Tag Archives: Happiness

Peace and Purpose

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.  C.S Lewis

I see the headlines as I wait in the check out line. Access to all the money and fame in the world. Glitz and glamour. Paparazzi.

And yet, seemingly some of the most unhappy people in the world.

Commercials that tell us that we need to look better. Be thinner. More tanned. More wealthy. We need to eat certain brands of food, shop at certain stores and wear certain clothes.

All to obtain happiness. Oh, that isn’t what the advertisers actually say….but, let’s be real. That is just exactly what they mean. It is what they are trying to spin. The implication is there.

Happiness from things.

Chasing through this life for “things” won’t bring real happiness, as a matter of fact, as in my first example, it can instead bring personal pain and a lack of any true happiness.

People continue to search…looking for this elusive happiness.  Fleeting. Just out of reach.

Life can be empty without purpose.

What is your purpose?  What do you long for? Does it include happiness and peace?

God, and His Son Jesus, give that.

They give what this world never can.

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A Sure Thing

Happiness

Not always happy…

Living in a world where

things are missed and messed up.

Tears and terror,

sadness and strife.

The wondering of why?

death after life.

Frustration and fear,

losing out, giving up

Giving in,

nagging doubt.

 Life. In. Sin.

But into the darkness,

He came that day.

Held out His hand,

showed me the way.

It’s not about happiness,

that’s fickle and spoiled.

Joy comes from God

not from this world.

Yes, I still smile

and have days that are great.

But only because

Christ took my place.

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

Joy is a choice. It depends not on what happens to be going on in my life from day to day or week to week. Happiness is like riding a roller coaster, life throws the good and bad at me and I just hang on. Emotions are fickle. They come and they go. I cannot count on happiness.

On the other hand joy is a sure thing. Joy comes from knowing the Lord. He is solid. He is trustworthy. He does not change at whim. He is the rock that I cling to when life happens. That relationship brings pure joy. It is like no other. It cannot be repossessed, replaced, mistaken, or moved. Jesus is the One that I can count on, no matter what happens in this life.

And that gives me great and abiding joy.

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Being Thankful In The Midst Of…

Smile 2

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Certain moments in time just make me grin. It could be something as small as a shared smile or laughing out loud. I am becoming more and more aware that happiness is not in the destination. I will never, in this lifetime, come to a place where all is well, everything is perfect, and there are no worries. I am concerning myself less and less with the “if onlys” of life. If only, I could lose weight…then I’d be happy. If only, I didn’t have to worry about money, or had more money…then I’d be happy. If only, I had an exciting job…then I’d be happy. If onlys can be deadly to a life, draining it of the happiness that can be found in the small every day moments of the here and now. Moments that are weaved into each day. Moments that make this  life worth living.

It is a continual learning process for me…and to be honest, I am not always good at it…this learning to be happy and thankful in the midst of the day. In the middle of the moments. The shimmer of light that, on some days, I search for in the darkness. I have much to be thankful for, much to rejoice in, and much to be happy about. So, I keep at it.

Not always easy, this realization.

Not always truly grasped, this epiphany.

But always there…when I look for it. With my eyes wide open.

*******************************************************

*peanut butter M&M’s

*ooey, gooey smores

*laughing, really laughing, with my husband last night

*new email

*racing Hot Wheels cars

*a new pitcher of iced tea

*cat sitting on the windowsill

*family bonds

*people that care about me

*freshly washed bed linens

*early morning sunshine puddled on the living room floor

*driving back country roads to church

*new corn growing

*freshly tilled flower bed

*air conditioner that works

*flag flapping in the breeze

*a trip to the John Deere store, listening to the radio

Joy is a choice. It’s always a choice. Choose to live…right where you are.

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Joy In The Everyday

Open Hand

Image by AmyZZZ1 via Flickr

***Join us over at Faith Barista Jam. We’re discussing joy, today. Click on the graphic on my right side bar to read what others are writing about joy.***

Joy (noun)  a source or cause of delight—

It’s interesting that Bonnie, at Faith Barista, would choose the topic of joy, for this month. I’ve been thinking about joy a lot lately. I’ve been on a “joy journey” of sorts. About two and half months ago I heard about a book called One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. She talks about joy in her book. Joy… in a way that I hadn’t thought of it before. She talked about joy in a way that would change me. Forever. For me, changing my perspective, really is changing my life.

I, like many people, tended to blend joy and happiness together. They are really not the same thing. I’m also figuring out that I can have joy–if I choose too. It really is a choice. It’s not always something that “just happens” to a person. People, in general,  are not “just lucky” in the joy department. Joy can be intentional.

What I am learning about joy is a challenge. Sounds contradictory to the definition, doesn’t it? On pages 32-33 of her book, Ann hits me squarely between the eyes. Right where I am at. Her words sting me.

“That has always been the goal of the fullest life—-joy. And my life knew exactly how elusive that slippery three-letter word, joy, can be….   Is the height of my joy dependent on the depths of my eucharisteo thanks? (to God)….As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible…..joy is not in some exotic location or some emotional mountain peak experience. The joy wonder could be here! (in the here and now of daily life).

Grace….Thanksgiving…..JOY.”

Joy in the everyday. Joy in the here and now. Joy in my messy kitchen. Joy in the van driving kids. Joy in snuggling into bed at night. Joy in laundry. Joy in the sunsets. Joy in pet fur all over the floor for me to clean. Joy in reading. Joy in preparing dinner. Sounds crazy, right? But, if I can have thanksgiving in the daily things….in ALL things….then there will be joy. Joy will no longer be some elusive or esoteric feeling that I am constantly searching for. It can be real. Real to me in the daily grind.

And isn’t joy what we all long for?

So, for me, I am working on joy in my every day by giving thanks (eucharisteo) to God. Always thanks. Thanks for each moment that He has allowed me to experience.

It’s all by His grace. Every. Single. Moment.  I am thankful….and I experience JOY.

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Laugh Out Loud

Laugh

Image via Wikipedia

I don’t know about you, but sometimes life gets me down. I don’t like to be in this place. It’s no place to stay, that’s for sure.

I think what I need is a dose of fun. A shot of joy. A little humor mixed with my morning coffee.

I watched a video that a friend posted on Face Book. The gist was this: social scientists made climbing the stairs fun by making the stairs into a huge piano keyboard. Every time someone touched a step, music happened. People started using the stairs because it was now fun!  Who knew? They sort of had a “fun theory” about it.

So, I’m thinking about that. A fun theory. Neat concept. I know life can’t always be fun. That’s not realistic, but I do think most of  us spend far to much time on the other end of the scale. Tense and stressed out. Sound familiar to anyone? Life has enough hardships, deadlines, frustrations, and irritations. There is always plenty to worry about. Many times I find myself concentrating on the negative and forget that I need to take time to laugh. Even scripture tells us that laughing is important.

Proverbs 15:13

A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.           

Proverbs 17:22

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

So, with these reminders I  have my own fun theory. I need to laugh more. Laugh out loud. Laugh until my sides ache. I need to giggle uncontrollably. I need to he haw until my eyes start to water. Laughter might not change my circumstances, but it might just change me. My attitude could be helped with a daily dose of laughter. Not fake laughter either. Not polite laughter. REAL laughter. The kind that can’t be contained.

So, today I start project LAUGH OUT LOUD. Want to join me?

 

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