"My lips will shout for joy..."

If you knew my husband and I several years ago, before we were married, you would agree that we are not the same individuals that we were then.

Sure, we are now husband and wife.  We have careers (whether in full swing, or on hold).  We have a beautiful child, a home to support, goals, and dreams.  Our physical lives have surely changed greatly.  Outwardly we are not the same as we once were.

However, as of late, a true inward change has also occurred.  

Christ has been persistently knocking at our hearts.  He knocks at all of our hearts, yes, but we have really begun to listen.  It began slowly.  Joining a new church.  Teaching Sunday School.  Teaching at a Christian School.  Then there was a slow mind shift as a result of various experiences.  We fought against spiritual warfare in our own lives.  We made conscious decisions to 'do this' and 'not do that.'  Little things.  All, a slow growing and maturing.

My husband loves to read novels by Ted Dekker.  If you do not know Ted Dekker, he is a phenomenal writer of fiction, who focuses on spiritual warfare and our 'romance' with God (this is how hubby has described his stories).  

Of course, when either of us read something, we tend to share it with one another.  Ted Dekker's stories have begun to infiltrate our daily conversations.  And as a result, so has spiritual warfare, the purity of our own souls, and how we are portrayed to others.  

This Christmas I presented my husband with what some thought was an odd gift to give at Christmastime.  I wanted him to have his own Bible.  He had been reading mine until then; however, there is something special about having your own book to study and meditate upon (not to mention that you can highlight important text!).  Now that I think about it, Christmastime might be the perfect time to give a Bible as a gift!

Fast forward one week into January, and my husband suggested that it would be nice to have a one-year reading plan.  I located this one here.  What we like about this, is that it doesn't simply begin in Genesis and send you through to Revelation.  Rather, every day you read something from the Old Testament, something from the New Testament, something from Psalm, and something from Proverbs.

This has been great so far.

Randomly, I am also in the works of finding several verses to print to poster and hang in our bathroom.  In my search, I have found myself swimming in the Psalms, joining in prayer and praise with each word.  Tonight it has honestly been a feast for my eyes, my heart, my soul, and my mind.  I feel fully satisfied with words like: "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" (Psalm 25:5).

And my heart dances with these words: "I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.  My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - I, whom you have redeemed.  My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion" (Psalm 71:22-24).

"My lips will shout for joy..."

And they do.

I have found myself praising God while painting.  Praising Him while playing with Baby J.  Praising Him while driving.  Praising Him in the morning.  Praising Him in my last moments before sleep.

Over the last weeks, my husband and I have grown more honest and bold in our prayers.  More specificity.  There is a real growth happening in our home!

It would be wise on my part to thank God for being patient with us, because as I mentioned, this has been, and continues to be a slow, but steady journey.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."  (1 Chronicles 16:34)