My God created the world in seven days.  (I just went through a move, I’ve been in my home 7 days, and I still haven’t unpacked everything.)  My God created the world with His voice,” Let the…”   (I can’t even get my dog to mind me.) 
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Joy in Prayer
There are two beautiful people in my life that are very ill.  One is my Aunt Mary.  The other day my cousin asked, “ Can’t you just pray and she’ll get up?”  I believe with all my heart and soul the answer is “YES”.  A loud and boisterous “YES”.  God is still working the miracles of restoration and healing.  He still heals the brokenhearted and the sick.  If you are His child, you know and I know that sometimes it is His will not to do so.  Is it our lack of faith? I think not, for our faith lies in knowing that He can heal and has healed. (Click here for more.)

Joy in Friendship
Ouch.  I hurt; I cried.  My tummy ached from the pain of rejection; someone I loved had left me.  We used to laugh together and share our most private thoughts.  There was no one else I could trust like I had trusted this person. I had slowly and carefully come to love and care about this person.  I had tried to take care of this persons needs before I took care of my own. (Click here for more.)

Choosing Joy
My life has not been “normal”, whatever that means.  While children ran in small groups, I always seemed to end up alone; you know, the last one picked for a team.  I played outside by myself on the “monkey bars” while others played team games; I sat at lunch by myself all through my school days, and as a result I developed a passion for reading.  (Click here for more.)

Shout for Joy
I’m an avid fan of sports. I’ll attend and yell my lungs out for almost any team, especially those that show a passion for the sport.  And can I yell! We have season tickets to the Baylor University football games. Now Baylor is not known for having the higher score, and many years I have seen them not play as one unit; the team spirit just wasn’t there. However, I still attend the games and am a faithful fan.  When I witness passion and a team playing together and enjoying the sport, this “little” woman yells.  (Click here for more.)

Exceeding Great Joy
In the book of Matthew, in the Holy Bible, it says in Chapter 2, verse 10, that when the Magi (the Wise Men) saw the star they "rejoiced with exceeding great joy".  Joy that they had found the Christ child.  They had been waiting for Him.  They went looking for Him under the guise of “helping Herod” do away with this baby.  Instead when they saw Jesus and His mother they bowed down and worshipped Him. 
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Endless Joy
The other morning I was driving to work and heard the news that the Foreign Aid workers were released. Two of which were girls that were from Waco, Texas and had graduated from Baylor University. They had been arrested in Afghanistan by the Taliban for preaching Christianity.  I began to be filled with joy.  A smile spread across my face as I praised God for their release.  He releases some and others he doesn’t.  These HE did.  I was rejoicing because they were coming home.  I thought about the reason they had been arrested.  Could I have taken their place?
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I Was Sinking
If you’ve been to the seashore or beach, then you know that if you plopped down and began to count just a tiny square inch of sand grains it would take hours and hours. That’s the time He spends thinking lovely thoughts of you! He loves you so much. Come walk with me as He ministers to both you and me. (Click here for more.)

Love Lifted Me
I was not only sinking, I had sunk.  I had wandered out way over my head. My choices had left me floundering in waves that were crashing all around me.  I was scared; I was angry; I was lonely and I needed help. I needed a lifeguard. I needed someone to rescue me.  (Click here for more.)

He Sustains Me
Frankly, I wondered,  how could my Lord possibly restore this scarred and battered creature who had found solace in her misery.  Of course He gave me this verse.
“Restore to me the Joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalms 51:12.  (Click here for more.)

Now He Had Lifted Me
Now He had lifted me but to what?To look into the face of all the people from whom I had been hiding. Reflections of approval, anger, happiness, disapproval, and judgment. All man’s approval. Well that scared and still scares me.  I began to work my journey of "Joy" to the sum of pleasing others.  If I could claim happiness, then I would be happy and those around me would be happy. Joy would become my theme 
word. (Click here for more.)