a good friend...

is worth much much more than even fine gold!
Do you have one of these matchy-matching, soul-connecting, smile-evoking,
giggle-sharing, kindred-spiriting girlfriends?
No, you say?
Why then I say...
please do go out and find you one.
Girlfriends,
they do your body good.

my mini learning the sweet sweet joys of a girlfriend!
(photo credit: Blessed and Beautiful Boggs' Blog)

this shout-out goes out to all my dear girls out there...you's know who you's are!

Looking for His kinda rain?

We are,
over in these here parts.
His rain brings
mercy
grace
shalom
goodness
righteousness
and mostly
LOVE.
More of Him.
That's for sure.
So we keep looking up.
Waiting for more.
Join us?

Do you get lost...

In these baby blues?

In this heart of gold?

In His intricate hand that weaves so much beauty?

I do.
I surely do.
Every day.

Deep Thoughts from Mitford's Father Tim...

Isn't it amazing when reading a simple fiction book, for the sole purpose of being lightly feathered off to a quiet, pleasant place, and you come across some deep and abiding truth of Him?
I truly love it when that happens...
"Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow, the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations, and say continually; "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart has trusted in Him and I am helped. He is not only with me but in me and I in him.""
-St. Francis de Sales
Father Tim of Jan Karon's Mitford series also shared in a most poignant way of his fears relating to his relationship with his own father, which I thought most fitting in the middle of this FearLess series we are going through at church (SFC FearLess sermon series linkage...)
"But, thought Father Tim, hadn't he, too, lived in a prison of his own for years on end, alternating fearing and despising and secretly rebuking his father? As a believer, his freedom in Christ had been severly handicapped for wont of letting go of the old bondage; of the old Adamic bitterness he'd unwittingly nurtured." -Father Tim, A New Song
Are there any fear driven prisons, created by you or others, that you need the shackles broken off of, to fly free as a bird from, right now?
Is your FREEDOM in Christ being handicapped from hanging onto old bondage, being nurtured by you?
Seek Him to see.
Your soul needs it.
Jesus went to the cross to give it
He wants you to live it.

Are you choosing JOY today?

I'm working on it. 
Joy despite the pain, the hurt, the sadness, the battle...whatever is fighting to steal the JOY He wants you to receive and has in abundance for you.
These choices are never easy though, are they?
It seems like it takes work to choose it.
I don't remember Him ever saying any of it would be easy though.
This life.
But I do know the choice is so worth it.
For the good of your soul.

"...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

-Nehemiah 8:10

Choose HIS joy today as your strength.

Gitzen Girl always talked a lot about that JOY choice on her blog. (just went home to Jesus, after 3 yrs of homebound chronic illness)

"Joy: the unwavering trust that God knows what He’s doing and has blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of it… not despite what’s happening in my life but because of it. When everything earthly feels heavy He gives me an internal lightness that can’t be touched.
That's what it feels like and means to me. Take a minute today to think about what joy is for you and then take it one step further. Take a moment to leave yourself a note... on your nightstand, on your bathroom mirror, by your computer... leave yourself a reminder to stop, take a deep breath and consciously choose joy today.
Trust me, it's worth your time."

(photo credit: Gitzen Girl's blog)

Got a few more moments to soak in some more thoughts on that choice of joy??

More of Gitzen Girl's thoughts on choosing joy (homebound from chronic illness for over 3 years)...

http://gitzengirl.blogspot.com/2008/11/define-joy.html

More thoughts by Ann Voskamp, on choosing joy...
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/09/when-longing-to-choose-joy/