This weekend was the Mother/Daughter retreat for Camp Willow Run. The speaker, Sharon Glasgow, spoke to us on the prescription for joy as she told one amazing life story after another. She was a master storyteller. You would imagine yourself in the middle of the story laughing or crying.

The entire weekend was filled with connections with my daughter, lifelong friends, and most of all Jesus. We all have our God story, and all of us were there working on our “soul stuff”.

The soul work was overwhelming, and this box car, sleeping mama is too tired to process that into words on a blog, but I do want to share the prescription for joy and a 30 day challenge with you.

Definition of joy: complete faith that God will walk with you through anything you are going through and provide His love, power, and wisdom. It’s not happiness (i.e. chocolate cake, Krispy Kreme doughnuts that are warmed and placed in your box, a day off from work due to snow, or a clean house, etc.)

Prescription: Eat, Believe, Live

• Eat God’s word every day and know His Word
• Believe what you are reading is true and true for YOU
• Live your life as if the scriptures you believe to be true will happen. Meaning….don’t wait for the plan, take a step of faith or action before the answer is revealed

You have to do all three or the prescription doesn’t work. You can read your Bible, but if you don’t believe it’s true for you, or you don’t act upon it, well, the same-old, same-old will happen. If you want a revelation you have to do all three. For me, step three is the hardest.

She told a story that God called her to sing on the school bus, Amazing Grace, when she was 12 years old after her mother was raced to the hospital.  Her mother’s possible death would have left her in a very difficult situation as her mom was a single parent with three children. Her God shared with her that singing would cast out fear–PRAISE ME! She stood up on her bus and shared her heart and sang–off  key. Pretty soon, after the teasing, folks started singing with her. The bus driver called her over after the bus was emptied. She started crying. “When you sang a wretch like me, God touched my heart.” She told Sharon of her life story and how wretched she felt, but that morning she believed if a 12 year old girl could stand up and sing off key, certainly she  could begin to know this Jesus who loves us.

Your Challenge:

1. For 30 days read the following verses:

• Ephesians 1: 16-21
• Ephesians 3: 16-21
• John 7: 20-24

2. Eliminate anything from your life that does not glorify God. If it distracts or goes against God’s glory–fast from it.

3. Journal your days, and be honest about what God is doing in your life. Be real and open to His amazing love for you.

If you do the 30 day challenge, and you want to share, I’d love to hear what God is doing in your life.