Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Conquering Joy

My personal blog has been focused on "the testimony of One" for the past few years. It has reflected my heart and the purpose in why I write. Whether anyone else reads it or not, I want what I write to reflect what God is doing in my life ... and remember it all when time has stolen the details.

Sometimes my writings simply reflect a heart that is brutally honest, without yet reflecting God's tender interference in moving me forward. Sometimes my writings document what I've learned in any given moment, on any given day. And sometimes my writings are nothing more than a reminder to me of a particular experience that I don't want to forget.

So here I am, changing it all up. I'm not leaving my testimonies behind, I am simply moving forward with a changed perspective and focus ... Conquering Joy. A change in blog title wasn't really on my radar, but I found myself having to make a change based on the complexities of having too many Google account names. Instead of trying to rise above the minutia of too many details to fix, I simply wiped the slate clean and decided to re-create, start from scratch. And then this title came to me; one of those moments where God whispers in my ear.

At first I thought conquering joy was kind of an oxy-moronic title. Did they really go together? But then I looked up the word conquer and this is what I found:

Conquer: to take possession of by force or authority; to overcome by conquest.

I liked the whole thought of taking possession of joy by authority. JOY is a fruit of the Spirit, but it is also a feeling. I have to choose to live in it, just as I would choose to be content...or not. Yes, the Holy Spirit deposits joy in my life, but He'll never force feed it to me.

And then I had this thought: God knows that taking possession of joy in every situation in my life has the potential to bring about unspeakable change. My testimonies will continue to be recorded, but think about the glory [of God] they will reflect if written through a filter of joy?

JOY.PEACE.HOPE.GLORY (see blog I wrote at the beginning of the year: Moving Forward)

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Conquering JOY is necessary in moving forward to PEACE. HOPE. & GLORY.!

Thank you, Lord, for continuing to show me why you purposed my focus for 2010 on these things. You are so incredibly faithful and I love the way you surprise me with revelatory moments such as these.

1 comment:

  1. Yayyy...the comment box is normal.

    Joy is contagious, so I am excited to take this blog journey with you!

    ReplyDelete