Penny J. Johnson's Blog, page 126
March 31, 2013
One Good Thing Every Day: March 31, 2013
“When I appeared to My disciples after the resurrection, it was Peace that I communicated first of all, I knew this was their deepest need: to calm their fears and clear their minds. I also speak Peace to you, for I know your anxious thoughts. Listen to Me! Tune out other voices, so that you can hear Me more clearly. I designed you to dwell in Peace all day, every day. Draw near to Me; receive My Peace.” from Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
March 30, 2013
One Good Thing Every Day: March 30, 2013
“Search for Me as for hidden treasure.” from Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
One Good Thing Every Day: March 28, 2013
“…any little thing we allow or practice can ultimately prove disastrous to our character….It may be as simple as a particular indulgence, an unhealthy idea you nurture, or constantly putting off your quiet time with the Lord; undealt with, any of these can lead to poverty of spirit. So be on your guard against whatever might steal your goal of living like Christ.” from A Jane Austen Devotional
March 28, 2013
Daily Prompt: Bedtime Stories
What was your favorite book as a child? Did it influence the person you are now?
My favorite bedtime stories were not contained in a book. They rested in the deep resonance of my father’s voice just above my ear as I snuggled in the crook of his arm. I begged for “Joey Stories.” He obliged with tales of Joey smashing the grocer’s pumpkins and confessing to stolen bean seeds. A serial featuring Joey’s cats, Tiger and Tuffy, kept me on the edge of our gold couch for several evenings. An old stagecoach in the woods brought back Wild West heists. The water pump, still used and primed by the unfinished farmhouse, creaked again whenever Joey chipped ice from the handle. I loved the one about Joey standing on a distant hill listening to the yelping of his brothers and the family dog after discovering a skunk in the rabbit trap.
But, the ones I cherish most are the ones about Joey and his father. One day, Joey’s mother asked him to cut the lilac bushes. Joey, who wanted to ride his bike and play with friends that Saturday, angrily stomped to the tool shed, grasped the pruning shears, and took vengeance out on the multiple bushes in their yard. A startled gasp from his mother after he declared his work complete revealed his dreadful mistake. The three lilac bushes with their wilted flowers remained untouched unlike his father’s prized peony bushes whose red blooms dotted the lawn like opened wounds. He shuddered, thinking of his father’s certain rebuke when he returned home. When he heard the car on the driveway, he expected thunderous footsteps to cross the threshold. Instead, the screen door barely creaked on its rusty hinge. A large, work-worn hand rested on Joey’s shoulder as his father’s Swedish brogue spoke, “Son, you didn’t know the difference. I forgive you.”
My father’s Joey Stories taught me about grace, forgiveness, and love in ways none of my story books did. His Joey Stories may be collected one day on the printed page, but they will be bound forever in my heart.
March 27, 2013
One Good Thing Every Day: March 27, 2013
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
“Nothing is as important as spending time with Me….If you skimp on this time with Me, you plunge headlong into the wrong activities, missing the richness of what I have planned for you.” from Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
“Lord, help me to have the courage to say no when I believe it is sensible to do so. I want to follow your example.” from Joan C. Webb’s It’s a Wonderful Imperfect Life
This world of entitlement rebels against hearing “No.” The news reports blaring from my family room prove to me this word needs to become more prominent in our society.
But, my impact on the world requires prioritized attention to my small part of it–my own family room, as it were. When my day begins, as it did today, reading scriptures and Bible studies I am preparing myself for the “No” Moments and anticipating the “YES” Days. I concur with Sarah Young that when I miss that time with Jesus I am the poorer for it. As much as I loved saying “yes” to my son with special needs on Monday, I know why I must be sensible and say “no” to certain experiences and situations. Sometimes those “No” Moments are difficult for both of us. But, he knows as well I do the safety–and the love–behind “No” Moments that ensure more ”YES” Days in the future.
One Good Thing Every Day: March 26, 2013
“This is the secret of how to raise a writer: be a dedicated listener.” from Pam’s Allyn’s Your Child’s Writing Life
One Good Thing Every Day: March 25, 2013
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Today was a “YES!” Day. More often than not, when my special needs son asks if he can do or have something, I reply with “Maybe,” “We’ll see,” “I’m not sure,” and the dreaded “No.” Instead, my jubilant reply was “YES!” I filled out paperwork and rearranged schedules. I still completed my own to-do list while helping him achieve a “can-do.” Everything came together because God’s answer was, “Say ‘yes’ to this one.” He put all the necessary components in place for what seemed to me like a last-minute decision. YES!
One Good Thing Every Day: March 23, 2013
I watch my son’s basketball game, riveted by the pace. They shoot, rebound, shoot, rebound with unmatched determination. Their battles for the ball are fraught with hip-checks and jump-balls without surrender. Banter from the bench is synonymous with high-fives for both sides. Passive-aggression and timidity have no place here. The something-special about these teams is their zeal, their tenacity, their courage, not just on this court, but in a world of sidelines. Today, standing on these sidelines, filled with respect and pride, I cheer for all their victories.
