Because Jesus rose again….

We don’t have to fear tomorrow or face it alone

We have peace that surpasses all understanding

We are sons and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

We can sing praises of your matchless love, grace and mercy

We can sleep knowing that should we never wake, the splendors of Heaven await us

We have hope that never ends, regardless of the darkness chasing us

We can take our greatest treasures with us to Heaven…our family and friends

We enjoy the majesty of this gift of life and the beauty you’ve filled it with

We can live an abundant life experiencing joy as only you can give

We can smile through tears, knowing that all things work together for good

We can stand strong in His strength and work though His power, not our own

We are refreshed by the daily renewing of His mercies

We are encouraged by His faithfulness

We know that every tear will be wiped away

We know that His love reaches us…..regardless

We know true, honest and pure love

We know that our God is greater

AND because a single promise was kept….

We are looking for the promised return, knowing it could be any moment… a twinkling of an eye

Marie Wikle

@spreadingJOY

This article was first published in Tell It on the Mountain eMagazine by DeAnne McBurnie. Thank you DeAnne for how you are spreading JOY!

Marie is the founder/President of Spreading Joy Corporation, a Non Profit that is dedicated to reminding others of the simple joy of giving. To find out more about making a difference for others without breaking the bank, more encouraging articles and more about her book Spreading Joy Daily please visit her site at http://www.spreading-joy.org

The post A Promise Kept first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

Whatever your day has brought you – PRAISE HIM!

If it brought you sun, praise HIM – If it brought you rain, praise HIM

If it brought you a bonus, praise HIM – If it brought you an unemployment check, praise HIM

If it brought you a new car, praise HIM – If it brought you news you need a new motor, praise HIM

If it brought you warm hugs and kisses, praise Him – If it brought you despair and grief, praise HIM

If it brought you a trip to your favorite place, praise HIM – If it brought you to the hospital or doctor office, Praise HIM

If it brought you gladness and smiles, praise HIM – If it brought you tears and sorrow, praise HIM

If it brought you peace and harmony, praise HIM – If it brought you uncertainty and fighting, praise HIM

If it brought you encouragement and direction, praise HIM – If it brought you discouragement and road blocks, praise HIM

If it brought you good news of promotion or healing, praise Him – If it brought you heartbreaking news or disease, praise HIM

If it brought you smiles and laughter, praise HIM – If it brought you anger and yelling, praise Him

Whatever this day has brought you, place your hope in the Lord and simply praise HIM

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B-udGxwLV0

Psalm 9:2
I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD1H29Ps8l8

Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K44trVhtZX4

Marie Wikle the Founder and President of Spreading Joy Corporation wants to empower everyone to make a difference and give without guilt.

Here is a personal Warm Welcome to Spreading Joy. You’ll find links to interviews, no cost ways to make a difference and other things that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your heart.

We want to rise above the discouragement of high prices, the obstacle of dead ends and the disappointment of our comfort zone. We want to be the change that is so desperately needed.

The post Whatever The Day May Bring first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

Through a series of emails, she made a statement to me that many of us often forget when the pain is overwhelming and the darkness has consumed our days.

She said:

“Goodness does still exist here, you just have to look real, real, real, real, real, real, real, real, real, real hard.”

Here, among many other things, is what I shared with her.

“Goodness is still here. The negative overshadows it. Hurt covers it. Pain hides it. Uncover the goodness!”

Pain, discouragement and disappointment can and often does bring isolation. Then the depression creeps in. When that happens, JOY is covered up and because you don’t “feel happy”, the negative emotions take over.

Happiness is a fleeting emotion, while Joy is undeniable faith in an almighty God, who has your best interest at heart. We may not always understand our pain, anguish or why we don’t seem to be reaping the goodness we’ve sowed, but we can claim great joy in the Lord as we walk through the hardships that lay ahead.

I’ve had several people tell me that the only reason I can be actively spreading joy the way I do is because things are good and/or that I’m just looking at the world through rose colored glasses.

