SUNDAYS WITH JOYCE

WORD FOR TODAY


Humility
1. Be clothed with humility Colossians 3:12
Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowel of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering;
2. Be compassionate and humble 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another;love as brethern, be pitiful, be courteous.
3. Consider others as better Phillipians 2:3 let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4. God prospers the humble Psalms 25:9 The meek he will guide into judgement: and the meek will he teach his way
5. Humble will be filled with fresh joy Isaiah 29:19 The meek shall also increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel
6. Humility brings healing 2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people , which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will
I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land.

Humility

Don't brag about your successes,
Don't put on false airs,
Jesus was a truly humble Man
When He lost his life to a nightmare.

God loved the world so much,
He gave His only begotten Son,
That when we truly believe
Great battles are won!

If we will listen to this message,
And believe with all our heart,
We, too, will win great battles,
And our fears will all depart.

Kneel in humble submission,
Invite Jesus to come in,
Confess all your sins to Him
And you can't help but win.

Praise His name with honor,
He is the Prince of Peace,
He takes our every problem,
And our joy will always increase.

Open your heart to the Savior,
Who gave His life for you,
He is the bright and morning star,
Humble, loving, and true.

He will bless all who listen,
All who humble themselves and pray,
Jesus is the only answer,
And He walks with us every day.


~ Eva May Young ~
5-10-06

If
we then consider ourselves as the followers of the meek and lowly and
crucified Jesus, we should walk humbly before God and man all the days
of our life on earth.

Let
us all earnestly seek Him with a humble spirit, and to endeavour to be
humble in all their behaviour toward God and men. Yield yourself
heartily to His will and service. Avoid an aspiring, ambitious,
ostentatious, assuming, arrogant, scornful, stubborn, willful
levelling, self-justifying behaviour; and strive for more and more of
the humble spirit that Christ manifested while He was on earth.
Humility is a most essential and distinguishing trait.

WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS

Your words, your dreams,
and your thoughts
have power to create conditions in your life.
What you speak about, you can bring about.
If you keep saying you can't stand your job,
you might lose your job.
If you keep saying you can't stand your body,
your body can become sick.
If you keep saying you can't stand your car,
your car could be stolen or
just stop operating.
If you keep saying you're broke, guess what?
You'll always be broke.
If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman,
you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.
If you keep saying you can't find a job, you will remain unemployed.
If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believe in you,
your very thought will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.
If you keep talking about a divorce or break up in a relationship,
then you might end up with it.
Turn your thoughts and conversations around
to be more positive
and power-packed with faith, hope, love and action.
Don't be afraid to believe
that you can have what you want and deserve.


Watch your Thoughts,
they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions
Watch your actions,
they become habits.
Watch your Habits,
they become character.
Watch your Character,
for it becomes your Destiny


The minute you settle for less than you deserve,
you get even less than you settle for.
Thought I would share this with you.
"In the search for me,
I discovered truth.

In the search for truth,
I discovered love.
In the search for love,
I discovered God.

And in God, I have found everything."

SUNDAYS WITH JOYCE

WORD FOR TODAY

SACRIFICE

1. Body as a living sacrifice Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethern, that you present your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service.
2. Obedience is better than sacrifice 1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
3. Sacrifice cannot take away sin Hebrews 9:9
Which was a figure for time then present, in which were offered both
gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service
perfect, as pertaining to the conscience.
4. Sacrifice of thanksgiving Psalms 116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord..
5. Sacrifice of praise Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

“Father, if it is Your will,

take this cup away from Me;

nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Luke 22:42



Jesus prayed,

“Not My will, but Thine be done.”

That’s the most terrifying prayer

in all of Scripture.

God asks some very hard things of us.

He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac;

He let Lazarus die

before raising him from the dead;

He did not spare His own Son.

God wastes nothing.

Not our joys,

not our sorrows-

nothing.

When we offer Him

the essence of ourselves

and we submit to His work

in our lives,

His Spirit

produces character

in us.

He knows the fragrance

that comes from

surrender.

He knows firsthand

the return from the grain

of wheat that falls to the ground

and dies.

I think we only get

to this kind of surrender

through prayer.

Just as Jesus did.

We bring out lives to Him

and wrestle them

to the ground

and let them go.


