Happy New Year!
It’s 2016! My mind has been thinking on the theme of “sweet 16” all day! Sweet 16 birthdays the Sweet 16 basketball tournament, came to mind. Thinking of all the sweet things in my life, children’s smiles, my husband’s sweet text messages, precious friends and family, the sweetness of Jesus throughout all the years of my life. Smiles have been spreading across my face each time I think on the blessings and sweet moments I have been reflecting on.
Last night I was able to celebrate New Year’s Eve at one of my favorite places with a lot of people that are dear to my heart. I have now been married for 16 years, going on 17 at the end of this month, and our wedding reception was celebrated in that very place, dancing with my husband. Thoughts of all we have been through waltzed across my mind, and sweet joy filled my heart for how still head over heels in love I am today and thankful for my marriage, and all the sweetness that has been poured into my life through so many people over the years. This place has so many memories and God’s handprints of community love. I felt so blessed to run into a special lady in my childhood that I have not seen in a very long time, and it made my heart beam when I saw her, a lady who beams joy, even though she has had great challenges of her own. The sweetness of Jesus literally pours out from her heart with a jumping vibrant fun joy! This began my thoughts on all the amazing sweet moments I have experienced in life, in the midst of challenges.
The day before I traveled back to my hometown to celebrate New Years Eve I was watching a tv show about 2015 and it was showing all the tradgedies, disasters and heated protests that have taken place around the world. As I watched this show I was thinking, it would be really awesome if there was a show about all the amazing people last year who helped one another, showed kindness, and created ways to better serve society. I have definitely had hard times and sorrows, and moments that crushed my heart this last year. But as I think on all these things, the sweetness of Jesus far surpasses those moments. Jesus tells us “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV But Take Heart! Jesus doesn’t say give up, quit, life is too hard. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle in humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:28-30NIV So let’s learn from Jesus this year! Let’s walk with him in our difficulties, depending on him to lighten the burden. Let’s ask him to fill us with His gentleness and sweetness.
Ideas of sharing sweetness and encouraging one another. I am going to make a conscious effort, and pray for God to help me share sweetness each day of this #20sweet16 year. The verse, Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24NIV Inspires me to speak sweet words, to ask God to put sweet words on my tongue to bless those around me, especially for times when I have sour words in my mind. 🙂
I would like to extend the #20Sweet16 challenge to you! We know there will be troubles this year, Jesus has told us this. So may we not be caught off guard when things don’t always go exactly as we want, or when a disappointment comes or when a tough time presents itself. Instead may we set out to fill our minds with sweet encouraging Scripture and pray for God to give us a sweetness in our spirit and on our tongues to share that sweetness with others, especially when it is hard to be sweet 🙂
Let’s encourage each other, post sweet comments, send sweet text messages, sweet notes, give sweet smiles. Pray for the sweetness of Jesus to be in us and around us. Tell me Your sweet stories 🙂 comment about sweetness to encourage others.
Share this message with one another and share how you are going to bring sweetness to those around you! Let’s start a trend of sharing sweetness! For it is #20Sweet16!!!
With Sweet Thoughts and Prayers,
Priscilla