Why Choose Joy?
Because looking around without the lense of joy, this is what I see:
- Piles of shoes by the door.
- Dirt on the floor by shoes “not stomped” (by two boys who should know better.)
- Toys, left out, in cluttered heaps.
- Books in piles, in each room.
- Papers, crayons, bits and scraps of paper left in bowls.
- Cups left on the coffee tables.
- Curling irons, hairbrushes and makeup left on the sink.
But when I choose joy and get past my own selfishness, I see:
- Healthy children who come and go when some cannot even walk.
- “Boy”s who work hard and father-son time.
- Children, still at home, safe, under my roof and happily playing.
- Book lovers, each one reading what interests and inspires them.
- Creativity by my little ones who love to do art and cut up bowls of “paper soup.”
- Teenage daughters who sip tea and talk late at night.
- A household rushing out the door for morning worship-all of us together.
Learning to see what is important, and counting my blessings. My perspective changes everything. It is either grumbling or gratitude. And it’s my choice.
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Having trouble finding joy? I highly recommend these books:
Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Lord, Change My Attitude: Before Its Too Late by James MacDonald
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Yes! Yes! YES! This is exactly what my goal has been for the past year. It truly has changed me. Perspective changes everything. I just found your blog, I look forward to reading more.
This has become my mantra as of late! I’ve spent far too long being negative! Now, I choose joy!! I even reflected on this very idea recently (though not quite as eloquently as you did!) Thanks so much for another great reminder! http://www.lifehappenswhen.com/2012/02/choose-joy/
LOVE the comparison!! I often talk about the glasses that we choose to see life through – it’s SO true perspective changes EVERYTHING!! We choose which “lenses” we are looking through minute by minute. =) VERY encouraging post, thank YOU!!
Keeping it Personal,
Teri Johnson
Loved your site, Teri. Thanks for visiting!
Sarah, I love this! Our perspective can make all the difference, even when the circumstances are exactly the same! Thank you for the reminder to see things through that “lens of joy”!
Mara @ Super Savings
Love this!! My girls are still tiny, but mess-making is an art perfected from a young age. 😉 Thank you for the reminder to see past it. And – I love what you said about your teenage daughter staying up late to drink tea…my heart prays that I will be able to have that kind of relationship with my girls!
Thank you for sharing.
Ashlie
Seriously, Sarah–this could be my house!! I didn’t know there was another mother in America dealing with paper soup! (Although there aren’t any teenage daughters staying up late drinking tea….yet. Give me ten years!)
Love this sweet post.
Thanks sarah. with a new baby things get really piled up! and when the house looks its worst..or i do..the doorbell is sure to ring! surprise! 🙂 when its spotless nobody drops in. i’m learning to take things in stride. i have been known to miss out on a perfectly sunny day of activities with the kids so that i could stay home and clean! sad. learning via mother, that the dirt will be there to clean tomorrow! time with the family is more important. and the way in which we respond to the many messes in front of our kids is most important, i’m learning. it makes all the difference to speak softly & in a patient tone rather than barking out orders to clean this! and put that away! i’m still working on improving in that area. thanks for this reminder!
that message was from carole florio my email is carolejf4247@yaho.com!
well i used to love watching my children play !true they never cleaned up after themselves but that comes intime!!they all grow up so very fast ~don’t worry about those little thing!!when they have their own homne then they will know what cleaning really is !if you have taught them right
you will smile at the parents they have become .life is a circle just enjoy the ride!!good loick!
I agree that this post inspired me as well. My question is…how long do you let these things go. At some point the kids have to learn to do these things right?
Thanks for any comments.
Yes, Zina, for sure we need to train our kids to do these things. I would just say that when I am in the “no joy” mindset, it is NOT the time for me to train. And for us, life gets busy and when my expectations are not met, that is when I can really get “crazy.”:) Know what I mean? I am the type who wants everything “just so” in the house…a tendency that I have had to get over as a mother of five. This house is always basically clean. I am never more than an hour away from “company clean.” The kids each have a morning chore and they all help with clean up after meals, but sometimes they are children, and sometimes my husband is forgetful! 🙂 he,he
Plus, we are the artsy type, Zina, which I swear means more messes! And I am sometimes the worst offender with this. I will be washing dishes, then remember that I needed to dust my living room, so I stop and go dust the living room to come back and find that the dishes are not finished. So, you can imagine how it is when we are “playing.” We have 4 violinists in our house, and the older girls practice for 2-3 hours a day, which equates to music and instruments out, chairs out of place, music stands, etc. The girls love to paint and draw which equates to stuff all over the kitchen table and left to dry for hours. I just need to get a grip with the fact that with productivity comes messes.( And my friends are chuckling right now, because we homeschool our kiddos, which means a perpetual mess on my kitchen table. God is trying to change me, I am telling you!!! 🙂 )
Right now, for instance, *my watercolors *are all over the table, because last night after church, Hope was working on a watercolor and is not quite done. *I could scold* but she made me a picture that says “I love you, Mommy and Daddy. God bless you with many blessings.” 🙂 When I asked her where she heard that saying, she said, “It is in the Bible.” (It isn’t, just for the record.) She should have put them away and started again this morning. (and she *should not have left my paint brush sitting in the water *over night. But, hey, she’s eight.) But, I can overlook that.
BUT, you are right, you do need to train them to be consistent with their chores and hold them accountable to do what they are required, like school work, music practice, etc… I guess it is just a matter of praying for discernment to know when you should enforce, and when you should overlook.
On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 8:20 AM, Sarah Beals wrote:
> Yes, Zina, for sure we need to train our kids to do these things. I would > just say that when I am in the “no joy” mindset, it is NOT the time for me > to train. And for us, life gets busy and when my expectations are not met, > that is when I can really get “crazy.”:) Know what I mean? I am the type who > wants everything “just so” in the house…a tendency that I have had to get > over as a mother of five. This house is always basically clean. I am never > more than an hour away from “company clean.” The kids each have a morning > chore and they all help with clean up after meals, but sometimes they are > children, and sometimes my husband is forgetful! 🙂 he,he >
Love it!!!!
Mrs. Sarah you have done it again–encouraged me! Thank you! So much~
Sarah, you always inspire me. Love you!
Hmm, I think I need to try that approach. Thanks Sarah!