MY WEBRINGS |
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This is Jessiwriter's Christian fantasy site. |
The Native American angel below was beaded for me by my daughter Melanie. It is a link to her site, StrayBeads. |
PERSPECTIVE Yesterday's question was, "Where is the rainbow?" Clouds covered my life, Blotting out hope, And I could not see the promise. Today's question is, "Where did the rainbow start?" Colors fade into The still-clouded sky, And I cannot see where the arc began. By Sharon Thomas |
My eighteen-month-old grandchild and I sing as we work around the house. One of our favorite songs uses words from Psalm 118:24. "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Today I don't feel like singing. Clouds in the sky hide the sun and problems in my life crowd out joy. Regardless of the weather and my bad mood, Amber seems as cheerful on this dull day as on previous sunny, happy days. "This is the day," Amber sings, smiling up at her gloomy Granny. "This is the day, this is the day, this is the day - " Her baby-talk version of that phrase goes on and on in a seemingly never-ending chant. I let Amber carry one clean, folded towel to the linen closet. As we place it on the shelf together, she continues to sing. It is then that I catch a glimpse of the future. On a day like this one, I imagine, Amber will have grown enough to carry an entire stack of clean towels to the shelf. Placing them carefully, she will sing: "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Then she will notice that I'm not singing. She will say, "Granny, is this really the day God made?" I will not have an answer convincing enough to cancel out the downcast look on my face. Carrying my imagined scenario even further, I see Amber as old enough to do all the laundry for me. At that time, she will also be mature enough to ask, "If God did make today, Granny, why aren't you rejoicing?" How, I wonder, will I answer those future questions? What will I tell Amber about God's involvement in the hard times that come to every human being? I remember reading several poems that seem to say God uses the dark days in a person's life as part of an overall pattern that He designed to be beautiful. I cannot see God's pattern for my life as it will be when He has finished it. I don't know what He is making of me, but I know what I am expected to do today. I must realize that this is the day God made and that He wants me to rejoice and be glad in it. When Amber is older, I will tell her that God is weaving beautiful patterns into His children's lives. Today I can only set an example of joyful faith for her. Lifting my tiny granddaughter so I can look straight into her eyes, I smile at her and say, "Amber, this is the day the Lord made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." |
THE DAY THE LORD MADE |
No, of course you can't really make sunshine. No human being can. It's when depression comes to you--one cloud of gloom following another, letting no sunlight through--that you can deliberately create your own day-brighteners. To cope with my dark moods, I have created ways to bring "sunshine" into my life. You can adapt my ideas to your own needs. RELIVE HAPPY MEMORIES Sir James Barrie said: "God gives us memory so that we may have roses in December." My children were 3, 7, and 10 years old the summer our vacation included a tour of an old house. As we left, an elderly woman sitting on the porch called out to me, "Enjoy today. This is the best time of your life, when the children are small." Now that I myself am an elderly woman, that vacation is among the roses of memory that I enjoy. Other memories come from my childhood. Playing in shallow water under a small waterfall, climbing Grandpa's cherry tree, and watching hummingbirds in Granny's garden. Older people are particularly good at reliving memories. No matter how young you are, however, you have happy memories at your disposal. Reliving your memories is like daydreaming in reverse. As you remember past happiness, you reassure yourself that happy days will come again. SMILE My first impression of Barbara was that her constant smile was unnatural, a cover-up for her real feelings. When I knew her better, I understood why Barbara smiled all the time. "My daughter was born with serious physical problems," Barbara told me. "I was determined to keep her at home and take care of her myself, but I knew I'd have some hard choices to make. One choice was what my attitude toward life would be. I could live with the window shades pulled down, focusing only on my daughter's problems, or I could let the sun shine in and try to live a normal life. I decided to raise the shades and fill the house with music and laughter. I also learned to keep smiling, even when there seemed to be nothing to smile about." You, too, would do well to smile in the face of problems. If you don't feel like smiling, do it anyway. The feeling will follow the action. |
