Joyous Noel by Jenna Vick Silliman

When I was just a little girl about five years old, I loved the Christmas carols “Oh Come all Ye Faithful”, “The First Noel” and “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” I sang them over and over again and they became a part of me, imprinted on my memory. Now at Christmas time, it is still one of my favorite things to do to sing Christmas carols. Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas without singing those old time Christmas stories put to music.

During our “Prayer Watch” on Friday night the seven of us women were wondering what Noel really meant and so we looked it up. It is a word for the Christmas season of joy and runs from December 24 to January 6^th. So we decided to keep on celebrating this year and hold onto the joys of Christmas time and to me that means to keep singing! The Wise Men arrived after Jesus was born, so “We Three Kings” is a perfect song to sing for a joyous Noel.

Every year I like to think of something homemade to give for special gifts for friends and family. This year I made up booklets of Christmas carols with my top ten favorites. How handy to give them out just in time to do some singing! Usually people oblige me a few songs. Personally, I’d like to sing for a couple of hours! Hahaha!

This fall I took a watercolor painting class and I learned a technique with salt to make “salt stars.” The teacher gave me the class and supplies in exchange for working for her for about ten hours helping her sell her paintings and notecards at Scandinavian festivals. She provided paint brushes, a paint palette full of the basic colors of watercolor paint arranged in a color wheel, and she gave me odds and ends of watercolor paper of various quality and the last few pages in several tablets. Each color reacts with the salt a little differently, but I really like the way the midnight blue was soaked up by the grains of salt to make amazing “salt stars.”

Reading my Bible one morning I decided to read about the star the wise men followed. This one verse popped out to me. “When the wise men saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy.” (See Matthew 2:10 Amplified.) I decided to paint beautiful blue skies full of salt stars, but to mask off a bit of sky using masking tape cut into the shape of the special star the wise men followed. I think that was the hardest part—cutting out those stars on the sticky tape! At the bottom of each painting I wrote out the verse. What a great gift and Christmas card in one!

I started out with small three by five inch paintings, and as I gained in confidence I cut a bigger piece of watercolor paper to do four by six inch paintings. Then I got brave and did a few five by sevens. The technique is done with sprinkling salt. You paint the area with water, then add a few strokes of paint and wait until it is almost dry and quickly sprinkle on the salt very lightly—almost a grain at a time. There is this magical chemical reaction before your very eyes as the salt absorbs the pigment/color of the paint and makes a crystalline pattern—like snow or a starry night! You wait until the watercolor paper is completely dry, then wipe off the salt. It is amazing how each one comes out differently.

SO fun! I used every bit of watercolor paper I had, and almost all my midnight blue paint, because I didn’t want to stop. I got so absorbed in my project I stayed up until two in the morning painting!

The theme for Kingdom Bloggers this week is a favorite Christmas memory—my painting is one of them. Hahaha! I guess it shows I love my life, I’m enjoying the present, and living in the “now”. Have A JOYOUS NOEL everyone!!!

Abundant Life by Jenna Vick Silliman

Jenna Vick Silliman, 2012

Do you want to focus your life on what is really important to you? Write your own obituary!

Jenna Vick Silliman lived the abundant life of Jesus Christ!

Jenna danced for the last time as she twirled off the planet! Jennifer Elizabeth Vick Silliman (Jenna) was born on February 18, 1958 and died at age 107 on March 1, 2065. Born in San Francisco, California she was the daughter of James Allan Vick and Jacqueline Frances Pearson. She was married to Clifford Arthur Silliman (Cliff) who preceded her in death. Together they had eight children, Daniel James (Married Elizabeth Jarvis), Valerie Joy, David Arthur (Married Charisa Nelson), Michael Aaron, Joshua Andrew, Stephen Matthew, Luke Thomas, and Peter Stanford and ___ grandchildren… and ___great-granchildren…[It will be glorious to have a LONG list of all the grandbabies here!]

Jenna was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, married Cliff at age 22, and homemaking was her chosen career. She resided in Sequim, Washington for 65 years, but delighted in traveling, dancing and flagging in worship, speaking, and encouraging disciples for Jesus all over the world.

Jenna was a prayer warrior and made a lifestyle of living in unbroken fellowship with God. Her favorite verse in the Bible was Psalm 16:11/Acts 2:28 “In the Lord's presence is the fullness of joy!”

She was a writer and author of many published books, the most well-known is “Shall We Dance?” about dancing in the Holy Spirit.

She was known for loving King Jesus with all her heart, for her inspirational speaking, her colorful clothing and twirly skirts, and enthusiasm for the abundant life of the Lord. She will be missed by many.

Her life was not a journey to the grave…rather she danced till she dropped, body thoroughly used up and worn out so that she arrived at those gorgeous pearly gates screaming, “Whoohooo! What a ride!”

Kingdom of Joy

The Bible says, “The kingdom of God is JOY in the Holy Spirit.” (See Romans 14:17.) Therefore, when God’s people gather together there should be an abundance of exceeding joy! Joy is motivating. We know it motivated the Lord because Jesus endured the cross with joy set before Him. (See Hebrews 12:2.)

A person who has made a major impact on my life in the past few years is Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church, Redding, California. Here’s something he wrote on the subject of joy that spoke to my heart.

Kris Vallotton says:

It’s time to become childlike (not childish) so we can enter the kingdom. Children laugh 300-400 times a day. The average adult laughs 15 times a day. Solomon wrote; A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22). 

