Finding your Joy - a daily inspiration

[TAMF]

January 6

FINDING YOUR JOY
Give Something Away Every Day

Be careful how you live; you may be the only Bible some people ever read. UNKNOWN

I BELIEVE we rob ourselves of joy by not giving something away-every day.
There’s nothing in the world like the feeling you get when you perform a random act of kindness. I almost feel guilty for the pleasure I gain when I am helpful to someone. If it feels so good, why do we stop to think before we just do? Are we afraid we’ll look too soft? Are we afraid we might be embarrassed if the offer for help is refused? Or do we talk ourselves out of helping by drawing a fact-less conclusion that the person will be fine and doesn’t really need our assistance?

Most people limit their gifts to money or time. Both are critical, but I’ve discovered joy by looking for other things to give such as:

• Encouragement. Let’s admit it-we’re all faced with challenges every day. That’s why I started writing my blog. Girlfriends need encouragement. Many of you give away encouragement by forwarding my notes on to your girlfriends, and some of you write me to cheer me on. What inspiration I gain from you!
• An extra pair of hands. Ever see a mom struggling at the grocery store or at the airport with her kids, bags, doors, car seats, etc.? I always smile, ask gently if I can lend a pair of hands-and have never been refused. The mother looks at me like I’m some sort of angel. What brings me joy about this? I usually get to hold the baby!
• Your seat. This one gave me my biggest jolt of joy ever. I had the opportunity to give my first-class airline seat to an army private coming home for leave from the war in Iraq. Every minute I sat in his middle seat from Dallas to Portland was pure joy. What an honor it was for me to serve him, if only for three hours and fifty-none minutes. Wow! I could have floated off that plane. (And he was pretty tickled too.)
• Forgiveness. I give forgiveness. Because I make mistakes, I know others do too. I’ve found when I give forgiveness, it’s me-not the other person-who benefits. Forgiveness is freeing, and being free is joyful.

The generous will prosper;
Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (PROVERBS 11:25)

Some people confuse this type of generosity with being nice, but it’s much more than that. There’s nothing like the rush of joy you get when you give something away. So what will you give away today?

[TAMF]

January 7

FINDING YOUR JOY
Glory in What You Have

Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have. ANONYMOUS

LIFE IS FULL of blessings we take for granted.
Yet so often we dwell on what we don’t have. I think the more we dwell on that, the harder it is to come by joy. So if yearning for things robs you of your joy, the opposite must be true. Glory in what you have, and the joy will come flowing through!
This is the Ellen version of “stop and smell the roses.” Don’t just be happy about the things or people in your life . . . take glory in them. Celebrate them. Be in awe of them. This isn’t about the stuff-it’s about how your heart thinks about the stuff! One important note: in order to glory in what you have, you will need to have mastered being in this moment.
So what do I glory in?

• A walk. I glory in the fact that I have feet and that I can walk. I walk every day. It’s good for my heart, my mind, and my derriere. What a blessing!
• My Dean Martin CD. Dean Martin is pure joy. My mom, who died several years ago, loved Dean Martin and played his albums almost every Saturday evening when I was growing up. Warm, fond memories are good for joy.
• Cut flowers. I pick up a bouquet of cut flowers at the grocery store every week. Girlfriend, $6.99 can’t buy anything else this good! Every time I look at them I am amazed at the creativity of our God. Joy in a six-inch vase. How cool is that?
• Dancing. I just dance and dance and dance . . . usually in the kitchen and usually to Dean Martin. I’m not very good but it seems to provide great entertainment for my husband-he gets joy from watching my joy!
• Sunshine. I’m fueled by sunny, warm days. How can sunlight possibly be free? Well . . . I guess if you live in California you pay for it in property costs. But for the rest of us, it’s free. Sunshine brings me joy.

O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! (I CHRONICLES 29:13)

What do you glory in? Take a few minutes to make your own list. Once you recognize what you glory in and you learn to be in this moment-you’ll glory in more. And that will bring you joy.