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SUNSHINE |
GIVE YOURSELF SMALL PLEASURES Do something you enjoy. You may not always have enough time or money to indulge in some of your favorite activities, but there are pleasures in everyday life you can learn to enjoy. If you have the use of your five senses, you are constantly seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, or smelling something pleasant. Walking by my desk as I was using correction fluid on my typing mistakes, Bob said, "I love that smell." "Surely you don't mean this," I said, holding up the bottle of white liquid. "Oh, yes," he said. "I like almost all smells, office smells, home smells, outdoor smells. I just like to smell things." Do you enjoy one of your senses more than the others? Indulge yourself. Pay attention to things you particularly like to see, hear, touch, taste, or smell. Your life will be enriched by the experience. GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST When I was ten years old, I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord. The pastor led me to the altar and asked me to face the congregation. "Doesn't she look happy?" he asked. I was happy! Throughout my life, the joy of the Lord has remained with me, in good times and bad. Knowing Jesus as Lord of your life puts the sun back in your sky. If you have not accepted His gift of eternal life, do so now. Maybe you have been born again but still feel depressed. For a refresher course in the happiness Jesus can bring, repeat often: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace." (Romans 15:13) You don't have to be a victim of your cloudy days. You can do something to make yourself feel better. The best day-brightener of all is the knowledge of God's love. You can endure anything, as long as you are leaning on the everlasting arms. |
By Sharon Thomas |
TWO GIFTS The bud, a gift of love from someone who cares, Takes life from the water surrounding it, And becomes a perfect rose That eventually crumbles and dies. The Son, a gift of love from Someone who cares, Gives life to all who touch Him, And they bloom and live forever, Nourished by the Rose of Sharon. By Sharon Thomas |
Walking quickly through the fabric store, I kept my eyes straight ahead, deliberately not looking at the enticing displays. I had come to make one small purchase, a package of lace. At the lace counter, I held each selection against the small piece of fabric I had brought with me. It was, of course, the most expensive lace that matched best. I remembered how disappointed my daughter Beth had looked yesterday, trying on her cousin's outgrown dress. I had been kneeling at her feet to check the width of the hem. Keeping my tone light, in the hope of changing Beth's sullen mood, I said, "It fits you well enough except for the length, and I think we can let it out enough to fix that." Beth frowned. "But Mom," she said, "there will be a crease where the hem was." "We'll cover that up with some lace trim," I said decisively, standing and opening the lid of my sewing box. "There ought to be a piece of lace in here." "A flowered dress with lace trim," Beth said sarcastically, "What more could I want?" "What more, indeed!" I retorted, forgetting my attempt at lightness. "This is a nice dress and it's lucky for you that your cousin Pam outgrew it. I sure don't know what else you'd wear to the spring concert." "Maybe I won't even go! Let them get another soloist. Everyone else has a new dress, and they're all solid, pastel colors. I'll look like an idiot in flowers and lace." She turned and flounced toward the door. "Why can't I ever have anything new?" she yelled over her shoulder as she ran down the hall to her room. I certainly understood and sympathized with my daughter's feelings. I, too, had worn other people's cast-off clothing for most of my life. As a teen-ager, I had vowed that my children would never suffer the indignities of wearing hand-me-downs. I was not able to keep that promise. Howard and I had married right after high school graduation. Beth had been born in the second year of our marriage, and Tim the year after that. I quit work to be a stay-at-home Mom and Howard dropped out of college to support the family. He always managed to supply us with the necessities of life, but there was never any money left for luxuries. Beth and Tim wore plenty of hand-me-downs, but I made sure they did not suffer the humiliation of ill-fitting clothing that I had endured as a child. I remodeled most of the dresses that were given to Beth so that they were not easily recognized as having belonged to someone else. I unrolled a piece of lace from the sewing box. It wasn't long enough to go around Beth's skirt, so I began to rummage for another one. I didn't find anything. The budget would just have to stretch far enough to buy lace, I decided. And so I had come to the fabric store. I could not afford to buy enough material to make Beth a new dress