Author Archives: joyspringcounseling

This has turned out to be a year for me of laying claim on some new territory, in the spiritual and the natural, in the personal and professional. My husband Rick and I have made a move from the Houston area to the beautiful hill country of central Texas, between Austin and San Antonio. WhileContinue reading “The Hill Country”

I’ve never been much of a runner, though I can understand how it could become a satisfying daily habit —the endorphin rush and all. For me though, it could usually be said that if you see me running, something or someone might be chasing me, or I’m trying to get out of the rain. ButContinue reading “Let Us Run”

My recent trip through the short book of Titus highlighted four simple, interwoven principles for those who would be teachers and disciple-makers in Christ’s church. Titus was a leader under Paul’s apostleship in the first century church. He was also a dear, trusted brother to Paul and became a key fellow-laborer in spreading the gospelContinue reading “Believe Wholly, Teach Rightly, Live Godly, Correct as Necessary”

I was talking with a wise friend recently about how we choose the people in our world we allow to influence us. He reminded me of the Scripture, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Prov. 27:17). He explained how only iron (or I’d add, something even stronger than iron, like a diamond) can sharpenContinue reading “Walk with the Wise”

There is a fabulous story found in 2 Kings 6 that captured my attention and seems so very timely. That happens a lot, doesn’t it? Elisha was a very powerful prophet in Israel at a time when the Arameans were posing a persistent threat to Israel’s national security. He was a key member of theContinue reading “Let Us See!”

The book of Jonah is one of my favorites. It’s got everything a great story needs: a complex, flawed protagonist, a contest of good and evil, an action-adventure, calamity, rescue, victory. Like the best of stories, it reaches a redemptive ending without tying everything up perfectly. Jonah, was supposedly God’s man of the day, aContinue reading “God or gods?”

In the midst of a grand transition of my life, it has proven difficult to focus and find the right moment to write. But as I sit in this lovely bakery coffee shop and turn my attention to God’s truth, I’m right back in the Holy Spirit’s glory-filled revelation of mysteries. Today it is ColossiansContinue reading “The Clothing of Heaven”

Originally posted on Ruth E. Stitt:
I’m so grateful that God gave us a way to stay forgiven, clean, pure, and righteous. It’s called confession. It’s ironic that what often causes the most trouble in our lives and relationships also serves as the mechanism for healing and release. It is the words we speak, our…

Yesterday I finished my latest reading through the gospel of Luke, this time in the New Living Translation. I enjoy this translation very much. The word choices often arrest me with new revelation and inspiration. Such was the case with Luke’s last chapter, the one that merges into Chapter 1 of the Book of Acts.Continue reading “Strangely Warmed, Terribly Frightened, Overwhelmed by Joy”

As some of you may know, my husband Rick and I are moving after 6 years in the Houston area to a new home in the beautiful hill country of central Texas. We are thrilled about this change and new start. But if you’ve ever moved—and I assume if you are an adult, you’ve movedContinue reading “Home Again”