Guided to Joy. My name is Christi Oakley. It occurred to me, not to long ago, that I have always been a “writer.” Growing up, I had a diary which became a journal as I got older. I wrote poetry off and on. I even wrote letters to my Grandma. She was my ‘pen pal’ for many years, even when I was an adult with children. Writing a blog, has been something that has been in the back of my mind for a long time. I actually started a few, a few times, but never published them. So this is a new adventure for me. One that I am sure I will learn and grow with as it progresses.
I have always been a Christian. I grew up going to church, attended Sunday School and was active in youth group. Then as I became an adult, I continued to attend church, serve on committees, attend Bible studies and Sunday School. Until recently, I wouldn’t have considered myself religious. I didn’t have a life verse. I didn’t pray like I pray now. I didn’t read the Bible like I do now.
The title, Guided to Joy, came about again from my life verse, Romans 12:12. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.” NIV. I have been going through a time of struggle lately, sometimes patient sometimes not, but I have continued to be faithful in prayer through it all. It is the joyful in hope part that I have struggled with the most. If you’ve ever gone through a heart wrenching struggle you know it is hard, often impossible to keep hope and be joyful. So I’m relying on God to be my guide. To show me the way to find joy again. This blog will then be a journal of my journey to joy and how God is guiding me to get there. Thank you for being interested in my journey!