Pure Joy

Joel mentioned in the previous post that we were in Kampala last week for Dara's birthday and a ladies' retreat. "Pure Joy" is what I experienced while I was there. "Pure Joy" is also the name of the organization that hosted the conference. There were 10 ladies from Arkansas and Texas who came to shower wisdom, love, and encouragement on the 50 missionary women who came from across Uganda (plus 2 from Kenya).

Sometimes you attend a conference that is a lot of fluff and feel good material. This is fine but I'd compare it to just eating dessert - a lovely experience but leaves you still a bit hungry for real, hearty food. From the testimonies shared, and definitely from my personal experience, we were fed a fantastic meal. I left feeling challenged, convicted, and encouraged. I didn't really even know how spiritually hungry I was until I started "eating".

Since I can't sit with you and share all that I learned, I thought I'd post some quotes that touched me...in no particular order...

"Faith is not a feeling - it is a fact."
"The past is covered, He holds the future, and He dwells in the present."
"Complaining is a natural response to stress but shows evidence of an increase in stress and a decrease of faith."
"Our feelings are not truth - only God's word is truth."
"While in the desert God teaches us that we can rely on Him."
"God is sovereign. There are many promises in God's word, but He doesn't ever promise to explain Himself."
"God has no problems, only plans. There is never panic in heaven." Corrie Ten Boom
"I am here by God's appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time." Andrew Murray
"Sometimes we want our husband to love us - no matter what, but sometimes we want them to earn our respect."
"Respect is active."
"We trust God with our eternity. Why is it so hard to trust God with daily life?"

I could go on and on. As I look through my notes these are the ones that rise to the top. I'd be happy to dialogue back and forth with anyone who has thoughts on a particular quote. I hope they encourage, convict, and/or challenge you as well.

You can check out Pure Joy at their website www.purejoyinternational.org They are praying about expanding so they can go to more than 3 countries each year. If you're interested in helping them in any way, I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. This is an organization with whom I'd love to partner one day. They blessed my life in a special way, and I am confident that God will delight in using them to bless many, many more.