Fulfilled Study - Week 6

This is the last week in our study of Fulfilled by Danise Jurado. You can still find all of the posts in the Fulfilled study by clicking on the #Fulfilled label in the side bar on the left.

This week: Read Chapter 11—Courage, Chapter 12—Comfort, and Chapter 13—Living Fulfilled

When you finish reading, consider these questions:

• How often has fear held you back, even if you felt a nudge from God to move forward? How can you draw from God’s courage to keep fear in check?

• Has there been a time in your life when you knew God was comforting you? How were you then able to comfort someone else?

• What has been your favorite part or chapter of Fulfilled? Is there a particular way in which reading Fulfilled has helped you?  

Thank you for joining me in this study. I hope it has been a blessing to you. Have a great week!

In Christ,
Laura

[Image credit: Danise Jurado] 

Joy and Happiness

I’ve been thinking about the difference between joy and happiness lately. The two words are used interchangeably, but they don’t mean the same thing.

Happiness is about me. It depends on other people and situations, how they affect me, and how they make me feel.

Joy is about God. It is not dependent on other people or circumstances. Joy is deep contentment found through faith and a relationship with God.

Happiness is superficial and temporary.

Joy runs deep. Joy is rooted in God and cannot be taken away…but it can be threatened. By joy robbers.

Joy robbers are people who not only hurt our feelings, but it feels as if they hurt our heart too.

Joy robbers are the nasty comments meant to knock us off our feet…the people who put others down in order to feel better about themselves.

They threaten to take our joy away, but we don’t have to let them succeed because the power of what someone else says or thinks of us is never more important than who God says we are. 

The power of what someone else says or thinks of us is never more important than who God says we are.

{Tweet this}

Once we see that for what it is, then we can make a choice. We can choose joy.

Of course, we’re not immune to the pain caused by someone’s nasty comments (especially when they are from someone close to us), but we have a choice. We can choose their opinion, or we can choose God’s opinion.

God’s opinion means infinitely more and leads to joy.

Our own emotions can be joy robbers—emotions that get the better of us, like fear, worry, anger, jealously, envy…. They threaten our joy because these emotions center on us, not God. If we don’t make a choice, they can control us.

Instead of letting our emotions consume us, we can make the choice. We can choose joy.

How? By keeping our focus on who God is, and who He says we are.

The opinions of others change. God’s opinion does not change. He is constant in our ever-changing daily life. {Tweet this}

Choose joy.

*****

If you are reading Fulfilled by Danise Jurado, we are in our 5^th week of the study with Chapter 8—Perseverance, Chapter 9—Joy, and Chapter 10—Hope.

How do you persevere through times of struggle? How do you keep from losing your joy and hope?

In Christ,

Laura   

  

[Photo credit]

Linking up with Everyday Jesus, Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth, Faith Filled Friday, Weekend Whispers, #GiveMeGrace

Every Little Thing {Book Review}

Over the years, there have been times when I wondered if there was something more. More than what I was currently doing…because whatever I was doing at the time seemed insignificant.

Other times, I just felt lost in what I was doing…I knew it was important, but still there had to be more. There had to be something I was missing.

But just in the last few years, God has been showing me that there is more…and it’s found in Him.

Importance and significance are not supposed to be about me. (Although we all struggle with wanting that, don’t we?) It’s about Him, and through Him, whatever we do does make a difference.

No matter how big or small, public or private, what we do matters. Every. Little. Thing matters.

I didn’t see it when I felt lost as a stay-at-home mom, but I see it now. I see it in my daughter and the time we spend together, even when we aren’t really doing anything.

My friend, Deidra Riggs, has written the book, Every Little Thing: Making a World of Difference Right Where You Are. Oh, this book! It’s encouraging and inspiring.

It reminded me that…well, every little thing matters. Right here. Right now. Wherever you may be today.

“Celebrating the significance of this one, ordinary, average life shifts our perspective and starts us on the road to God’s adventure for our lifetime. This book invites you to the celebration of every little thing that makes your life spectacularly breathtaking and of the fulfillment of all God has in store.” –Deidra Riggs, Every Little Thing (pg. 25)

What seems like an ordinary day to me, is not just same old same old to God. When we follow Him, God adds the “extra,” making the ordinary extraordinary. {Tweet this}

I wish I’d had this book all those days I felt like what I did didn’t matter. Those days I thought no one would notice what I did or didn’t do anyway. God notices. He sees. He cares. Nothing is too little to be seen by Him.

“God sees things differently. With God, the small things matter for bigness too.” –Deidra Riggs, Every Little Thing (pg. 149)

Every. Little. Thing. It’s a message we all need to hear…and be reminded of again and again.

Don't miss this! Every Little Thing is available now, both in paperback and on Kindle. And maybe
grab an extra copy for a friend too.

In Christ,
Laura

[Image credit: Deidra Riggs, #EveryLittleThing]

Linking up with Sharing His Beauty, #RaRaLinkup, #TellHisStory, Everyday Jesus, Faith Filled Friday

Fulfilled Study - Week 5

We have two weeks left in our study of the book Fulfilled by Danise Jurado. How are you doing? Are there particular parts you keep going back to? Maybe a chapter you've reread a couple of times? If you'd like to share, please feel free to leave a comment on any of the Fulfilled posts. 

If you're looking for any of the posts in the Fulfilled study, click on the #Fulfilled label in the side bar on the left.

This week: Read Chapter 8—Perseverance, Chapter 9—Joy, and Chapter 10—Hope (3 chapters, but they are short)

When you finish reading, consider these questions:

• It can be difficult to persevere through challenging times, especially when there seems to be no end in sight. Do you struggle to persevere when the road in front of you feels long? How do you keep moving forward when you’re tempted to give up?

• Unlike happiness, joy is not dependent on circumstances or other people around us. Happiness is about us. Joy is about God. What does the difference between joy and happiness mean to you?

• Danise writes, “Hope cannot be based on our circumstances because situations change, sometimes daily.” (pg. 95)

• Life is constantly changing, but God is unchanging—yesterday, today, and tomorrow, God is constant. How does God’s unchanging presence help you get through the daily change going on around you?

Have a great week!

In Christ,
Laura

[Image credit: Danise Jurado]