Look Up!

Have you ever been to the dentist? What a traumatic experience it can be! You’re lying back in the dentist’s chair with mouth open wide. You have no where to go. You can’t speak and your discomfort is certainly not being eased by the dentist’s off-key rendition of Broadway show tunes. You could close your eyes and imagine a gentle brook babbling in the midst of a lush green field but the thought of sharp metallic instruments prodding your teeth and gums encourages an alertness like you’ve never experienced. You have nothing to do but look up.

There are many times in life when we find ourselves in the dentist’s chair – vulnerable and helpless while being prodded by the antics of the world. We search for escape but the realities of the situation seem to hold us hostage with no where to go and no where to look … but up. 

What better direction to look! 

Look up to the One who already knows our troubles and needs.

Look up to the One who can give us comfort and relieve our pain in times of distress. 

Look up to the One who holds tomorrow and all of life in the palm of His hand. He is our answer. He is our help.

So when you find yourself in the dentist’s chair of life, 

Don’t stress.

LOOK UP!!

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Psalm 33:20 – We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – Jesus

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The Case Against Worry

There is no where I go that God is not there. In my home, at my job, on the streets, in my car – He is there. No matter my situation, He is there. When I am enjoying life’s mountaintop, my God is there. When I am grieving in life’s valley, He is there. When I choose to walk away, He is there. I cannot outrun Him. I cannot hide from Him. I am never and will never be alone.

He knows my thoughts. He knows my words even before I speak. He knows my dreams. He knows my fears. He knows my prayers before I pray. He made me. He carefully and skillfully crafted together all that makes me, me. He knows me better than I know myself. I cannot fool God.

I am wonderfully made by the Master of all Creation. I am His masterpiece! I am constantly in the thoughts of the Lord of all the Universe. I am His treasured love! I am held by the hands of the Mighty Protector and Defender. I am His precious child!

I have no need to worry!

Psalm 139:1-18

Word Power

Life and death are in the power of the tongue.

Proverbs 18:21

Words are such a powerful tool in this life. Songs, poetry, prayers, sermons, news articles, novels, blog posts and so much more have the power to sway our opinions, to move us to action and to inspire us to change. Even little things like comments on a social media page have a huge impact on our moods, our self-worths, and our views of the world around us.

Words are power. And we’ve all been gifted with the ability to wield it.

Oh, but as Aunt May so wisely warned Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility. (Mom of boys here. My references are limited! 😉 )

Think about the words you’ve spoken over the last 24 hours. (*Oh, you had to go there, KJ?!?* Hey, I hear ya but God really convicted me this past week about this. I’m just looking for anyone else out there who’s flubbed up, too! 😉 )

Ask yourself these questions about your recent comments or conversations:

• Did my words build up others or tear them down?
• Did my words encourage or discourage?
• Did my words bring joy or did my words bring sadness and pain?
• Were my words truthful or were they lies?
• Did my words emphasize the good in others, the world and our current situation or did my words add to the negativity, the darkness and the hopelessness?
• If my every word that I have spoken was read aloud for the world to hear, would I be proud or ashamed of myself?
• Has my every word glorified God and pointed others to Him?

(Do your toes hurt? Cuz God is really doing a number on mine! Ouch!)

The responsibility to use our words wisely should not be taken lightly. Our words, like our actions, have consequences – both good and bad. And if any of us cannot handle the responsibility, it’s best we heed the advice of every grandma everywhere in the world:

 “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!”

So, as we go about our week, let’s remember the great power we’ve been given and ask God to help us wield it. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all used our Word Power for good and not evil?

I’d like that kind of world, wouldn’t you?

“May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable to you, Lord,

my rock and my Redeemer.”

Psalms‬ ‭19:14‬

 

**Looking for more Biblical references about the power of our words and how we should use it? Check out Colossians 4:6 , Proverbs 15:1, Ephesians 4:25 & 29, James 3:5, Proverbs 10:19, Colossians 3:8, Matthew 15:18 and there are so many more!

The Small Stuff

As my younger son was growing up, I had to find creative ways to deal with his, well, let’s just say, “antics.” Social media was my outlet and I would “vent” by posting daily updates on what my kid was up to. Most of the posts were about his behavior at school, for example:

2nd Grade Saga: Day 80 – Morning Conversation

ALEX: Maggie was Model Student this month. Do you know who the model student was last month?

ME: Nope. Who?