The Message Bible says; Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

If laughter is good medicine, then I want to be a pharmacist! 

Some of people's seriousness exhausts me just reading their post; I can't imagine that they aren't bone tired. I grieve for the people who live and work with them. 

Kris continues:  I wrote an entire chapter in my book Spirit Wars on laughter. It's a scientific fact that laughter can make your body well. Maybe that's what was happening in Toronto during the outpouring. Maybe the Lord was trying to get His body well. Of course the church was full of serious people (who wear out the world around them) wondering why this waste.

Jesus was anointed with joy above His companions (Hebrews 1:9). He was happier than the people He hung out with. Go and BE likewise!

One of the reasons I like dancing so much is because it is SO joyful. My favorite Bible verse is about joy. (See Psalm 16:11 and Acts 2:28.) “In Your presence O God is the fullness of joy and in Your right hand there are pleasures evermore.”

I love to laugh and I love to make people laugh. Part of my mission in life is to spread joy around. When I have even made a person smile, I consider myself successful. Every Wednesday during the school year, my friend Charli and I visit the elderly in several nursing homes of Sequim. (We’ve gotten kicked out of two nursing homes for Alzheimer’s folks for being two rowdy because they want to keep them very calm and quiet and we got them all riled up.)

Charli, Mady & Jenna, Mardi Gras at nursing home. 3-3-11

We have begun our fourth year with our nursing home ministry. We have a theme each week and dress up in costumes. For example, we might dress up in 20’s style as “Flappers”, 50’s style with “poodle skirts”, 60’s style with hippie costumes, Hawaiian, Mexican, or Western wear, and for each holiday we have costumes. We have collected all kinds of crazy costumes and accessories from Good Will, thrift stores, and garage sales. People give us stuff all the time too. If you want to see some of our outlandish and hilarious get-ups, take a look at my Facebook under my name, “Jenna Vick Silliman.” Let me know you heard about me on Kingdom Bloggers and request we become “Facebook friends.” Yesterday, for a couple bucks I found an ornate and bejeweled crown fitting for a royal costume. I already have a cloak to match it too. Hahaha! When I go in the fitting room and try something on and look in the mirror, if it makes me crack up laughing, I know it is a “find.” 

Frank&Charli Anderson & Jenna 4-25-12

Ladybug and Bumblebee, 10-3-12

Hippies at nursing home. 4-18-12

Charli & I dressed as girls. 3-28-12

St. Patty's Day, 3-14-12

The Bible says to delight ourselves in the Lord. It does NOT say “Get all serious and somber in the Lord.” If a church gathering is super serious and people are down in the mouth and not ever laughing and enjoying themselves—I would play hooky and go read the funny paper or go dancing or go tell knock knock jokes at your nearest nursing home. Like Kris Vallotton says, “Jesus was anointed with joy above his companions.” May we follow his advice AND the example of our Lord and live our lives FULL OF JOY AND LAUGHTER!

Costly Joy

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ..

Hebrews 12:1-3

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways 

.James, 1:2-8

When I first read this verse, about the Joy Jesus had, I didn’t understand it. I was amazed. At His time of great need and vulnerability, He experienced Joy?

Along with another verse in Scripture, we are commanded to count all Joy, in our trials because they release attributes that work for our good.

 Yikes…these are not easy ones to understand.

It all seems upside down, doesn’t it? The world could never understand this explanation of Joy. I admit I didn’t either. Sometimes I still struggle.

This kind of joy is impossible to attain by self effort.  The ability, to partake in it, has to come from God. Himself.

Jesus knew what the cross would cost Him, yet He proceeded towards it. Why? …because your face and my face, were ever before Him. His Love and sacrifice for us, would give us eternal Life. To practice this kind of Love, it requires a posture of humility and a surrendered heart.

In addition, counting it ALL joy when we face trial and tribulations is for our greater good. The Lord knows we need to be strong and patient. We must gain experience in perseverance in this world. He doesn’t allow trials to punish us. Nor is He napping and not noticing. No…what seems like the worst things that could happen to us, can become a thing that the Lord will use to grow us up in Him.

 I can imagine a class, with the students giving their teacher their full attention. Their clean notebook papers are on their desk and their pens are poised. She asks, “What is Joy?” The answers vary. Some say things like gifts bring joy. A new car or unexpected money is a joyful experience. Some talk about getting married and having children.

She wants to show them a different facet of joy. She then tells them about Jesus’ attitude going to the cross. She tells them, as well, that we are to count it Joy, when we find ourselves in the middle of trials.

I see them scratching their heads. They look at each other and say “ Huh?”…Some even say it sounds pretty crazy to them. It just seems plain old wrong.

 One student says, “This makes about as much sense as feeling Joy, when you step into a pile of cow poop!”
Then she has them take out their Bibles. Just as the Bereans, they check this out for themselves.  Sure enough there it is. The Joy, Jesus experienced, before the cross, as well as Joy when we go through trials are good things.

Well, that burst a few bubbles.

Joy can be exhilarating and effervescent.

But what they learned that day is that Joy is sometimes costly.

Linda Maynard

Secrets of a Joyful Life

One of the turning points of my life is when I learned to be joyful. Yes, joy is a byproduct of our spiritual life, and the mark of a true follower of Jesus, but we can foster it and we have choices to make. In my Bible reading I realized how many instructions there were about being joyful—it isn’t just automatic for a believer. There are many, many verses about how we are to delight in God, praise Him, thank Him, and rejoice always.

