1st Presbyterian Church Coeur d'Alene ID
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Simple Gratitude

10/24/2022

2 Comments

 
"Joy is the simplest form of gratitude." -Karl Barth

Ahh… fall is finally here, and so are the traditions that come with the season; crisp air, falling leaves, cozying up on the couch with a good book, and a season of gratitude! 

Today, I want to share some reflections on JOY, because the topic keeps showing up in my life: in conversations, in
Picture
Kierstie Renninger
readings, and honestly, it's the emotion that overwhelms me when I look at my sweet daughter. 

What is joy? According to Oxford, joy is a great feeling of pleasure and happiness. It's also one of my favorite fruits of the Spirit. But did you know that the Greek translation for JOY, comes from the same word family as GRACE? A few weeks ago, Pastor McLane talked about grace and peace, and that in order to find that deep peace, we must first accept grace. A question popped into my head as I was reading about joy… could it be that joy too, like peace, is linked to the grace of God that's been given to us? That to experience the fullness of joy, is to walk humbly in grace? That even in our challenges, we can have joy because of the grace of Christ? Letting go of our own expectations, can free us to experience joy in new ways.


Thinking back to Barth's quote about joy, that it is the simplest form of gratitude, I'm challenging myself to enter this season of Thanksgiving, letting go of my own expectations that hold me back, with gratitude for grace and walking in the joy that follows.


​In His Name, Kierstie
2 Comments
Carolyn Keefer
10/25/2022 09:28:10 pm

Thanks Kierstie! First of all, I love the picture!
Secondly, I love how JOY, GRACE, and PEACE all tied together! We have so much for which to be thankful!
Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Chris Fillios
10/26/2022 09:44:14 pm

And joy transcends circumstances, unlike happiness which is often circumstances dependent.

Reply



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 First Presbyterian Church | 521 E Lakeside Ave | Coeur d'Alene | ID  83814
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  • Home
    • Connect With Us >
      • Prayer Request
      • eNews Archive >
        • 2020 eNews Archive
  • Who We Are
    • Leadership & Staff >
      • Job Opportunities
      • Blogs >
        • Blog Archive 2021 >
          • Our Mission
          • Blog Archive 2020
    • Elders, Deacons & Ministry Teams
    • History >
      • Barb McPland Clothing Giveaway
      • Keefer's Cabin
      • Presbyterian Women
      • Past Ministers
    • What Presbyterians Believe
    • Annual Reports
  • Ministries
    • Adult Discipleship >
      • Book Studies
      • Men's Studies
      • Sermon-based Small Groups
      • Sunday Bible Study
      • Women's Studies
    • Family Ministry >
      • Nursery
      • Children
      • 1st Pres Youth
      • Family Connections
    • Missions
    • Serve >
      • Choir >
        • Special Music Archive
      • Church Ministry Teams
      • Ecumenical Kitchen
      • Family Promise
      • Handbell Choir
      • Knitting for Warmth
      • Praise Team
      • Reception Team
  • Sundays
    • Contemplative Worship
    • Classic Worship
    • Sermons
  • Giving
  • Calendar