When I speak of spreading the joy of the Lord “regardless of circumstances,” I speak from experience. Yes, I’m so blessed! Yes, my needs are met and many of my wants are met as well. Yes, I have a wonderful husband, 2 amazing kids and family that I adore. Yes, I have a job to pay the bills and to give support to Spreading Joy with. But yes…I do know pain, hurt and just how dark negativity can make things.

There have been times that I’ve looked up towards heaven and said “seriously???? Lord?? Really?”

There have been times that I’ve sobbed, not just cried, but poured out my heart to the Lord saying, “again??? Must we endure this again?”

There have been times when grief has so filled my heart with sadness that I simply couldn’t get out of bed.

There have been times when I’ve wondered… “when Lord? When will a positive answer to prayer come”

There are things on my “only GOD” prayer list that I look at and wonder can I muster up a grain of a mustard seed sized portion of faith for those needs.

There have been times that my hearts tells the Lord, “I’m sorry, Lord. I’ve completely failed you and I don’t have the wisdom to take the next step”

And as much as I try not to, there are those times when I whisper in my heart, “why Lord. Why? I simply don’t get it!”

But I can firmly stand on the Word of the Lord with Nehemiah 8:10 saying the joy of the LORD is my strength. Am I always happy? No, I’m not. But do I have joy through sorrow? Yes, I do.

So, how do we find the goodness and find joy that gets hidden during these horrid times in our lives?

We look for them, seek them, choose them and keep them.

1. Look for the good. There is usually something good about each and every day. Trouble is our heart is so discouraged that it shuts its eyes to anything but the negative that surrounds the trouble. Uncover the joy that is waiting to be discovered.
2. Use praise as a weapon. Being openly grateful about the blessings in our world will drive discouragement away. Don’t get me wrong, it may be a fight between your heart and mind, but it is worth it. Praise the hurt away. Sing until the clouds lift from over your heart.
3. Laugh. I love laughing and sometimes, I laugh at the most inappropriate time, which tends to end up being funnier for those around me. When your heart is in despair, find your favorite cartoons, your favorite funny shows and watch them.
4. Saturate your day with the Word of God. Listen to the Bible, read the Bible. Find some online preaching. We should be in God’s word daily anyway, but more so when we don’t “feel like it.”
5. Pray! Surround yourself with the Comforter Himself. God knows your heart, empty it of the hurt that is filling it up and let God’s joy strengthen you.
6. Do something for others. Don’t let negative feelings about how small “your something for others is” cloud your heart. Just do it. I’m telling you, and I’ll keep telling you – go and give a box of Little Debbie Cakes away or a pack of Reese’s Cups. The smiles will be unbelievable.
7. Dig deep into your memory. On the days when the sorrow is so great due to a horrible loss and you are working your way through the pain of that particular event, do something powerful and REMEMBER something good, just for a few moments. I know this kind of day. Even though you have great peace and trust the Lord to carry you through, the pain is so great that you wonder how you’ll function. Use the memories of something awesome to remind your heart that “this too shall pass” and just how amazing God’s grace truly is.

This in no way is an exhaustive list, but it is things that I do and turn to time and time again.

I’ve been sending out a message on twitter for a while now. I will send it out almost daily as I know different people will see it at different times. It says

JOY…. Choose it today! Look for it today… Expect it TODAY!

In the middle of your discouragement, remember the joy is right there too. Your eyes are closed to it because sometimes it is just easier to see the darkness. But remember, even in the darkest night, all it takes is one flicker and that flicker can be seen for miles.

Uncover the goodness; don’t let it slip by you without you grabbing hold of it.

How do you uncover the goodness and joy that is within your reach?

Will you share some of what gets you through the dark times?

What verse or verses get you through?

Inspire someone by leaving a comment.

Marie Wikle the Founder and President of Spreading Joy Corporation wants to empower everyone to make a difference and give without guilt.
Here is a personal Warm Welcome to Spreading Joy. You’ll find links to interviews, no cost ways to make a difference and other things that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your heart.

We want to rise above the discouragement of high prices, the obstacle of dead ends and the disappointment of our comfort zone. We want to be the change that is so desperately needed.

