Anticipating A Snowy Day

This was the scene just a year ago.

A wonderful snowy day.

That's what they say is coming our way- some ice and snow. Who knows? It hardly ever snows here. Everyone in town awaits this wonderful sight. People are hurrying around buying milk, bread, and batteries. So, enjoy the view and maybe, just maybe, there will be new snow pictures I can share with you all. That would be a great delight!

Journey with me through Grace!

This year, my pastor is preaching entirely on the subject of grace. I'm going to share some truths with ya'll that stand out to me from his sermon notes. To locate the page, click on 2011- All About Grace at the top of the blog under the Joy Treasure heading .
                                     I'll update the page weekly.

Comfort

This video is such a great reminder of how we can get so comfortable in our daily life and put off doing the things Jesus has asked us to do. We hear His voice, but we say, “Ok, Jesus, a little later, I will do it.” We let the comforts of our life lead us away from living out true purpose. We miss a blessing from God when we choose being comfortable over being obedient. Enjoy! Happy Saturday!

More About Jesus Friday- Why Did Jesus Weep? (7/20/2010)

My son and I were in the car the other day when he asked me to tell him some bible stories. (This is a great time to talk to your kids about the bible.They are all ears while driving.) I told him all the typical stories you tell children such as David and Goliath, Joshua and the battle of Jericho, Jonah and the whale, the boy, 2 fish and five loaves. And then I got to telling him about Lazarus dying and Jesus weeping over Lazarus' death and then bringing him back to life. At first I thought, "Now Ashley, why are you telling him about Lazarus dying. But then I thought, because its a truth from the bible and he needs to hear now that Jesus brings us life. I want for him to know that Jesus is the only way to new life. I want him to know this truth now even if he doesn't understand it. It's a seed I am planting in his young heart. But as a child would ask great questions, he asked me sweetly, "mommy why did Jesus weep?"

Prompted by son's question, I was reminded Jesus felt my sorrow. I began to rejoice in that truth while driving in my car. I knew why Jesus wept, but it was a great reminder to myself of the humanity of Jesus Christ. He really wept. He felt something. He grieved at the death of his friend. And yet, sin brought sickness and death into the world and I am certain Jesus was thinking about this too.

Jesus was God, but He was also man. And as a man, he knew the sorrow that life on this sinful earth could bring. As Isaiah 53:3(ESV) tells us, " He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

When I am experiencing sorrow, Jesus knows how I feel. I don't receive sympathy from Him. I receive ONLY EMPATHY because HE knows the pain I feel. He knows more pain than all the pain I will ever feel in my life put together in one big pile. Who else can empathize with us like this?

No one knows our deepest sorrow like Jesus does. Don't become familiar with this truth and say "yeah I know, I've heard it a lot." Let it sink inside your heart. Let it minister to you. The things that keep us up at night or the heavy burdens we carry around that no one knows about-Jesus knows. He knows. He knows yours sorrows be it big or small. He feels them-every one of them and they matter to Him. Think about all the friends that come to you and share their burdens and sorrows. Can you empathize with them every time? No. Sometimes you can because life experiences have taken you places where you can empathize. But not every time. Jesus can empathize with us EVERY time. That's worth some praise today don't you think!

John MacArthur, one of my favorite pastors-beside my own church pastor, breaks down this passage quite beautifully. (Interesting commentary about the professional mourners... I can only imagine the chaotic scene and how some of them were wailing professionally!)
Click below and be linked to Why Jesus Wept.
Why Did Jesus Weep? (7/20/2010)

Jesus knows friend.
Thank Him for being a Savior who knows your sorrow today.

Hey JT friends!

I can’t thank you enough for stopping by Joy Treasure. These past two weeks 6 new followers joined the Joy Journey! YEAH GOD! I treasure each one of you and love hearing your comments. Keep those comments coming!!!! And welcome to my new friends! Each of you (even if you haven’t followed JT yet) are truly a blessing to me and I am honored that you would drop by this blog. To God be ALL the Glory! Amen!

Friends Remind Us We're Normal!

