I’m needing some joy right about now…how about you? I don’t watch the news and try to avoid the goings on of the world. Please, no judgment, it’s a must for my sensitive soul. A thirty second news clip about some tragedy can cause me to lose my peace of mind and soul before the clip is even over. I can very easily slip into a dark place of fear and discouragement and clawing my way back out of that pit–even using inspiring Bible quotes and daily affirmations–is much harder than just avoiding it altogether.
That being said, one doesn’t need to follow the latest headlines and read the in depth articles splashed across newspapers and magazines to know the world is in a very bad place. Death and destruction reign. People killing people, people killing themselves and people just trying to do the best they can to escape with only scrapes and injuries. Mail boxes are stuffed with bills we can’t pay, homes filled to the brim with the latest and greatest supposed to make us happy and content and fist fulls of antidepressants chased with food and drink in an effort to dull the pain. And it seems to my overactive imagination formed in the ’80s, not only did The Devil Go Down to Georgia but he’s dancing across the world, seeking whom he may devour.
Inspiring Bible Quotes
Ready for some good news? Yeah, me too. Ready for some joy and contentment? Count me in! I’m going to purpose to read the book of Philippians–filled with inspiring Bible quotes about joy–over and over for the next four weeks. William Barclay, in his book Barclay’s Guide to the New Testament
, calls Paul’s epistle to the Philippians, “The Letter of Joy.” It just so happens one of my all time favorite books, one of my life lines a couple of years ago, The 4:8 Principle: The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life
, dovetails nicely with the book of Philippians; it’s based on Philippians 4:8. I will be reading it alongside my reading and re-reading of the book of Philippians.
Won’t you join me? Here’s my plan: I’m going to start on the 25th of August. I purpose to read chapter one of the book of Philippians everyday in its entirety, the 25th through the 31st of August–one week. In addition to the chapter in Philippians, I will also read 5-7 pages a day from The 4:8 Principle: The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life. September 1st I’ll start chapter 2 of Philippians; reading it everyday, in its entirety for the week and continue with 5-7 pages per day of The 4:8 Principle. If all goes according to plan, I’ll finish up around the 21st of September.
If you are looking for some encouragement, some joy, a solid anchor in an unstable world, I encourage to join me in reading the book of Philippians. You may read this post after the set time I outlined. Read it anyway. You can be sure I am. The book of Philippians, along with the Psalms are my go to books of the Bible–well and the Gospels. I have not found a more effective means of overcoming fear, anxiety, depression and general melancholy than to block out the noise of the world and take in the peace of the Word by reading, writing and memorizing inspiring Bible quotes.
Each day there is more encouragement and even some laughs over on my Facebook page. Head over and “Like” me there for more.
That’s funny, I just blogged about Joy today.
Happy to see you all!
Thank you Jenny so much for doing this! Our house is in a serious battle right now as my dear husband fights clinical depression. The opportunity to dive into God’s word with a focus on joy is a true blessing. I am so excited to begin! God bless you Jenny.
Many more prayers for you and yours.
Look!! The Gang’s [almost] all here!! Happy Dancing All Around!
So glad you are back and all your fellow bloggers to. missed my morning read with my cuppa coffee and al; the inspiration for the day
God Bless you Jenny
Welcome back, Jenny! I am travelling for the next two weeks, with only intermittent internet access, but I will keep rhis community in the forefront of my prayers. Joy is a wonderful way to begin again.
Hi Kaethe! Enjoy your travels and stop in when you can.
Sweet Jesus I have missed you! I miss the many friends I made here originally. I was all disconnected.
Fellow melancholic here too…joy IS the struggle as I have said in another post. I, too, don’t have to watch the news to see what is going on. I find out one way or another…or God finds a way, I should say, if I need to pray for a specific situation in the world.
Would love to read Phillipians…need a a little joy about now.
Look forward to grace filled…and joyful…days.
So glad to see you here my friend. I wasn’t sure if you were still around here…or there..you know. I look forward to getting ourselves back together and moving forward in the closer friendship with Christ and each other. The journey to joy is a great place to start.
Still blogging…mostly just reflections on silence lately but hope to get to more. Otherwise I am on Pinterest a bit and that’s all! It’s been a difficult summer but things are settling along with some peace.
Thought I would share this quote from Pope Francis:
“In intimacy with God and in listening to his Word, little by little we put aside our own way of thinking, which is most often dictated by our closures,by our prejudice and by our ambitions,and we learn instead to ask the Lord: what is your desire? What is your will? What pleases you?”
I’ve been reading and enjoying your reflections on silence very much this summer. Thanks for the quote.
Yay!
Hey girl! Are you joining us our joy journey?
Jenny, I missed you too! I love your personal site – so beautiful and such a gift to your family. But, am so excited you are back and engaging again! Prayers for this little space on the web and I intend on joining the Joy series. I tend to be quite the phlegmatic so Joy in action is something I need to work on. 🙂
Hi Amanda, so glad to see you here! Yes, prayers please, I appreciate them. I’m looking forward to your phlegmatic insight as we begin our joy journey.
Hi!!! I have missed you! I so wish I could join in this study. I am doing Matthew again this year with a group at church and then my formal study covers Moses this year. Both begin the same week!
I love the new format!
Well hello there Miss Wanda. Even if you aren’t “officially” joining us in this journey to joy, I know you will still have some great insight to share here in the comments.
Jenny, I’m so glad to see you back blogging for women! I’ve missed that. I pray it works out for you this time, because I know how important it is to you.
Joy… I’m a serious person by temperament, so joy is always a challenge. For me, what works is focusing on Christ instead of myself or what’s going on around me. We are over-connected with the rest of the world sometimes. In past generations, people were unaware of all the troubles in other parts of the globe. Now we watch them live. We have the opportunity to pray and help, but also to feel like this is the worst, most violent, destructive time in history, etc., when much of it is just that we have more knowledge. (I’m not downplaying the real rise in persecution of Christians worldwide.) I try to check in with news just once or twice a week–enough to know the basics and to pray (or offer other support), but not to get caught up in problems that might make me feel helpless. God is always in control, no matter how chaotic our world may appear.
Thank you Connie for the warm welcome back. Yes, I too am a more serious person by nature. The duality of the melancholic/choleric temperament, lol! I agree in earlier times people may have an idea of some of what was going on in the world, if at all, but their knowledge was not lived in real real time right before their eyes…unedited at times now even. I think it made for a much less stressful environment in the mind and soul of a person. There was just enough information to know how and where to pray but not enough to overload a person.
Happy Happy Joy Joy!
Happy Happy Joy Joy!
Happy Happy Joy Joy JOY!!!!
(ahem – do you remember Ren and Stimpy?)
I am tickled beyond belief to hear that you’re reviving this online community. I was just about 2 nanoseconds away from contacting you and asking if I could do it. I’ve missed Emily’s insights, Theresa’s deep reflections and Marcia’s voice, too. I’ve missed you, too, my friend.
And you’re right. Bible study is better with friends.
Angela I would love your help…two are better than one! Let’s work out some details ok.