Happiness and joy to all. What if?

Surrounded by happy people is a place I believe every one would choose to be and stay.

Disney World makes it's reputation being a destination you're going to be happy being there. Every year people by the million pay handsomely to go to a place manufacturing emotions of happiness for each visitor entering the turnstiles to the world of wonder and delight for all ages.

Joy touches deeper than happiness

Photo credit: earl53 from morguefile.com
 
So, what if the entire world could be a happy, happy world?

We wouldn't need to travel to any one destination to experience happiness for a day or two.  We'd have happiness day in and and day out in every place we lived or went, including hospitals, schools, offices of all sorts, every place.

Happiness would be the normal state of affairs globally for any and every person wanting or desiring to be happy.

Is this asking too much? If every one wanted and desired happiness, couldn't this be so?

Doesn't every one want to feel happy and experience a state of happiness every day for as long as you wanted?

We could all make the pursuit of happiness the in vogue pan epidemic 'bug' you'd want to get bitten by.

What if everyone had the same or very similar  definition of happiness?
We'd all be on the same page about happiness.
We'd all be striving for the same, we'd all know the next person is just like us, and we'd help each other reach the happy destination together, which would reinforce every one's daily happiness quota.

There'd be worldwide unified happiness in which we'd be surrounded by happy people everywhere.

Disney World might not like that.

But, being happy is different than being joyful.
Don't get me wrong. Happiness is a very desirable emotion and mental state.
But in my humble opinion,
being joyful is preferred over being happy.

I like how this person puts it in describing differences between joy and happiness.

And this description of the differences.

And this one.

And being that, what if we all sought after joy?

What a world this would be.

What if?

It may be an unrealistic dream to wish happiness and joy for all people in the world,
 but one person at a time is all it would take to get
the 'Joy bug' passed around to catch on.

Inner joy warms the heart, radiates outward and is lasting.

Photo credit: Melodi2 from morguefile.com


It's joyful for me to wish this. (my heart's smiling)

How you can know God personally, the One who gives you life and wants you to 
enjoy life to the fullest, and so much more.


Until next time,
I'm treading along that small path, enjoying inner joy that surpasses
 all understanding.
 The source of my joy comes from who I know. 

The joy of being pruned

I was looking back on the closing year of 2010.  How quickly the past twelve months have past.  I generally try to look at the positive side of life, and think about lessons I've learned. The 'ups and downs' of life are to be expected and a normal part of life. I've found the 'down times' are when the growth occurs for me most profoundly.  Though at the time, it doesn't particularly seem like it because what's so 'in my face' is the problem and/or pain I'm feeling.  But Paul in the Bible says to 'count it all joy.'  Count it all joy being in pain and distress?  That sounds like a contradiction, but it's the way God has to deal with contrary and stubborn men, women and children. In the Old Testament, God's people, the Hebrews are a perfect example. Even after God provided the way to get them delivered from slavery and get out of Egypt, they actually wanted to go back. And that contrary behavior is still being practiced today. God blesses us so much, but we (people in general) still want to make our own choices and have our own way with a spirit of entitlement -that we deserve a ride on easy street  our whole life, so to speak, and don't even think or want to obey God's Word. Then when things go badly, our cries to God are how could He allow such a terrible thing happen?  Maybe it's our own doing and if we'd been obedient to God's Word the first place, things would be different.  But, just as the Hebrews cried to God after they found themselves in trouble from doing that which God warned them not do, they repented of their sin and their disobedience, and God was faithful and loving and removed them from their trouble. There is no mountain of situation beyond God's power to turn around for His people when God's people then and now return to obeying and worshiping Him. God is still the same. His Word endures and never changes. We would be so much better to learn from history.

Prune away till all that's left is what is good for service

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After my crisises have past, I can look back and clearly see God was right with me, carrying me the entire time, working and pruning me. God gives me insight, wisdom and develops me and allows me to grow and mature from those 'down times' of life. Pruning me makes me able to produce spiritual fruit and be effective for service to the people God brings into my life. I can be of service to them from the lessons I'd personally learned from my pruning.
If I hadn't been lead through the 'down times' in life,  I couldn't offer wisdom from first hand knowledge nor help anyone.

So God, prune me until I am become more and more in the image you need me to be for service for you. When I'm being pruned, I'm being molded, sharpened and shaped more in the likeness of Jesus. And that I can count all joy that I'm being made perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  And, that's for you as well.



Scripture references: Philippians 2:13; Nehemiah 9: 6-31; James 1:2


Question- What is God pruning in your life for you to accomplish?
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Until next time, I'm keeping my face in the glow of the Lord.


BONUS: Who likes to experience pain or have irritation in their life?  But, just like a bead nucleus causes irritation inside an oyster, which causes it to develop a sack around it, a beautiful pearl results.  So, maybe that irritation and pruning is God's way to develop something worthwhile inside you. Think about it.

Pearls are made from an irritation inside oysters

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Singing about the joy of the world

It's soon to be Christmas Day 2010. The day Christians celebrate the most wonderful thing to have happened in history.  We celebrate the birth of Christ coming into the world as a little baby born in a manger amongst animals. The Messiah's birth was foretold centuries before and nothing could alter God's plan of His appearance into the world as a baby boy.  Imagine, God's plan and gift to us, diety be born into flesh, to grow, and then to become the one sacrifice for all mankind in order to bring man back to right standing with God. God paid the price Himself. That's the character of God. His love is without limits for us. He himself suffered for us so our sins could be forgiven. What an awesome gift! What a magnificant gift! What love that shows! Jesus is joy born to the world. And all anyone has to do is believe who He is and what He's done and this is God's gift every person in all the world.  The angels announced His birth. Wise men sought Him, and wise men and women still seek Him.

God's gift to mankind was born in a manger

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This is the greatest gift of all. Praise God our Father almighty and to Jesus our Lord and Savior!

Here's a list of 80 or so Religious Christmas songs with lyrics- click on the song and sing to your hearts content with joy in celebrating the most wonderful news that Jesus Christ was born. May your heart be filled with joy. And I wouldn't mind a bit if you shared this with others.

Christmas is all about Jesus. Let's make Him the primary reason we're joyous. It's because of Him that we even know what  love, joy, and peace is.    Happy Birthday my Lord !!!!!  And have a blessed and joyous Christmas everyone!

P.S. I don't know the melody to most of these songs, but I can make up a melody as I sing the  lyrics and praise God. It's in my heart and that's all that matters. And no one hears me but the Lord and my dog, who accompanies me as I sing and play my harmonica for the Lord.

Singing of our newborn King at Christmastime

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