Psalm 30:5b (ESV) Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Welcome to my new site, my friends. Every journey has a beginning. A first. And so, this first blog will include a little of my “first things first.” I hope it will inspire you to start some new “firsts” in your journey.
Grab a cup of coffee, friends, because you’ve just landed on my “Bible and Beans” blog. Please tell me you love coffee. I enjoy mine piping hot with a little heavy whipping cream. Mmm.
First, a story. During my teen years, my dearest friends knew better than to wake me before my alarm buzzed. Seriously, I think I frightened them; I’m grateful we are all still friends. I sincerely apologize to them now, for my surly morning attitude. Shout out to Cyndi, Heidi, Jill, Dee-Dee, Terri, Dianne, Shannon, and Jan. My beloved friends for life.
I never had joy in the morning. Not to mention, I always woke up exhausted. Over a decade ago, Beth Moore suggested in a bible study that I ought to pray to Jesus to wake me up early in the morning to meet with Him. “She is off her rocker if she thinks I’m waking up early,” I thought to myself.
Lack of sleep during those years of raising my kids left me zapped of energy and joy, too. Looking back, I can’t recall in those first 49 years of my life ever rising from my slumber to spend time in God’s Word. My Christian walk consisted of attending church, occasionally, and gathering with women for bible study, occasionally. Side confession: I always crammed my bible study lessons just to check it off the checkity-checklist.
I went about my days passing time with the really important things–like schedules, routines, kid’s and their sports, work, shopping, busyness, television. All these really important things left me empty, so I turned to food for my source of comfort and joy. I wore a mask of “happiness”, but the deepest part of my soul hungered for so much more.
Fast forward to my fiftieth year on this planet. I finally figured out the very thing my soul hungered for and it finally dawned on me as I began spending the first moments of my day, every single day in God’s Word. What an epiphany! My weeping tarried for five decades. That’s a long time if you ask me, but God’s timing is always perfect. Am I right, friend?
Back to my stories about my cranky morning self. Our God’s sense of humor is incredible. Through my weight loss journey, He completely changed up my sleeping patterns. Without an alarm buzzing, I began waking up daily around 5am. The best part? I jumped out of bed to pour and pray over His Word for hours in my quiet house. My friends, it is the delight of my life. It is the only thing I crave in my life now. The Bread of Life truly satisfies the longing in my soul. He has filled me with such joy, it sometimes leaves me speechless.
Incredibly, much like the theme of Psalm 30, in my weeping and distress I cried out to the Lord. And just like David, the Lord began a work of healing in me, leading me right back to crying tears of joy. Like David, I’m compelled to share this story of healing with the world. How wonderful and comforting to know our God will meet us in our distress and rescue us.
Truly, His joy comes in the morning by spending time in His Word. And this deep, abiding joy will carry you through each and every day, friends. Even the hardest of hard days. Picture yourself dancing as David danced in this delight.
Psalm 30:11 (ESV) You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness.
Are you dancing like David danced?
Think about this important time in the Word, friends. Will you set aside time each and every day with your bible and beans? If you can’t do first thing in the morning, carve out a protected time and let me know when you’ll delight in this daily encounter. It transformed my life, I trust it will impact you, too.
Leave a comment below and don’t forget to subscribe to The Joy Seeker Tribe. God bless you all.
Choose Joy,
Christine xoxo
I can relate to not being a morning person so I would have reacted the same way to the suggestion from the Beth Moore Bible study. Because I have been obese since I was 20 (I am now 54) I wonder if my dislike to mornings is really a part of ME or because of my weight. Mornings mean waking up still tired (even with the use of a Cpap), pain in my joints, and the fatigue of getting up and ready for the day. God has opened up the door for weigh loss surgery for me. June 5th 2020 is the day of the surgery…woohoo! I am excited to discover who God created me to be as a healthy person. When my journey is over I will have a story to tell as well. Bless you!
Hello Teresa,
Thank you for reading and commenting – from the bottom of my heart. I am so excited to watch you walk your journey. Remember to lean into Jesus in the hard times. He is for you! Go read Psalm 31, too.
Blessings and Joy!
Christine
You have inspired me to get in the word daily! I wasn’t disciplined at first, but over time I kept improving and have finally made it a daily habit to do the First 5 devotion. Maybe not at 5am but it is a part of my daily routine. ❤️
Hello Candy,
I’m jumping up and down reading your comment! You know I am – picture it. LOL.
I am so happy for you. Discovering this delight every day. Never let go.
Love you sister!
