A New Beginning

It's finally summer....my first summer off without any major obligation since 2005.  So in this new season, I find myself reading numerous blogs....some from friends, some about hobbies that I have yet to jump into (running), some about finances and many devotional thoughts from around the web.  I haven't had much of a blog presence myself, though I have published over 70 notes on facebook with the same content that you might find on a blog, so I decided to make the jump and start a blog.

In this first post, I'd like to address the reason why I titled my blog, "The Joy of Hope."  The first thing you should know about me is that my name is Joy.  The second thing that you may be able to deduce from the title is that my mother's name was Hope.  She passed away in November of 2003 but she will forever have a firm footprint in my life and she left a legacy that I continue to hold in high regard. 

But beyond the literallness of the title, I also titled it "The Joy of Hope" because in all reality, the only true "joy" that we as people can embrace and count on, is the kind found in Christ, our only "hope" of salvation.  It is because of what Christ did, that I can face tomorrow with all its uncertainties....it's because of what He did that I can trust Him with all that I have, knowing it all came from Him.  It is because of what He did, that I can find friends and family all over this country (and a few others), because the family of God knows no borders.  It is because of His sacrifice that I can be sure of my eternal fate and it is because of that faith that I know that I'll meet up with my mothers again in Heaven. 

Oh the joy, the hope, the grace, mercy and love we find in our Savior! 

In this blog, I hope you see my heart, that though it is not perfect, it seeks to serve and be molded by God.

In this blog, I hope you see my walk, that though I stumble, God is faithful and helps me even crawl along.

In this blog, I hope you see my dance, that though I go two steps forward, one step back, that I seek to let Christ take the lead and follow in His steps.

In this blog, I hope you are encouraged, challenged, and feel free to ask questions, speak comments, or alert me to concerns.

In this blog, I hope you see me.  No mask or make up but my heart, raw as it is.

In this blog, most of all, I hope Christ is glorified and magnified. 

Thanks for taking the time to read.  Hope to update soon.

Until next time,
Joy Lynn