joy Archives - Atonement Church

AUTHOR’S NOTE: In December, the Lord convinced me that it was time for me to retire from fulltime teaching and focus on writing. Starting in January, when there were 100 days left of my 30 year teaching career, I started posting “100 Reasons I’m Retiring” on my Substack. You can read them here. https://lindaca1.substack.com/

Some of the reasons were funny, some very serious. But as I moved closer to June 14, I became more and more convicted of the giant step I was taking.

This was Reason 101.

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! Philippians 4:4

I’m going to share a secret with you: My life has been full of joy. If you’ve followed my blog for more than a minute, you know that the past thirty years have appeared, on the surface, to be anything but joyful. Care of an ill husband for two decades, parenting an adult on the autism spectrum, coping with a rare visual disorder, and working too many jobs to pay a mountain of medical bills don’t seem to be causes for joy.

But they are. Because the Lord was always with me. Even in the darkest of times—the night of Ron’s horrific car accident, his sudden death—I was never alone. And now, as I enter the next chapter of my life, I am one hundred percent certain the Holy Spirit is guiding me.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Philippians 4:4 You may ask, “How can I rejoice when everything is going against me?” Paul writes... – @thewordfortheday on Tumblr

There is an intense connection between joy and the Holy Spirit. St Augustine calls the Holy Spirit, “the living love flowing between God the Father and Jesus his Son.” The Holy Spirit is God’s gift of love to us. John Piper says, “The Holy Spirit is God’s Joy.”

I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17

It’s hard to explain this, I know, but once I began to listen—really listen!—to the leading of the Spirit, I was convinced that the time to retire was now and that there was other work for me to do. There were some moments of panic; I had been a teacher most of my adult life. Could I be something else? I had supported my family on my teaching salary for a long time. Was there another way?

Charles Stanley has two pieces of advice when it comes to the Holy Spirit:

1. Say YES to the Spirit.

2. Believe and Obey.

Now that I have officially retired (as of June 14), I am saying YES. I am Believing and Obeying in the new work he has called me to.

It is Well with My Soul | Genesis Bible Fellowship Church

And in those simple actions, there is a deep sense of peace and joy. The Greek word is chara, and it is more than simple happiness; the word embraces an inner delight and gladness, one not based on our current circumstances but rooted in our souls. Commentaries state, “Joy is the deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person who knows all is well between himself and the Lord.”

All is well. It always was. Even in the worst of times.

It is well with my soul.

Have there been times in your life when you felt or heard the calling of the Holy Spirit? What does the joy of the Spirit feel like to you?

By Marian Humphrey

“Good News from a Leaky Pen”

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23: 4-5, KJV)

It’s not news that starting with Covid 19, strange and not so pleasant things have been popping up right and left in our world and in our families. There are more illnesses and money problems and killings, just to name a few. Though our church is highly blessed, we ,too, have had unusual challenges. I wanted to glean from Pastor Amy in hopes of borrowing some of her continued vim and vigor and sense of joy, as she lovingly pastors us during these times.

So, I asked her, “How do you juggle it all with such consistency”?

Looking over her shoulder as she flitted past me, she boldly stated, “Ya’ gota know when to hold ‘em, and when to fold ‘em”!

That quip filled my brain as I pondered, “how do I do that”. I was led to visit Kenny Roger’s song, “The Gambler”, which prompted me to write the following parody:

Ya Got to Know ~

In the dark of a clubhouse

You keep on ending at a table

Seems dependent on the luck of the draw.

So, you got to know when to hold ‘em;

And know when to fold ‘em;

Know when to walk away,

And know when to run.

But you been dealt all the aces,

cause your dealer ain’t no card shark.

You know he’s never done you wrong,

He’s always done you right.

So, take a swig from his fountain;

Be fortified for the challenge,

Though you’re still at this table,

He will always steer you right.

Take time to count your blessings.

While you’re sittin’ at this table,

He’s put you in the winner’s seat,

Dealt you the winner’s hand.

He’ll let you know when to hold ‘em;

And also when to fold ‘em;

You’ll know when to walk away,

And there’s partners by your side.

As I re -read what I wrote, I was amazed at how much God was truly partnering with me in the creating. It was now clear to me that it was also a parody right out of His book.

Ah, that we all take time to count our blessings while filling up on God’s spiritual fountain so we, too, will be clear about what cards to hold and which to fold, as we with joy walk on through unusual challenges.

It seems so natural to hold onto thoughts and feelings I ought to be readily throwing into God’s hands and pitching or by passing the great loving advice God wants me to grasp and hold onto. Surely this season of Lent is indeed a fine time to thank God for the hand we’ve been dealt and ask him how to play our cards.

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