Christine
I’ve honestly never commented on a blog before; however, yours has really touched me. I find myself relating to you on so many levels – I love mountains! (I live in Wisconsin, so like you, I need to travel to them.) But I can’t experience them like I really want to, because I’m obese. Being obese holds me back from enjoying so many things in this beautiful life that God gave me! I’m starting to focus on him for help in my weight loss journey instead of trying to power through this on my own. Your story and blog created an incredible spark of joy and hope that I can do this – with HIS help.
Thank you!
Oh Becky!
You just put so many tears in my eyes. Girllll, I know how you feel and He has HOPE plenty for you, too. Ahhhh, my first chapter in my book is all about mountains. I’m so excited to share this story with you. Dig in to those bible stories and scriptures about overcoming obstacles. And never forget to LOOK UP to where your help comes from. Please keep in touch and thank you for commenting for the first time on a blog here 😉 This confirms – God gave me these words for you.
Blessings & Joy!
Christine
YESSS!!! Oh, girl, SO much yes! Jesus in the morning–PURPOSED time with Jesus in the morning is the absolute best jumpstart to the day! Even if it’s listening to a British voice over artist read to me from my Bible app while I struggle to open my eyes! Any day begun with Jesus is a day worth living! Thank you for this timely reminder! (Also, I love the “Bible and Beans” phrase!)
Hi Christin,
I am deeply honored by your comments, my new writing friend. I’m sure, like me, you can never imagine starting your day any other way. Grab some coffee to wake up those sleepy eyes…LOL!
I’m thrilled God put that Bible & Beans in my heart and mind.
Thank you for reading.
Blessings & Joy,
Christine
So beautifully written Christine! Your story resonates with me and it’s just a small snippet of your incredible testimony. I can’t wait to read more! God put you in my life, as new friends, for a reason. I’m so excited to learn more about you, your journey, and enjoy how well you write!
Good morning, Amy!
You have just blessed my morning. I am so grateful for the journey has us on together and new friends and sisters on this journey to share His good news.
Let’s do this BOOT CAMP style! #shewritesforHim. Chat soon!
Blessings & Joy,
Christine
It just makes sense – if His mercies are new every morning, shouldn’t we be eager to jump up and dive in The Word? I need to do so much better at this, thanks for the encouragement! I appreciate your boldness in putting your testimony out there!
Lamentations 3:22-23: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Hello my dear friend,
First of all, let me say “thank you” for not pummeling me with a pillow on my grouchy mornings. You should’ve said something like, “Get thyself into the Word.” Haha, I can totally hear you saying that.
And YES – so much sense, why do we miss it? I’m glad it encouraged you. Love the reminder in that verse as well – new every morning!
Love you much,
Christine
Hi Christine
I’ve been one of your FBF’s for a while now and have just become a Tribe Member! Loved your first entry here. I am curious, however: do you follow a Bible study guide or do you just pick it up and start reading? Do you keep a bible study journal or is that what your Blogs are for? Do you have any tips for how I can get started reading the Bible on my own? Or should I just pick it up and start?
I have been struggling in many areas of my life lately, being obese is just one of the many challenges I face right now. But it is the one obstacle I feel I can do something about immediately. Well, that and starting to read my Bible daily!
In Nov 2016 I started eating LCHF/Keto and had lost 68 pounds by Dec 2017 . Then the bottom fell out of my world when my very fit & active 51 yr old husband passed away very unexpectedly 3 days before Christmas from complications due to Addison’s Disease. Our children were 11, 14, 15 and 18 at the time. For those first 2 weeks I couldn’t eat or sleep but when I did start eating again I gained all but 10 pounds of my weight back and now not even LCHF/Keto seems to be working. But I’m not giving up – I have to get healthy for my children. Your messages always give me hope, some useful information and something to genuinely look forward to…so thanks for putting your joy and light out there for people like me. Looking forward to your reply
Hello Nancy,
I do believe I recall hearing from you over on my Joyful Keto Life website. It’s nice to hear from you again, but I’m sorry to hear you are struggling so much. BUT your heart and perseverance shine through for all God is calling you to do.
I do choose a study which I love that studies full books of the Bible. The study is from Proverbs 31 Ministries and the app (for you phone) is called First5. I love the structure and the routine and studying the entire book! You can just use the phone app, but they also have companion workbooks that you can order online before the studies start (or you can go back and do any old study you like – they are all available on the website). I love them all! The idea behind the name of the app (First5) is that we should be spending the first moments of our day with Him – so I strongly encourage that (as I wrote about here)!
Thank you so much for your kind words. It’s always nice to hear the words that God flows through me encourages someone every day.
I’m going to send this reply to your email, too, with links included for the study. I hope you don’t mind.
Blessings and JOY!
Christine