ALEX: Maggie’s best friend. You know, mom, model student doesn’t go in order.

ME: I know. You have to be on dark green every day to be the model student.

ALEX: Yeah. I don’t know how to do that!

 

Such was the theme throughout his entire elementary school years. <SIGH>

Other times, the posts were about my child’s unique perspective on the world around him:

3rd Grade Boys and Pizza:

Alex opens up a box of pizza and sings “Aaaaaaaah” in his best angelic voice.

He closes the box and opens it again. “Aaaaaaaah,” he sings.

“It would be cool if it did that every time you opened the box, wouldn’t it?” he asked. “I wish there was an app for that!”

 

I learned to truly enjoy how his little brain thought!

This kid always kept me on my toes. He challenged me to see the silver lining in every situation, to turn what could be worrisome mom moments into opportunities to enjoy my child’s rough edges and pointy corners and to laugh when everything was telling me to give up.

And many times, his crazy antics ended up teaching me much, much more:

Alex’ Summertime Antics:

Tonight at church, we learned that if Jesus can calm a terrible storm by saying three simple words, “Peace! Be still!”, He can surely calm the storms of our lives (help us through tough times). So, I asked the kids to tell me some tough things that they go through that God can help them with. The kids gave great answers – school, losing a friend, the death of loved ones, breaking an arm or leg, parents getting divorced.

Then, Alex raised his hand…

“When you drop your iPod on your bed and it bounces up and hits you in the eye!”

One of the other teachers looked at me and said, “That’s YOUR kid!”

Yes, he is my kid! And he had a very good point – whether he realized it or not.

There is absolutely nothing too small to take to God in prayer. If it matters to you, it matters to Him. He cares about everything that is going on in your life.

We tend to believe we don’t need to waste God’s time on the small stuff, like our child’s behavior at school or loosing our car keys or getting hit in the eye with a bouncing iPod. But it’s often the little things like these that weigh us down the most. We throw these small troubles over our shoulders and say, “I got this.” Then, when the next little thing comes along, we throw it over our shoulders, too. And we keep adding and adding and adding until all those little problems that we thought for sure we could handle become a huge burden that we can no longer bear.

We could save ourselves a whole lot of heart (and back) ache by just taking each little trouble to the Lord. You’re not going to offend God by bringing what you think is a tiny matter to Him in prayer. No, God will say “Peace! Be Still!” to any size storm – even a little rain shower. That’s how amazing our God is!

So, what are you waiting for? Take Alex’ advice about the small stuff and start unloading those shoulders of yours. Then, get ready to enjoy God’s peace!

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬

The Co-worker from… Well, You Know

The office is quiet. Finally.

You’ve been attempting to finish a project all morning but the phone, clients and unexpected matters keep pulling you from the task at hand. Now that the craziness of the day has subsided, you can dig in to your work.

Ahhh! This is good! I might actually get this done toda-

DING

What is that? No matter. Back to work.

DING

There it is again. What could be causing that sound? I don’t see anything. Ugh – I need to finish this project.

DING. DING.

Seriously. What on earth? 

Jumping from your chair, you set out to find the source of the annoying noise. You don’t have to venture very far. Across the hall, sits your co-worker, phone in hand, punching away at little keys. DING. DING. DING. She’s playing a game.

“Come on! Even if you don’t have work to do, the rest of us do! Have you never heard of a volume button?” you scream as you snatch your co-worker’s phone from her hands, throw it on the floor and stomp it to bits.

DING

You’re awakened from your vengeful fantasy by the sounds of your co-worker’s game.

Ugggh!

Most of us probably wouldn’t admit to secretly desiring to Hulk-smash someone’s phone simply because that person was playing a game or having a conversation too loudly. But there are times when I become so frustrated with the actions of another that my first reaction, if I were to follow my inclinations, would be considered completely irrational and unacceptable behavior. (Hmmm. I should probably seek professional help or something. 😉 )

But I can’t believe that I’m the only one with similar inclinations. In fact, I know I’m not. All I have to do is open the Word of God to find reassurance that I’m not alone in the struggle with my fleshly desires. Take a look at what the Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans:

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:17-20‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Paul – one of the most prominent figures of the early church, the apostle who declared, “Follow me as I follow Christ”, the missionary and teacher who preached the Gospel even when it cost him everything – yes, that Paul, openly admitted to an ongoing struggle between his flesh and his spirit.

