21 Days to Beat Depression - Day 5

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21 Days To Beat Depression - Day 5

"Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.  He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” - Psalm 126: 5 & 6

Everything I know about farming I learned from my Dad who was raised on his family’s farm in the days preceding WWII.  Dad had a love for the land and for the produce that it yielded.  His happiest moments were spent digging in the dirt, planting seeds in the tender ground of spring, pulling relentless weeds under the hot summer sunshine and then harvesting the bounty that he and God had grown together!

This is what I learned from my wise father who had dirt under his fingernails and a love for the land in his soul:  If you plant cucumber seeds then you will harvest  shiny, green cucumbers.  Cucumber seeds never produce onions... or celery... or corn on the cob.  If you plant tulip bulbs then you will reap a beautiful display of tulips.  Tulip bulbs never reproduce zinnias... or evergreen trees... or forget-me-nots.  You will always reap what you have sown.  Seeds are only able to reproduce what their genetic code determines.

This is also true in the animal kingdom because cats only spawn kittens and never give birth to elephants, to humpbacked whales or even to piglets.  Animals, human beings and insects only reproduce what their genetic code determines.

However, in the Kingdom of God, there is an exception to this irrefutable code of genetics.  In God’s garden, when you sow in tears, you will always reap in joy!  If you have cried yourself to sleep too many times to count and have experienced the sorrow of depression, disappointment and sadness... do not give up!  Joy is on the way!  Your tears have fertilized the seeds of joy that God has planted in the garden of your life.

Those who have sown the tears of tragedy, sorrow and disappointment have the greatest capacity to reap a harvest of heaven’s joy!

Joy is not an impossibility when you have experienced deep emotional trauma and pain but it is a certainty in the Kingdom of God.  God has not forgotten you but is delighted to partner with you in a bountiful explosion of joy!  The very worst moment of your life has the capacity to produce the very best harvest of all:  the harvest of joy!

  • MAKING IT PRACTICAL-

  1. Add to your “Thanksgiving Every Day of the Year!” list by adding 3 more blessings for which you are grateful. Don’t forget “#21daystobeatdepression!”

  2. Be kind to someone today. Anyone at all! Smile at the woman beside you in traffic... encourage the young mother in the grocery store line... pay for someone else’s coffee in the drive-through... tell someone in your family that you are thankful for them. Kindness is always a pre-requisite to joy!

  • DECLARATION -

I declare today, in agreement with the Word of God, that every tear I have ever shed will reap an extreme and abundant harvest of joy in my life.  I declare that my days of depression are done and a growing season of joy in my life has begun!

  • PRAYER FOR TODAY-

Dear Jesus, I really do love You so much.  Thank You that every tear that I have cried, every ache of my heart and every seed of sorrow, is going to reap a harvest of joy in my life.  I don’t know how you do that, Lord, but if the Bible says that it is true ... then I believe it!  Father, I pray that joy will begin to spring up in my life today.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.”

Carol McLeod
Carol says, “I am just a girl who is head over heels in love with Jesus ... passionately addicted to His Word ... and find all of the joy that I need in time spent in His presence." Carol is a Christmas-aholic, loves ACC basketball and the beach! Like all menopausal women, she is overly fond of chocolate and enjoys a good read. She doesn't like cleaning her house and is an expert in carry-out dinners. She hates to shop … loves to jog … and somehow finds time in her busy life to hang out with small children. She is the kind of woman that you could laugh with over lunch, cry with over disappointment and shout with over a victory! But … if you need her official bio … read on! Carol is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. She also hosts highly successful Just Joy! outreaches. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren! Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren!
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21 Days to Beat Depression - Day 6

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Duggars, Proposals & Our Crazy Culture