For the Lord takes pleasure in His people…Let the people be joyful…Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth.                            (See Psalm 149:4-6.)

Let my mouth be filled with Your praise all the day.                                                  (See Psalm 7:8.)

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! (See Psalm 66:1)

Another revelation to me is that complaining is a sin. I have had to work to break bad habits of complaining and criticizing. In The Scripture commands us (See Phil. 2:14.) to do all things without complaining. Whew! That is a hard one. One day I came across a verse, Numbers 11:20, in which God calls complaining despising the Lord. Yikes!

Have you ever tried to go a day without complaining? Or a week? Try it..it is not so easy! 

I took a 17 hour road trip from Washington to California with four teenagers. We had a contest where I gave a ticket to anyone who complained and whoever had the most tickets lost. It was my idea because I thought the time together would be so much more enjoyable if we were not complaining. Guess who lost? Me! I bought the four of them ice-cream to reward them. We still laugh over that one. Hahaha!

Complaining leads to self-pity. Self-pity is just that—a pit. It is just about opposite of joy. As a young Christian in youth group we were assigned prayer partners for one school year. Mine taught me a valuable lesson—turn each complaint into a prayer. This is what we see David did in the Psalms. “I cried unto the Lord…”  What happens when we turn complaints into prayers is a very interesting thing. We have to wait. Yes, we then wait on God for answers, so we have to trust Him with our lives and all the things we are unhappy with. When He answers, which He is always faithful to do, the result is…JOY!

In the classic book “The Christians Secret of a Happy Life” the author, Hannah Whitall Smith, repeatedly discusses the choice of happiness. She writes, “It is altogether the way we look at things, whether we think they are crosses or not. I am ashamed to think that any Christian should ever put on a long face…”

Our family home schooled for about fifteen years. We have one daughter, who we named Valerie Joy. (Yes, she is a joy in our lives!) When she was 11 years old she started a magazine for girls and called it “Joyful Heart”. She and I worked on this together and gained subscribers and each month mailed out a few hundred copies. It was a lot of fun researching, writing articles, getting articles and interviews from the subscribers, finding clip art to go with the writings, proofreading, and putting it all together. We xeroxed it at the copy shop with a pink paper cover. Those are happy memories of days long ago now. Joyful Heart Magazine was published for three years from 1999 to 2001. In the end we changed to a quarterly because it was so much work. Here’s a photograph of the 24 issues we published.

In every issue of "Joyful Heart" we included Bible verses, quotes from books, and stories from girls about being joyful. To write on joy today brings back memories of those “Joyful Heart” days. One of the quotes I like, that we published in one of the magazines, is from the life story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of “The Little House on the Prairie” books. “If we expect to enjoy our life, we will have to learn to be joyful in all of it…the habit of mind…”

I have found the habit of gratitude and giving God thanks and praise leads to joy. Psalm 100:4 says we enter His gates, (His presence) when we have thanksgiving in our hearts.) In the Message Bible this verse says “THANK YOU is the password to His presence.” My very favorite verse in the Bible (it is actually in two places, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament) is about JOY.

“You show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy.”                         (See Psalm 16:11 and Acts 2:28.)

THE JOY OF DANCE by Jenna Vick Silliman

I wouldn’t trade my dancing with anyone—or sell it. The theme for this week’s writings on Kingdom Bloggers is: “What is something money can’t buy?” Since I have you as my captive audience, I am going to write about my dancing. When I lost 75 pounds back in 2003, I became restless to become more active and that is when I found out I am a dancer. Lately I’ve been dancing about ten to twelve times a week. Here’s a slice of my dancing life.

Sunday mornings at our home church gathering we dance for worshiping God. I arrive early to intercede in prayer and sometimes I use my flags before it gets crowded. We have awesome music playing and we freely move around or sit and soak—whatever suits us at the moment. What a wonderful way to start a week!

I fill my car with five or six teenagers on Sunday nights and drive about a half an hour West to Port Angeles to the Sons of Norway Lodge. At 6:30 is a half hour lesson in Scandinavian Folk Dance and then from 7 to 9 is dancing. Most of the dances we’ve learned are what are called “Mixers” which is couples in circles and you change partners all the way through the song so by the end of the evening you’ve danced with everyone there.

I love Scandinavian Folk Dance because there is lots of spinning. When I twirl I like to raise my hands to heaven and worship God. (In fact, whenever I dance it is an act of worship and giving God thanks and praise.) Spinning releases endorphins, similar to a “runner’s high”. Try it some time! Last Saturday I attended “Folk Life” an annual Folk Dance Festival in Seattle at the Seattle Center by the Space Needle. I danced for about ten hours and with all the spinning I felt high on the ferry on the way home. (We live across the Puget Sound from Seattle, so we take a ferry for a half hour boat ride—which I love!) There were six or seven of us dancers talking and laughing and sharing about our day of dancing and I kept slurring my words I was so high!

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I take Zumba at our Recreation Center here in Sequim, Washington. Zumba is dancing routines that incorporate vigorous exercise moves, all set to music of a wide variety. It started out as Latin Dance, but now it is more International. It is fun! I’ve made lots of friends in my Zumba class over the last three years. A bunch of us, some married—some single, go dancing at the casino on Friday or Saturday nights when there is Classic Rock. We just get in a circle and dance and have a blast. We don’t care if we don’t have partners to dance with—we are free to dance to our heart’s content. Of course, I get in as much spinning as I can, when it is not too crowded.

