Everyone Needs a Little...  

Posted by Carolyn Joyce


March 9, 2010

Man, I had a heck of a night last night. I was bombarded with discouraging thoughts, fears, and doubts!!! Not fun! But I called a friend for prayer (thanks, Jen!), listened to Chris Tomlin and Kari Jobe, and was encouraged by a friend who reminded me of God's awesomeness through His Word. I have the greatest friends--yay God! :O)

So, I thought I'd post one of my favorite songs that brings me such joy and hope along with some scripture that was such a comfort today. The song is called "Everyone Needs a Little" by Kari Jobe.

I can never escape from your Spirit... 
If I dwell by the farthest oceans, 
Even there your hand will guide me,
And your strength will support me...
Even in darkness I cannot hide from You. 
To You the night shines as bright as day...
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!  
Psalm 139:7, 9, 12, 17

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, 
A refuge in times of trouble. 
Those who know your name trust in you, 
For you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.  
Psalm 9:9-10

If you're reading this in FB Notes, you won't be able to see the embedded YouTube Video, so click here to listen to Kari Jobe's song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUcJHz_jWs4


Everyone Needs a Little, by Kari Jobe
Come all ye weary and ye broken
Come to the table of the Lord
Come sing the song of the forgiven
Come lay your burden on the Word

Come and find Peace
Everyone needs a little Rest
Everyone needs a little Joy 
And a song to sing in the darkest night
Life even when it gets you down
Hope will turn it all around
But love is the greatest of these
Everyone needs a little

Sing all ye saints and ye sinners
Call upon the mercy of the Lord
Come sing the song of redemption
Sing about the hope that is to come

He will lift you up
He will lift you up higher than sorrow
He will lift you up
And cover your soul with healing

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Current GenerateHope Needs - Can you help?  

Posted by Carolyn Joyce


March 8, 2010

Hey friends! I just got an email from the Learning Center Director of GenerateHope with a list of very practical items that they are still in need of. Haven't heard of GenerateHope yet? They are the only housing and recovery center of its kind in San Diego for women rescued from sexual exploitation. They're currently serving around 5 women. To find out more about GenerateHope, here's their website: www.generatehope.org.

As a part of the women's recovery process, they attend classes during the week (academic, crafts, nutrition, life skills classes, etc.). Though the Safe Home has been fully furnished due to the generosity of soooooo many people, the Learning Center is still lacking in a few things.


Below is the list of items---are you able to donate an item or two or three?

If so, just post what you'd like to donate and then you can drop them off at my work office in El Cajon anytime or at my house. I'll be sure to get these items to GenerateHope for you. The sooner the better--they are in their second week of classes without these supplies. If you'd like a receipt for tax purposes, just leave a note with your name and address and we'll get one sent to you. If you need my work address, let me know and I'll email to you (don't want to post it here because my blog is public).

Okay, that sums it up. I hope we can work together to help these very deserving women!! Let me know if you have any questions! :O)


Classroom Items:
  • 2 - Hole Punchers (1 single punch; 1 three-hole punch)
  • Index Cards (standard or larger size, a couple of packages)
  • 5 - Manual pencil sharpeners
  • 2 - Staplers - standard sized
  • 10+ - Folders
  • 5 - Binders (1-2 inches)
  • 5 - Spiral notebooks
  • 5 boxes - Color markers
  • 5 boxes - Crayons
  • 5 boxes - Colored pencils
  • 5 - Scotch tape
  • 5 - sets of multiple color highlighters
  • 1 box of at least 20 - Plastic sheet covers
  • 1 - Water dispenser
  • 1 - Dry erase board eraser
  • 1 - Dry erase board cleaner

ARTS AND CRAFTS:
 
unfinished wooden jewelry boxes:
  • jewelry boxes of different styles (michaels)
  • acrylic paint
  • paint brushes
  • jewels and decorative gems

framed wooden mirror:
  • framed wooden mirror (michaels)
  • acrylic paints
  • paint brushes
  • decorative buttons
  • decorative gems that are self adhesive 
mosaic crafts:
  • broken tile pieces of varying types of materials
  • i am not sure what we will put the tiles on, this is my most recent idea and i am open to using what is donated in this area, nothing is concrete

Other Miscellaneous crafts items:  
  • glue dots
  • scissors
  • construction paper
  • art supply bin
  • markers
  • paint brushes
  • some sort of sealant for sealing wood craft projects 
  • fabri-tac permanent adhesive by beacon adhesives
  • a blow dryer (used for quick drying projects)
  • ink and stamp pads
  • And any other crafty items are gladly welcomed

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Box of Priceless Jewels  

Posted by Carolyn Joyce in ,

March 8, 2010

I am thoroughly enjoying Proverbs these days! It's like I've opened up a box full priceless jewels. LOVE it! I feel like the take-away message that continues to come to mind is that the Christian life involves LIVING WELL (Proverbs is packed full of practical application). Following Jesus means making wise, God-honoring decisions daily, moment by moment. Simply knowing God's Word is not enough. Like the saying says, "Talk is cheap!" And yet, I must remember that just DOING is not enough either. The foundation of living well is fearing the Lord. And fearing the Lord, I believe, must begin with the first commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37).