Okay, so I thought this was too funny not to take a picture of. On the right is my purse and on the left is a friend of mine's purse. Anything look familiar?

One thing I am going to work on this year is to not make my purse my personal file cabinet. I lose time because I can't find anything. Imagine that!

The great thing about having friends is that you realize people are the same in so many ways. We all struggle with all kinds of things. For me, I struggle with my purse being chocked full of papers. I am just being honest here!

Thank you God for friends! They help us to not take ourselves so seriously and teach us that we are normal in so many ways! Amen! Hope you all enjoyed a laugh today and that you have some friends you can thank God for. Tell them you love them and are thankful for them.

When God shows you Fruit

As believer's we are supposed to bear the fruit of the Spirit. But sometimes I think we forget we're producing fruit and then God shows us that we ARE bearing HIS Spirit. Here's how God showed me that I was producing the fruit of kindness.

I love to organize my office each January to help start my year out on a good note. With all that being said, I found myself so engrossed in purging my office that I didn't take a shower all day long nor did I wash my hair the other day. And in between the cleaning, I had to keep a four year old entertained! (The list is too long to write about keeping my son entertained...but I was successful!) Needless to say I felt my appearance was....what's the word....icky. That's how serious I was about getting rid of piles of papers on my desk. (That I had piles of paper on my desk is an entirely different post!) With my husband out of town and no food in the fridge, my stomach began to growl like a hungry bear not to mention my hungry little bear cub's tummy too. Seeing that it was six in the evening and I hadn't left the house all day, I was going to have to go out and get something to eat for me and my son. That would mean I would at least have to try to get myself together. (You know.... put the hair up in a ponytail and slap on a few dabs of makeup, put my lip on, and of course a few ear bobs.) I looked well... at least put together. And it was dark outside so who would notice anyway right! I guess it's a southern thing that's engrained in me

As I pulled into the drive-thru I was just being myself...saying please and thank you. I didn't think that I was "being extraordinarily nice." But I must have been different from some of the other customers driving through before me.

I drove up to the window, paid the cashier and she closed the window. (Nothing out of the ordinary.) We waited a few minutes and when she returned with our dinner, she said, "I put an extra cookie in their just for you because you have been so nice to me." "What?" I thought. "What did I say or do that was so nice?" Didn't see that coming!!!!! I knew my tone was cheerful but I didn't think anything was over the top super extra nice. I was just being me. Can I just say, that God made me smile as I left the drive thru with my extra chocolate half-dipped chocolate chip cookie. He did. Here's why.

I was quickly reminded that JESUS in my heart shines through to others without me even knowing it sometimes. HE is the one that gives me the joy inside my heart and you know what...people can see it. They really can see it. Even when I haven't had a shower or washed my hair...on the kind of day when the last thing I want to do is get out of my house and go somewhere...some stranger saw JESUS in me.

Being kind and considerate to others can make a difference in their life. I don't know what might have been going on in the life of the cashier, but my kindness coming through a few words like, "Can I please have..... and thank you... was enough for her to think something of me and my dirty hair.I laughed because I didn't look by best. I actually looked my worst and still Christ in me brought someone joy. How cool is that! That is the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we grow in Christ and bear fruit, people can see it and call it for what it is.

God showed me I was bearing the fruit of kindness in my life in an ordinary mundane drive thru. He let me see it and not take credit for it. I don't think I have ever thought of it that way before. I think it was the first time that I could see that kindness was beyond being nice. It was the fruit of His kindness shown to me through the gift of salvation that I could show His kindness to others. The reason for this post is not to make much of myself,  but to make much Christ whose Spirit lives inside my heart. It is to encourage you to look and listen to when God shows you the kind of fruit you are bearing. Also, when He shows you the fruit you AREN"T bearing.( Unfortunately that one really hurts- an entirely different post!)
The bible tells us ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

I think sometimes we write things off in our life. Especially little things like being kind.We say we are just being nice, or trying to be helpful. But I can tell you I was stunned last night at that drive thru. God clearly revealed to me, "Ashley....look, it's me in you that is producing this fruit. You are yielding to me and I am showing you that I making you more like Me." Wow. Kindness is something the world is not well acquainted with- especially when people are hungry. I waited kindly and patiently and I guess that is what was different. Different enough for the cashier to give me an extra cookie!

