Ministry Update September 2009
John 17:3
“Now this is eternal life that we may know Thee, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”
Recently I had an unexpected visitor at my front door. A friend of our family who I don’t see very often wanted to drop off some materials for our boys. As we got caught up on our lives and were sharing some of our personal struggles, she shared with me that she was not feeling God’s joy in her life right now. With tears in her eyes she expressed her discouragement. She also mentioned that when she looked at others who appeared to have the joy of the Lord it made her feel worse. I really appreciated her honesty as she shared she had attended a JoyShop years ago and she felt like I must feel God’s joy all the time even in difficulties. She wondered what was wrong with her. God did not seem to be answering her prayers. Where was this joy?
Who of us cannot say we have felt like that? The difficult realities that life brings us, makes it very hard to feel God’s presence, much less His joy. This past year I have had the “opportunity” to discover first hand how to walk in God’s joy in the midst of fears, trials, and doubts. Oswald Chambers states it best, “The only true joy is based on a personal relationship to God.” Why is it we tend to think joy is based on feelings rather that a relationship? Contrary to what people might think who see me in action during a JoyShop, I do not walk around daily “feeling” joyful! The joy I experience in my life comes from knowing who God is in my trials and walking in obedience to His Word regardless of how I feel or how things look.
If you get a chance this week do a short study on joy using the gospel of John. Read the following verses and the context in which you find these verses:
John 3:29, John 15: 11, John 16: 20-24, John 17:13
As you read these verses answer this question: What is the basis for joy according to Jesus?
I would love to share the answers but it will help you more if you find it yourself! But the bottom line is this: Jesus wants us to have His full and complete joy and it is based on our relationship to Him and not our present reality.
Ministry Update:
You will soon be receiving electronically the JoyShop Ministries Newsletter. After much thought, I have made the decision to combine the ministry update with the newsletter to simplify my load. So look for it sometime this month. It will give a report from my time at Roxbury Camp meeting in August and also tell you about upcoming opportunities for the ministry.
I praise God for the way He continues to use the ministry to encourage others. Recently a mother of a college student called to tell me that she was helping her daughter pack for college. Her daughter was having a hard time weeding out the books she could take because there wasn’t enough room to take everything she wanted. To the mother’s joy, her daughter made sure that her JoyShop binder went along with her to college! Praise God!! May the Lord use this young adult to impact her campus!
We also received an email from a pastor. A man from his congregation had given him a copy of my book and suggested he read it! After reading it he felt the Lord prompting him to invite me to share at his church on a Sunday morning. The ministry continues to rely on God to open the doors where He wants us to serve so I praise His Name for being faithful.
September and February are months I try really hard to block off vacation time from the ministry. Of course here I am writing an update … but I did want to share about the newsletter that will be replacing the ministry update as well as to ask you to pray for JoyShop Ministries Board of Directors and the meeting we will have on September 29. We are looking forward to all that God will do in 2010 and sincerely desire His direction as we make plans for the future. We are in a transition time as terms are expiring for existing board members and having the need to find replacements. Several members have been with me from the beginning so it is scary to say goodbye to them. I will miss them but I thank God for lending them to me for a period of time and helping us to lay a strong foundation for the ministry. We are looking to update the website as well so that will bring some exciting changes!
My deep thanks and appreciation for each of you who continue to support this ministry in various ways. It gives me the encouragement to keep moving forward with the strength that God provides. YOU ARE A BLESSING TO ME!
Walking in His JOY,
Anita
FYI: The above picture is of me and my friends on our husbands motorcycles as we toured through Novia Scotia and PEI last month. Can you tell which one is my sister?