Hmmm... any thoughts from you blog readers out there?

Some observations from Proverbs:
  • The Proverbs are to teach us wisdom and discipline.
  • The purpose of wisdom and discipline is to teach us how to live a certain way - "rightly, justly, fairly."
  • Right living results in all sorts of blessings.
  • The opposite of wisdom is foolishness, which leads to a life of destruction and trouble.

Proverbs 8: Wisdom... 
Verse 12 - accompanies good judgment/prudence (prudence = wise judgment in practical affairs); is linked with knowledge and discernment

Verse 13 - hates pride, arrogance, corruption and perverse speech

Verse 14 - is the source of common sense and success

Verses 15-16 - helps rulers, kings, and nobles make right decisions

Verse 17 - can be found if sought after

Verses 19-21 - is worth more than gold and silver; is true treasure

Verse 22-26 - was with God before creation

Verses 27-31 - was with God during creation - wisdom was the "architect at God's side." Soooo cool!

Verses 32-36 - these verses are an admonition to listen and follow after wisdom. "joyful are those who listen." "whoever finds wisdom finds life." whoever does not follow after wisdom "injures themselves and loves death." yikes!

Bottom line message to me: Godly wisdom, not "worldly" wisdom is what I must seek. Godly wisdom is the true source of success, joy, and right living. There are different consequences and "fruit" from the opposing types of wisdom. There is a way to live life well and a way to destroy your life.

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Read it, Blog it, Talk @ it  

Posted by Carolyn Joyce in ,

March 1, 2010

One of my prayers recently is that I desire God to help me understand His Word more, know how to apply it to my life, and remember it well so that I can share it with others when appropriate. After a conversation with a friend, I was inspired to partner with this prayer by taking some action. I have the choice to ask God for help and either expect Him to do all the work for me or put a plan together that will help with this and ask for God's blessing along the way. I like the second option better. :)

So, one of my current plans to help me with is to 1) Read & study the Bible diligently; 2) Blog about what I'm learning; and 3) Talk about it with my friends. Oh, and, 4) Put into practice what I'm learning (James 1:22 - "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."). Hear goes for #2 - Blog about it...

Genesis 4: 1-15
Verse 1 - I love how Eve praises God for giving her a son--right away, she acknowledges God's hand in this blessing. Babies are gifts from the Lord! (Proverbs 127:3 says, Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. James 1:17 says, Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.)

Verse 3 - Both Cain and Abel gave of their labor to God. Cain presented "some of his crops." Abel gave the "best" of the firstborn lambs.

Verse 4, 7 - God rebuked Cain's offering. Yikes! Don't know exactly what was wrong, but I'm guessin' he didn't bring the best of his crops. In any case, God wasn't happy and he let Cain know. Hebrews 12:6 says that God disciplines those who He loves, and Hebrews 12:10 continues by saying God's discipline is always good for us and that it will result in right living. God doesn't discipline us to be mean. It's because He loves us and desires good things for us! God wasn't rebuking Cain to make him mad--God was trying to teach him what was right. God tells Cain that if he does what is right he will be accepted, but if not, sin is knocking on his door, eager to control him.

Verse 5, 8 - And how does Cain react??? Not so graciously or obediently... he gets angry. And then he lets his anger control him to murder his own brother. Cain did not heed God's instruction--instead, he did what he wanted to do.

Verse 10-12 - God obviously saw what Cain did (God sees everything), He called Cain out on his sin, and then determines the consequences for his disobedience. Sin always has consequences! Sin can never stay hidden forever. Psalm 90:8 says, "You spread out our sins before you--our secret sins—and you see them all." Cain's punishment was to be banished from his home and from God's presence. Cain's work would not yield  good crops. And he was to be a 'homeless wanderer.'

Verse 13 - Again, how does Cain react??? He argues with God. He pleads with Him for mercy, saying that his punishment was too difficult for him to bear and that he was afraid for his life. He was afraid that someone might kill him. Pretty bold move for someone on trial for murder!

Verse 15 - What's God's reaction to Cain's plea? I love this!!! God has MERCY on Cain. He graciously listens and then sets up a decree to protect Cain's life. WOW! Doesn't this sum up the greatness of God? 

...All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) -Ephesians 2:3-5

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Doggie Bath Time  

Posted by Carolyn Joyce



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Happiest Place on Earth  

Posted by Carolyn Joyce in

January 11, 2010

It's a spectacular small world! Wow--check out the outside of "it's a small world" at Disneyland. I enjoyed the day with Megan, Cory & Evelyn Tepfenhart and look forward to many more visits as I bought a year pass--woohoo!

To see more pics from the day, visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/carolynjoycesd.

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Hardest Worker I Know  

Posted by Carolyn Joyce in




January 9, 2010
My dad's the hardest worker I know. Here he is this Saturday morn working on a home project. During the week he's up at 4:30 am and back at 4:30 pm. He's been enjoying his job (machinist & supervisor) of 30ish years. He's frugal, generous, and diligent.


When the Bible talks about being like the hard-working ant (Proverbs 6), I have a really great example through my dad's everyday life.

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