Joy in Seeking Jesus

I am so excited to travel and go on the upcoming mission trip.  This will be my second mission trip to Mexico!   I really wish that I had taken Spanish in high school, although, knowing the language would help but, it isn't a necessity.  I will rely on a friend to help when I need to communicate.

Today my fellow mission teammates and I packed up a U haul trailer filled with tools, supplies, clothes, and Christmas presents from our church family.  I love my church family!  They are so generous when it comes to giving to the children!  We will have the opportunity to see the little ones faces as they open up their gifts.  So much Joy!!!  How exciting!

This joy reminds me of when I became a Christian.  Some woman led me to receive Jesus Christ back in August, 1980 while I was at camp and they probably were filled with joy as I said "Jesus I need you" in my life, and in my heart!  Pam, (and Susie), if you ever read this…. Thank you!  Thank you, for leading me to the "Cross"…to accept Jesus in my heart. YOU have seen my pain, and my tears. my face as I received Jesus Christ in my heart the day that I couldn't do it no longer without Him!  I can't tell you how often I think of "Windy Gap" and "Young Life” and how I wouldn't be the person I am now without your leading and Christ's direction in my life.  You were able to see that joy! 

Being raised in the Christian faith doesn't mean that you're a believer, whether Protestant or Catholic.   My parents raised me in the knowledge of the Christian faith….teaching me about the stories in the Bible and of the Trinity.  I went to Christian grade and high school and studied the Heidelberg Catechism but that didn’t make me a follower and believer of Jesus.   But saying "Yes I am a sinner, confessing my sin, and accepting that I need a Savior and Yes to Jesus I need You in my heart to save me - a wretched sinner....who can't go on anymore without Your grace and mercy and forgiveness, yes, I need you to change me from the inside out! Yes that makes me a believer.  A renewed, refreshed, reformed, changed, transformed heart does!  I have a new spirit within me!

It's a mystery to me....how He, God could love me and my crap, and  love me so much that He would send His SON' - JESUS- to die for my sins!  Why?  So that, I , would be with Him in heaven.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world (or me, JOAN) that he gave His one and only Son(Jesus), that whoever ( or JOAN) believes in him (Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life.  

Why?    For Eternal life!  He died for me so that that I will live with Him one day in eternity.  Heaven is my final resting place.  If you don't believe in Heaven, then there is only one place left.  Hell.  I don’t believe in purgatory.  I can’t find it in the Bible… (So if you do, please share where with me) 

You see my friends who are reading this………God, our creator, doesn't want anyone to go to Hell!    He doesn't want anyone to perish!  He loves you and me so much!  He wants us to be with Him in eternity!   His son, Jesus Christ,  bore the punishment for my sins on the cross so that I will live with God forever.

Jesus says in John 14:2 -4 "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

To me, it is a great comfort to know that I have a room prepared just for me by my Savior!  One day, I will be in heaven, see Jesus and all of the saints, my loved ones, my grandparents, my earthly father, and most of all, my creator and maker, my heavenly Father!   

May you find Joy in seeking Jesus today!

Joani