Tidying the bedroom, making the bed, dusting, sweeping the floor, and emptying the trash were the usual chores mom would give me, with the assurance that if I did these things first, I could go outside and play. I would begin my tasks with great fervor and focus, but then…
“But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!” (Psalm 68:3, ESV) All fairy tales seem to end with that wonderful line, “And they lived happily ever after.” As a child, we could read that line and then contentedly close our storybook,…
“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn…
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25 It…
“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Proverbs 15:13. On a recent visit with my family, I observed two young children at play. They were sitting on the floor, rolling a ball back and forth, and laughing loudly together. Later,…
The millennial generation has had more opportunities “to do what makes us happy,” but Gallop Market Research shows we are the least happy generation. Pursuing happiness—a temporary feeling based on what is happening is not the answer. What we need is a joy that is independent of circumstances and always…
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4, NKJV) When James tells us we are to “count it all…
Minimalism and a minimalist lifestyle have become the new catchphrase in recent years. The idea is when you remove the unnecessary stuff, you free up time and space to focus on the things that matter in life. The famous organizer and author Marie Kondo took that idea to a new…
“Live, love, laugh!” Oh, for the courage! The courage to live courageously and take risks and fall flat on my face. The courage to love with an open heart, knowing it will be broken many times over. The courage to laugh, knowing there will be tears in the future. Today,…