but I could spend a little extra money to spruce up the one she had to wear. Quickly, I picked up the more expensive package of lace. I'll skimp on the groceries this week, I told my guilty conscience. There had been no parking place near the fabric store, so I had quite a distance to walk back to my car. I noticed, as I walked, that the parking lot was full of luxurious cars. All of those cars were driven by well-dressed people. By the time I got into the car with my tiny package, I had worked up a good case of self-pity. "Why, Lord?" I prayed, bitterly. "Why haven't you chosen to let us enjoy the material blessings a lot of people have?" The Lord rebuked me by bringing to my mind the memory of my mother's teaching. "If you're feeling blue," she said, "do something for someone else. There's always someone worse off than you are." Then I remembered Beth's remark about Miss Ivy, her "grandmother," adopted as part of a church project. "Mom," Beth said, "I don't believe Miss Ivy has ever had a new dress in her life." Yes, Miss Ivy was definitely worse off than I. Before going home, I would go visit her. Driving through the oldest section of town, I thanked God for Miss Ivy. She was always cheerful, and grateful for every little thing Beth and I did for her. She had only one fault. She talked too much. Oh, well, I thought, she's lonely. I can spare her a little extra time today. As Miss Ivy talked on and on, my mind wandered. I thought of Beth's bitter question, "Why can't I ever have anything new?" Then I thought of my own childish prayer, "Why haven't You chosen to let us enjoy the material blessings a lot of people have?" Wondering if Miss Ivy minded her poverty, I turned my attention back to what she was saying. I knew she lived on a meager pension, and the kindness of her children. Did she ever resent wearing old, faded dresses, like the one she had on today? "I was up before sunrise this morning," Miss Ivy said. "You know, I once lived on a farm. Some mornings that old habit of getting up early seems to get hold of me again. Well, that's how it was this morning. I sat out on the back porch and watched the sun come up. There was dew on the grass, and the air was so still and clean that I just felt like I had to pray. I thanked God for giving me this brand new day, a day never before used by anyone." My hand flew to my mouth to disguise the gasp I couldn't stifle. Had Miss Ivy read my mind? Could she possibly know I was suffering a bout of self-pity because of my daughter's having to wear a hand- me-down dress? No, God must have put those words in her mouth. Maybe He was trying to show me how much growing I had to do. I spent my time and energy complaining about the little problems of life, while Mis Ivy was able to be grateful for something as common as a sunrise. On the way home, I asked God to forgive my ungrateful attitude. I realized that both Beth and I had more blessings than we could count. From now on I would set a better example for my daughter. I would remember to be grateful for small blessings. The next morning, the car almost refused to start. I coaxed it out of the driveway. Thinking how badly I needed a new car, I looked up at the rising sun. It seemed to hang in the lower branches of an oak tree, caught there like a big, red ball. I thought of Miss Ivy, and of the decision I had made yesterday to be more grateful. Here I was, mentally complaining again while she, likely as not, sat on her back porch thanking God for the sunrise. I realized then tht the sunrise wasn't only Miss Ivy's. The Lord had sent it to me, too. I had only to claim it, along with this new day. A day never bfore used by anyone. "Thank you, Lord," I whispered. "Thank you for this sunrise, and for your gift of a brand new day." |
THE GIFT OF A BRAND NEW DAY |
MAKE A LIST OF THINGS TO DO TOMORROW When my depression is caused by an overwhelming workload, I make a list of things to do tomorrow, then I take the afternoon off. Most tasks can wait until tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, I approach work with freshness and enthusiasm. Be honest. It will do no good to list a dozen tasks for tomorrow if you know you will only finish three of them. Anticipating future accomplishment is uplifting, but to know subconsciously that you won't follow through is to set yourself up for deeper depression. FORGET LIVING EACH DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST "My Aunt Vera never went to bed until she had everything in perfect order," Claire told me. "Her motto was 'live every day as if it were your last day on earth'." Claire tried to follow her Aunt Vera's example but finally admitted that she couldn't do it. "My life is a lot more complicated than Aunt Vera's ever was," Claire said, "and I don't have her energy. There is no way I can get all my work done every day." If you have been trying to live by Aunt Vera's outdated motto, replace it with a new one. Try to live each