The JOY Challenge: Day 27 - Cracks in Time

I'm deliberately looking for joy for forty days. To start from day one click here.

I am naturally a busy person. I would like to be one of those peaceful, wistful types who know how to take life in stride. But instead I tend to speed through it, focused and fast.

As a child, I remember setting a goal to ride my bike around the block 100 times. No one told me to do this. I simply did it...wheels whirring beneath me, wind in my air, feeling happy and tired all at once.

I haven't changed that much.

After finishing grad school, publishing a book, and helping launch a new site, people keep telling me, "Holley, it's time for you to take a break. Just relax."

I try. Good grief, I try. (And, yes, I realize there's something really ironic about trying THAT HARD to relax.)

It feels as if there are cracks in my schedule. And I'm insistent on plugging them. I fear my life will get a leak if I have five minutes of nothing.

But lately, I've started letting some of those cracks in time stay.

And I've discovered something.

Come close, I'll whisper it to you...

Those aren't cracks; they're doors.

They let in the love of my husband when we sit on our porch together on a cool fall evening. They allow the laughter of friends to slip into my life more often. They enable me to reach out and reconnect with family.

And in all those moments comes the One who matters most.

When I shut the door to the open spaces of my life I leave no room for Him to enter.

It's a truth I struggle with every single day.

You will fill me with joy in Your presence. Psalm 16:11

Lord, may we see the cracks in our schedules as opportunities for you to come into our lives. May the doors of our hearts be open to you. Draw us to you in the stillness and whisper, "I have come. I am here. I am enough." Amen. 

Would you like to join me in the Joy challenge? Today please share if you ever struggle with being too busy (a joy stealer) and what helps. I'm having random giveaways for people who comment or subscribe during the forty days. And you never know when it could be you...  

The Joy Challenge: Day 26 - The Chair

I'm deliberately finding joy for forty days. To start from day one, click here.

 

The chair once sat in the living room of my grandparents. It's covered in the fabric above, shaped like a horseshoe, low to the ground, with three stout legs. As children, my brother and I took turns spinning in it until we tumbled, dizzy, to the ground.

The chair quietly disappeared and I didn't think much of it until the last time I visited my grandfather. And there, in the garage, it sat. I asked about it and learned he planned to put it in a garage sale.

I protested and my parents hauled it all the way from Texas to my home the next time they came to see me (my grandpa still says I owe him $40 with a twinkle in his eyes).

Now it sits in the corner of our bedroom. It's the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning. I look at it and I think of childhood, family, the places my heart calls home no matter where I am.  

My Grandpa says the chair is from the sixties or so and that he and my grandma bought it from a couple at their church. It's seen a lot of life, that chair.

Lately I've been curling up in it for a few moments before I go to work. I pray, quietly, and run my fingers along the fabric.

I think about how everything feels so urgent to us. And then I think about how time smooths things out and living faithfully in little ways adds up to a lot when it's all said and done.

Sometimes I close my eyes and feel the arms of the chair around me. Words of those who have sat there too run through my mind. I remember again there is time—enough for living, loving, fulfilling God's purposes.

Then peace settles somewhere deep inside, joy calls my name and I'm ready to face the day...ready to stand.  

 

Would you like to join me in the Joy challenge? Today just share a place where you feel joy. I'm have random giveaways for people who comment or subscribe during the forty days I write about joy. And you never know when it could be you...  

Let's pray for each other...

Tell us how we can pray for you (or someone you love) or just stop by to pray for someone else today on www.incourage.me.

The JOY Challenge: Day 25 - Fear of Heights

I'm deliberately finding joy for forty days. To start from day one click here.

Congratulations to Mary Lynn! Her comment on Day 24 was chosen by the random number generator and she's getting the leather prayer journal from DaySpring. If you still want the journal or anything else on DaySpring.com you can get 20% off with my friends and family code (holley20).

Husband and I sit on the couch talking about this plateau of joy I've been facing. I laugh and say, "I'm scared of heights...emotionally."

And then I realize my silly words are true. In some sense, joy puts us at risk of falling. We have more to lose.

Sadness, anxiety, fear. All of these keep us low to the ground. The view isn't that great but somehow we feel safer.

I even remember reading a study during grad school that showed people are more likely to gravitate toward negative emotions for that very reason.

I ponder this and then truth comes...

If they stumble, they will not fall, because the Lord holds their hand. Psalm 37:24 NCV

Of course, these words don't mean I won't have disappointments or difficult days. But there is One who will catch me.

And in that moment I realize...

Joy is not a tightrope—it's a walk of faith.

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

The JOY Challenge: Day 24 - Fitting Prayers

I'm deliberately finding joy for forty days. To start from day one click here.

 

I am thinking of the size of my prayers today.

 

Some are small. Help, Lord.

 

Some short. Thank you.  

 

Some are the size of my hand, stretched toward another. Be with us now, Lord.

 

Some are chopped into little pieces, often when I'm driving. Bless Mark. Help me in that meeting. I love you. Thank you for making those flowers. Please give me peace. I'm glad you came to save us. My words lay out like the dashed lines in front of my car.

 

Others are long. They could fill pages, books. They come from somewhere deep inside and form a string of words that could stretch around the world...or all the way to the hearts of those for whom I pray.