[TAMF]

January 9

SPREAD TOO THIN

Freedom means choosing your burden. HEPZIBAH MENUHIN

MY HUSBAND and I are serial remodelers. We often finish a project (or sometimes an entire house) only to move immediately on to the next room, or even the next place of shelter, to provide a little TLC (tender loving construction). Because our professions rarely afford us even a small glimpse of some tangible result from our daily toil in the office, I think it’s our way of feeling productive and creative. When we remodel, we actually get to see the fruits of our labor.
During one of those makeovers, this time of the master bathroom, I especially enjoyed the rapid progress of the work. My husband, being the visionary as well as the general contractor for these projects, always looks forward to my critique of our craftsmen’s handiwork (not!). One day, I arrived home to find that the painters had applied their magic. But . . . in one tiny area, over in the corner, the paint was spread too thin.
Although the work (paint job included) was spectacular overall, in this one confined space, the work looked sloppy. It lacked the crispness and the detail that surrounded it. It wasn’t as fresh. It actually looked a little worse than before. I thought I could ignore it-but when I went back to the bathroom to take in the sight of the beautiful tile work-all I could focus on was the wall peeking through the Sherwin-Williams, Rope #SW8001.
Like the paint job, I’m often spread too thin, coming across a bit sloppy-in my relationships, in my work, and in caring for myself. I’m not fresh. I’m not creative. I’m not detailed. I’m not present. I’m just a mess.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men . . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (MATTHEW 5:13,16, NASB)

Are you overcommitted too? Uh-huh. I thought so.
There’s tangible fallout when we overschedule our lives, and the majority of the time, that fallout occurs in the depth and breath of our relationships. We cannot fulfill our life purpose if we become like salt that is tasteless and dull.
You have the right and the power to choose between those things that are causing you to be spread too thin. You also have the obligation. Those in your world are looking for your light to shine. What things can you eliminate today that will allow you to glorify your Father?



January 10

SPREAD TOO THIN
An All-about-Me Life

DO YOU FEEL like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Are you stressed out because there’s just not enough of you to go around? If so, you’ll be able to relate.

It was a bit uncharacteristic of me, but not too long ago, I had a total melt-down. Yep-driving down the road-I couldn’t see a thing for all the rain (and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky).
Here’s what had happened just minutes before: I was running late to a meeting. Not just any meeting. This one was with our adult son, who had recently returned after being missing for over three years and was going through rehab. As I headed out the door, it dawned on me that I was double booked-in addition to the commitment with son, I had two conference calls scheduled for the afternoon.
On top of that, my head was swimming as mothers’ heads do-when had I last called our daughter? It’s always the child who is not in crisis who seems to get the short end of the stick. My cell phone was ringing off the hook as I fished around my purse for my keys headed to the car. My husband was pulling up the rear as we headed out to lunch.
It was while we were standing there in our office parking lot that my husband and I had a major communication snafu on a very minor issue (isn’t that how it always is?). I needed to take my car; he suggested we should drive together. I snapped back a thoughtless response about my lack of “me” time and the state of my personal energy crisis. He implied that I was having an “all about me” moment.
Oh . . . puuhhllleeeeaaassseee.
All about me? All about me?
It took me until about seven that evening to realize he was right. I was having an all-about-me life, because I had encouraged others to depend and rely on me to the point that it wasn’t healthy-for any of us. Nor was it fair.
How often we needlessly, selfishly carry the burden along-not allowing those who care for and love us to shoulder part of our load. How egotistical we must appear; how others must feel that we don’t value them or trust them to help us resolve issues or fix problems. By 3 a.m. I has surrendered my hold on the weight I’d been dragging around.

The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. (PSALM 145:14)

Are you carrying a burden alone too?

[TAMF]

Good morning my "online" friends! I have been posting these little daily inspirations because so many of them deal with issues that we are all facing right now, and they help me, so I thought they might help some of you too.

