Blessed Quietness Blog

The capacity to respond to adversity with faith and gratitude is not limited to spiritual "superheroes." Choosing Gratitude - Nancy Leigh DeMoss Precarious Position. Many times we find ourselves in a place where we would rather not be and our desire may be to run and hide. However, running and hiding may not be viable options and are probably not what God is asking of us in the current situation. The problems and issues we will face in life vary greatly from health, to relationship/marriage, finances, to the stress of looking for a job, or maybe like Job, we might have lost everything -- family and possessions. Often, it is when we have done everything in our human power to ameliorate our situation and fail miserably that we remember God. photo credit:  cindy47452  via  photopin   cc Powerful Response. When we find ourselves in situations and recognize our only choice is to look up to God we can have victory and relief. When we take the time to thank the Fathe

So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God... Colossians 1:10 Snap!   This was the sound that was heard and the sting that was felt when one of my good friends decided to play tug-of-war with me with a bungee cord type set-up. Oh the fun we had and the laughs when the cord snapped, turned, and swiveled through the air. And yes...3,2,1 contact; that was the start of the cacophonous laughter that summer evening. While this game was all in fun there are many instances in life that unfortunately do not end in laughter but do cause us a great deal of pain. photo credit:  puthoOr photOgraphy  via  photopin We are free to serve Him! Staying in the Game. Where do you find yourself in the tug-of-war game? Many times we have unspoken expectations placed upon us by others and even expectations that have been verbalized quite clearly. We seem to plod along not thinking too much abou

Dear Readers and Subscribers, I am in the middle of an extremely busy semester and finishing papers and projects this week. I just wanted to let you know that over the next two weeks the posts might be delayed but we will be on a regular schedule after the end of these two weeks. Blessings to you as we pursue the Savior in our daily walk. God Bless, Jennifer Joy

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. I Corinthians 1:18 Great Expectations. Did you ever go to God and ask for His help after getting yourself into one royal mess? Did you expect Him to help you? Did you feel guilty for asking Him to deliver you? I recall a conversation I had with another believer. We were talking about our expectations of God. This believing friend declared in a derogatory fashion that " there are those who get themselves into a mess and then expect God to get them out of the mess that they've created ." I sat and wondered for a bit at this believer's 'take' on this expectation of God that some of us have. Getting Off Easy ? The underlying and unspoken rhetorical question in that conversation was, How dare we ask God to deliver us when we got ourselves into this mess?  That just does not seem fair. In one sense, we can agree with this

  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself  unless it abides in the vine,  so neither can you unless you abide in Me. John 15:4 Apart from Me you can do nothing photo credit: lanier67 via photopin cc The Disturbing Question. If 'they' fell, what prevents me from suffering the same kind of moral failure? There are times when we watch others; whether it be ministry leaders, personal friends, or mentors for whom we have a tremendous amount of respect, and the list goes on. In the process of watching and learning from these individuals, sometimes, we unfortunately see these individuals morally fail, right in front of our eyes. This is a devastating, heartbreaking, and heart shaking experience. More than likely, we have experienced at some point the pain of watching someone else fall. The Overarching Concern. How do I keep myself from falling? For many of us, we come to the conclusion that our moral integrity is solely dep

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 43:5   Where Are You? What kind of tune are you singing today? Or perhaps, the question might be better phrased, 'Are you singing?' We are asked to endure, to wrestle, to struggle, to develop, throughout many phases of our lives. As we go through this process, there are times, when we come to the 'end' and think, 'It was not supposed to be this way.' And, we find ourselves in a place where we never thought we would be. Without hope. We don't see an 'end' in sight and we don't see a change coming that will bring relief and usher in joy. Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all. ~Emily Dickinson Hope In God photo credit: Wildlife Boy1 via photopin cc Where Can You Go? We all have experien

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27  Really? "A real Christian would not be afraid or have fear."  I listened quietly as the person to whom I was speaking uttered this statement. Many times in Scripture we are told "Do not fear" or "Do not be afraid." Jesus KNEW that we would struggle with fear -- it is part of that 'flesh' we deal with this side of eternity that rears its ugly head. And yes, this is in direct opposition to how the Father would have us think, perceive, and feel throughout our lives. The fact is, we will and do experience fear, even as Christians. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your Hearts" Col 3:15 photo credit: monteregina via photopin cc Recalling His Words. It is important that we pursue the Word of God tenaciously and determine to get to know the Father better through H

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 A Friend in Need. When we are suffering or struggling we long for the companionship of a friend; someone who will be by our side during our darkest times and possibly offer us some sense of hope. These are the moments in life you were not anticipating or desiring and yet, you are face to face with the unpleasant nature of your very present reality. photo credit: aussiegall via photopin cc   Pleasant words are a honeycomb Friends Deceived. Job had three friends, who in the midst of his turmoil, remained silent for one whole week. After the week of silence, Job's three friends gave voice to their personal assessments of his suffering. The blame game began and they proceeded to tell Job that he was being disciplined by the Almighty ( Job 5:17 ) , that he had forgotten God and put his security elsewhere ( Job 8:14-15 ) , and finally Zophar declares that Job had been