Monday, November 30, 2009

What is Joy?

Note: In the spirit of using computer time wisely and remembering God, my home and family are my first priorities, I am participating in Jamie's 30 Minute Blog Challenge at Steady Mom today. I am starting this post at 9:44 P.M. We'll see how I do!

I have been thinking and planning the upcoming year for my personal life and for this blog. I appreciate your input on what kind of posts you want to see. Let me remind you, if you haven't voted yet, please click through to the blog and cast your vote at the top of the sidebar. I am planning and preparing for a joy-filled year.

As you know, JOY is our goal here on Joy Ever After. So, my thoughts have been lately, "What exactly is joy? What exactly am I planning when I say I'm planning a joy-filled year? Am I being a hypocrite when I talk about joy on the blog and don't feel very joyful at a given moment?"

I came across one of the best definitive statements about joy just this last week. David Seamands in his book, Healing for Damaged Emotions, describes it like this:
 Joy is an internal word which has to do with relationships, not circumstances, not happenings. Joy is the inner calm at the eye of the storm; feelings can be stormy, but there can also be an inner sense of rightness to the will of God.
In the priorities of our lives, God and our families should come first, no matter what our station or circumstance. Being in the center of God's will as it leads directly into Heaven is the very core of a joyful life. And, those ideas form the basis of this blog and my writing.

How does this work out practically? When everything falls apart around us--you have been there as have I: dishes piled in the sink, laundry overflowing in the laundry room, children fighting, clutter strewn about the living room, baby screaming at the top of his lungs, husband asleep on the couch, dinner burning in the oven and someone knocking at the door--there is an inner sense that we are doing exactly what God wants us to do. It is He that gave us those husbands, children and homes for which to care. We may not be enjoying the circumstances of the moment, but that "inner sense of rightness" prevails.

Through this month, I will be sharing my plans with you on Tuesdays and Fridays, just in case you want to plan for a joy-filled 2010, too. Stay tuned!

I am finishing this post at 10:05 P.M. For more 30 Minute Blog Posts, visit this link.

4 comments:

  1. I appreciate your timely insights on joy. I was just thinking that while I am not as excited about Christmas as I have been in years past, I can still focus on the deep joy that we celebrate.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great 30 minute post. I wrote this awesome comment and it didn't publish, so I'll just say this is so true and thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love this post. Very practical for me-my middle name is Joy, & I am always trying to figure out more of how my name should work itself out in my life! Thanks for this post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is the second time I have come across someone talking about that book.
    Great description of joy.

    ReplyDelete