The post Where Is Goodness & Joy? first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

I hope you will spend some time just thanking the Lord.  Thanksgiving needs to be a daily thing for us.

I’m thankful for:

Spend some time thinking about all that you are grateful for.  Dwell on it, wrap your heart in it and praise HIM for it.

{hugs} yall

@spreadingJOY

Marie is the Founder/President of Spreading Joy Corporation, a Non-Profit dedicated to reminding others of the simple joy of giving.  For more encouragement and a look at the little things that make life big, please visit her website http://www.spreading-joy.org

The post Thankful For… first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

This is an amazing book filled with 365 ways to spread joy and encouragement throughout the year. Broken down by month, Marie leads you day by day through a whole year of so many ways to bless others.

Ways such as…

January 25 – Leave a sticky note of encouragement on everyone’s computer today…

February 6 – Recycle magazines by giving them to a women’s shelter or even a nursing home…

June 11 – Give kind words freely.

August 28 – Pay a local teenager to mow a neighbor’s lawn. Two acts of spreading joy in one!…

October 21 – Run errands for a new mom. This is such a valuable gift of time….

December 21 – Make 20 sack lunches and pass out to homeless in your area…

 Why not check out the many ways you can encourage your family, friends, and your community. You too can make an impact no matter how small, like a ripple in a pond…all in the name of Jesus!

The post Make A Difference With SpreadingJOY first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

I realize there is a lot more to this verse than I’ve just written, but I want to focus on this portion of it.

“I do not frustrate the grace of God…” – ……..but  I do.

If I’m honest with myself, I probably frustrate the Lord more often than most.  He, as my heavenly Father gives me the free will to choose.  I get to choose my day, the time I spend with God, family and others.  I can’t begin to imagine how frustrating I can be as I make unwise choices, such as choosing good over best, choosing less over waiting for more and choosing to not try because fear grips my heart.

What are some ways that I’m sure I frustrate God?

• Lack of faith – I want faith that moves mountains.  According to Matthew 17:20, all I need is as much as a grain of a mustard seed to do so.  We see simple miracles often and yet like the children of Israel; we need to see more in order to believe.  We need to be reminded more often than not.    Recently, Spreading JOY Corp was asked to help out someone that needed $1000.00 to avoid eviction in a week.  I was certain that this family would be evicted as I have tried to raise money before and knew nothing short of a miracle was needed.  I searched for that grain of faith to move mountains but felt it was nowhere to be found.  Thankfully – so many heroes stepped up and gave. Not only did they help this family, but they increased my faith.
• Lack of time – We are so busy with family, church, work, housework, errands, dinner, softball, keeping the dog clean and visits with friends in coffee shops that we tend to not make time to build and strengthen our relationship with the Lord.  We live in a Burger King world and want to have it “our” way – quick, easy and simple.  God desires us to spend time with HIM.  If our children were obedient to every single thing we told them to do and yet NEVER spent any time with us, our hearts would break.  I imagine the Lord’s heart breaking when we get to busy with “stuff” to spend time with Him.
• Unworthy feelings – We are joint heirs with Christ, so why on earth do we let these feelings get in the way?  We feel like we do not deserve God’s love, blessings and his power.  Because His mercy and grace is renewed each day, we get to have these wonderful things, even though we feel like we shouldn’t.  God wants to bless us, use us and empower us.  We are made in His image and even though HE knows our heart, our doubts and fears , HE still chooses to love us – UNCONDITIONALLY.    How amazing is our God?

Have you ever thought about this?

There are so many other ways that we frustrate the Lord.  Will you dare list some of the ways you frustrate Him?  What are you going to do about it?

What verses will help you, motivate you and move you away from frustrating the Lord to making His heart smile?

{{HUGS}} yall

@spreadingJOY

For more information about Spreading Joy Corporation and just how easy it is to make a difference without breaking the bank, visit Marie at http://www.spreading-joy.org

Spreading Joy on Facebook

Tell me – talk to me… or am I the only one frustrating God? hmmm?

