A Moment With Pastor Fred
Dr. Michael Emlet, faculty member at CCEF wrote a blog recently that spoke to me about stretching our joy. Last week we mentioned 4.
- Open your eyes and slow down.
- Remember you are not alone.
- When you find your heart moved by joy see it as God’s kindness to you.
- Contemplate your spiritual blessings by your union with Christ.
We conclude his suggestions today:
- Prioritize thanksgiving in prayer. Remember the hymn: “Count your many blessings, name them one by one.”
- Spend a few minutes at the end of a day recalling the places where you felt met by God. Ask, “Where have I seen God’s goodness to me this day.”
- Keep a gratitude journal. Put into writing the gifts of God’s kindness, small and large.
- Tell someone else about your experience of joy. A blessing shared is a blessing amplified.
- Lean against a view of God’s character as stingy. He is a generous Father. Too often I feel like I’m holding my breath, just waiting for the next shoe to drop. Gratitude nips grumbling and cynicism in the bud.
- Frame hard things with an admission of God’s sovereign and loving care over your life. This is not a syrupy, Hallmark card counterfeit gladness, but a hard-won conviction that my tried-and-true Savior is working redemptively in my life.
Let’s stretch our daily joys!