The Joy Challenge: Day 12 - The Smell of Happy

I'm deliberately finding joy for 40 days. To start from day one click here.

Yesterday as my husband and I left for dinner I thought, "I should have put on perfume" Then I recalled a bottle of Clinique Happy I had in our bathroom cabinet...

photo by Clinique

I got this perfume around the time we were married. I kept meaning to use it. I'd think, "This is just an ordinary day--I should save it for a special occasion." Every once in awhile I would allow myself a little bit but most often it stayed hidden away.

Then one day I decided I'd use it all the time. I pulled it out and sprayed. But it didn't smell the same. After years of being left saved up it had lost the fragrance I loved.

I realized I often do the same with the happy (joy) in my life. I think, "I need to save it up. I can't be joyful over this little thing. I should wait for something big." I somehow fear that joy can be used up and then when I need it most it will be gone.

I allow myself a little joy here and there but I have this fear of spraying it with abandon, embracing it every day, letting it be the perfume that sweetens my life and the lives of those around me.

But what if I get to the end of my life and realize my joy bottle is still full but it's too late to use it?

I wore Happy when my husband I were dating, and every time I smelled it I thought of him.

I want joy to remind me of the Lover of My Soul too. After all, it's His gift to me.

So I'm choosing to pull joy out from the cabinet of my heart and let its sweet scent remind me of the One who brings every blessing to my life.

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...  

Finishing Together

  

Update: A big "thank you!" to Mark and Keri from KLRC for featuring this post on the Morning Show. KLRC is an amazing Christian radio station that has won about a zillion awards. You can listen to them online at klrc.com or read the KLRC Morning Show blog.

Sunday morning we place our bikes on the back of the truck, head down the road, and set out to ride. The sky is brilliant blue, colors pop like fireworks as we whiz by, friendly joggers and fellow bikers wave hello.

This is how we start--fresh, easy, sure that it will always be this way.

Then miles pass, who knows how many? And my legs begin to ache just a little. Thirst comes and the sun, once cheerful, feels hot on my neck.

He is ahead on the trail, not feeling it as I do. I find all of a sudden that we are in different places, going at different paces.

Then I regain strength and pass him when he's not looking. He laughs, surprised. Out of my view, I only hear the whir of wheels behind me letting me know he is still there.

Now and then we catch up to each other and chat about what is happening in our lives. He encourages me up a long hill. I giggle as I try to zig-zag around him.

It is toward the end of the ride, finally, and the weariness hits me like a weight. He is ahead, pushing hard to the finish. All at once I feel a fear. I call his name. "Wait!"

He turns, concerned, and comes back to my side. "What's wrong?" he asks.

I tell him, "I just want us to finish together."

Then a kaleidoscope of almost ten years flashes through my mind—a wedding day, white dress, one-bedroom apartment, countless dinners with friends, our first house, our first dog, tears, laughter, kitchen table, warm bed, lost jobs, found jobs, church services, disagreements, making up, grad school, holidays, hopes for the future.

And I realize, as in today, that staying close to anyone in life—husband, family, friends—takes great effort no matter how much we love them. One speeds up, the other slows down. Then the pattern reverses. Sometimes we are together and other times in life's busyness we only hear the whir of wheels somewhere close to us.

Rounding a corner, my thoughts are interrupted as I glimpse our truck. I had not realized how near we were to the end. Do any of us?

We reach it side-by-side. That is all that matters now.

We said we would finish together.

We did.

And we will.

 

p.s. Jenni Saake is giving away a copy of my book, Rain on Me, on her blog www.HarvestingHope.blogspot.com. Friday is the last day to enter. She has an amazing heart for encouraging women so I hope you'll stop by!

Sometimes Joy Tastes Like Summer

Drifting through a recent day, unhurried, I take time with my parents visiting from the city. We spend the morning at a local orchard, picking peaches and blackberries. Joy seems like bursting-ripe fruit, ours for the taking...so we do, again and again.

(if you can't see the photos click here)

 

 

 

 

Home again, we peel, chop, make cobbler. Then we eat of life until we've had our fill. Finished, we rest and think of how days like these come once in awhile, in just the right season...and that makes them all the sweeter.