On Monday nights I go to Poulsbo’s Sons of Norway for Scandinavian Folk Dance. They are advanced dancers there and I have learned a lot from them. Most of the teachers are older—in their 60’s and 70’s or some even in their 80’s. It is amazing what good shape they are in. They talk about skiing for a week in Colorado, travels to dance all over the world, and dancing for three to four hours in an evening with no problem.

Tuesday mornings I take tap dance at the Elk’s Club. I feel like Shirley Temple with her shining curls and dimples. I dreamed about being her when I watched her on television as a kid. I can’t have her ringlets or dimples—but I can tap dance like her! Hahaha! Tuesday afternoons I have been teaching children at the Sons of Norway. I volunteered for the job at Christmas time when I saw the need. I love teaching dance! We had a performance a week ago Saturday and it went beautifully. A dozen children and four dances–all in costume. What fun!

Wednesday morning I have Zumba and then my friend Charli and I dress in colorful clothes and go into the nursing homes and visit the elderly. We do sing-a-longs and also dance around, and, of course, spin. I have a collection of colorful, twirly skirts to wear for dancing. The old folks in the nursing homes always enjoy watching us dance around and we talk and laugh with them and give them hugs whenever we can.

Thursday night is home group at our house church, Deep River. We have a potluck dinner, a “dance party”, lots of awesome music, and pray for whatever needs people have, every week.

Friday is Zumba again and, like I said before, on Friday night or Saturday night we will dance at the casino in our town, if there is a good band playing classic rock. It is about once or twice a month we go dancing there.

May has had a lot of dancing on Saturday nights. The first Saturday was Contra Dancing, which is like square dancing in lines. The second Saturday was a Swing Dance and though I don’t know how to dance that way very well, I faked it okay. Hahaha! (I just found out there are Swing Dance classes at the Senior Center, so I will try that this summer.) The next Saturday was an elegant evening of waltz for a fundraiser for the Port Angeles High School Orchestra. Saturday, the 19^th of May, in the afternoon, my children’s dance class performed for about 75 people at the Sons of Norway. Then last Saturday was Folk Life in Seattle with ten hours of Folk dancing. Whew! What a dancey month!

          The joy of dance in my life is a treasure beyond price.

Forever a Child by Jenna Vick Silliman

If heaven was giving out awards, I think I would be in the running for winning the award for “Biggest Kid”. After all, I’m five feet eight inches tall—that is a pretty big kid! Some of my best friends are children. I don’t have very many peers that like to goof off as much as I do—they are probably embarrassed to be seen with me! I like to load up my car with kids and go to the beach, go swim at the pool, go folk dancing, or go to the park. I turn the radio up nice and loud and sing at the top of my vocal capacity. I don’t wanna get a speeding ticket, but I really like to drive fast. What I do is “hug the turns” whenever possible and as fast as possible. It is so fun to make the kids squeal! As a result of hanging out with kids a lot, I get invited to their birthday parties. My favorite one so far was Angelina’s princess party. I am pictured here, dressed as a princess, surrounded by my little friends. I told you I was the biggest kid!

One way I am childlike is that I like to have fun. If you ask me what one of my goals is, I will probably say, “To have fun!” To be funloving is a character quality I admire and hope to develop more and more. I like to goof off with kids because they really know how to have fun. When they go to the beach or the park, kids don’t think about their list of things to do or how much money they have in the bank or about their next appointment—they just have fun. My youngest child, Peter, and his friend, Michel and I went shopping one day and I was having a good time with them skipping in the parking lot, telling jokes, and looking at stuff to buy. Michel paid me a high compliment that day. He said, “You know Jenna, you are more like a kid than a mom!” I said, “THANK YOU VERY MUCH!”

I like to make people laugh. Laughing is SO fun and it is contagious too. One of my favorite scenes from a Disney movie is the one in Mary Poppins where they all start singing “I love to laugh—hahaha!” and they all float up to the ceiling. Wouldn’t that be fun?! Children laugh on an average of 400 times per day! Adults laugh like about 15 times a day. Whew--what a difference! I think I’d rather be a kid, wouldn’t you? If you listen carefully, children call adults “dolts”. So that’s what I’ve started calling them too. Hahaha! I’d rather be a kid than a dolt!

Another way I’m like a kid, is I love to sing silly songs. It is common for me to break out in song and the silly ones are my favorites. (With a last name of Silliman, I can’t be too serious, now can I?) For some examples, you might know this song: “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly…I don’t know why she swallowed a fly; I guess she’ll die!” Do you know this one? “I had a little sister; her name was sister Sue, we put her in the bathtub to see what she would do. She drank up all the water, she ate a bar of soap, she tried to eat the bathtub, but it wouldn’t fit down her throat!” Here’s another favorite: “If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh what a rain it would be! I’d stand outside with my mouth open wide, singin’ ah ah, ah ah ah, ah ah!”