Stay strong

no matter what.

what remains.......

when our presence
becomes nothing more
than just a memory
A bit of our own eternity
is left in the souls
the hearts
of those who care
Telling yourself
that it's your fault
that you could have saved them
from the things they faced
is so unrealistic
Love requires us
only to love
even
in the face of their pain
Life is less than lustrious
when taken over by one storm
after the other
What's left
when dreams are scattered
to the wind.
fights
fought too hard
to even begin to win
living somewhere
in memories of things
they could not be changed
faint resemblances
of the person that once was
In the days of peace
when we all shared a pleasure
although
briefly spent
knowing
that the certainty
of sorrow
faces each of our tomorrows
and it lies between
what was
and what will always be
The distance between
the agony
of seperation
is like a sea that has no shore,
what we are
and are no more
no reason can endure
the knot of pain
no explanation can unbind
so numb and raw
as to how much
you would like
to have them back again
To lose someone
who's loved you all your life
Where do you go
how do you find peace
in a place
that has no peace at all
When we step out of time
to become nothing more
than a memory few can recall
A bit of our eternity
sits in the souls
of those who care

Hey Lil Man....

The world is so big, isn't it?.
It's what God created.
And, people..
At every moment,
you are creating your reality.
Your thoughts, your actions, and what you want.
You are in charge of you.

All this you see is connected to you.
But it doesn't have to be you.
If you think positive, your world will be positive.
If you think negative, negativity will enslave you
The world is as you see it.

From this moment on,
choose the world of your making.
You may not choose what you see here.
because this is not the end of the story for you
You choose where you go.
How far you go.

It's your choice
whether to leave these circumstances
as they are, or to change them
to fit your dreams.. You can rise above all this.
You can be a leader, or a follower.

Whatever happens in your life
make it a testament to God.
He gave you life
Show the world
your life is more than where you live
More than the color of your skin.

There are no limits
beyond the ones you set.
Don't set any.
You are here to live,
and that only means....
you have so many possibilities
.
Whatever keeps you from loving
with a full heart,
break it
instead of breaking any heart,
yours
or another's.
If you cannot work it out,
move on.
Leave it for someone else to conquer.

You do not know how far you can leap
until you leap.
And if you fall flat on your face,
leap again.
Who is to set the limits on you...
except yourself?
Accept no limits.

Your parents handed you life.
Now it is yours.
You are the leader of it.
Make your own footsteps.
Whatever you want,
you can inspire.

We share in creation, you and I.
We share the results of it.
We share how it plays out.
It is not a card game
where you have no say
on what you deal yourself.
You have every say.
Deal out good cards for all.

Invite good friends into your life.
Be the first to greet.
Through greeting, you unite.
Reach out your hand.
Offer something of yourself.
Hey, Lil Man....
Instead of being fed up...

Keep your head up

SUNDAYS WITH JOYCE

WORD FOR TODAY

GENEROSITY
1. All goes well for the generous Psalms 112:5 A good man shwoeth favor, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
2. Christ sets example 2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was
rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty
might be rich.
3. Generous man is happy Proverbs 22:9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
4. Give generously to others in need
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him
labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have
to give to them that needeth.
5. Godly give generous loans Psalms 37:36 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed
6. Blessings of generosity Psalms 41:1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble









Giving Without Expectations


Since
giving and receiving are so intimately intertwined in our lives, we
often expect that we can attract abundance by simply conducting
ourselves in an openhanded fashion. Yet we find ourselves wallowing in
disappointment when our ample generosity is not met with the expected
results.

The answer to this quandary lies in the expectations
that, in part, initially prompted us to give. Though our intention is
likely pure, we can unintentionally mar the beautiful experience of
giving by focusing on what we will eventually receive in return. When
we let go of the notion that we deserve to receive gifts based on
giving gifts, bounty can once again flow freely in and out of our lives.


When
the gifts you give are laden down with expectations, they cease to be
gifts and become units of exchange that you are, in effect, trading for
some reward. Thus, the reciprocal laws of the universe err on the side
of the giver who shares for the sake of sharing.

You may have
seen this simple truth at work in your own experience, perhaps when
life's busyness prevented you from spending too much time contemplating
the results your charitable actions would ultimately have on the lives
of others. It was likely then that you received the greatest gifts in
return for your kindness. If you have trouble divesting yourself of
your expectations, you may need to reflect upon the root of your
inability to act in the true spirit of giving.

Each time you
make a gift, whether spiritual or tangible, ask yourself if there is
something you hope to receive in return. You may be surprised to
discover that you expect to be repaid with an easy life, financial
windfalls, or opportunities.


To
integrate this most selfless form of generosity into your life, you
will have to let go of your need to be in control. Accepting that while
like inevitably attracts like, it typically does so on an unobservable
timetable. This can help you stop weighing the gifts you give against
those you have received.

Giving eventually becomes a profound
joy that stands alone, separate from any and all conditions, and you
will learn to appreciate the flow of reciprocal abundance as a gift in
and of itself.

Sundays With Joyce

WORD FOR TODAY

Resurrection

1. Eternal body made for us by God 2 Corinthians 5:1
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands,
eternal in the Heavens
2. Glorious bodies Phillipians 3:21
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his
glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to
subdue all things unto himself.
3. Jesus is the resurrection and the life John 11:24,25
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the
resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die. Believeth thou this?
4. Resurrection of righteous and wicked Acts 24:15
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there
shall be a resurrection of the
dead, both of the just and of the unjust
5. Jesus appears to more than 500 1 Corinthians 15:6
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethern at once; of whom
the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep





He Rose!