 

Barnes & Noble Book Signing

Update: Here are a few fun pics from the book signing! Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by!

 

I got to do the book signing with my fabulous friend and talented writer Gwen Ford Faulkenberry. She was signing her devotional A Beautiful Life and her Christian romance novel Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado.

 

These are a few of my wonderful girlfriends--Andrea, Tena, and Kathleen.

 

And one of my favorite families, our dear friends Heather and Tony with little ones Micah and Lily.

I wish I had gotten a picture of everyone. When I'm nervous I tend to forget important things like how to spell my name (story below) and that there is a camera sitting right in front of me! I really appreciate all of you who were there and those of you who were thinking of me even if you couldn't make it!

I'm getting ready for a Rain on Me book signing at our local Barnes & Noble tonight. It's a bit of a "pinch me" moment. (Hopefully I won't blow that this time by walking into the men's bathroom and/or spelling my own name wrong.) I keep thinking about how God has brought me through the desert and into this place where I'm finally seeing blessings flow out of my pain. This devotional from Rain on Me describes my heart on that subject so I wanted to share it with you today...

The “Yes” You Never Expected

He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea were hushed.

                                         Psalm 107:29

A few years ago, a coworker came rushing up to my desk with good news to share. She exclaimed, “A greeting card you wrote has been nominated for an award!” I asked her what kind of card it was, and she replied, “Baby congratulations.”

After she walked away from my desk, I sat in stunned silence for a few moments as I considered the irony. An infertile woman might receive an award for a baby congratulations card!

As I looked back over the last few years, several other similar instances came to mind. I unexpectedly got to help develop a line of baby gifts. I published three books for children.

Slowly the Lord began to reveal something to my heart. I sensed Him softly whispering, I’ve said yes to every prayer that has been prayed for new life to come through you. It has just been in a different way than you expected. As I absorbed those words, tears came to my eyes. I knew it was true.

I also knew that I had believed a lie. That lie went something like, “You did something wrong, and so God is saying no to your prayers.” I thought if I could just be better, then somehow I could earn what I wanted.

Now, though, I suddenly realized God had been saying yes all along. In that moment God “stilled the storm to a whisper” in my life. Before then all I could hear was the rain pounding against my heart, and the steady beat sounded like no, no, no, no.

You’ve heard that sound, haven’t you? Late at night, when all is quiet. In the middle of the day, when you’re caught off guard by a painful longing or unwelcome memory. In the morning, when you wake up to another day where things are not as they should be.

Yet if we listen closer, there is another sound. It’s the heartbeat of our Heavenly Father. And it’s always yes, yes, yes, yes. Even when we don’t understand, yes. Even when it’s different than what we expected, yes. Even when it seems as if nothing good is happening at all, yes.

Over the next few months, five people told me on separate occasions that they felt God was going to bring new life through my words. I hadn’t told any of them what God had revealed to my heart, and it was further confirmation of what I’d sensed to be true. Not having a child still hurt, but I also found renewed peace in knowing that God was at work.

Perhaps it’s time for you to ask your Heavenly Father to “still the storm to a whisper” in your life and help you hear His voice in a new way. You just may discover a no in your life is actually a yes you never expected.

Welcome to the World, Lily!

Our dear friends Heather and Tony added a new little girl to their family eleven weeks ago. Lily made a surprise entrance and was born at home quite unexpectedly. Fortunately, all was well and she's doing great. So this morning Mark and I hosted a brunch to officially introduce her. I'd love for you to meet her too...

Isn't she a beauty? I think she gets it from her Mama. Heather and I have taken countless pictures together the last eight years of our friendship. They mark the milestones of our lives--birthdays, holidays, and now babies. Here's another one to add to our collection...

Daddy Tony and little brother Micah joined us too. Most of the time Micah ran around and giggled cheerily. But I happened to catch him in one of his rare moments of moodiness (I have those too!). It was just so stinkin' cute I wanted you to see it as well...

Sweet friends like Ellen stopped by to meet Lily and catch up with Heather. Ellen is a talented artist, storyteller, and I had the privilege of working with her for several years at DaySpring.