I’m in pretty good company! 😉

But how do I overcome this fleshly desire to choke out my co-worker when she insists on putting every call on speaker phone? (I really do have some violent tendencies, don’t I!)

Paul helps me out here, too.

I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desires of the flesh … But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:16, 22-24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

You see, the outcome of the battle within depends on the fruit I am cultivating in my life. When I allow spiritual fruits like love, peace, patience and self-control to influence my thoughts, words and actions, it’ll be those fleshly desires that get choked out – – – not my co-worker.

The angry, vindictive monster living inside does not have to win. I just have to fill him up with some good ol’ Fruit of the Spirit!

 

The Boss from – – Well, You Know

You’ve already been verbally attacked by a frustrated client.

You’ve already been snapped at by an unhappy co-worker.

You’ve even been on the receiving end of the rantings of a disgruntled cashier at the local coffee shop.

The last thing you need now is the boss walking in with that all too familiar scowl on his face and derogatory tone in his voice.

Seriously, Boss, I can’t deal with you today!

It’s easy to let times like these drag us down. It’s easy to join in the negativity allowing it to transform us into short-tempered and mean-spirited people. Believe me. I know. I’ve succumbed to the dark side many times and have allowed negative people, boss included, to ruin not only my mood but also my entire day.

It happens.

I’m not proud of it.

To combat the forces of negativity, I’ve found that my reactions make all the difference in the world. If I give in to the pessimism and anger, I’m done for. If I counter the pettiness and head-biting with positivity, however, I find strength and encouragement to rise above the negativity and make it through the day.

The Bible tells us this:

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

You may want to serve up a scathing zinger to the co-worker who has just blasted you with a nasty insult but, more than likely, you’d only make a bad situation worse. It could be that your co-worker is simply having a bad day. An understanding and concerned response from you could be the key to turning a bad day into a promising day.  Remember, you’ve had those bad day, too!

Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

You can’t have an attitude of hatefulness and an attitude of gratefulness at the same time. It just doesn’t work that way. When that angry client calls or when you encounter that frustrated barista, thank God for that person and the opportunity to provide encouragement to someone who desperately needs it. In every situation, there is an opportunity to praise God. When you’re looking for that opportunity, you’re too busy to focus on the bad.

Lastly,

Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,

but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13:3‬ ‭NIV‬

When the boss comes in your office and seems to add to your stress, remember this:

Never, ever, is it a good idea to call your boss the Evil One.

At least, wait til he leaves the room and is out of ear shot! 😉

The Day from – – Well, You Know

You’ve had those days, haven’t you?

You’re trying your best. You’re giving it your all. But nothing – and I mean nothing! – is going as it should. Clients are jumping up and down, each one wanting their own matters to be moved to the top of your “to do” list. Deadlines are approaching. Work is piling up and your anxiety level is rising. You are being pushed to your limit and you know if you’re asked to do one more task or talk to one more pushy person, you are going to –

SCREAM!

There. Feel better now?

Wouldn’t it be nice to run outside and scream at the top of your lungs every time you’re pushed to your breaking point?

Imagine the feeling of all your burdens being carried away as your voice echoes through the skies.

Imagine the peace you would feel as all your stresses melt away.

Imagine the relief.

Imagine the judgmental looks from all your co-workers standing in the doorway watching you scream your head off and wondering which mental institute to call first.

Yeah. Imagine that.

The days that seem to come from the depths of the Fiery Pit itself will always exist. There’s no way to avoid them but I’ve come to realize that these days don’t have to end in an explosion of frustrations.

So, what do we do when the demands of the day overwhelm us and all we want to do is scream?

First things first: Remember that each day is a blessing.

Yep, even the horrible ones.

“This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalms 118:24 CSB

Each day is a gift, an opportunity for you to serve God, bless others and glorify Him with your words and actions. All the stuff that makes your day seem horrible is merely a distraction sent by Satan to keep you from enjoying God’s gift to you. Don’t let that manipulative joker steal your joy.

Secondly, quit trying to walk through your day alone!

“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV

You are only one person and there is only so much you can handle on your own. Ask for help. Ask for a break. And ask early – don’t wait til you’re about to blow your top!

Lastly, if you’ve reached the point of no return and you just have to scream, try crying out to the One who is always with you, the One who is strong enough to handle everything being thrown your way, the One who gives peace even on the most horrible of days.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

When the stress piles up and you are about to break, spend a few minutes with the Heavenly Father. Ask for His help. Take Him at His Word and trust Him to ease your mind and give you strength to make it through all of your days.

