I could get used to this coffee-house blogging...good thing I most likely won't, as this writing thing is not a money maker and a Mayan mocha with a sugar biscuit every morning could put me in the poor house within the week.
So, recap of the day so far...
LOTS of wind last night. I know of at least two separate times that I woke up to the noise only to be made aware of the fact that there were three extra bodies in the bed (total of 12 extra feet or maybe 13 if you count all of Stellah's extra toes). The alarm went off at 5 but I, apparently erroneously, assumed that with all that weather the cable would be out, so slept in until 5:45. Got two kids and one dog breakfasted, supervised the making of lunch and got them off to the bus.
Came home to the smell of microwave popcorn.
Took a deep breath (painful, it is not my most favorite smell) realized he received two bags -- two bags have now been consumed. End of story. Done.
Hid in the shower until child #3 was out the door.
I think I did okay. Good Mood is still intact.
Win.
Okay, I still have coffee left, so I'm gonna keep blathering (interesting note, I can hear Jeff explaining our life story to his counterpart in his meeting...happens to be the interim pastor of our church --wondering what kind of notes are being taken on THAT!)
So has anyone else noticed that this year the concepts of happiness and joy seem to be the New Year focus of 2014? I still see the requisite articles and magazine covers dedicated to organization and weight loss but what seems to stick out to me is the push to work on seeking personal happiness and joy in one's life this year. I am thrilled! In fact, I have a entry that I drafted but never finished in November entitled "My own personal happiness project". I wish I had actually written something under it, I don't even really remember what I had intended. But I have to say that, although I don't ever recall consciously wallowing in unhappiness, I know that I haven't given it the proper amount of conscious thought that it probably deserves.
(whew, it's getting loud in here, shoulda brought earphones)
Aside from suddenly being the surprise recipient of a subscription to a magazine devoted to the subject, some of my favorite bloggers have taken up the flag and started their own personal projects. Lilblueboo has challenged herself to writing 31 Days of Joy. I had to laugh when she got to day #6 and became quite overwhelmed with the goal she had set for herself. Sounded so like me. Yesterday she posted 25 Quotes of Joy. Okay, I skimmed most of them but certain ones stuck out, such as:
Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life; the quiet confidence that ultimately everything will be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.
-Kay Warren
and
Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves
-James Barrie
and my favorite
This is is the true joy in life . . . being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one . . . being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. -George Bernard Shaw
As I have gotten older, or perhaps more as I have watched my kids grow up and I realize what I want for them, it has become apparent to me the ultimate control we have over our happiness, life after all is nothing but choices that we must make. My children are fond of saying "it wasn't my fault that I hit him, he made me do it by being annoying/loud/not listening blah blah blah". Some day they will actually hear me when I tell them for the 56,800th time that it was their choice to hit rather than walk away/ask for help/stick out their tongue. Life is like a menu, your choices depend on what is available, but you will ALWAYS. HAVE. A CHOICE. You want hot dogs and all they have is foie gras and horse tongue flambé? You still have a choice. You can eat nothing, try something new, or walk out the door with the hope of finding something better . . . or worse (worse than horse tongue flambé? Eek!).
So how does God fit in as being in control if we make all the decisions? He presents us with the menus...and the doors. He has the final job of clean up, making sure that no matter what our messes get us into, they will result in an ultimate Good. We may not see it, but I love that I can at least rest in the surety that somewhere down the road, my poor choices, will ultimately make a positive difference in the life of someone else, even if only so that they can point to me and say "THAT is why I choose not to eat horse tongue flambé!" Bravo for them!
Taking responsibility of our choices is--wow, it is SO hard. SO HARD! It is also key to becoming a happier person. The quote from George Bernard Shaw about recognizing your purpose and being a force of nature versus bing a "feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances" just may end up being written on the walls of my house (note to self, USE THE CHALK BOARD). I love it and it is so apropo for my family. And me. How often do I sit and bemoan the fact that all I do is sit in parking lots and argue with kids over food rather than use that time to read great books and let them make decisions for themselves; skip the gym because I never got around to making dinner first; vacuum the house instead of do something fun because I feel that the concreteness of a clean floor has more tangible worth than my personal delight in something. And how much happier am I when I break through that barrier and do the "happier" thing? But most often I am that whiner. I'm a "feverish selfish little clod".
So not a pleasant picture.
My goal from now on is to be a force of nature.
I want my actions to result in the happiness of others and yet at the same time I want to remember that my happiness is not dependent on others making me happy, but rather, my happiness is dependent making others happy, not through my misery and self deprivation but rather by being joyful in and of myself.
I want others to see my joy and derive joy from that!
Funny, I just realized that this is the same way I want to announce my faith.
I will not go about clonking people over the head with a happy stick/Bible. I can only hope that they see me as a force of nature, are drawn in by my actions, and spun off with a positive charge that they can sustain in a positive force of their own making
I think I have some work to do.
Okay, a lot of work to do.
A LOT of work to do.
This little cloud break needs to get worked up into a sustained period of...
okay, no weather similes are forthcoming right now... dangit.
Let' go with this for now...
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