Don’t you love the way children are full of wonder and amazement at the world? They chase butterflies, blow dandelion seeds and watch them float on the air, and they love to run and jump and dance around. I love to go swimming with kids and play games in the water. That’s a blast. I like the way kids will get enthusiastic about things too. Why do we have to be so dang reserved all the time? To be childlike is to be more trusting and loving and spontaneous and honest. I teach a children’s dance class and my students never cease to amaze me at how loving they are. They run over and hug me and tell me they love me. They skip and frolic around with carefree abandon. I want to be more like that. Yesterday one little girl told me, “I like your colorful blouse, but I don’t think it matches your twirly skirt very well.” Hahaha! That made me laugh! Kids are so honest. They tell you when they like something and when they don’t.

When I was a girl I was often scolded for daydreaming. My hands would slow down at the task at hand—such as washing dishes, folding laundry, or doing a math assignment. Instead I would stare off into the distance, lost in my dream world. I wrote creative stories about make believe lands and enjoyed reading and daydreaming about what it would be like to be one of the characters in the book. Even now, at age 54, I like to dream. You’d think I would have grown out of it by now, wouldn’t you? No, I like to dream about all the possibilities in life, such as where I’d like to travel and what I’d like to do. The Bible says, “Nothing is impossible with God.” We have an unlimited God and so we need not limit ourselves or our lives either.

As long as I am faithful and responsible and dependable and all those grown-up things, I don’t see anything wrong with being like a kid. In fact, the Lord Jesus said, “Be as a little child to enter My kingdom.” Now I have a new dream. I can picture the Lord saying, “Here’s your award, Princess Jenna.” Jesus walks towards me in a trailing purple robe and in His hands is a golden crown all sparkling with diamonds and jewels of different colors and He places it upon my head and says, “Good job on being childlike! Well done—you have entered into My joy everlasting!”

The Power of the Glad Game by Jenna Vick Silliman

After lunch, if the weather was nice, I took my nursing baby Michael in arms, and our book of choice, and we sat out on the back lawn on a blanket. Daniel, age 9, Valerie, age 7, and David, age 5, listened with rapt attention. This was our favorite part of homeschooling—reading aloud great stories.

Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter, one of those children’s classics, was our book of choice. I’ve read it several times now, but I first read it in 1991. (Later I saw the movie and it was lame—nothing like the story!) Pollyanna, orphaned and taken in by her spinster aunt, changed the world around her, simply by her lifestyle of a positive outlook. Pollyanna played The Glad Game.

The Glad Game is played by replacing any negative thought with a positive one. If it is raining, you choose to be glad your flowers are getting watered. If you twist your ankle, you say, “I’m glad I didn’t break my leg.” If some food is served that you don’t particularly care for, you simply think about how glad you are that it isn’t a mud pie or a bowl full of worms or something you would never want to eat.

Pollyanna always had something to be glad about. When she was a small girl, her preacher daddy showed her all the things collected in the missionary barrel. He told her she could always be glad she didn’t need the crutches. She grieved the loss of her father, but honored his memory by practicing what he preached. He taught her to live by the Bible and how there are over a thousand Scriptures on being glad, joyful, happy, rejoicing, giving thanks, and being grateful to a good God.

That little story permeated my being. I soaked it up like sweet maple syrup on a pancake. I used to be critical, perfectionistic, negative, melancholy, often downcast or depressed, and struggled with self-pity. Reading that simple story was a turning point. As I began to practice the powerful glad game, I began to experience joy, gratitude, and thankfulness for every little thing. At first it felt kind of silly or child-like to constantly think about what I could be glad about. However, isn’t that what Jesus taught us? He said we are to enter His kingdom as little children. Children delight in little things, like dandelions going to seed, a rainbow, or finding a penny.

I am a different person today. Now I am full of gratitude and hope and joy. I am one of the most optimistic people you will ever meet. My attitude is far from perfect, but I don’t sweat the small stuff any more. I like to see my life through rose-colored glasses. I know the glass is half full, not half empty. The enemy tries to get us to focus on the half empty part of the glass. He wants to distract us with negativity, critical thoughts, lack, and complaints. We enter God's gates, His very presence, when we have thanksgiving in our hearts. (Psalm 100) The Lord inhabits the praises of His people! You wanna be close to God? Play "The Glad Game" and see what a difference it makes.

Now my favorite thing to do is worship the Lord for all His good gifts. I LOVE LIFE! Rejoicing always and celebrating the abundant life of Jesus is what LIFE is all about. Jesus said that is why He came to earth! (See John 10:10) Man oh man there are SO many things to be GLAD about!

How I Met Jesus by Jenna Vick Silliman

On a day in early springtime, I rode on a big yellow bus with a bunch of other kids up to the Santa Cruz Mountains of California to a Young Life retreat weekend at Mount Hermon Conference Center. The cherry trees were covered with showy blossoms. During the day we played games and did a lot of singing. One of the leaders asked me, “Are you a Christian?”

I gave her a puzzled reply, “Of course! Isn’t everybody? Isn’t this a Christian nation?”

The speaker that night told of God’s great love for me. He quoted Bible verses about how God loved me so much that He came to earth in the form of a sinless man and died for me to pay for my sins. Jesus died for ME!? This was news—He did it for me, personally. Wow! I also never knew that Jesus was God—I thought He was just a cool guy and a good example to follow. Jesus is God! Amazing! With new thoughts going around in my head, the speaker gave us a fifteen-minute quiet time. We were to walk out in complete silence and go somewhere alone to talk to Jesus/God.