Trust me.  Crying out to the Father is a much better alternative than making a spectacle of yourself in the office parking lot. 😉

Freedom and Life

I was not obligated to sing in a worship service today. I was not responsible for the learning experience in a Sunday School class. I was not required to attend any particular services at any particular time with any particular congregation. No, this Resurrection Sunday, I was, for lack of a better word, free. Free to reflect on the significance of this day. Free to enjoy the celebration taking place among the trees as the songs of the Father’s creation filled the morning air and rose as sweet incense of praise to their Risen Lord. Free to sing along and worship my Savior as beloved songs of praise flooded my thoughts: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…”, “You ask me how I know He lives – He lives within my heart…”, “Now I have resurrection power Living on the inside; Jesus, You have given us freedom…”

Freedom. Jesus paid my debt with His life. He bore my sins – my careless words, my unforgiving spirit, my blatant disobedience, my hatred, my lies, my darkness – and He bled on the cross to wash me clean. He suffered to free me of the punishment I rightly deserve.

My freedom cost me nothing. It cost Jesus everything.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Still He chose to die for me and He offers me life through the power of His resurrection.

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As I reflect on the great love my Savior demonstrated on the cross and the power of His resurrection, I can’t help but wonder if I am squandering His gifts of Life and Freedom. Have I forgotten their cost? Am I sharing these gifts with a dying world?

His death set us free.

His resurrection gave us life.

What are we doing with these gifts today?

He Knew

“He set His face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51)

He knew His humanity was temporary.
He knew His Father’s plan.
He knew His perfect life would be tarnished by the imperfections of a world He had embraced.
Jesus knew His purpose, still He chose the path He knew would lead to death.

He was God.
He was man.
Heavenly purpose mingled with earthly fears.
He knew no sin, yet He knew love.
He knew sorrow.
He knew joy.
He knew pain.

“Let this cup pass from me, but not my will but Thine be done.” (Matthew 26:39)

Our Lord knew His journey on this earth would lead to humiliation, anguish, abandonment and death. Still He chose to die. With deliberate intention, He walked the path to the cross pausing only to accomplish the work of His Father in the lives of those He touched along the way.

His steps were not hurried.
His load was not carefree.
He knew His Father’s plan.
He set His face to go to Jerusalem.
He set His face to go to the cross.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

Happiness is… A Keeper

Happiness is to know the Savior,
Living a life within His favor,
Having a change in my behavior,
Happiness is the Lord.

Happiness is a new creation,
Jesus and me in close relation,
Having a part in His salvation,
Happiness is the Lord.

Real joy is mine,
No matter if the teardrops start,
I’ve found a secret,
It’s Jesus in my heart.

Happiness is to be forgiven,
Living a life that’s worth the livin’,
Taking a trip that leads to Heaven,
Happiness is the Lord.

“Happiness is the Lord” by Ira F. Stanphill

I learned this fun, little song when I was a child and as soon as I began this endeavor of blogging about happiness, the memories of singing this song in church so many years ago flooded my mind. And it has been playing over and over again in my head ever since. Even now, I can’t help but hear (and sing) it! But what a great message – Happiness is the Lord! And what a perfect introduction to this final installment of “Happiness Is…”.

What have we learned thus far about happiness?

We’ve learned that it is not an object, a person, or a desired set of circumstances. These are merely vehicles for temporary pleasure. They elicit short-lived feelings and never usher us into a lasting state of true Joy.

We’ve also learned that true happiness is not a goal to be reached but rather a by-product of how we live. When we live in such a way that honors God, the Creator and Giver of true happiness, only then will we find a Joy that can weather any storm and sustain us for all of our days.

That’s good stuff! 😉

Now that we know how to attain real happiness, how do we successfully retain it?

Yes, unfortunately, it is possible to lose our Joy. Oh, don’t get me wrong. Once we’ve found the true Joy of the Lord, it’s ours for keeps. That doesn’t mean, however, that our lives will be filled with nothing but blue skies and smooth sailing. No, life is filled with storms – big ones! Difficult people, sickness, death, financial struggles and so many other trials of life are lurking around every corner waiting to steal our Joy. All of these “storms” have the potential to leave us lonely, depressed, sorrowful and hopeless. So, how do we make it through the storms of life without losing our Joy?

