“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4
Have you seen the commercial with former NFL running back Ickey Woods? He is waiting in line at the meat counter.
The man behind the counter calls out “Number 44.” Ickey looks at his ticket and exclaims “Woah! That’s me!!!” He begins to dance while saying “Get some cold cuts, get some cold cuts… gonna get some cold cuts today!”
I don’t remember being that joyful when I picked up lunch meat at the grocery store. More than likely, I looked at the price on the label and thought about how expensive it was!
But we can choose an attitude of joyfulness in our everyday life.
Just like the choice we have at the restaurant, we have the option of small, medium or large.
A small thing might be that cup of coffee you are holding. Pick it up and breathe in the scent of the coffee beans, and if it’s really hot, feel the steam on your face.
Maybe you see something in nature that brings you joy. I’m thinking about a tree at the post office that has started to bloom, even though it’s February.
Medium joy choices come from our interactions with others. A smile from your sweetheart, the laughter of a child, or the story you heard from an elder, even if it’s the ninth time you heard it!
Large joy choices involve our Maker. Finding joy in the Lord.
I believe that we should praise and rejoice in the Lord FIRST in our prayers, before we start in with our list of needs.
Don’t rush… Praying the Psalms is a good way to rejoice in the Lord.
Maybe we can learn something from Ickey. Let’s find joy in the small as well as great things in life.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
March Community Church Ministry Newsletter “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.”Exodus 14:15 It was a crucial moment. The children of Israel had left Egypt, and Pharaoh’s army was in hot pursuit. To make things worse, the Red Sea was in the way. The children of Israel complained to Moses, and he cried out to God. God’s answer was quick and direct:“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.”Exodus 14:15 It was a call to faith and action. The children of Israel obeyed, and God did His part. Boy did He ever!Hint: the parting of the Red Sea…We live in troubling times but God hasn’t changed. He wants us to walk by faith, and trust Him for miracles. Community Church Ministry is moving forward by faith! Easter Sunday is April 17th.LORD willing, Community Church Ministry is doing Easter egg hunts in 11 communities in Rome, starting in late March. Here’s what is needed: Your prayers for…
Good weather
Those who attend.
Workers
Resources
Volunteers…
You.
Your group.
Please consider partnering with us by prayer, presence, and provision!
Think ~ “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29
Aretha Franklin, in the song “Think”, famously sang these words:
“You better think (think)
Think about what you’re trying to do to me…”
With apologies to the Queen of Soul, I’m going to replace the word DO with the word SAY.
“You better think (think)
Think about what you’re trying to SAY to me…”
In other words, we need to
“Think before we speak.”
I found a helpful acrostic on LinkedIn this morning.
THINK
T- is it true?
H- is it helpful?
I- is it inspiring?
N- is it necessary?
K- is it kind?
I’m probably not going to remember every word of the acrostic, but I will remember the principle of it. (I did write it down and I plan on using it as a bookmark.)
So, when I’m upset and tempted to say something unkind, I will take a deep breath and… THINK.
Let’s agree with David, who prayed:
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”