I sat under one of those blooming cherry trees, looked up at the stars, and cried my heart out. In the midst of much confusion, because I thought I was already a Christian just by attending the Catholic Church and being a U.S. citizen, I talked to the Lord Jesus for the first time. I thanked Him for His death for my sins. I thanked Him for His love. I remember feeling a deep sense of relief and I felt settled in my heart about my faith when I got done praying.

When I walked back to my cabin, my Young Life leader smiled at me. My eyes were red from crying, but I smiled right back at her and looked into her sparkling eyes. I could tell she knew. She asked me again, “Are you a Christian now?”

I said, “Yes! I am now!” She took both my hands and jumped up and down and spun me around and laughed. Then she opened her Bible and shared a Scripture verse that has become one of my favorites.


2 Corinthians 5:17,18 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.


She had a little butterfly drawn in the margin of her Bible by this verse. She explained that a good analogy of becoming a Christian, is a butterfly coming out of a cocoon—a new creation. It is coming alive, spiritually, on the inside. In the Bible, Jesus calls it being “born again.” In fact, Jesus said, “You must be born again.” John 3:7

The next day I bought myself a Bible in the camp bookstore. I wrote my name inside the cover and copied out “my” verse and drew a butterfly beside it. Then I wrote down the date I became a new creation and started a new life in Christ—March 25, 1974.

I committed to reading two pages of the Bible, God’s Words to me, each day. On March 25 this year, 2012, I celebrate 38 years of life with Jesus, and He has been much more than my redeemer. He is my creator, my friend, my counselor, my provider, my strength, my teacher, my father, and He has even been a mother to me. Because we as Christians are the Bride of Christ, I have also come to know Jesus as my Groom, the love of my life. Jesus said, “This is eternal life that you KNOW Me.” John 17:3 Isn’t it amazing that we can know the Lord of all creation a little bit better every day?

Thank You, Jesus, for Your love, Your life, and Your JOY. I’m so glad I met You 38 years ago. I love You, God! "You show me the path of life and in Your presence is fullness of JOY!"Psalm 16:11 and Acts 2:28.

JOY of the Victorious Christian by Jenna Vick Silliman

“We shout for JOY in triumph at our victory and in the name of our Lord God we raise our banners high. He will fulfill all our plans…From His holy heaven He will show the strength of His right hand on our behalf.” Psalm 20:5

Our Kingdom Bloggers question of the week is: What is your spiritual battle strategy?

My battle strategy is a victorious mindset and proclaiming triumph accompanied by celebrating with JOY and laughter, singing and dancing in the name of the Lord Jesus. We read in the Scriptures how the battle is already won; the victory belongs to our Lord Who triumphs over sin and death, over the schemes of the enemy, with the finished work of the cross.

We are living in a season of celebration on the other side of the cross. We are like the friends and family of the prodigal son. When the older brother approached his home he heard music and dancing. We are having a party! We are continually enjoying a Holy Ghost party! The angels rejoice all around us in the glory realm. We are rejoicing, rejoicing always, in the Father’s goodness. We are letting our minds dwell on whatever is worthy of praise—and there are SO many things to give Him thanks for!

Our words are powerful and we hereby declare VICTORY in the power endued from on high in the mighty name of Jesus, our Lord and our King. We have been crucified with Christ, raised with Christ, and now we are seated in the heavenlies—actually seated with Christ on His heavenly throne! That’s what the Scripture says. We have a whole new perspective when we awaken to our citizenship in the heavenly kingdom as royalty and heirs of King Jesus.

The enemy and all his workers have been defeated! Whoohooo!!! If the worm tries to pull any little thing, we know where to tell him to go. He hates it when we laugh; so when he tries to distract us with his garbage, or tells us lies, let's just laugh at him. Hahaha! We know what Jesus taught us to pray. Your Kingdom, Lord, has come to this earth and now only Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! We declare and decree it and we celebrate the victory that is already ours.

This season was prophesied by Jeremiah. In chapter 31 we read the Lords command to sing aloud on the heights of Zion and be radiant with JOY over the goodness of the Lord. The Lord says, Go forth in the dancing of those who make merry…the maidens, the young men and the elderly, all rejoice together in the dance for I have turned your mourning into JOY! I fill your mouths with laughter. I cause your lives to be “like a well-watered garden.” He says, I created My people to be a rejoicing people and My people will be satisfied with My goodness.

When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He gives us the desires of our hearts. We are like the tree in Psalm One. We are firmly planted in Him, we have roots that go down deep and drink from His refreshing waters, we have branches and leaves that are flourishing, and do not wither even in times of drought, and we are constantly bearing good fruit. We are blessed, happy, delighting in His every promise, meditating on His Word day and night.

The JOY of the Lord is our strength. When we gather we testify of all our victories and triumphs, our testimonies of walking day by day and hand in hand with our Lord, abiding in Him, one with Him, and co-reigning with Him. When we gather, even two or three of us, He is present in our midst. My very favorite verse in the Bible says: “In His Presence is fullness of joy.” (This verse is found in the Bible in two places—Psalm 16:11 and Acts 2:28.) One of the fruits of the Lord’s Holy Spirit is joy. The Lord promises He never leaves us or forsakes us. He constantly gives us reason to rejoice. When we gather let’s raise our flags (or banners) high in celebration!

Just as Jesus for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, we too can continually set JOY before us. The Lord says, “Well done faithful servant, enter into and share in the JOY of your Master.”

