The JOY Challenge: Day One

I have a confession. Joy doesn't come naturally to me. Empathy, yes. Guilt, yes. But joy, not so much. I'm not sure why this is exactly. Biology, theology, who knows.

I like to explain my tendency toward the melancholy a bit like this: When you let go of the steering wheel in your car it naturally drifts one way or the other. It's the same with my emotions. So it's up to me to intentionally grab the wheel and pull it back to center (with God's help, of course).

So I'm throwing down the gauntlet for myself. Over the next forty days I'm going to intentionally look for more of what brings me joy and tell you about it.

This is day one.

And today sitting on my back porch by our firepit with my husband brought me joy. In a little over week we'll celebrate nine years of marriage. Not perfect, of course, but good.

On that same back porch, these flowers grow. Their existence is remarkable because I'm not good at maintaining much. But they, like us, are somehow thriving despite ideal conditions!

 

I once thought of joy as an emotion...now I see it as a choice.

And I'm choosing it, right here, right now.

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11

Would you like to join me in the Joy challenge? Just share one thing that brings you joy. I'll have random giveaways for people who comment or subscribe during the next forty days. And you never know when it could be you...  

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Comments

[Gabi]

Hot tea and hugs:)

[Rebecca]

Good for you. Great post. Joy? Cooking, music, family giggles.

[Mrs. H]

Joy...
...Stepping outside late last night, looking at the stars and seeing them spread across the sky. Our God is so great!
...Looking next to me this morning in the church pew and seeing my daughter with a princess flower/ribbon crown in her hair. She's growing up so fast & is so independent (@ age 6), but still has the enthusiasm of a child and is silly & girly enough for princess things.
...sharing in others' good news and hearing how God is impacting their lives.

[KD]

My sweet new grandson....6 days old!
Seeing a butterfly
When the sky is soooo blue with white puffy clouds
Taking photos (and having them turn out good!)
My flowers in my backyard

Thank you for this post....God keeps "reminding" me of all the choices I make...My "word" for the year is DECIDE.
I also thought one day I would just have joy and it would last....I is a choice and it does come with the choice!!!

[Linda]

I'm in Holley. There was a time in the life of our family when I thought joy would never be possible again. There was just too much on-going fear and uncertainty about the future. But you are right - it is a choice. For me it was choosing, in spite of the fact that the circumstances remain the same, to trust the Lord. I finally, after so much anger and bitterness and disappointment knew that there was nowhere else for me to go but to Him. It meant surrendering what I thought was control and absolutely putting everything in His hands.
Over time I realized that there was this inexplicable sense of peace - and then came joy.
I find I have seasons where I have to go through the process all over again - making that choice.
So for today - I find joy in a Father whose love never fails and whose promises are true.

[Susan]

today my joy was found in the children at church . . ."I was glad when they said to me, Let's go to the house of the Lord." and that the song Jesus loves me still carries the same message to little ones today

[Amy G]

Oh, I so needed this right now. Thank you. I do have to CHOOSE it. Life is not always easy, but I also want to choose to be joyful. If I don't, my house is not a pleasant place to be. And I don't want that.

My joy is hearing my 3 year old son say "Mom, I wuv you" just because. Joy is looking into a clear night sky and seeing the beautiful stars that God made and named. Joy is going out on a date with my husband! :)

[Jacquie Olsen]

I love this challenge - it brings me joy! My joyful moments include: enjoying a cup of coffee on Saturday morning with my husband (the only day we get to do this and are not rushed); seeing beautiful birds, especially the humingbird (yes, I am a bird lover); watching my flowers grow and bloom; a clean home; soft music and then sometimes loud. I better stop here. I am enjoying this too much and will save some for tomorrow. :) Thanks, Holley!

[songbirdtiff]

Joy doesn't come naturally to me either. Lately we have been going through some stressful job stuff, and Joy hasn't found me. I don't want it to be like this so I'm trying, making an effort to be joyful. Today, I was able to find joy in our worship service. Regardless of what has happened over the past week, I was able to shut all the bad stuff out and just focus on worshiping. It's a start.

[Fonda]

Watching my kids and their smiles. :-)

[Kristina]

I hope you don't mind, but I would like do this 40 day challenge as well. It's brings me joy to see I'm not the only one who has to choose joy in their life. I'm a sensitive person & I tend to "feel deeply" through out my day. I chose joy yesterday when we had family over for dinner, last minute. I did not stress & it turned out to be a good night. I found joy today by helping & serving others at a family function. The weather this weekend has brought me joy to sit outside with my family in the evenings.

[Donna]

I am so joyful that I found your site...What brings me the most joy is hearing a bird sing its heart out on a pretty day especially when it answers my call back to it....What a beautiful happy sound. makes all the sad things easier to take.

