Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

Joy Ride: My Word of the Year

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The last couple of years have been terrible for everyone.  At least that’s the way it seems.  Covid-19 lockdown snowballed into more struggles, more uncertainty and more pain.  I didn’t realize how universal these feelings were until I heard person after person wishing for 2023 to be a better year.  I hope you don’t fall into this category, but we all know sooner or later, we will have trouble (John 16:33).  Maybe we need a joy ride.

 

People often associate the term joy ride (sometimes spelled as a single word) with stealing a car.  But it simply means a ride for enjoyment.  And I, for one, need more enjoyment in my life.

 

Last year was a little better for me than the two years prior, but I still found myself saying the following to my mom and sister:  “I don’t know if I’ll ever feel true joy again.”  I almost couldn’t believe it came out of my mouth.  Full disclosure:  I realized a short time later that I needed a change in my anti-depressant and, as a result of that change, am feeling much better now.  But the reality is that I spent two years in sadness, grief and despair.  Medication or not, God has had to teach me anew to trust Him.  Hear me say that the lack of trust, of course, had nothing to do with His actions or who He is. I allowed my circumstances to skew my view of a God who never changes.

 

Which Leads Us to Now…

 

In the midst of that conversation with my loved ones, I knew “joy” needed to be my One Word focus for 2023.  I have put in a lot of work the last few years and I think God wants me to lighten up.  I know the Bible says we, in Christ, have joy no matter the circumstances.  James even said trials and the testing of our faith are counted as joy (James 1:2-3)!  For crying out loud!  But if I’m honest, joy is not exactly what I’ve been feeling.

 

Now I know feelings and truth don’t always line up, but I want to manifest the truth of supernatural joy in my life.  In plain speak, I’m tired of feeling burdened and sad.  I want to overflow with the joy that comes from knowing Jesus and walking daily with Him.  So I choose joy.  Not just for the moment, but for the year.  I plan on digging into what scripture has to say about it and exploring the things in my life that hold me back from its fullness.

 

Psalm 16:11 is my verse for the year.

 

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  ESV

 

If this resonated with you at all, I hope you will come on this journey (or ride, if you will) with me for 2023.  As I learn, maybe you will, too.  And please share your experiences with joy and the things you know about it in the comments.  I hope we encourage each other to soak up those pleasures forevermore.

 

Bonus:  I’m sharing the screen saver I made for my phone!

joy ride

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

 

Joanne Viola gave a beautifully simple explanation of the gospel in Receive.  Thank you for linking up, Joanne!

 

The Link Up

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

We Will Dance: After Cancer

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“We Will Dance”

I’ve watched the sun rise in your eyes
And I’ve seen the tears fall like the rain
You’ve seen me fight so brave and strong
You’ve held my hand when I’m afraid
We’ve watched the seasons come and go
We’ll see them come and go again
But in winter’s chill or summer’s breeze
One thing will not be changing

[Chorus:]

We will dance
When the sun is shining, in the pouring rain.
We’ll spin and we’ll sway
And we will dance.
When the gentle breeze becomes a hurricane,
The music will play
And I’ll take your hand and hold you close to me
And we will dance.

Sometimes it’s hard to hold you tight
Sometimes we feel so far apart
But sometimes we dance as one
And feel the beating of each other’s heart
Some days the dance is slow and sweet
Some days we’re bouncing off the walls
But no matter how this world may turn
Our love will keep us from falling and …

[Chorus]

The music will play
And I’ll hold you close and I won’t let go
Even when our steps grow weak and slow
Still I’ll take your hand and hold you close to me
And we will dance…

What This Song Means to Me

Steven Curtis Chapman released this song in 2003 on his “All About Love” album.  I owned the CD.  I listened to it often.  My marriage was still as shiny and new as our wedding rings and I loved all the songs written and dedicated to his wife.  I’m a romantic, but this one wasn’t a favorite.  However, I came across it on Spotify a couple of weeks ago and the lyrics hit completely different.
2003 Chuck and Lauren had barely started life together.  We were in love and thought we could weather any storm.  2022 Chuck and Lauren have lived through some things.  In 2003, our first born was already having seizures, but we had no idea how severe her medical and developmental problems would become.  We struggled with the challenges of a blended family and have now seen the aftermath of divorce devastate.  Had we any idea then how difficult raising a teenager in the information age would be?  Nope.  And we never dreamed we would grind through job loss and financial insecurity.

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month

We have now both had cancer.  Breast cancer for me and tonsil cancer for him.  Cancer changes you in ways I cannot describe.  Our bodies are forever altered with scars you can see and scars you can’t.  Surgeries, injuries, treatments and chronic pain checker our histories.
As a couple, we have depended on God more than we ever thought we would need to.  We begged Him for healing, thanked Him for mercy and walked with Him through incredibly challenging things.  He has moved on our behalf in ways we asked for and in ways we didn’t expect/ still haven’t seen.
What I’m saying is,

we have lived some life since 2003.  And our marriage is all the sweeter for the storms.  Would I choose any of them?  Emphatically no.  But I know now how strong we are now.

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 I KNOW.  When SCC sings, ” the gentle breeze becomes a hurricane”, I remember the day a phone call rocked our world.  As he’s “seen the tears fall like the rain” I understand and remember (and not that far back).  When the sun is shining,” or “in the pouring rain”, Chuck keeps on dancing with me.  I am so grateful.

Public Service Announcement:

I don’t wear pink in October just because I like it (although I do).  A mammogram caught my invasive ductal cell carcinoma at Stage 1.  That day was over 5 years ago.  I’m not sure I would be here today had I waited for a physical manifestation.  Go get squeezed ladies.  It may not be your idea of a fun time, but it’s important!  Also, if you are not yet subscribed to this blog, do it now.  You will receive my ebook This was Not On My Bingo Card:  Essays on Cancer and Related Surprises.  
Testimonial from a cancer patient I shared the ebook with: “I woke up about 2AM the night before last, and after several attempts to go back to sleep, I realized that I was having anxiety about my upcoming surgery and a few other events coming up. So, I got up and read your essays on breast cancer. I shed some tears, at times laughed, and felt empathy and completely related to many aspects of your journey. I did feel much lighter and was able to stop worrying after reading, so thank you for sharing your personal experience.”
And now for this week’s featured post from the link up.
Paula from simplycoffeandjesus.com wrote about a problem I have been talking about for years (and even have a podcast idea about) in Sustaining Friendships from Midlife and Beyond – A Woman’s Guide.

The Link Up

 

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 Now Let’s Link Up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

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