Author Archives: joyspringcounseling

About thirty-five years ago, a young musician living in New York City was drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ purely by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. There was no one preaching to her, and no one she could think of that would have been praying for her to come to Christ. God just wantedContinue reading “An Embarrassment of Riches”

I love the story of Abraham and Sarah when God announced they were going to have a baby in their old age. The text says that “Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief” (Gen. 17:17). Really, God? Very funny. God laughs, and sometimes he makes his people laugh withContinue reading “God Laughs, We Laugh”

Some days I just need to know that God is near. That he is here. That he sees, and hears, and knows. Like Hagar, desolate and alone one moment, and in the next moment comforted with this revelation: “You are the God who sees me” (Gen 16:13). Or like Jacob, dreaming of angels climbing upContinue reading “He is Here”

Often we are told in the Word and by the Spirit to simply stay put. To stand firm in the spot where God has planted us. There are seasons for breaking new ground and moving forward with kingdom assignments. There are other seasons to continue in the instruction we have already received until new revelationContinue reading “Keep Standing”

You may be familiar with comic Brian Regan’s very funny sketch about pressure and pain. He observes that doctors don’t like to use the word “pain.” “Doctors will tell you about ‘pressure’. If a doctor tells you you’re about to feel some pressure, buckle up…He could be swinging a two-by-four by your head and say,Continue reading “Pressure and Pain”

“The honor of man is short-lived and fleeting. There’s so little difference between man and beast, for both will one day perish. Such is the path of foolish men and those who quote everything they say, for they are here today and gone tomorrow!” (Ps. 49:12-13, TPT) About ten years ago, my extended family gatheredContinue reading “The Influence of One Life (Revisited)”

You may recall this quote from the genie (voiced so brilliantly by Robin Williams) in the animated movie “Aladdin.” Genie was describing himself, empowered to fulfill any wish, yet trapped inside a tiny bottle until summoned by a wisher. He could have been describing any one of us who have been filled with the HolyContinue reading “Phenomenal Cosmic Power–Itty-bitty Living Space”

The parables Jesus tells in Matthew 13 are some of the best known in Scripture. They form a set of seed stories, metaphors for how, where and when the seed of the word of God is planted in our lives, and the level of fruitfulness or barrenness that results. After telling these parables, Jesus criesContinue reading “Seed Stories”

(previously published January 19, 2019) I haven’t been watching a lot of news lately. I find it necessary and infinitely more beneficial to keep my focus on Scripture, worship, work, and what I sense the Spirit is saying each day. Even so, none of us can escape the reality that the political and social landscapeContinue reading “Identity Politics Revisited”