I wake late to greet a new day, with mind and body reluctant, unwilling to rise.
I’m slow to thaw to the moment, to shake out of the huddle of sleep’s hibernation, blearily sipping coffee as I try to wake up.
It can be hard to greet a new day well when we feel exhausted and sleep-deprived.
Some days we need to deliberately turn away from problems and deliberately turn toward grace.
Try to see the gift wrapped up in each new day as opportunity to begin again.
As I sat with sadness this morning, overwhelmed by a world’s heavy weight of concern, wearied by weakness and pain, I alternately cried and prayed, calling out to the Lord for help to understand and cope.
He gently directed me to browse through my prayer journals and seek some solace there.
Hidden within was a poem I’d penned a few months ago which spoke of change I’m still going through…
Scale is slowly sloughing off
Barricades I hid behind are breaking
I’m in the process of release
from prisons of my own making
Hardening hurts are softening
Welded-in worries are peeling apart
because I’ve outgrown the carapace
I’d placed around my cold heart
And I realised how we shift and change, how pain is never as permanent as it may feel, whether our own or that of the world.
Maybe you too are in “the process of release” where it feels uncomfortable?
My friend, may I reassure both of us with this:
[bctt tweet=”We have hope of healing. We have peace in the releasing. We have fullness of freedom to come”]
Other words spoke into my weary soul, gave me renewed perspective and reminder of how much God has already whispered into my days.
Prayer Whisper: ‘Today is a new day’
“Today is a new day. Put the troubles of yesterday behind you.
My grace is new every morning. I will supply all that you need this day.
Don’t allow the problems and pain of the past to sabotage today.
As you rest and trust in Me, I am already working on your behalf to bring clarity, wisdom and peace into the situations that worry and perplex you.
Take the manna, the bread I give you today. Eat and be satisfied.
Remember My goodness and faithfulness toward you in the past.
Hold onto what you know of My character through experience and in My word. Believe that My promises still hold true.
The very weakness and weariness you are experiencing is an open door for My strength to come through.
Lean on Me. I am solid Rock that is steadfast and immoveable.
I am Living Water to slake your thirst. I am all-sufficient for every need.
As you allow Me to hold you safe, feed you and equip you fully, you will be strengthened for the journey ahead.”
In this season of thanksgiving, we may have to make a real effort at times to remind ourselves of the gifts and grace God has given us today.
Our minds naturally veer toward the past or focus on hope for the future. We can easily miss the goodness of this day as we are living it.
What if we look a little harder, believe a bit better, live with greater gratitude and love a little stronger?
[bctt tweet=”What if we try to see God’s hand at work in our mundane moments, sense the sacred in the secular?”]
How would that affect our attitude of gratitude?
It’s something I’m working on as I aim to be more fully present to His Presence.
And I’d love you to share how you’re achieving deeper joy for the journey and appreciating each new day as it comes.
Words of Joy 
Hello Joy — Another wonder-filled post that always encourages me and gives me specifics to pray about for you. I love the line deliberately turn towards grace. And that’s the key…to CHOOSE, with these phenomenal brains God has given us, to THINK on things lovely and excellent. To record all our gratitudes in a journal each year…this year I’m up to almost 1,300 gifts! And to sing praises in our hearts while breathing in and breathing out…breathing in and breathing out. Blessings and hugs and love…
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Hi Sheila. Yes, you’re right, it is a key thing, isn’t it? When we make a deliberate choice to turn toward grace, God rewards us with a renewed perspective and those things which weighed so heavy in us don’t seem to pull us down like they did before. We develop inner resilience to cope better with our circumstances. Keep on thinking and journalling about the “lovely and excellent” things you encounter. It’s a really good idea. Joining you in breathing in and breathing out, lovely friend. Thank you so much for your prayers. I really appreciate and need them right now. Blessings, hugs and love to you. Xx
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I’m sorry you’re experiencing such pain and fatigue, Joy. It is sometimes hard to see the blessings of grace through a weary haze. But I’m grateful God draws you in closer to Himself. Thank you for the hope you offer here and the encouragement to hang on to what we know of God’s character and to believe His promises still hold true. May He fill you with peace and strength! Hugs!
