The latest at Abundant Joy Fellowship
Stay up to date with the happenings of Abundant Joy Fellowship by visiting our blog. Here you'll find information such as announcements and thoughts from members of our congregation to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
The Path of Trust
by: George Whitten
06/19/2025
0
Friend, one step at a time: the path of trust!
1 Kings 17:2-4 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."
God's servants must learn to walk by faith--one step at a time. This is a simple lesson, yet one that challenges even the most faithful. Consider Elijah: befo
...read more
A Locked Heart
by: Janis Dortenzo
06/13/2025
1
A Locked Heart
The locking happens when a decision is made to NOT feel rather than feel hurt or pain.
Unfortunately, when locked, the person is not free to be all God wants them to be. This locking even limits joy, peace, and love. In joy, peace and love lies a connection to pain, grief and sadness.
Man and woman, in the beginning before the fall, did not know pain, grief and sadness. Remember, not even nakedness or shame. Their eyes were closed to those things because the F
...read more
Who Would You Invite to Dinner?
by: Jordan Merenick
05/31/2025
1
I was listening to this interview of one of my favorite nonfiction authors, and he briefly mentioned a favorite party game of mine, Who Would You Invite To Dinner? I love these sorts of games because they really help me get to know a room of people without having to deal with the awkwardness of questions or small talk.
We adults often like racking our brains with exotic lists in situations like this. But do you know who children choose? They overwhelmingly say, "I would wa
...read more
Can you believe Jesus calls you this?
by: Beau Key
05/23/2025
1
A snippet of truth that speaks volumes.
In this short reflection, Pastor Beau shares a powerful insight from Scripture that might just change the way you see your relationship with Jesus. It’s short, it’s encouraging, and it’s something every heart needs to hear.
Just a few minutes—just enough to shift your perspective today.
...read more
Dreams - Part 2
by: Mickie Plocki
05/08/2025
0
Hello dreamers. I'm praying dreaming increased after the first post God gave me for our group back in February (posted here 3/1/25). I'm praying your dream life and night visions increase, along with your understanding, as you follow along with whatever God is doing here.
What I'm hearing for today is that God is highlighting numbers. I'm certain some of you have “a number” that pops up over and over again in some seasons, or through your life, and it has meaning to you.
...read more
Not By Power
by: Janis Dortenzo
05/01/2025
1
NOT BY POWER, NOT BY MIGHT
BUT BY MY SPIRIT SAYS THE LORD
I was watching the air show, Wings Over Pittsburgh, the jets and other aircraft fly. Skill, speed, and power. The sound not only deafens the ear but causes even your inward parts to tremble. This display of acrobatic – air – awe caused me to lift my hands and shout as they flew overhead in a speed that was hard to follow. These machines, one by one, demonstrated their uniqueness, flaunted their grandeur with pride an
...read more
I'm Angry At God, So Now What?
by: Jordan Merenick
04/25/2025
1
There's a part of me that's angry. And this part of myself is especially angry at God. Can I say that? Am I even allowed?
I think I am.
As Christians, we should be the first ones to be honest and admit this to others and the world at large during certain seasons of our lives. But it's not easy, is it, especially in our Christian circles to do so. It feels like we are breaking some unspoken rule. Like how you should never root against your father's favorite football team on
...read more
He's speaking, so listen up!! To the words of life and love
by: Heather Waldenville
04/10/2025
4
I want to share something that God spoke to me the other day. I was laying in bed before church talking to the Lord, and I asked Him about some things I was feeling in my body, physically. Anyone who deals with pain knows that when it continues despite praying, homeopathic remedies, or medicine (God can and will use it all, just sayin'), it can be very discouraging and even depressing at times. You pray and pray and it doesn't go away. I asked Him, "Lord, why?" and I hea
...read more
Set Your Sights Above
by: Heather Waldenville
03/13/2025
5
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
I am a Gen-Xer (people born between 1965 and 1980), and our generation had A LOT of cool toys. One of them is the View-Master. It was a camera-looking thing that you put little round discs with picture slides in and with each press of the lever you could see another frame of the story. It was a really fun toy. One morning as I was waking up, God was really speaking to me about that. Things happen
...read more
Dreams - Part 1
by: Mickie Plocki
03/01/2025
2
Hello family. God seems to be prompting me to do a few posts on dreams. Like everything with God, the most important thing about dreams from God (or otherwise) is to deepen our relationships with Him. Having experienced quite an interesting dream life over many years, it was such a blessing to learn a bit about how to handle them. So I'll attempt to share some helpful hints for anyone interested.
Are all dreams God-breathed? I don't believe so. Can we glean from "other" dr
...read more
The Jesus I Create
by: Jordan Merenick
02/21/2025
4
In the Gospels, there is this poignant scene where Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do you think I am?" Of course, we all know this story quite well. Peter, in a flash of divine inspiration, replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." This is, of course, the correct and most wonderful of responses. And it strikes me as quite poignant that even after all the disciples had witnessed at this juncture, only one out of the twelve responded with this affirmation abo
...read more
I can't give You rest because You are my rest
by: Anonymous
02/13/2025
2
I can't give You rest because You are my rest.
I couldn't offer You favor because I found my favor in You.
I have no peace to give You because my peace comes when You pour it over me like oil.
I can't give You healing because I have never received one stripe.
I can't give You joy because without You I have none to offer.
I have no strength to provide You because You are my strength. And what good would one man's strength be to you anyways...?
I can't give You riches because th
...read more
Prayer
by: Gina Plocki
02/07/2025
3
"The Lord's prayer," is something we as Christians have heard and often recited repeatedly in our walk of faith. I don't know why they call it the Lord's prayer, when we know from the Scriptures this is the model the Lord used to teach His disciples about prayer. Some call it the "Our Father." Regardless of its title, this prayer is central to the Christian faith.
For most of my life when praying this prayer, it became a little more of something I memorized and spewed back
...read more
Turn on the Light!
by: Janis Dortenzo
01/30/2025
2
*Gray and cloudy days.
*The end of another year.
*Feelings of sadness from reflecting on the prayers that have not been answered or the circumstances that haven't changed.
*Facing a new year with the same old challenges.
I hesitated to submit this and didn't even pick up my pen to write until now. After hearing a testimony/exhortation about loving God more than _____ (you fill in the blank) and reading Jordan's excellent, honest words, I thought, just do it!
Waking up a couple
...read more
I Don't Love Jesus That Much
by: Jordan Merenick
01/23/2025
3
In Matthew 19:16-22, Jesus meets a young ruler. I'm sure you know the story. The rich young ruler is a righteous and very wealthy man. He asks Jesus about what he can do to gain eternal life. Jesus gives Him two commands. Firstly, love the Lord your God, and secondly, love your neighbor as yourself.
This pleased the young man immensely. He eagerly responds by saying that he has done all these things since he was a small boy. Jesus then, in verse 21, states, "If you want to
...read more