Basis of Joy

Wow! It has been over a month since I last did a blog article. Shame on me, I think. What can I say busy, tired, etc. Since then we have been to Lookout Mountain GA. for Anna Vermeer and Matt Heard's wedding. It was beautiful and we had a great time with Joyce's family. Then it was time to head to Milwaukee to celebrate Cora's first birthday. It was a fun time with Sarah and family. Then just a short time later we drove to Birmingham AL for Jon Vermeer and Rebekah Steelman's wedding. it to was lovely and we again had good time with family. From Birmingham we drove further southeast in AL to Lake Martin and Joyce's cousin's lake place. We had an enjoyable time. So we've been home a couple weeks and now leave next Wednesday for the remainder of September and first weekend in October. We'll meet friends in Branson for two nights, drive to Sonscape Retreat Center near Divide CO where we will be host and hostess for the retreat attendees (we will do a lot of cooking and general caring work); then we go to NW IA and Joyce's nursing class reunion at Okoboji, spend a few days visiting Joyce's Mom; drive to Milwaukee and spend a few days with Sarah, then drive to Fulton and attend my 50th high school class reunion and return home on October 5. Anybody tired yet reading all that. We pray that it all goes well and are confident it will.
Mom Sikkema fell last weekend, gashing her forehead, arm and cracking a knee cap. She seems to be handling it well but do keep her in your prayers. That reminds me we also were glad to have my sister Martha and her husband Dave and daughter Rachel visit us over Labor Day weekend which is when mom fell.

A couple of soul work thoughts from Gordon Smith's book Called To Be Saints:
The ultimate mark of a person who is mature in Christ is joy.
Joy arises from a life lived in wisdom, with a vision and passion for good work and with a resolve and capacity to love as we have been loved.
What will be our emotional center? Will the emotional contours of our lives be shaped by the fragmentation [and evil] of the world, or will the foundational reality of the universe and of our hearts be that Christ is on the throne of the universe- the risen and ascended Christ- and that Christ will one day make all things well [and new].
The basis of joy is faith. It is the fruit of a life lived in confidence that God is good and that God has all in hand. We rest in this extraordinary reality and confidence.

I pray each of you is well in all aspects of your life and living. Indeed God is our shelter and strength, a very present help whatever our situation. May God's joy be yours.