Nature brings me so much joy! Even now as I type, I am settled on my porch listening to the birds sing.
We recently moved onto a farm that we purchased 15+ years ago. I have enjoyed doing a little landscaping here and there, making our house a home. Yesterday I planted this beautiful rose bush! Her name is Miranda.
JOY
There is just something about photography that brings my heart joy too! I love to share moments that make me stop and smile.
JOY
I document my life. Why? I do not know! I am constantly taking pictures. I can’t help myself! I just love sharing the things in life that bring me joy!
JOY
A friend and I were discussing true joy yesterday and that conversation sparked this post. How many times have you thought, “If I could just leave this job…,” “If it was the weekend…,” “If I was married…,” “If I was single…,” “If I looked like that…,” “If I had that much money…,” I WOULD BE HAPPY. In my 50 years of living, I can tell you that material things come and go. Looks change and so do jobs. Some relationships don’t last and truthfully, none of us are promised tomorrow.
So many times we wait for a current situation to change before we expect JOY in our lives, meanwhile we waste the day God has given us. How many years have been wasted in your life because you’re waiting for something to change?
I have worked full-time and I have been a stay-at-home Mom. I have dealt with infertility and have watched loved ones die. Yet through it all, my husband has often accused me of living in “la la land” because I am HAPPY! Don’t get me wrong, I grumble and complain — ashamedly so, but once I get a grip on my emotions and repent — the JOY is in my heart. My joy truly comes from the Lord. I have a grateful heart for ALL that He has done in my life. Everything I have is because of HIM. Everything I enjoy is because of HIM. I thank Him for giving me a new day. I thank Him for the birds singing and the beauty of nature that I have the privilege to hear and see. I am blessed, no doubt about it. I am grateful, no doubt about it.
I think a grateful heart is a joyful heart. When we focus on God and all of our blessings instead of the areas we see lack, the joy increases in our lives.
JOY
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
A thankful, grateful heart.
Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Practice being thankful for every blessing in your life, no matter how small. Test and see if it changes your level of JOY.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Seek God and He will provide all that you need. It is in the SEEKING that you FIND, and it is in the FINDING that you share in His JOY.
God bless you all!
Beth