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Trudy, I know you experience these things too and sometimes struggle as I do “to see the blessings of grace through a weary haze.” Yet whenever we turn our eyes toward Jesus we find hope, help and healing in His presence. I write to bless and encourage others but God often reminds me to re-read the words He gives me. Once released onto a page and into the ether of social media, it can be hard to hold onto things we may need to pay attention to ourselves. As I reflect back in my prayer journals I often find words to encourage my heart. Maybe that’s part of strengthening ourselves in the Lord, by remembering His deeds and words in the past? Sending hugs and blessings of peace and strength to you too at this busy Thanksgiving period. Xx
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Thank you, Joy – so helpful for my day!
b.
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Hello Bev. You’re truly welcome. Thanks for letting me know these words have helped you! Xx
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Beautiful with pieces of your heart threaded through every line. I can only sense by words what you are actually going through, yet I also live with pain and do know that physically. It is a wearing down. Yet, we are His and He holds us and uplifts us. I praise Him and truly am grateful for His love. So grateful I came by, Joy. I have been blessed.
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Linda, I’m sorry to hear you suffer similarly with pain. It definitely does wear us down, doesn’t it? But as you so beautifully put it: “Yet we are His and He holds and lifts us up.” Amen, my friend! Such love. Such grace. We can only marvel and be thankful. I’m blessed by your visit and kind words. Praying you will be energised and strengthened for the demands of the busy season ahead.
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So much of this resonates, friend. Not just for me, but for loved ones, too. God has been so good to me, teaching me the pointlessness of regrets. I try to view the mistakes of the past as lessons, and opportunities. I’m trying to live more in the moment, the more time I can spend with Him the easier it becomes. Praying for you, dear one. For energies, patience, comfort and peace.
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June, being taught “the pointlessness of regrets” is a tough yet rather wonderful lesson to learn. We cannot live in the past or the future. Today is all we truly know and experience. May you continue to “live more in the moment” and discover how God is right there with you. Thank you so much for your prayers. I value them more than you know. Maybe the development of patience is the most vital spiritual gift to have when weary because without it life is far harder to deal with and much energy can be wasted in frustration and regrets! Although joy and peace are such consoling gifts to receive. Bless you, friend. Xx
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I am so glad I stopped by today. Your words have a way of connecting with me as well as hitting me right where I need to be reminded that I am more than my problems. I can relate to how hard it is to wake some mornings. We feel weighted by the world and overwhelmed by life. But stopping to give thanks first is a beautiful way to stay focused on God. Thank you!
I am praying this week is blessed for you! I know you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but I am grateful for your online friendship. Hugs!
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Dear Mary, you are always most welcome here whenever you can stop by! I’m touched and honoured to know this post has resonated with you. Oh how I identify with early morning first-thoughts often turning to the negative! Our bodies scream out their weakness and pain and our minds can whirl with worry unless we stop, pause and pray. Giving thanks in all circumstances can be challenging but it does help lift us above those very things which seek to pull us down. Thanks very much for your prayers; I am grateful for them. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving and can rest and recover a little bit before the busyness before you. I’m grateful for your on-line friendship too and the blessings I receive from your blog. Hugs! Xx
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Coming over from the links on Holley’s page, and wanted to tell you how much I love your name. “Joy” has been my focus this year, so it has stood out to me more then ever. You have such wisdom in your writing, and so much food for thought to share with the soul. Thanks for sharing! A very Happy Thanksgiving too!
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Hi Darcie. It’s good to meet you. Thanks for stopping by. Joy is such a lovely thing to focus on. I hope and pray it has blessed you to do so. God gave me the word ‘rest’ this year and it has proved to be a needful thing indeed. Happy Thanksgiving to you! I’d love you to visit again soon. Blessings 🙂
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