Dancing All Over the World! by Jenna Vick Silliman

What would I do if I had a FREE day, with no restrictions? This theme for Kingdom Bloggers for the week got my imagination all fired up. I like the word FREEDOM. To me, the more FREE the better. One of my favorite things is to rejoice and worship the Lord Jesus in dance. If I had no restrictions, I would have awesome, joyful, rejoicing music playing at all times and I would start my day dancing without gravity. I would boogie my way right up into the heavenlies. Whoohoo! What a gorgeous view from up there because of my unrestricted eyesight. I would see right into the supernatural realm too and enjoy the company of beautiful, multi-colored, dancing angels all around me. From my cloud-cushioned dance floor I would gaze lovingly down on my hometown of Sequim, Washington and pray and dance in intercession and take the town by storm for Jesus.

Next, because I am not restricted by space, I would jet over to Chicago to see my daughter at the University of Chicago and take her dancing with me in the heavenlies to give her a little study break. I would zip down to California next to visit my son, Michael at Simpson University to give him and his sweet girlfriend a spin in the heavenlies too.

Around mid-day I would visit Niagra Falls. Wild and free I would dance around and rejoice in the beauty of this gigantic waterfall that I’ve always wanted to see. If I had unrestricted knowledge, I would know of other waterfalls around the globe that I could also visit to take a quick peek.

Then I would be transported to Europe. I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. I could just hop around like Tinkerbell and see a bit of each country. I might dance around in a green meadow in Ireland, a vineyard in Italy, a cottage flower garden in England, and a street market in France. As someone with a heart for missions, I would be praying as I go and interceding for each place I visit. Whenever I get a chance I would share glad tidings of great joy in the abundant life of Jesus. Oh, I almost forgot—no restrictions! The,n I would have thousands upon thousands gathered in my European Tour , ready to hear my testimony of free joy in Jesus for all!

My oldest son, Daniel, and his wife, Beth are in Germany so I would have to go to Tuebingen, Germany to see them and also to Heidelberg University where Daniel is getting his PhD to become a college professor. He’s promised to take me on a tour of a couple of castles when I visit, so I’d take him up on his offer. It would be such a surprise to just show up and be so free as to be able to take them dancing in the heavenlies above Germany with me and introduce them to a few scores of really cool angels. I can just hear him and his wife saying over dinner with friends, “We had such a refreshing visit from my mother this afternoon. She is such a care-free woman. We enjoyed taking her to some typical tourist spots and then she took us dancing—it was heavenly.”

My joyful, high-spirited worship music is still playing—don’t forget! For the evening I would go surfing in Hawaii. Every once in a while I might dance around or spin a few times on the surf board. Oh my, what beautiful balance and grace I would have if I was completely free of all restrictions. When my day was over I would enjoy being back home to tell my family and friends all about my free day of dancing and rejoicing in the Lord and proclaiming Good News about the abundant life of the Kingdom of God all over the world!

Welcome, welcome Christmas Day...

Wonderful Christmas memories are numerous for me. Maybe it's being right in the middle of the spirit of the season that prevents me from remembering a negative experience. Sure, I've been in a few places I would rather not have been during the holiday, but as far as a bad memory...I can't find one on my hard drive I call a brain.

 

I remember Christmas Day fell on Sunday back in 2005. That had been a particularly hard year for me and my family, but there was a feeling of turning a new leaf as the year end approached.

 

Like most families, mine has a very regimented schedule to adhere to starting with Christmas Eve each year to ensure we spread the holiday cheer evenly among our blended families. I recall one Christmas flying home from Hawaii for a few weeks. Upon returning to the island, I learned of angry family upset that I didn't come see them while I was home. I fly 8 hours home, but they can't drive 15 minutes to visit me at my parents house? Right...Merry Christmas to you too.

 

Anyway, our plans where slightly modified in 2005 to include a morning worship service at church. My heart was telling me that attending church was the right thing to do despite the hectic visitation schedule we were facing, but my head was focused on everything but worship early that Christmas morning. Until I actually got to church...

 

There was surprisingly a large crowd attending the service. I sat with my family because I didn't have to play the drums during praise music. We sang traditional Christmas carols that told of the coming of the Savior. Without being facetious, the best way to describe my heart that morning is akin to what the Grinch went through in the famous Dr. Seuss story. It was as if my heart filled and expanded out of my chest that morning with joy. The experience was absolutely unforgettable and a tremendous blessing. I wasn't there to receiving a blessing...I was there to worship and praise God for being God...but He blessed me that Christmas morning and once again reminded me it should always be about Him.

 

I remember walking out that day and telling my wife that I wish we had a church service every Christmas morning regardless of the day of the week. I still feel that way and so does she. Christians talk about the reason for the season and keeping Christ in Christmas...but how many church doors are closed and locked on the morning of Christmas? Too many.

 

Oh well, 2011 is another Sunday Christmas, and I look forward to being in God's house to focus on the greatest Joy ever given to mankind. I hope you will join me at your church for worship in one accord for that gift of Joy that was born to a virgin and forever changed our dark, fragile world.

Weekly Advent Bible Reading Plan:

Monday, December 5, 2011: John 16:16-24
Tuesday, December 6, 2011: Ezra 3:11-13
Wednesday, December 7, 2011: Psalm 126
Thursday, December 8, 2011: Hebrews 12:1-3
Friday, December 9, 2011: Philippians 4:1-9

JOY UNBELIEVABLE...JOY UNDENIABLE

I might mess up your Theology when you read this but I am “one of those” who received and experienced the laughter, that came along with the Toronto Blessing. It happened not once, but many times. As I write this, I wish I could have the same thing happen. But like other gifts given to me, I don’t regulate when they come, how they come and what is inside the package..

