Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

Where is my focus?  If it is on anyoe or anything else other than Jesus, I will get tripped up, distracted, even deceived.   So how do we keep our focus on Christ?  Mostly through prayer.  Talk to HIm and with Him throughout the day.  Trust Him to lead and guide us.  our work, and be sure to obey Him. He will perform His miracles, healings, and casting out of demons through us as we stay focused on Him, stay connected to Him.   As we give up control and allow  Him to take over our heart - mind, will, and emotions - He lives His life through us.  This is to be our core and how God does His work in this world - through our yielded selves! When we focus on the work, or on goals, instead, they can take over our hearts in place of Christ as gods to us. This always leads to stress and turmoil within because nothing else is meant to usurp Christ on the throne of our hearts. This takes surrender and trust.  We won't surrender to anyone...

My passion is spiritual growth.  I want to grow not only in the knowledge of the Lord, but in His grace and character.  This is a holy work done by His Holy Spirit in me and through me. Please note the word work  here - for it is work!  It is hard.  Why?  Because it goes against the grain of our culture, for the most part.  We stand out, or at least should, when we truly follow Jesus and His ways. We cling to our hope in Christ.  The world clings to the stock market or whatever else gives them a sense of "security."   We look for a better world to come.  The world fights like crazy to preserve this world, their earthly lives.  Note:  of course we are to be caretakers and take the best care possible of the Lord's world here and now.  But Christians know that this is not the final world. We discern good from evil and are not afraid to say so.  The world has come to call evil good and good evil (never thought I'd li...