January 14

SPREAD TOO THIN
Positive Thoughts

I’M OFTEN SPREAD too thin-not because of my workload, to-do-list, demands from my family, or volunteer work, but from sheer brain overload caused by the negative voices in my head.
We don’t have to be diagnosed with schizophrenia to know that we deal with a barrage of nasty voices that spread us too thin. Things we literally make up, conclusions we jump to, and fantasy “showdowns” we have to set the record straight. I know you know what I’m talking about: the articulate positioning, perfect timing, and final zinger you ‘share’ with that person who harmed you; the venting that happens over and over and over-but only in your head.
Spending time dwelling on hurts, wrongs, and misfortunes is a waste of time. How many hours each week do we squander, pondering how we’ve been wronged and how we should defend our honor? Consider the outcome if we took that same amount of time and did something useful with it. Like maybe read a book; call someone who makes us laugh; listen to upbeat music; or better yet-pray. Imagine the positive energy we would gain by putting a stop to our negative thinking.
When I fixate on something hurtful someone has said or done (or hasn’t said or hasn’t done), my spirit is drained. My enthusiasm, loveliness, and spunk are nowhere to be found. This lack of positive life force only hurts those who haven’t wronged me. How unfair is that?

Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,
So stop before a dispute breaks out. (PROVERBS 17:14)

But when I purposefully replace my brooding thoughts with positive observations, I am joyful; I am at peace; and I can only imagine I am a lot more fun and engaging to be around. To purposefully transform my thoughts I have to first recognize that I am in a negative state of mind. Then, I take a few minutes to count just a few of my hundreds of blessings to move myself out of my pity-me party. No, it’s not always easy, and it typically requires me to be conscious of my thoughts and diligent in my actions. But the effort is worth it.
It’s time to choose the positive over the negative. Put a stop to those fantasy showdowns and replace them with a power walk, a good tune, or something that makes you giggle. Don’t waste another minute listening to those nasty voices. You’re spread too thin as it is.


January 15

SPREAD TOO THIN
The Disappearing Act

I KNEW I was spread too thin before my meltdown in the car. I had been fantasizing for months about taking a sabbatical because I knew in my heart that I was burned out. I knew I needed to spend time cocooning.
A few years before, I had learned about cocooning from my former pastor. I had adopted the process, leaving home every twelve months (for a period between a few days and a week) to read and study, rest, dream, and plan in order to hear God’s calling-and to be prepared to take action.
This time, because I was so burned out, I elected to take a monthlong recess from the office. While some might go to a spa or on a Caribbean vacation, I elected to stay home during this cocooning event to work on my three Rs: resting, renewal, and rededication. But I quickly realized I was rusty on all three! My first challenge: relearning to rest.
Resting. We’re not very good at this, are we? We get one hour at home, alone, and what do we do? Start busying ourselves in the name of productivity. Are we bored? Or could we actually fear time alone with our thoughts? Quiet time is a requirement to renewing one’s mind, body, and soul, but I found myself in the first two weeks of my “holiday” keeping the same pace I had when I was heading into the office. It finally dawned on me, about eight days into this intermission, that I would need to plan my rest as I plan anything else of importance to me.
So, a question for you: when was the last time you had eight continuous hours of shut-eye? When cocooning, I am one of the chosen few who gets a full night’s rest, because I plan it. Are you burned out too? I feel safe in prescribing rest for you. Easy to say, hard to do. Yet I learned during my month of cocooning that our lack of sleep is less about available sleeping hours and more about our unwillingness to make sleep a priority.
Once rested, it’s amazing how our rewired minds can process information much more clearly. And it’s not just sleep that refreshes us. While cocooning, I also learned to rest from

People–my social calendar was closed;
Problem solving-the focus was listening for God’s will for me, not trying to solve everyone else’s problems;
Spending-shopping sprees are not part of the cocooning process.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (PSALM 91:1)

Are you spread too thin? Before you disappear for good, consider a few days of cocooning. And if you’re a mommy with kiddos still bouncing about the house, just hide in the closet for fifteen minutes. A break is a break.