When the storms of life begin to threaten and we feel as though our Joy is waning, it’s helpful to stop a moment for some serious introspection. In times like these, there are four areas of our lives that we need to examine:

1. Our faith
2. Our foundation
3. Our focus
4. Our hope (Well, pooey! I couldn’t think of a fourth word beginning with “F” to complete my alliteration. How on earth do pastors do it every single Sunday? 😉 )

An honest look at these four areas is key to learning how to retain our happiness.

Where is your Faith?

The tendency we all have (as we learned in Part One of this series) is to stake our happiness on the desires of our hearts, obtaining one treasure, one relationship or one ideal moment after another. When we do this, however, we are trusting our happiness to the objects of our affection and allowing them to reign over us emotionally, mentally and physically. We are essentially placing our faith in our desires rather than in our Creator and Heavenly Father. Only when our faith is placed in God can we be filled with true happiness.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,  with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:2, 9-11 (NIV)

Is your faith in the pleasures of this world, temporary treasures that are here today and gone tomorrow? Or is your faith in the Giver of good things in your life and the Author of your Joy?

What is your Foundation?

Just like your house needs a firm foundation to keep it from slipping, sinking or falling apart, so does your life need a secure foundation in order to weather the storms that come your way. Unlike the several types of house foundations, though, there are only two options for the foundation of your life: Rock or Sand. Take a look at what Jesus has to say about your foundation:

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:24-27‬ (‭NIV)‬‬

You see, your life’s foundation is your faith put into action. And the consistency of that foundation depends on where your faith lies (see question #1). If your actions, words and thoughts are driven by your faith in people, things or ideals, your foundation will be shifty and unstable just like the sands on the beach. If, however, you live your life in accordance with God’s Word, putting Him first and allowing Him to be Lord over every area of your life, you’ll find there’s no storm big enough to shake your Joy because your foundation is established on the Rock of your salvation!

Truly HE is my rock and my salvation; HE is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭62:2‬ (‭NIV)‬‬

Are you building your life on shifting sand by living out your misplaced faith? Or are you building a firm foundation by honoring God in every area of your life?

Where is your Focus?

There is nothing that can affect your happiness more than your focus. Even when your faith is sure and your foundation is firm, your focus can make the difference between a joy-filled life and a life consumed by negativity and sadness. When you choose to focus on problems, irritations, frustrations and other pains of life, eventually, that’s all your mind will be able to see. And what a shame that would be! God has given each and every one of us so many good things like family, friends, time, the comforts of home, hugs, beautiful mornings and on and on the list goes. Who would want to miss such wonderful blessings!

Focusing your attention on the positive is essential to maintaining your Joy each and every day. It reminds us of what is truly important in life and helps us to stay above those pesky, threatening waves of negativity.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Is your attention on the negativity of life? Or are you focusing on the good gifts the Lord has given you?

What is your Hope?

At this point (if you’ve stuck with me this long), you may be saying, “Come on! Sadness is a given. There’s no way anyone can be happy all the time.”

You’re right. We all experience sadness, anger, regret, grief and every other negative emotion there is. We are human. We are going to misplace our faith. Our foundations are going to crack under pressure and our focus is most certainly going to be diverted from where it should be. And all of this will result in the loss of our Joy.

But if you take anything away from this post, I hope that you will remember this: No matter your struggles, no matter your sorrow, no matter your pain, it will not last forever. The God who gives us our Joy also walks with us through the storms of life. He comforts us. He leads us and more often than not, He carries us. And when the last rain drop has fallen and the winds have finally settled, He will remind us of His great Joy that has surrounded and sustained us through our troubled times.

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm30:5b (NIV)

That, my friend, is your hope. It is the hope to which I tightly cling.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)

The Choice is Yours

There’s nothing easy about maintaining our Joy. I struggle with it more times than I’d like to admit but each time I let anger, hurt, disappointment or sadness overtake me, I try to remind myself of the questions of faith, foundation, focus and hope. Ultimately, though, hanging on to our Joy is a matter of choice. We can choose to live a life of misery or we can choose a life of Joy.

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (ESV)

When your happiness is being threatened, you have a choice to make: either give in and allow your circumstances to steal your joy or stand firm and hold tightly to the precious Joy of the Lord.

As for me, well…

I CHOOSE JOY!