 

I analyze these prayers. Sometimes the little ones seem, well, too little. Sometimes the long ones seem self-absorbed. Like trying on clothes at a shop, I try to find the perfect fit.

 

Sermons, articles, books offer their perspectives too.

 

Then one day I realize...

 

It is not about the size of my prayer but the size of my God.

 

And in this there is joy. For whether we have faith like a mustard seed or a mountain, He takes our words and weaves them into His purposes. Small. Short. Little. Long. They all have a place.

 

They all fit.

 

 

 

Would you like to join me in the Joy challenge? Just leave a comment by midnight on Thursday. Instead of a random giveaway, you'll be entered for this leather prayer journal (above) from DaySpring. It has six different sections (Praise, Ask, Listen, Thank, Change, Love) and I did the writing inside. It really is beautiful and looks even better without the sticker on the front. (:   

The JOY Challenge: Day 23 - The Alley

I'm deliberately finding joy for forty days. To start from day one click here.

I walked along the streets in a nearby town. Music played, people enjoyed dinners on patios, and I held my husband's hand.

We strolled past this alley and it stopped me in my tracks. I stared at it, captivated by the contrast between lush green on the left and hard brick on the right. I took a picture and we kept going.

This morning I remembered that photo because I feel like I'm in that alley lately.

It's one of those seasons where I say, "On one side, I've got so many blessings growing in my life I can hardly keep track of them (lush green). On the other side, I'm struggling with discouragement and challenges (hard brick)."

Is anyone else in an alley today?

As I thought about this in the context of joy, my eyes drifted to the end of that alley. I've learned. I know what He says is true...

Joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

This alley won't go on forever. In the meantime, I cling to what is good, right, true. I run my hands along the green and whisper fervent prayers. I am not alone here. You aren't either. The One who knows how many hairs are on our heads and how many cares are in our hearts is with us.

Gently, and with grace, The One Who Loves Us will lead us back to joy.

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

 

Let's Pray for Our Families

Tell us how we can for yours on (in)courage today...just click here.

The Joy Challenge: Day 22 - Friday Funnies

I'm deliberately finding joy for forty days. To start from day one click here.

My dear friend Amber has a little thing on her fabulous blog, the run-a-muck, called friday funnies.

This week she told a very funny story about herself and she's inspired me to do the same.

Actually, I don't think I can keep it to just one. As you know, I'm all about celebrating our beautiful anomalies (aka weird stuff we do).

So here are a two amusing things I've managed to do recently...

One: The other day coming back from lunch I approached the little scanner on our door that lets us in. Normally, I don't have any issues. So after several attempts I stood there shaking my head, wondering what was wrong...until I realized I was attempting to open the door with the remote to my car.

Two: There's a local cafe where I liked to write called World Garden (it's fabulous and you can order their coffee online). Lots of cool people always seem to be hanging around and I'm, well, not cool. But I try to pretend that I am--at least just a little bit.

So in my "trying to be cool" state I walked back to my table, sat down, and heard a ripping noise. Y'all, my jeans have pockets on the back and I had hooked one of the corners on my chair and tore that baby right open. I couldn't manage that again if I tried. And apparently I can't manage "cool" either...even when I am trying! 

If you would like to hear about more of my escapades and feel better about yourself, you can read here about how I launched my coffee across the room in front of an editor, wandered into the men's room (and stayed long enough to do my lipstick), or just get a big long list of all my beautiful anomalies (like changing the lyrics to eighties songs and singing them to my dog).

You know, that stuff used to bother me. But I've realized that our craziness is just a pretty good reminder that we're not God. And that takes off a lot of pressure, don't you think? It's so much easier to feel joy when you're not trying to have it all together. Amen.

What funny stuff have you done lately that we should know about? Write about it on your blog and link to Amber. And spill it here too so you'll be entered in the giveaways...

The JOY Challenge: Day 21 - Smiles Ahead

I'm deliberately finding joy for forty days. To start from day one click here.

 

Meet Von Rovenstine. He's the son of some dear friends of ours, Jason and Lisa. Not only does Von look really cool bald—he's also VERY brave and quite busy kicking cancer's behind. And he's scheming to give back to the people who have helped him along the way. Von is not only finding joy in the middle of a tough time, he's sharing it with others. Pretty amazing. 

To see how you can make Von's day and bless some other kids with cancer too, visit the Rovenstine's blog. And spread the word!

The JOY Challenge: Day 20 - In the Middle of the Night

I'm deliberately finding joy for forty days. To start from day one click here.

I fought joy yesterday.

It tried to come in but I would bat it away with a whine.

I'm tired.

I'm bored.

I want to do/be/have something else.

This morning I walked into our office and saw this on my husband's desk...

Three little words: I feel Joy

My husband is not what you'd call a "feeler." We joke often about how he hardly ever uses that word. He says "think." I say "feel."

Curious, I called him.

"You wrote 'I feel joy' on an envelope in your office."

"I did?"

Together we figured out he had written it in the middle of the night, half-asleep, not even remembering the moment he did so.  

I hung up the phone, a smile spreading across my face.

I tried to keep joy out but it found a way. In the crack between waking and sleeping it slipped into our home through the hand of my husband.

I fought joy yesterday and it won.

I'm so happy that it did.

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