It has been through many trials, sorrows and storms of life that God has shown me His magnificent Grace, Love and Glory.  He has taught me to trust in Him with every detail of my life.  Furthermore, He has taught me how to think differently; how to view circumstances through His eyes, rather than, through the finiteness of my own eyes.  That is key to facing life undaunted by the storms.  Storms are an inevitable part of this journey on earth; yet, God has a plan for our good if we are His.  Knowing Christ as Savior assures this fact:  God is working everything together for our good.  He wants us to live with hope, joy, love and peace within our hearts; as, He shares with us His Glory.  He wants us to live every moment of life Amazed by Joy-His Joy in us.

Knowing the truth about our place in this Universe, our purpose and our position in Christ is paramount to discovering a life filled with hope, energy, and abounding joy.  Once we know these truths, we think and view every circumstance differently than we would have otherwise. So, yes; how we think is very important; however, only, when are thoughts are founded upon God’s word.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying no trials will come or that you will get all your eyes could desire by thinking a different way.  What I am saying is “knowing these 3 foundational truths,  fills your heart with joy; even when your world is turned upside down.

Listen carefully. ²¹ Keep these thoughts ever in mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart, ²² for they will mean real life for you and radiant health. Proverbs 4:20-22 TLB

THREE TRUTHS YOU MUST KNOW

Continue reading How to Know Life Amazed by Joy →

The gunshots rang out in the middle of the night.  My hand froze on the doorknob for a second until I heard Pete’s cousin screaming.  A moment before I had leapt from my bed to rush out into the living room when I heard Pete say, “I need a witness for this”; but before I could open the door, I heard the gunshot blast through the dark.  I rushed into the living room to find his body slumped over in the chair.  The gun lay in his lap held by his now limp hand.  Blood was dripping from his mouth.  Noting a shallow breath, I gently reclined the chair and tipped his head back so he could breathe. So many years, I had prayed for my beloved husband.  This was not the answer I had longed and pleaded for.  How do you keep trusting God, when you don’t understand?

Through so many years, I had watched this man battle with a bipolar disorder.  He had such a brilliant mind, a genius; yet, he was plagued by moments of grandeur followed by utter despair.  Was it not God’s Grace within me that allowed me to forgive the moments of violence that resulted from Pete’s battle?  After all, God had prepared me through my own mother’s bipolar disorder to see past the sometimes-violent exterior.  Deep, hidden under the harsh exterior, I saw the heart of this man.  His heart was kind, gentle and loving; although, often masked by his own fears of love.  Because he had been so hurt, injured as a child; he was broken.  From the day, we first met, I loved him with a love greater than I was capable of; which I realize now, only came from God Himself.

TRUSTING GOD WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE ANSWER

Continue reading Trusting God When You Don’t Understand! How? →

When every dream, desire, and hope you had are crushed, shattered in the middle of a very dark night; where do you turn?  What happens to faith and trust?  Do you still believe that God’s plan is good, no matter what comes in this journey?  Does faith depend only on sight, what we can see?  Or is much bigger than all that we could ever hope for?  Do our trials guide us nearer to the only truth, the answer for which our hearts seek?  Yes, I believe they do; step by step drawing closer to God; our heartbreaks become an integral part of our ultimate Joy, Hope and Faith, which can only be found in Him.

So, my question to you is: “What do you do in the dark of the night when all your dreams, hopes and desires come crashing down around you?  What do you do when hope Shatters? ”

 

What Do You Do in the Dark of the Night?

When Hope Shatters

By Effie Darlene Barba

 

What do you do in the dark of the night?

When all of your dreams, the hopes you held tight

Came crashing down, your world shattered, profound!

Heartbreaking tears, oh the wretched sound!

Can faith hold firm when hope is lost from sight?

 

It wasn’t the answer that my heart did long

I find it so hard to sing a praise song

When all that my heart did once long for, desire

Scattered as ashes by Your raging fire

Was it my fault, Lord, had I been so wrong?

 

Yet, if I look back, my story be told

Through gleeful spring days, and winters so cold

In the center of all, it has always been You

Who never let go, my Love to pursue

Your Glory, Your Grace; Your strength took ahold

 

How many years of sorrow, you’ve borne

While we shout Your name, and blame you with scorn

Your patience and Grace that brings each new day

While waiting for us to see You’re the way

Through Jesus Your son, our spirit reborn

 

When I consider Your Love from the start

That sent forth your Son, His throne to depart

To die on a cross, forsaken, forlorn

Facing such shame, disgrace, and such scorn

To Justly His Righteousness to Impart

 

On someone like me, so ravaged with pride

Who of my free will would never decide

To follow the one who loved me so true

That down crooked paths my love to pursue

Calling me there to walk by Your side

 

So,

What do I do in the dark of the night?