The post Frustrating God first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

And the LORD said unto satan, hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth…. Job 2:3

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, or what financial status you achieve – YOU are going to have problems.  I realize I’m not being little Miss Sunshine with that statement nor am I spreading joy, but let’s face it, it is the truth.

The question then becomes, what are you going to do with your troubles?

When we are looking at our troubles, our hearts are tired, weak and weary.  We aren’t thinking straight because we are desperately searching for a way to escape, a way to fix what is broken or a new path because the old one is nothing more than a huge sink hole, waiting to swallow us into the belly of the earth.  Desperation is not fun. Then the horror really sets in when you think your friends will be there to help you and they decide to tell you why you are deserving of what you are receiving.  You were simply looking for some comfort, some support or even just some company and that just never happened as your friends decided to explore the possibilities of how you brought your trials upon yourself.

Troubles come at us for so many reasons.  Here are just a few.

1. To grow our faith. When we have endured the night of horrors, our faith is strengthened for the next time. Each trial, each tribulation and every victory over them increases our faith.  Have you ever really thought about what you are praying when you pray “Lord, increase my faith?”
2. To allow us to help others. I do not know the pain and grief of sending a child on to heaven before me.  I have several friends who do know this.  In the year 2000, both of my children’s best friends died.  Megan was 5 and Todd was 9.  I encouraged, prayed and helped where I could but I still had my children.  When a friend is grieving over the loss of their Dad and she happens to be a daddys girl – THAT kind of pain…I know.  There are so many ways we can encourage each other.  I’ve prayed for many people who needed jobs, but until recently, I did NOT know their frustrations in looking for one. Filling out the endless ocean of boxes and questions that take an hour to apply for one job is nothing short of a nightmare.  When I pray for those who need jobs now, I pray with more of an understanding of what they are going through in even looking for a job.
3. For God’s glory. Sometimes we have troubles just so that when God has brought us through and we sing “how great is our God” because His mercy and grace were enough, our Lord is glorified and all those around us see.
4. We reap what we sow. Then there are times that we have troubles because we have brought them upon ourselves.  Sure we may have asked for forgiveness, sure we may have stopped sowing that which would produce trouble, but the fact remains that sometimes we bring it on ourselves.  The bad part about this is that we don’t simply hurt ourselves when we do this, we hurt everyone around us.  You never just hurt your own self.  Ever.

What I really want to get through to you is, maybe JUST MAYBE the reason your troubles are mounting up one right after the other, the mountain is getting bigger by the minute and you’ve been beat down time and time again very well could be because God said…. “have you considered my servant………………?” and you may as well insert YOUR name there.

Out of everyone on the earth at that time, God PERSONALLY picked out Job and asks satan if he had considered him.  I know Job probably didn’t realize what an honor this was nor did he consider it an honor at the time, but have you ever really thought about that statement? I don’t know how many people were on the earth at that time, but God named JOB.  Can you imagine with me the kind of love Job had to have for the Lord for him to be singled out by God in that fashion? Do you wonder what Job must have done day in and day out to grab the heartstrings of the Lord so that he would call him by name, saying there is none like him on the earth?

If you feel like you are enduring the worst times of your life and you know you’ve been faithfully serving the Lord. Stay faithful, keep trusting in the One that holds your soul in His hands.  Allow him to carry you through. Just as His grace was enough for Job, it will be enough for you. Look around and see what you can learn, see what you can carry with you and rest safe in your Father’s arms. I Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that He will not give us more than we can handle.  Please do consider that the trials you are going through could be because God said to satan “have you considered……..?”

If things are going good for you right now and you are faithfully serving your redeemer, consider this – is it enough to grab His attention the way Job did?  Would you be willing to endure the trials if the Lord said your name instead of Job’s?

I don’t know about you, but I want the Lord elbowing the angels….pointing down at me and saying…hey – there she is – THERE’S my girl!!!  Essentially, that is EXACTLY what he did in Job’s case.

Have you considered……..?

The post Have You Considered My Servant first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.