~ Daily Joy ~

"Hallelujah! O my soul, praise God! All my life long I'll praise God, singing songs to my God as long as I live."

Psalm 146:1-2 (MSG)

I love to be around joyful people! I love to see people enjoy life and be grateful for it. I love to see people grab hold of the opportunities that have been placed before them and do something good with it instead of complain and look for every negative thing that could possibly happen. I think we all know that we aren't guaranteed an easy road but the people that can take the road they are on, whether it be filled with potholes or speed bumps, and make the best of it earn my respect. I encounter a lot of people in a day. Those at work, church, school, the grocery store, restaurants, and many other places and I can tell you that there are those who really do enjoy life. Those people who can take the simplest task and make it special just because of their attitude. I can also tell you there are those that need a good dose of "happy pills" too but for now I focus on the other!

I have a very large family! I am the youngest of five children and between us there are 14 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. We are also a very close family and get together quite often, especially whenever someone has a birthday. So as you can imagine, we are together a lot! Lol! Now, our family is not perfect, by any means. We have had our share of trials and difficulties but we have always remained close and love to be together. Usually we occupy a little pizza place in town when we get together. We, of course, pack the place out but we love it. There is a special little waitress, named Queena, who works there and she really has become an "adopted" member of our family. What makes Queena so special is that she is always smiling, loves her job, and gives each person attention as if she knows them personally. Most of the time she is the only waitress on duty and just handles all the chaos with ease and grace. My kids even ask if Queena is going to be working because they love her as well.

You know, Queena could very easily have a bad attitude. She is a single mother with 4 boys and works hard to make ends meet. She sacrifices a lot of her time with her boys to provide necessities for them and she does so at a pizza place. What has blesses my heart though is the attitude at which she does it. She looks at the opportunity to work hard to provide for her family as a blessing and it shows. She has made an impact on our family and we look forward to those days when we can share a smile with her.

How do you go about your day? When people cross your path during the day what do they see? What do they hear?

Wow! What an eye opener this morning!

I want to be first to tell my Lord, "Good morning"! I want to give him praise before my feet hit the ground! I want to greet my husband with a smile and kiss as he wakes up. I want to open the door to my kids rooms and be the first to say, "Good morning, sunshine!" I want to go to work and smile and welcome each and every sweet sister I work with. I want to be a face of comfort and love to each preschooler and their parents as they come for a day of learning and fun. I want to laugh with my kids as we do homeschool together because learning together can be fun. I want to smile to the barista at my favorite coffee shop and ask them how they are doing. I want to show others the hope of Christ as they come to me for prayer. I want to be at the door when my hubby comes home from his long day at work, wrap my arms around his neck, and welcome him home. I want to lay my head down at the end of this day and praise my God for the opportunities he gave me to be a blessing to someone else today.

You see, it's NOT about me! It's about my JESUS! No matter what comes my way, I can be the hands and feet of Christ to others today. Out of the overflow of thanksgiving in my heart, I can bless someone else today. No, my life is not perfect. Yes, I have struggles too. BUT, I can be joyful for I have the hope of Christ in my life and I want to share that hope with all those around me!

So, what about you today? Will you join me in being the blessing to someone else today? Will you find the joy in living a life for Christ? For today, I ask you to shake off every negative thought or attitude and bless someone with a smile or a hug. Take the focus off of your own difficulties today and focus on the hope you have in Christ! I promise it will make a huge impact on your life!

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13 (NLT)