I run to seek You, my one guiding light

To sit in your presence, ever so still

Until I’m conformed, whatever Your will

To follow with faith, regardless of sight

WHEN HOPE SHATTERS

When everything you thought, you desired is ripped from your hands in an instants moment; life shatters, leaving your heart so broken you think you can never stand again.  We, followers of Christ; are not exempt from devastating sorrows and losses.  Indeed, we are even more vulnerable to loss; often, because we think it cannot happen to us who are God’s beloved.  Yet, because we are His beloved; He allows us to face tragedy, that we might grow closer to Him.  This journey is filled with dark nights and bitter cold winters.  Our hope shatters into pieces on the ground around us, all too often.  Yet, it is God’s Grace and love that picks up those shattered dreams and forms them into His own likeness, that we might feast our gaze, our hope and our desires on Him.  He is the only one who can satisfy our hearts deepest desire.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:2

CONCLUDING TWEETS

[bctt tweet=”Lord, What do I do in the dark of the night? I run to seek You, my one guiding light” username=”effiedarlene”]

[bctt tweet=”Let me sit in your presence, ever so still Until I’m conformed, whatever Your will” username=”effiedarlene”]

[bctt tweet=”Lord, help me to follow with faith regardless of sight into the deepest darkest night” username=”effiedarlene”]

This is an original Drawing by an amazing artist whom I love and admire. Please check out his work at http://roninron.com He did this drawing with a piece of paper and a pencil.

 

 

 

 

 

Featured Photo at top of post by permission: https://unsplash.com/@anhphotoz  Although I did add the inscription

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

 

There is no doubt that this journey on earth is filled with trials, sorrows, doubts, and fears at time.  We look around us and mourn because of  the tragedy of a young girl’s brutal rape.  Terror attacks are becoming common place throughout the world.  Riots turn to violent attacks upon innocent victims who now fear to speak up or dare to seek to find truth.  Truth doesn’t even seem to matter to those who incite such riots; if their voice is heard screaming above the rest. Cancer, heart disease, and a multiplicity of diseases claim lives daily.  Poverty, violence and despair spreads throughout our inner cities.  Beyond all that, there are the battles within our own hearts.  So, where in the center of all this can one hold onto hope?  How can our heart hold fast to faith in God’s Sovereign Grace?  When trials come where is our anchor?

As I consider today the wondrous birthday of my baby son, Ron; I pause to look back over all the years.  The day this little 4-pound wonder was placed in my arms for the first time 36 years ago, I was thrilled and fearful as well.  You see, I had by then faced many trials and had fallen prostrate before my Lord and King, Jesus Christ many times.  Oh, yes; by then I had learned of the magnitude of God’s Grace toward me; but, I had also learned of the depth of darkness and evil that filled this journey.

EPHESIANS 6:12-13

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

THE GREATEST GIFT WE CAN GIVE OUR CHILDREN

Yes, life is very hard at times.  There is only one gift that we must give our children if we can hope that they will survive in this world.  That gift was provided by God, Himself.  Of everything else that we might teach them or show them, we must teach them how to face the battles of this life.  Jesus Christ is our only hope, the light that shone forth into darkness, the word of God made flesh; who provided hope, faith, and the only way of salvation for our souls.  He paid our price for sin; so that, we might have an intimate relationship with God.  He is the love, hope, joy and grace that our world is so desperately in search of.

If you do not know Christ, I urge you to begin there.  Go to my page on how to be saved. Take that step; ask Jesus into your heart. Continue reading How to Face Life’s Battles with Hope and Faith →

Salvation is a gift of God, by faith; not by works of my hands, for there is nothing that I could ever do to transform my heart. Yet, if indeed I have tasted of the sweetness of God’s mercy; then, my life will show signs of that through the works I perform.  Because of the working of the Holy Spirit abiding with me, I will be changed.  The works are then a product of Christ abiding in me.  It is the fruit produced by a vine that has been pruned, nurtured, and feed by God.  I cannot say that I love God, if I do not desire to show that love through obedience and service to Him.  With all that He has done for me, how could I do less.  That is what James went when he wrote:

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:17-19

So many followed Christ seeking His miracles, desiring what He could do for them. Still, it was that same crowd who later cried, “Crucify Him” when they realized He was not going to set up His Kingdom, freeing them from the Romans.  They did not seek Him for the magnificent Grace, love and beauty He bestowed.  They wanted the gift and not the giver of the gifts. Continue reading How Can Works Display the Truth of Love? →