Philippians 4:8 …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. (NIV)

So what is it that holds you back from seeing the good in life?  I know that for me it is sometimes due to what I allow to fill my mind. I’m not saying that everything in life is Skittles and unicorns, balloons and puppies…God’s Word tells us there is a time for grief and sorrow (Ecc 3:1-8), yet I don’t think we’re supposed to stay stuck in the sad parts. Yes, somedays are difficult and it can be a struggle to find the good, to find joy , but if we choose to turn our minds towards looking for the good, it will be found. 

We all need each other. God made us that way on purpose.  It’s part of how we are made in His image, thus, relationships are a part of how we image His likeness to a hurting world. Being in close relationships is a part of our Kingdom purpose. 

I was walking through Kroger last night, and in my mind, I was literally praying there would be someone there who would hug me. Shortly before I had left my house to come grocery shopping , the weight of the day had hit me with an intense sadness and loneliness. My emotions do that to me sometimes; how about you…?

I rounded a corner in the natural foods and noticed a mom pushing her little girl in one of those cute carts that look like a bus or some sort of vehicle. I looked away and glanced again then realized it was my dear friend Amy. She and I used to work together. She’s at least ten years younger than I. We don’t get to see each other much because our families are in such different life stages, but whenever we have the opportunity, be it purposeful or by chance , it is a rich encounter. 

When it dawned on me who she was, my face and heart smiled. I was flooded with joy, and relief, because I knew God had heard my cry. We came together , hugged, talked for just a moment, then hugged again, and continued shopping. Fifteen minutes later, we both were heading to the registers and hugged one last time. What a God ordained encounter!  What joy!!

I know better now how God answers my prayers, how He hears my heart and can truly be trusted to supply all my needs. Do you have a story of a God moment where He reached out to you through other relationships in your life?

I admit that I do like football more than many women, but I’m not a fanatic, or even a consistent observer.  I learned the game as a girl because my dad always watched , along with my brothers, and we only had one TV and a small house. So, I do enjoy a good game and understand most of it. 

Therefore , watching the super bowl is something I usually do simply because it seems like the thing that should be done.  I do enjoy the commercials and halftime show, as well as the food when I get to go to a party. Yet, It seems there is something beyond the game with all its trappings. 

There is a connectivity with the world that happens when we watch big events such as this, a sense of community in the midst of our great big existence on this planet.  Somehow, our world seems a bit smaller when there is something that many of us can experience at the same time then discuss via social media or at the office the next day.  

I know there isn’t any obvious spiritual meaning attached to all the super bowl hype, and many would argue that much of it is opposite from religious values and morals. However, I would argue that God made us for relationships and there is something basic in all of us that longs to feel connected with others. Events like the Super Bowl add a bit of joy to many lives because of how it brings us together to share in an experience as humans in this great creation of our God. 

In the last week, as I’ve been out and about in our town, I’ve been very aware of one of the joys of living in a small town. No matter where we go, the grocery store, theater, restaurant, gym….wherever , we run into people we know. There are teachers my kids’ had in school who also went to our church, co-workers with whom we share sporting events for our kids, and pastors who were our college friends. 

In a few months, we will be moving back to a big city, after 18 years in this small town.  There are different joys there for us to re-discover and experience for the first time, and even though I feel in my spirit that it’s time to move, I will miss the joys of this small town….

I’ve always noticed the sun, sky, stars, moon. God’s presence seems closer to me in the natural light around me. This blog theme started as a springboard from Epiphany, the manifestation of Christ to the Magi, also defined as an illuminating discovery, aka light in the darkness. 

A friend of ours, who is an artist, has posted random pictures of light these last few months. I’m not sure of his purpose, but many are inspiring. His influence is rubbing off on me, and I’ve been taking more note of light on the inside as well as out. 
This is true of people as well.  Some bring light into our darkness. My joy is fuller because of those people in my life. In fact, I wouldn’t survive without them. 

Proverbs 4:18 says that “the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” God uses us to bring light to one another, and this will grow greater until we pass on and see God in all His glory, if we choose to allow this light into our lives, to look for it, and to be that light for others. 

We all need help sometimes. I’ve been needing help with motivation to do projects I have to tackle to get our family ready to move. One of the ladies from my small group came today. She had offered to help me pack , sort, fold, whatever…

What joy it was to have someone help me!!  We cleared out one small room that I cannot paint, then we will use that room to help store boxes as we pack them.

 I’m so very thankful for Sheri’s help today.  God used her to bless me with added joy today. 

Crying can cleanse us, clear our hearts and minds. Sometimes we need that type of cleansing, a catharsis, before we can move forward. It can enable us to get “unstuck”. 

I had such a cry today. Time will tell the long-term effects of it, if the catharsis unstuck me. Yet, in the short-term, I can say I felt lighter and freer afterward, hopeful, encouraged….and this brought me joy…yes, even in the midst of tears. 

So, my point is that I try to surround myself with reminders that will point me in the direction of finding joy. There are days that are still pretty tough, and I’m not sure I would climb out of the low places on many days if I didn’t have all the sign posts of joy around me to re-focus my perspective.

Yesterday was sort of one of those low days. It was a typical Monday, but added to it was the fact that I traveled over the weekend. That always puts me a bit behind. Hence, I not only couldn’t get my “normal” accomplished yesterday but I didn’t get caught up either. Yet, by days end, I had prevented myself from falling into a “pit of despair ” 😱 by making conscious choices to purposefully focus on the good, plus (and most important) I prayed a lot (let’s be real, without Jesus, I wouldn’t be able to find the will to look for joy because my main reason for any good in life is God).

So, technically I missed posting yesterday. I went to bed on time
and forgot to write.

However, I did think about writing yesterday. I took a couple of pictures that show how I try to turn my thoughts toward joy each day. 😁 

Yes, many people hate snow and many have seen enough of it this season. I, for one, love snow and our little neck of the woods hasn’t had much of it this winter. Therefore, today I rejoiced to drive through snow (though thankful it wasn’t treacherous), and tonight, it covers our street and cars and twinkles where the streetlight hits it. The sky is aglow with it, and I feel joy.