Joy

"I am convinced that we can choose joy.  Every moment we can decide to respond to an event or a person with joy instead of sadness.  When we truly believe that God is life and only life, then nothing need have the power to draw us into the sad realm of death.  To choose joy does not mean to choose happy feelings or an artificial atmosphere of hilarity.  But it does mean the determination to let whatever takes place brings us one step closer to the God of life."

The older I get.....  Perhaps I should rephrase that.....

The less stubborn I get, the more I realize that my joy is outside of myself.  The less I try to control my life, find happiness, success, or peace in the things around me the happier, more successful (though perhaps not by earthly measure), and peaceful I am.  My mother had given me a book to read last summer when I was feeling particularly down about Sh*thead.  The passage above spoke particularly loud to me.  Joy is not something that can be obtained in this life by human means but is more a submission of all things to the God of life, a trust that he will provide all we need, and a response to our neighbor of love and understanding.  The road to sanctification is a long and rocky one but one that can have its moments of "victory" if we remember that we are entirely justified by our Savior and are therefore free to respond to all things in life with JOY!  Even if we feel less than such.  Therefore....

I choose my joy! :)