Joy Power!

Do you ever wake up mornings and realize instantly that today is going to be a great, incredible day? Yeah, me neither. Usually it dawns on me after my second cup of coffee. Then, I will realize that God has given me the gift of joy today. I feel energized, I feel so excited to give away smiles, hugs, and make everyone feel as blissful as me. I get a burst of delight, laughing at the silly, little happy things in life and wonder why all days cannot be like this. Some days, people’s frowns and negativity are potent enough to do me in, and I feel sad. Some days, I feel tired and fatigued and it seems just too hard to share a smile. Other days, I just feel plain old grouchy and mean…

But today God has blessed me with joy! And I want to share it! I want to share it with you, you whoever is reading this, you! I want you to know that if I don’t know you, that I am sure I would love to know you… and I know that you have the amazing potential to bring light and joy to the people who surround your world. To those of you I do know, I am blessed to know you! Each one of you have touched my life in golden, beautiful ways and have let God flow through you, giving me encouragement just when I needed it, or smiles and laughs, or, best of all, dear, precious love.

I don’t usually demand things, at least through blogging world, but I demand that today you find joy! Find it somewhere, embrace it within your heart and let it energize you right down to the marrow of your soul. Then, dare not keep it! Give it away! Let it shine from you like the sun! For joy, as powerful as it is, is very easily snuffed out when we try to selfishly keep it to ourselves. So first, find the blessings of today, write them down, sing a song about them, tell them to your friends, write a blog about them! But most importantly, thank God for the gifts of joy he gave specially just for you today!

Princess Jennie’s Reasons for Rejoicing

1.         Work.  I have to be honest, my job entirely stresses me out. Crowds of people unnerve me, demanding, confusing work atmosphere drains me, I very much wish I had a new job. But as I was on an interview the other day, it dawned on me that if I left the Caf, I would horribly miss everyone. I would also be giving up a powerful opportunity to minster to others by my example. I was grumbling in my head the other day about how this is a “thankless” job, and just at the moment a girl walked by and said, “thank you” to me. Hmm…is God trying to tell me something? Summer Caf is amazing compared with Semester Caf. And I feel blessed to have it!

2. My amazing, mysterious power to open Walmart doors without touching them. I have to say, if you know me very well, I am rather ridiculous. And really... I love being ridiculous. I love being stupid and silly and making people laugh. I use to be very serious, overly sensitive, and uptightedly embarrassed all the time. I am getting better. Now, it is my challenge and my quest to rescue all the over serious and stern and make them realize how much fun it can be to be silly!

3.        Hamsters. Need I say more?

       4. The joy that comes from delighting in the Lord. I have discovered the secret of happiness! Would you like to hear it? The more closer to God you become, the more you obey him, the more you learn about him, the more you praise him, the more like him you become. And when God fills you up, so does his desires…desires which are perfect and beautiful and gentle and easy and simple and magnificent! And that is how we feel close to God, when we let his spirit dwell in us. And perfect, unexplainable joy, happiness, peace, and hope fills us to the brim. Delight in your Lord!

 5.    Give others the blessings of

a.        Sweet words

b.        Joyful humming

c.        Contented smiles

d.        Looking others in the eye

e.        Firm, confident handshakes

f.         Easily earned laughter

Trust me, it makes a difference…

6.        And finally, today I am happy because I consider it pure joy to let God work in my life; to know true contentment and to feel the strength of expectant waiting. Waiting for the sun to rise, waiting to be blessed, waiting to see our Father.

Have a blessed and joyful day!!!!!!