Author: Jennifer Morrow

JOY LIKE A FOUNTAIN!

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Do you have joy like a fountain? Or has your well all dried up? Are you able to follow the Apostle Paul’s advice, “Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, keep being joyful…” – my paraphrase of Philippians 3:1.
 
No one likes to take advice from someone who cannot relate to all you may have been through or are currently going through. However, Paul encountered much adversity and suffered many hardships all while serving the Lord, including the following and much more:  being imprisoned, 5 times whipped with 39 lashes, 3 times beaten with rods, robbed, mistreated and misunderstood by his own people and others, experiencing broken friendships, and often not having enough food to eat – AND ALL WHILE FAITHFULLY SERVING GOD!  STILL HIS MESSAGE WAS REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!
 
 
Do you have joy no matter what is happening to you and/or is going on around you?
 
 
This is one of the messages God has given me in the midst of life’s trials and messiness. Some people think joy is the absence of pain. It’s not. Often, those whose lives are filled with much sorrow and many challenges experience the most joy. In God’s presence is fullness of JOY! (Psalm 16:11)
Jesus told us the things He told us in His Word SO THAT our JOY WOULD OVERFLOW (John 15:11). Paul reminds us to “be joyful in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).  Many have forgotten that it is part of God’s will for us to be continually joyful (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
 
Okay, so I realize even sharing these verses doesn’t automatically make us oh so joyful.
Since I always get this right and do it so well, I’m always bright and cheery Joyful Jenny – haha! NOT! I’m just pressing into God’s grace more and more and desire to obey; and, over the last few years especially, God has been bringing a restoration of joy in my life personally. The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and this is one of the reasons the enemy is after our joy.

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#WOW #Breakthrough

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IMG_3974
Pic above taken of students bowing in prayer at Sylacauga High School in a student led assembly following a presentation utilizing the spoken word, a powerful story, music and dance.*  The title of the the dance portion of this presentation was “Breakthrough” and breakthrough in the spirit definitely occurred.
Last week was a WOW Week! Another WEEK OF WARFARE and a WEEK OF WITNESSING God pouring out His Spirit in the public schools! First, at Nichols Lawson Middle School on Friday, August 11th, and then again on Wednesday, August 16th, at Sylacauga High School. Mighty warfare always precedes breakthrough in the Spirit. God is moving mightily and He is moving in uncommon places. God is going to use the youth and He is going to use the arts too! Just as He did in this assembly! He is going to use the least likely and the unexpected ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19 NKJV)

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Restored on June 13th

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PHOTOS & VIDEOS 2013-2015 - 386 of 557

Twenty-three years ago today on June 13, 1994, I awoke to a nightmare like experience.  I will never forget it.  I remember the telephone ringing early that Monday morning, and immediately having an uneasiness in my spirit.  The next thing I knew I was belted over in a painful pool of unconsolable tears on my cold, tiled kitchen floor.  For some, their gut wrenching sorrow is released solely through tears that are only seen and never heard; but on this day, my wailing cries of lament were anything but silent, and they immediately prompted my husband to cry out for help too.  Amidst the foggy veil over my mind, the only thing I remember my husband saying to our Pastor on the other end of the phone was, “I need your help.”  

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Speak Life

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What was the last thing you said to one of your loved ones? Are you okay if that is the last thing they ever hear you speak? We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. Speak life today beloved one. 
#Speaklife 

#wordsarepowerful 

#encourageoneanother

#noregrets
“You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” (Words of Jesus, Matthew 12:34-37 The Message)

#wordsofJesus

#outoftheheartthemouthspeaks

#yourheartisspeaking
Prayer:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a loyal spirit within me. Amen. 

(Psalm 19:14; Psalm 51:10)

It is always good to pray The Word of God over your heart and life.

It is always good to pray before you speak too. Pray, pray, pray, wait, wait, wait…then speak life. Life giving words can be words of correction too, spoken in love from a heart that desires only the best for the person they are spoken to. 

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (Words of Jesus, John 6:63)

Morning has broken…

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It is also good to proclaim and sing of God’s love and faithfulness in and through our mourning and loss.  
#morninghasbroken #mourninghasbroken

One of my dearest friends, a creative spirit, and a mighty warrior woman of God is using the beautiful, old song by Cat Stevens entitled “Morning has Broken” in our upcoming dance studio performance. While listening to it this morning, it made me break out in tears and in a spontaneous dance.

I love this song.  All beautiful music is a gift from God.🎼💜

Link below to song on YouTube:

I will praise the Lord at all times.  His praise shall continually flow from my lips. (Psalm 34:1)



Because I’m so close to this dear one, I haven’t been able to share much about the recent loss of her beloved son, which occurred only a little over a week following the loss of her older sister.  How many of us can relate to the old saying, “when it rains it pours.” Sadly it seems this is too often a true statement.  Our hard times and trials seem to have a tendency of crashing into our lives without any warning simultaneously, one on top of another until it almost seems unbearable (none of us want to relate to Job in the slightest degree).  I have felt the heaviness of the loss of her precious son, Ramey, with her. Prayers over my special friend, Jeanna, are appreciated. All of us Moms can only imagine what this painful loss would feel like. 
“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15)
Still, we know our God is faithful. He heals the broken-hearted and He has and He will again turn our “mourning into dancing.” (Lamentations 3:20-24; Psalm 30:11; Psalm 147:3 Romans 12:15)

God brought this special friend into my life over 20 years ago through the calling to praise Him with our dancing (Psalm 149:3), and He is still using this gift of dance to minister to us and through us to this day. I love you and thank God always for the gift of you, my special and treasured friend. (Proverbs 17:17) I felt compelled to write this post in your honor today, beautiful one.

Our “mourning has broken” out into praise for all our days. Praise God in and through the valley and on the mountaintop too. For this is the only way for all the sons and daughters of God to make it through. Praise and worship the Lord through all your sorrow and your pain. After a while, only the powerful presence of the Spirit of God will remain.




Our God has given us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. (Isaiah 61:3)
Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)




Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.” “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.” 1 Samuel 16:16-17

Worship over Worry

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#worship & #pray over #worry 

Desperation breeds either worry or worship. We always have a choice. 

Worship over worry is the better way! Choose worship and prayer over worry.



No, it’s not easy! But it works! Usually what’s harder and takes more discipline and an act of faith is always harder. That’s why so many of us are worriers instead of worshipers, prayers & trusters 🙄 – that’s probably not a word (?), but it fits.
Do not worry about anything!

Worship God thru everything!

Pray constantly and about everything!
Lord, help us practice what what we say we believe.🙏 We aren’t blessed by what we know, but we are BLESSED and live victoriously as we PRACTICE the Truth we say we know. We are blessed when we hear and obey, not when we hear and keep doing things our own way.



John 13:17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. #wordsofJesus



(Also see Isaiah 1:19; James 1:22)


Philippians 4:6-7 The Message:

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 


Psalm 34:6-9 The Message:

When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. 

Oh So Spiritual One

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The truly godly and spiritual are called to a ministry of restoration. So, how “spiritual” are you?

#youwhoarespiritual #restore #withgentleness #Galatians6 #ministry #reconciliation #restoration #imitateChrist #loveinaction

How are you doing spiritual one in your ministry of restoration?  How is your spirit of gentleness?

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