Peter just couldn't understand what was happening.

If
Jesus were the Son of God, Peter must have wondered, why didn't he stop
the abuse and mockery Peter was witnessing in the high priest's
courtyard? How could someone who was supposed to be divine put up with
that?

Maybe it is just some tragic mistake, Peter may have
thought. Perhaps, after all, Jesus is another sincere but misguided
charismatic leader who has overwhelmed his followers with grandiose
words and visions and thoughts of invincibility. And if that's the
case, I'd better save my own skin while I can. "No," Peter insisted to
the courtyard bystanders, "I don't know him."

Later that day,
Peter watched Jesus, now brutally beaten, spiked to a cross, then
jerked upright in the sun to hang, and gasp for air, and finally die.
If Jesus were the Son of God, how could he die like that?

Peter
was just as troubled the following Sunday when he ran to Jesus' tomb to
find the body missing. The women told of angels' words that he had
risen, but with his own eyes Peter had seen Jesus die. If he were a
man--and he certainly died like a man--how could he return from death?
Someone must have taken the body. Must have!

It is this quandary
men and women have struggled with for centuries. If Jesus is God, how
could he die? And if he is man, how could he rise?

The Roman
soldiers guarding the tomb early that Easter morning were troubled by
no such ponderings. One moment they sat mesmerized by the fire
flickering in the chilly predawn hours. The next they were stunned by a
brilliance of arc-light proportions, as the tomb's stone lurched aside
and the radiant Jesus walked out alive!

How can God die, and how
can man live? Why, for that matter, was Jesus conceived by the Holy
Spirit and born of a virgin? Because Jesus is God's Son, sent to earth
to lead us to our Father, to die for our sins, and to rise from the
dead to show us that he is the source of everlasting life. He is the
God-Man.

And what is that to me? His shameful death that Good
Friday was a direct result of my sins. And his resurrection Easter
morning was for me, as well. He died and lived for me. For me--and for
you.

Yeah.......More Questions

1. Wondering how I can.........
2. Time to tell.......
3. Now I'm really...........
4. The tune in my head today is....
5. I will always.........
6. Somthing I'm pondering for the weekend...
7. Wish I could.........
8. Simply being.........is always enough
9. Angelic forces are telling me to............
10. I wish I could kiss........
11. Where did we meet:......
12. Take a stab at my zodiac sign.......
13. Do you smoke......
14. Has your first impression of me changed much?.....
15. Favorite color of Easter eggs
16. Do I have anyone to hide eggs for?
17. What's one of my favorite things to do with an egg?
18. Do you remember one of the first things I said to you......
19. What's your favorite Easter candy?
20. What is the best quality about you?
21. What's your favourite memory of me.....
22. Any special talents you'd like to share.....
23. Would you consider me a friend.....
24. If there was one good nickname for me, what would it be:
25. If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what would we do?
26. Today is the day that I....
27. One promise I've made, and broken.....
28. Im thinking this chick is.....
29. Before the weekend is over, I will............
30. Tell me something I don't know about you..........

She Is Woman.....

Circle of Woman..Goddess of Love


She shares with me a
listening ear.....but I must really listen. No interrupting her, no
daydreaming while she is talking, no planning my responses before she's
had her say. Respecting her is the only way she can teach me something
about me each and every day.

She gives me all the affection I
need. Hugs, loving kisses, holding my hand, and patting me on my back
when I'm down. She touches me, to lift my spirit high. These smalls
things demonstrate the most genuine love I've ever found. And, I will
cherish it until the day I die

I listen as she laughs at my
silly jokes. We share life stories by the fire. We play Spades
together, shop together, and go out to eat, dressed up in our evening
attire.. She gives me directions, sometimes ordering my food. We love
to talk....just us two. She is always in the mood.

She writes my name under hers. I realize we are one. If I take care of this love, I know I won't need another one.

She
compliments me on my dress. Not real elegant, because I was never big
on wearing my best. She sees in me...a beautiful, soft simplicity.
Warmth, understanding, and everlasting love from me. I gladly give it
because the purest love.... is absolutely free

Her kisses taste
like berries fresh from the vine. She renders me drunken with her
intoxicating sexual wine. Her heart is full of a sweet, sacred
sensuality. She keeps reminding me that she is dedicated to only me.
From
the first one in the morning to the wildest one, late at night.....we
will kiss each other a million times, until we get it right.

When
I'm in her presence, it feels like the very first time. Everything she
does, says, or feels...feels like I've never done it before. Just the
sound of her voice makes me wish I could give her so much more.