day as if it were your first. With that attitude you will not feel pressure to accomplish something immediately. Instead you will feel excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for you. READ OR QUOTE SCRIPTURE A depressed young woman went to her pastor for counseling. "You have been spiritually wounded," he told her. "What you need to do is read one chapter in Psalms and one in Proverbs every day. The beauty and wisdom of those two books will speed the healing process." Other Scriptures can also lift the spirits. The Bible has been described as a love letter from God. If you read it with the idea that all of God's promises are for you, you can't help but rejoice. BE A BLESSING Amanda regularly sends me encouragement cards that say, "I was just thinking of you," or, "You are a blessing to me." My friend blesses many people with such cards. Knowing it is better to give than to receive, I assumed that sending the cards gave Amanda a lift. When I asked her about it, she said, "I have a sense of satisfaction knowing that I'm ministering to others. When someone calls me to say she received the card at a time when she really needed it, that's when I feel blessed." Proverbs 11:17 can be paraphrased: "Doing good does you good." Think of something you can do for a friend today. |
You will not find the word "joybeams" in the dictionary. I coined the word as a unique title for this site. It is patterned after the word "sunbeams." As sunbeams are visible rays of light that brighten the atmosphere, joybeams are invisible rays of gladness that cheer the spirit. Everything on these pages is meant to be uplifting. I hope you will enjoy the stories, articles and poems that I have written. Please do not copy anything without my permission. Use the button below as a link to e-mail me for permissions, comments, suggestions or any other communication. All graphics used on these pages are believed to be in the public domain unless otherwise noted. |
Copyright 2001 by Sharon Thomas |
J ~ O ~ Y ~ B ~ E ~ A ~ M ~ S ~ |
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in His love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 King James Version |
SINGING JOY |
At least one verse in the Bible says that God sings. |
A certain man went down to the hospital near his home. He took with him a battered old guitar that he had found in the far corner of his storeroom. Having retired while he was still in good health, the man was bored. He decided to ask the hospital staff if he could sing and play his guitar for the patients. The first day on his volunteer job, the man played badly and sang off-key for a patient lying helpless in his hospital bed. After finishing his performance, the volunteer said, "I hope you get better." A weak voice from the hospital bed replied, "I hope you do, too." Eventually, both of the men did get better. The patient went home and led a happy, active life. The volunteer continued to play and sing for hospital patients. He got a little better at entertaining, because of the practice. But his heart enlarged because of his effort to help the suffering patients and, as a result, he got much better at offering joy and peace to them |
THE JOY OF VOLUNTEERING |
The webmistress's choice of volunteer work is reading to residents of a nursing home. She suggests that you call the activities director at a facility near you and ask what you can do to help. |
HERE IS A JOYFUL CHORUS THAT I SANG IN SUNDAY SCHOOL WHEN I WAS A SMALL CHILD: I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, Down in my heart, down in my heart. I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, Down in my heart to stay. OTHER VERSES CAN BE ADDED, SUCH AS: I've got the wonderful love of a blessed redeemer down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart. I've got the wonderful love of a blessed redeemer down in my heart, down in my heart to stay. Author unknown |
A modern parable by Sharon Thomas |
A personal experience article by Sharon Thomas |
This is my family history site |
This is a link to my newest site where I am just beginning construction. |
Thank you for visiting. Please come again. The rainbow path above ends the first of two pages that make up this site. Click on the cross at the top of the page to visit the Joyful Jesus page. Lack of space prevents me from participating in banner exchanges but I am offering below several JOYBEAM banners that you may take if you want to help me spread joy in the world. |
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If you took a banner to display on your site, please accept my thanks. I am very grateful for your help in spreading beams of joy. |
A WORK OF FICTION BY SHARON THOMAS |
To all who honored this site with awards: Thank you. I am pleased that you like my site and I proudly displayed your awards until Homestead downgraded the space allowed for a free site. I am sorry that I can no longer publicly display the awards. |