Talent must run in families because when it came time to open gifts, we were all amazed by this diaper tower from Ellen's sister, Karen. Too cute!!

Love, laughter, and new life. What a sweet combination.

Welcome to the world, Lily, and welcome to our hearts!

* I'd love for you to welcome Lily too by leaving a comment or blessing for her (or her Mom and Dad) here!

16 Years of Breakfast Dates

My Grandpa Hollie (aka Poppi) and I have had breakfast dates for the last sixteen years. They began when I was a freshman in high school. He would come to visit, escort me off, and make me feel like the most important woman on the world.

Back then, he asked me hard questions. How was my walk with God? Who were my friends? What did I think my future held?

Around the age of twenty-two I guess he stopped worrying because our breakfast conversation shifted away from me and toward business, politics, and the world in general. (Perhaps that's because I got married and he figured all of that other stuff was Mark's responsibility now!)

I still try to sneak out some wisdom from him every time we go. He was a salesman for many years so this morning I asked him, "What's the best way to sell something?" He looked at me very seriously and said, "Just love all the people." Then he turned back to his biscuits and gravy as if that's all there was to be said on the subject.

And for him, that's really all there is. Through the years he's simply loved everyone he's met. That's how he built a marriage, a family, a business, a life. He still carries around a Gideon Bible in his front pocket everywhere he goes. It might go to a waitress having a hard day, a stranger he meets in a store, or to whoever else he thinks might benefit from it. Whoever is on the receiving end always walks away with a smile. It's beautiful to watch.

I'm thankful for my Grandpa. I can't think of anyone I would rather be named after. I love him and aspire to love like him. Sixteen years of breakfast are a good beginning...and even a lifetime wouldn't be enough.

Bible Across America

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the NIV translation of the Bible, Zondervan is creating "America's NIV." They're traveling by RV to cities across the country. In each city people are invited to come and transcribe a verse to be included.

That sounds very noble and inspiring so the editorial department of DaySpring decided that we would go and be a part of this movement. So we took off, had lunch at PF Chang's to make sure our energy was up, and pulled into the parking lot so we could make history. The first thing we saw was this RV...

I thought we would get to go on the RV to sign but apparently that's top secret territory so we had to go in a plain ol' building instead. Once inside we were told, "We're working on three books today. You can get in line for 2 Kings, Luke, or Matthew." The girls all chose the Luke line and then we each got a verse to write. 

During this time I was having a little daydream about being handed a verse like Jeremiah 29:11. I would inscribe it for all time. Mark and I would make it our family verse. We would frame it on the wall. Generations from now the story would be told. 

Then I looked at my paper and this was my verse...

"But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than it will be for you." Luke 10:14 

All my fantasies went up in smoke, the fire and brimstone kind. I showed it to my boss and he laughed. I showed it to my coworker and she asked, "Wow, what did you do?" So I sighed, picked up my pen, and did my duty as you can see here...

I was a little comforted that all but one of us got a verse that was a little bit, well, odd. I felt a bit bad for wishing for a different verse. After all, they're equally important. But some just work a little better on their own than others.

Overall, it was a grand adventure and I'd recommend that all of you check out the Bible Across America site and find out when you can be a part of it too. You never know, they might be doing the book of Leviticus when they come to your town.

From Left to Right: Ann, Me, Linn, Susan, Matt, and Trieste (behind the camera)

It's a Small World After All

Last week my Mom and I were strolling down Main Street in the quaint town where my grandparents live when a used bookstore caught my eye. The shelves inside were crammed floor to ceiling, wall-to-wall. I thought if one more book had been added the place might burst in an explosion of pages and paperbacks.

I snuck down the stairs to the musty, dusty basement (you know the kind). On the last shelf, of the last row, I saw the book in the photo below...

It's Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie, a former Hallmark employee and one of the most revered creatives (although highly unconventional) in the publishing industry. I'd always wanted to read it so I picked it up, opened the cover, and saw this inscription inside...