It only takes a minute to make an impression. She's made one on me......

She is WOMAN......a reflection of my own femininity

Make Sweat...

D
r

i
p
drip
dripping
lust of my lover
Spilling
onto me
into me
into the covers

Watching
her work
She takes her time
She takes my clit
into her mouth...
all of it
this time
Then she slides all of her
inside of me
as she confides in me
her desire for me
Bouncing
on top of me
Thrusting
around in me
Feels like she is bending me
.....breaking me
Her tongue
wildly pouncing
...inside of me
For hours we tangle
the dampened covers
dancing
like we are first-time lovers
It always feels like
the first time
Sliding up
and down this body of mine
back and forth
Toes turned north
then south
Passion burning us up

...long wet,
perspiring
kisses in the mouth

Those sensual sex faces
and noises we make
Energies spent..
how much more can I take
Greedy I am--
but, it's our routine
I can't get enough of it..
This is better than any dream
Waters oozing
desires
still secreting
from our tired clammy skin

But, we're both exhausted now

We rest....until it's time to begin again

Then it's my turn....

jakuper(4/5/07)

Everything I Am

You look but do not see
Eyes peeping out of corners
Tracing my present journey with destiny
But are you sure that you really looking at me
I can sometimes spin words out of control
some so original... they break the mold

Some so true..... you say they touch your soul

Only one looking beyond the mirror's image
beyond the color of my skin
or beyond my present sin
can see what it is I already see...

I see imperfection when I look at me

Does my image change for you
from fiery red running through envious green
to a depressing blue-ish hue
Does your perception of who I should be
sometimes get in your way?

Am I being judged by what I said to you
what I meant to you
Or even how I looked at you...
just only yesterday

If so, I think you need to know

Everything I am
Everything I need
Everything I want to be

is always subject to somebody else's scrutiny

While you have a right to look in my mirror
and be what it is you see
but also know
that I have a right
to disregard what you expect
and do what's right for me



jakuper(4/2/07)

SUNDAYS WITH JOYCE

WORD FOR TODAY

Watchfulness
1. Be careful how you live Ephesians 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise

2. Keep a clear mind 2 Timothy 2:4,5 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier

3. Pay attention to what you hear Luke 8:18 Take
heed , therefore how you hear; for whosoever hath, to him shall be
given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which
he seemeth to have

4. Do not let your heart turn away Deuteronomy 11:16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

5. Listen carefully to the truth Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed tot he things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip

God said

You are beginning to get it.

You embrace what you want. You emphasize. You let go of what you don't want.

You
don't need complaints any longer. You have sped past them. Of course,
you could find them if you looked, but you don't look for them any
longer.

You look for that which to praise. How simple this is, and yet what a discovery!

You
have found the secret to living the life you love. Give up speculating
about that which displeases you, and specialize in what uplifts your
Being.

You dance the dances you choose, and you sit out the others.

You sing songs of love, and do not even mouth the other songs. You do not go along with them.

You have caught on to the fact that you write a script of your life.

No longer do you work on a tragedy.

No
matter how eventful and interesting they may be, tragedy and melodrama
are no longer your interest. You are looking for a different kind of
story filled with a different kind of event.

You
spend time on what you find attractive. You simply go past the pages
that you are not interested in. They are not for you, and that is
enough.

You don't owe them anything. You certainly don't owe them loyalty. You have graduated to the real gems.

Your life can be outstanding in joy. You know how to do it. You underscore the joy. You put it in bigger print.

If
you have fallen into a pit, you refrain from going into great detail
about its longitude and latitude. You don't memorize the pit, touch
every groove and stone. You look up to the light of day above you, and
you find a toehold and you climb out of the pit.

Even when your body is still stuck in the pit, you don't keep your mind there.

You
travel on to the next oasis. You travel first with your mind, and this
is how you pull yourself out of any dark pit. It truly is how you look
at it.

What
your fingers touch is not the truth. The truth is something else. What
the facts are is irrelevant. Facts are to ignore because they are only
there to surmount and not to be lodged in. Facts are insignificant.
That's a fact.

Wholeness is true. Define wholeness then and not shards. If your life is glass, see through it, beloveds. See beyond.

This is how you learn to be a master of life.

You are matriculating in life and not its obstacles. You have signed up for life.

You have not enrolled in a course on obstacles. Obstacles are not even in the curriculum I ask you to consider.

Obstacles are incidental. They are not the making of you. They are not your course of study.

Just because they are in front of you is no reason to give them your all.

Perhaps
you don't have to kick them or shove them out of your way. Perhaps you
leap over them. Perhaps you find they are nothing at all, just a mote
in your eye.

Perhaps they are not made of stone. Perhaps they are made of thought.

Change the constituents of your thoughts.

Change the configuration.

Leap, beloveds, leap.

Leap into the Spring of a new day!