Has God revealed to you that you are bearing His fruit in your life? How has He shown you? Do you even recognize the fruit you are bearing to be His spirit or do you write it off and not think anything of it?
Let us not become complacent and forget about the fruits of His Spirit. They matter because the world can see it.

A Simple Way to Invest in Someone's Life

I'm always looking for practical ways to live out God's word.( This is something I think you will LOVE!)

As I've said in previous posts, I have Moody radio blaring from my bedroom all day long when I'm at home. I want God's word and sound teaching to fill my home as I go about my daily tasks. (Especially...when I am cleaning. Did I mention I'm not fond of cleaning?) I figure the more I hear God's word, the better my cleaning will be!...and my attitude. As I wash laundry, clean toilets, scrub sinks and fold clothes, my mind focuses on God's truth. It's been the best change that's made the biggest impact in my life. God and I have lots of talks as I clean.

Well, as usual, I was cleaning today and had Moody radio on and what did I hear? Chuck Swindoll. When I visited his website I found something so special that he shared about his mother. It's called a Promise Notebook. I was so inspired to pray over who God would have me to make a promise notebook for that I wanted to share it with you all. The one thing face book, twitter, texts, and email can't do is have a personal touch. There is something about giving someone something that is handwritten and has God's word on it. The impact can be so powerful that you might think it's too simple.
Never underestimate the power of the written word.
Click on the link below and you'll be sent to the video:

http://www.insight.org/video/promise-notebook.html

What a treasure Chuck Swindoll's mother must have been. What a treasure it must have been to receive such a notebook from her. I can't think of a better way to make a difference in 2011 than to make a promise notebook for someone.

Last, YOU are why I write, why I keep blogging!
THANK YOU for your comments and for dropping by Joy Treasure.
If this blog means something to you, please share it with your friends.
Joy 2 U!

Manna Monday- How the World creeps into our Minds

I am not trying to be a church goody goody but we must be wise to how a worldview creeps into our homes, into our computers, into our minds.

What is Tide really trying to say here about the mother? What is omitted speaks volumes. The mom quietly borrows her daughter's green shirt, goes out and has a great time and gets a stain on it and doesn't tell her daughter what she did to the shirt. Instead, she doesn't say a thing (ha ha right!) and then pours Tide on the dried stain and wallah.... the shirt is clean and quietly put back into the daughter's closet. Two times the mother can come clean about what she did with the shirt, but she doesn't.

What she omits is supposed to be funny, right! Wrong. To me it's sad because it makes light of lying. What kind of example does this promote? When I see this commercial what I see is a mom who lies, doesn't come clean with her daughter and the commercial is supposed to be funny and make me want to go out and buy this stain removal because it gets dried stains out.

I'm not telling you to stop buying Tide detergent. I am asking you to look, listen and be alert to how the world makes light of sin. Commercials are one way the world chisels down the truth of God. Lying is lying in the eyes of God. Big or little, to Him its all the same.

The bible tells us to stay alert and to keep our minds clear. We need to be on guard to not let the world's view of sin, such as lying, be something we take lightly.

1 Peter 5:8
"Be alert and of sober mind..."

Proverbs 12:22
"The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy."

Does the bible tell us that God laughs at our lying and thinks its funny sometimes? No. It says he detests lying lips. As a mother, it is my responsibility to be trustworthy to God and then to my family. How I live IS an example to my family. If I omit things, which is lying, I am teaching a standard to live by in my home and it promotes an atmosphere that omission is permissible. And guess who is watching and learning...? Children.

Friends, think about what you watch, listen to how the world tries to make light of little things like this commercial. It's not funny.

This post is simply to redirect our minds back to God's word and to not make light of little white lies.
Hope I got you thinking this Monday morning!

Beth Moore "Drive-Through Religion"

I could not have said it better myself!!!

 My prayer for youis that you would draw closer to The LORD and not settle for anymore drive-through religion.

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