In case you can't read it that it says, "Jason, It's great to be orbiting with you! Mike." There's also a date that you can't see, 5/1/01. Of course, lots of used books have inscriptions. It's kind've part of the mystery. You can imagine who the people might be and how the book got there.

But this time I didn't have to do any imagining. Jason is a dear friend and a very talented professional colleague of mine in the publishing industry. Mike is my senior manager at DaySpring. My mind started spinning...of all the bookstores in all the world, how did I possibly end up with this book?

My first thought was that Jason might have been a naughty boy and given away the boss's book when he moved to Ohio a few years ago. But knowing Jason that probably wasn't the case. So I shot him an e-mail that said, "Did I really just buy your book in a random shop miles from where either of us live?"

He wrote back something along the lines of, "I'm trying to wrap my mind around this. I did get the book in 2001, really liked it, and loaned it to someone...and now you're telling me it shows up in Van Buren?" 

So where do you think that book was all those years?

I'd like to think that as a good leader Mike gave the book to Jason to inspire him (which he did). Then Jason (as one of the most encouraging guys I know) wanted to share the inspiration. Then whoever he loaned it to caught the bug and innocently passed it on to someone else, who showed it to someone else, and on down the line.  It's been eight years so someone probably eventually wondered, "Who are Jason and Mike?" Then they released the book back into the world where it came full circle to me.

If the inscription hadn't been there, I never would have known how connected I was to that book. It makes me wonder how many other experiences I have like that without even realizing it. One person encourages another who encourages another until it gets to me...and I have no idea the crazy path God has taken all that encouragement on just so I could be blessed by it too.

It's cool. It's crazy. It's connection.

What do you think?

Little Brother, Big Day

My brother Stephen got engaged on New Year's Eve. He's the one on the left. I'm sure you can see why I call him "little." (Is that the way it is for all sisters? He passed me in height years ago but he'll always be "little brother" to me.) The pretty girl next to him is his fiance and my future sister-in-law Amber. This photo was taken at Thanksgiving at my Grandpa Hollie's house (the handsome guy in the middle).

Stephen has always had a knack for making people like him. When we were kids, he'd frequently get his friends to do his chores. He can also hunt and fish like nobody's business. If we lived in pioneer days, he'd probably run the whole village because he'd have the most food and everyone would do whatever he said. Right now he's working as welding inspector and I'm sure he does a much better job than I ever could. Amber is sweet, smiley, and seems to have a heart of gold. She's finishing up school and volunteers at a children's hospital. I'm happy for them and wish them the best.

Stephen and Amber's engagement makes me think back to my own. My dear Grandma (Hollie's wife) had unexpectedly slipped away to heaven in her sleep. I was home for Christmas break. I called Mark in tears and shared the news. When I called back about a half an hour later he said, "I'm driving to the airport to catch the next flight." For the following week, he stood by my family and did whatever was needed. Little did I know there was a diamond ring burning a hole in his suitcase.

When we returned to my hometown and the sadness had started to settle, Mark couldn't stand the wait any longer. He took me to my favorite place in Houston, the Water Wall, and popped the question on a park bench. We'd been talking about getting engaged for months so my first response was a lighthearted, "Stop teasing me!" When he proceeded to pull the ring from his pocket, my jaw dropped and I hollered a surprised, "Yes!"

I think my Grandma would have been glad that we got engaged at that time. She and my Grandpa had a great love, and it felt a bit as if the torch were being passed to us. I could just imagine her doing a little dance of joy in heaven that day.

These are pictures of my grandparents. The first one was taken when they were dating and the second a few weeks before she went home to heaven.

I love how the expressions on their faces and the twinkle in their eyes didn't change much through the years.

Of course, marriage has its challenges. But somehow I'm still a sucker for a good love story. Maybe it's because I catch a glimpse of God's love for us in them too. 

Congratulations, Stephen and Amber. May God give you a lifetime of love and laughter.

Pray for Christians in India

Since August 23rd when a Hindu leader was assassinated and Christians were blamed, over 59 of our brothers and sisters have been martyred and 50,000 displaced from their homes. Please take time today to pray for Christians in India who are being persecuted in ways most of us can't imagine and ask others to do the same. To read more from Crosswalk.com, click here.