[deb]

Sitting on a beautiful Cape Cod beach yesterday with seven old friends - all healthy and still together after 20 years.

[sheryl]

holley, i came over to thank you for all that you are doing with (in)courage. i am loving it and love the new friendships that are being formed.
funny i would come here today when you post about choosing joy. i've learned that it is a choice! my life circumstances are less than desirable, yet i do choose joy. and that joy can come in being able to scrub a floor, walk to the mailbox, laugh with my kids. doesn't matter - but i choose it. hope to join in with you on this journey.

[Myrna]

What brings me joy is spending time with my husband, sharing a joke together, and laughing together! We're on the early side of empty nesters (me being 40) for almost 3 yrs now. So spending time together brings me lots of joy.

Also, spending time with my girlfriends. Just sitting around and talking about anything and everything. When they go home my heart is full because we've enjoyed one another's company and have opened ourselves up to each other.

Thank You for bringing this subject before us, Holley! This is a GREAT thing for us to really think about and thank God for! :)

[Fiona]

I LOVE that verse in Philippians. LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
What brings me absolute joy is when I action upon a 'God nudging', and to me it is really nothing, but it turns out to be 'something' to the other person. Makes me wish I did it more!

[Lyn and Don]

We had great joy talking to our daughter today. This joy began on November 14, 1977 and continues with her infectious smile and words of encouragement. Joy, love, and pride to our special daughter!

[Julie Muraski]

Such a wonderful challenge...and so impactful for not just the person accepting the challenge but the entire family. I love accepting it and knowing I am going to make my family's life better. I agree that it is choice everyday. It is much easier to be negative, complain and miss the good. I am going to look for the good in my children, like playing nice together (not the mess they created), that I have a wonderful husband that likes to come home at night, play with the kids and will listen to me (and not get mad at the dirty socks or the crumbs on the counter). Wonderful idea...

[Jennifer Saake (a.k.a. InfertilityMom)]

Looking up at the stars at night.
Writing.
A long soak in a candle-lit bathtub.
Reading a good book written by someone with a like heartbeat for the Lord (like Rain on Me ;) ).
Holding my husband's hand.
Snuggling with any one of my long-awaited miracle kiddos (or all three of them at once)!
Chatting on the phone with my Mom.

The last three are especially dear treasured joys as I have so many friends who have no husband (or are in a very hard marriage), are still waiting for or grieving their long-desired children (I miss my other three as well), or who don't have living parents or a good relationship with them. I am overwhelmed with my blessings at times like these when I take even a moment to stop and reflect. How could I be anything but joyful???

God has worked many "theme words" in my life over the years including "waiting," "ballance" and "hope." In 2009 it has become the active pursuit of "joy," so I was thrilled to read your challenge as I myself am prone to drift toward the glass half empty side of the road when left to my own "driving" emotions. {hug}

[terriavidreader]

I enjoy making cards, and the feedback I get from people who get one unexpectedly - that's joy!

[Amy]

Spending time with a good friend, hearing my little one belly laugh, going for a walk with a friend. Coffee first thing in the morning and hot french fries with lots of salt.

[Susan]

We just got back from our annual block party.
One 'highlight' of the evening came when one of the newer neighbors asked me "is this your boy?" I was sitting next to someone else's 22 yr old son. I know I'm old enough to have one of those, but it's kind of strange to have been asked the question. So I answered "no, this is my boy", gesturing to my husband. Laugh,laugh, awkward moment. I guess I'll be asked that same kind of question for the rest of my life, but I don't think I will ever know quite how to handle it. So there's the heart-wound of being childless, but there's joy in acceptance. Finally, joy; accepting the Father's plan and purpose.

[Erika]

Jesus,my children, our pets, they bring me great joy..flowers..the ocean also bring me lots of joy!!

[Sandy]

Holley, what a joy you are to me...and having the internet to see all that God has in store for me through you. You see, I am halfway around the world from my home and family and there are days when it is hard to find joy. But I "choose" to find joy in every day whether it be the sunshine, hearing a bird sing or just sitting on the back porch with a cup of tea remembering home. Today I found out that I will be going home for a visit to see my beautiful son's sweet smiling face.....he's 23 years old, and what joy that is for me. Thank you for helping us to grow in our daily walk.....God bless.

[Sally Garrod]

Thank you for your message today on Joy. I've always found it hard to 'enjoy the moment' but I'm learning more & more to do so.
On our way home from a Summer Garden Show yesterday, my husband took us off the main road. My moment of joy was listening to him give me his knowledge of the history of all the different places we passed through. It might sound boring but as I knew that it gave him pleasure, it made me joyful. (It was interesting too!)
It's the little things that God cares about as well as the big & most of the time, we live with the little things. Enjoying the moment is our right & privilege as 'it may never pass this way again'.