When I say that I received it…it is the truth. I felt like it was a gift, given to me by the Lord. I realize that there were those, who were in my company, who didn’t experience what I was feeling, sometimes judged me. I know there are many still that think this phenomenon was not of God. I don’t want to be rude or haughty but I say “oh well”. I tend to think many of us have had encounters with the Lord, that others would have a hard time believing.

So, you may be among the ones who look at me askance or you may be one who tells me that you wish you could laugh like that and ask questions of what it all felt like.

Like I said, I could not make it happen, by an act of my will. But I do know it was wonderful…it was healing…it was refreshing.

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” Proverbs 17:22 KJV

I dare say that we have all experienced belly laughter seeing a very funny movie or laughing at the irony of a joke. Isn’t it the greatest thing when we can just forget about our worries and our pain for a time? Well that is how this laughter felt to me. One thing I can say is that just about everything seemed funny.

I’ve suffered from depression, much of my life. When the laughter came, it was like a bubbling of aliveness, from deep within.,It rose up and filled my heart and my mind and my body and my soul with gladness. Gladness to be alive…gladness to just be who I am…and most of all gladness to belong to Jesus…to be loved by Him…to be accepted by my Abba (my Father God). Everything about me and around me seemed effortless. Striving was absent and in its place was a sense of everything was going to be allright.

So, it hasn’t been a sustained experience because “life happens”. Nevertheless, it was real and left an indelible mark on my soul. Surprisingly through it, I learned too, that the Lord has the best sense of humor. I didn’t always know that and sometimes I still forget that but the Word tells us that He laughs at the plans of our enemies.

“Passion laughs at the terrors of hell”…Song of Songs 8:6 The Message

So dear readers, I sincerely wish you joy. It may not come in the package that it came for me. But I ask the Lord that it would be as undeniable, as it was for me. I pray it will fill you and heal you and refresh you too. The simple fact remains, that Jesus came is enough to fill us with great joy.  It is sometimes unexplainable to others…but for us, we know it is reality. We just know.

Jesus…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross Hebrews 12:2 b KJV

Think of it…we are that JOY!

 

 

Weekly Advent Bible Reading Plan:

Monday, December 5, 2011: John 16:16-24
Tuesday, December 6, 2011: Ezra 3:11-13
Wednesday, December 7, 2011: Psalm 126
Thursday, December 8, 2011: Hebrews 12:1-3
Friday, December 9, 2011: Philippians 4:1-9

Joy Has Come

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the music.  I love Christmas music. As you shop, the brightness of Christmas music can calm your frazzled nerves, give you that last push to finish, or just make you smile.  I love to bake for Christmas with Christmas music in the background.

I have many favorite Christmas songs.  One of my favorite Christmas present as a child was a record player – yes, a record play – I am that old.  With it I received a variety of 45’s to spin.  I listened to Frosty the Snowman, probably to the frustration of my parents, over and over and over and over again.   It’s hard to rank Christmas songs, but I do have a ranking.  On one side of one of those 45’s was the song Good King Wenceslas.  I wore that out too.  While you rarely hear it, and almost no one knows it, it is still my number one favorite in English.  You can sing along here.

My number one favorite all time forever Christmas Carol is a Norwegian one.  I hear it and I melt.  I think of snow and Brooklyn.  I think of Jul Tree Fests.  On a cold evening in January, holding my dad's hand, I would dress in festive clothing and crunch through the snow to a church.   I remember most the Salvation Army – in a great room with a huge decorated Christmas tree we’d take our little songbooks with the Norwegian flag and sing as we circled the tree holding hands. 

A few years ago, someone gave me a copy of a Norwegian Christmas recording.  It was Sissel’s Glade Jul.  On the recording was Jeg Er Så Glad Hver Julekveld.  My brain had forgotten this most beautiful of Christmas hymns.  My heart had not.   I cried when I heard it again.  Now I make sure I play it often during the Christmas season. You can listen to Sissel sing it here.  The lyrics in English are here (scroll down).

When asked, what’s your favorite Christmas Carol, as does happen this time of the year, I never answer with either of the above favorites.  While they are my top choices, most people find them obscure and just glaze over at my answer.  I have another favorite.  It’s number three on my list and most appropriate for this week.  It’s JOY TOTHE WORLD!  Even mentioning it’s title makes my heart want to burst into song – I love the triumphant announcement of this Carol.

It was written by Sir Isaac Watts and is based on Psalm 98.  Interestingly, and actually quite appropriate for the Advent season (that time of waiting and reflection on the return of our Lord) this song is about the triumphal return of Christ to this earth.  It’s a celebration song of the coming return of our King.

Joy – Joy to the World – the Lord IS come…

With joy we can declare the mystery of our faith –

Christ has died

Christ has risen,

Christ will come again. 

What a reason for Joy!  What reason to lift our voices and announce, Joy has come.

Weekly Advent Bible Reading Plan:

Monday, December 5, 2011:  John 16:16-24
Tuesday, December 6, 2011:  Ezra 3:11-13
Wednesday, December 7, 2011:  Psalm 126
Thursday, December 8, 2011:  Hebrews 12:1-3
Friday, December 9, 2011: Philippians 4:1-9