Kelly Stout- Southern Region

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice." Philippians 4:4

Oh boy.  Really, rejoice always?  What about when I am suffering?  What about when I am failing?  What about when I am dying?  Paul certainly couldn't have meant always.

Joy.  It is a profound mystery to me.  

I have it when I am happy.  

I have it when I am sad.  

I have it when I am healthy. 

I have it when I am ill.  

I have it when I fail, when I fall, and when I am full of sorrow.

Why?  Because joy is the one word I mentioned above that does not originate inside of myself.  My sins, my health, my suffering, my failures, my sadness, my emotions - they are all mine.  Joy is not.  

I have joy no matter how I feel, because God gives joy.  

Christ's death on my behalf gives joy.  

Christ's Gifts of Baptism, the Word, and Holy Communion give joy.  

It is a gift only to be received from Him (John 16:22).  What an amazing treasure He places in our hearts!  

This side of eternity is dirtied with sin.  It seems so hard we forget to revel in that joy.  We bear crosses only we and our Savior can understand.  We cry out for mercy in our languish.  Sometimes we just simply cry, "Lord, have mercy."  Our greatest efforts often end in our greatest sins, but the Holy Spirit does His work - convicting and bringing to repentance (John 16:8).  And thanks be to God repentance is always met with the news that our accuser (Satan) has been judged and we are covered with Christ's righteousness (John 16:9-11).  What JOY!  

As a contributor to this blog, I hope to tell women's truthful stories of reveling in the joy we have been given in Christ.  It doesn't mean the stories will always be happy.  It means they will be filled with Christ's Gifts to these women - through suffering, through crosses, and through blessings.

My life is full of blessings - a husband (who is also my pastor), four children (one in heaven, one three-year-old boy who we adopted at birth, one two-year-old boy and one baby girl born biologically), parents and extended family, and two congregations full of God's amazing people (my husband serves a dual parish in North Carolina).  I am a master's degree educated stay-at-home-mom who believes time with my children is the most valuable service I can add to this world.  I am somewhat of a newbie LCMS member - catechized my final year in undergraduate studies eight years ago at a campus church in Indiana.  I write a personal blog (www.momfears.blogspot.com) dealing with the realities of this life.

What really matters about me the most is that I have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb.  I fail in every vocation He has given me, and yet, He keeps flooding me with the joy of forgiveness and salvation.

Kelly is busy mom and supportive wife to her husband- Rev. Chris Stout.

 They serve in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

She blogs at: http://momfears.blogspot.com.
She will be adding stories here at the Journeys of Faith blog.