Today, enjoying my coffee with Jesus, I am reminded that joy and happiness are two different things.  Happiness is good but it is temporary.  Joy is that deep connection with our Lord that brings peace, even when everything is not going well.  Joy brings peaceful assurance of God‘s presence.  My awareness of joy and the blessings that God brings can make a regular day a day full of blessings.

I experienced a deep joy yesterday when I watched a newborn baby and his family walk over to their grandparents’ house on our block.  A week before, the child was still inside his mother, and today, he is here and the family was so full of joy.  The gift of receiving joy, which comes from God, is that we have to share it.  Then it becomes contagious.

Today, experience the joy that only God can bring.  And then share it, share it with your spouse, share it with your children, share it with someone who may need to hear from you today.  For this is the day the Lord has made (and it is full of joy), let us rejoice and be glad in it.

 And don’t forget to share it! 

During this Reflections event at the Crystal Palace, I talked about accepting God’s mission for us and finding happiness in letting go of our resistance to the Lord’s will.

Video by Bob West Video.

Today, enjoying my coffee with Jesus, I am reminded that joy and happiness are two different things.  Happiness is good but it is temporary.  Joy is that deep connection with our Lord that brings peace, even when everything is not going well.  Joy brings peaceful assurance of God‘s presence.  My awareness of joy and the blessings that God brings can make a regular day a day full of blessings.

I experienced a deep joy yesterday when I watched a newborn baby and his family walk over to their grandparents’ house on our block.  A week before, the child was still inside his mother, and today, he is here and the family was so full of joy.  The gift of receiving joy, which comes from God, is that we have to share it.  Then it becomes contagious.

Today, experience the joy that only God can bring.  And then share it, share it with your spouse, share it with your children, share it with someone who may need to hear from you today.  For this is the day the Lord has made (and it is full of joy), let us rejoice and be glad in it.

 And don’t forget to share it! 

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about a saying my friend Marc sent me yesterday. “If the grass looks greener on the other side…stop staring, Stop Comparing and stop complaining and start watering the grass that you’re standing on!” Every day part of my theme is living in the present moment focusing on what God is asking of you and listening for his voice.

So often we compare ourselves to others, we think others’ lives are easier or better but in reality, all life comes from God and all life is good. Even the difficult parts of life like sickness and death or just a continuation of life and the lessons for teachers.

Today I’m going to start watering the grass that I’m standing on. And then I realized my yard is Astroturf. But I am going to work I’m stopping comparing and complaining. God has blessed me beyond measure. Have a great day and let’s pray for our Nation that we will experience peace, truth, and justice.

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus I was thinking about a book I read years ago, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff“. I know this is true but it’s harder to practice living it. It makes me wonder why I make such a long list to do, why I have trouble sitting still and reflecting, and how I get annoyed when something I plan doesn’t go just the way I wanted. When we choose to follow Jesus, we can’t“ Sweat the Small Stuff”. Jesus is always bringing us sacred interruptions to see if we can find the HOLINESS in the moment. I’ve been down with the flu for the past week. We can learn we do not have to control the moment but that we can actually be present in it. Whether it be a house that needs to be cleaned, a flat tire, an endless list; our attitude makes all the difference. Are we serving our list to do… Or our Lord? Can we see the lessons in the sacred interruptions? Are we holding onto the past or embracing the present. When we strive to put Jesus in the center of our lives it’s all small stuff! Today I will strive to see Jesus in all the simple tasks, the small things, and make them prayers of GRATITUDE. I think I will put that on my list! Happy birthday Greg Gerow and Alex Garcia and Anna December and Mark Durando

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus I was thinking about LAUGHTER. I think laughter is healing. Often times my grandchildren are the best forms of laughter. I think it’s important that we laugh. My grandson was here for a few hours and I asked him how old he thought I was and he said 78 I told him I am 61 and we just sat and laughed. We have to learn not to take life so seriously and it’s good to laugh. Today, laugh, laugh at yourself and find someone to laugh with. There’s a lot of serious things going on in the world but we have to remember everything is in Jesus‘s hands and it’s OK to work. Have a blessed day and it’s even OK to laugh at yourself! Happy birthday Matthew Luna

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus I was thinking about a daily reflection a friend sent to me yesterday. It said to find something each day that makes you happy. I believe sometimes it is those little things in which we experience happiness that open up our awareness to the presence of God. I set out each day with an agenda, calendar and a list of things I want to accomplish. But, often in the hurry to get everything done, I miss the little surprises, the little moments of happiness. It can be the taste of a good cup of coffee, the Bluejay that often visits me on my front porch, the new mother carrying her new baby with her three-year-old trailing behind barefoot in a princess dress that just makes me laugh. Life can be very demanding and even often times depressing but if we look hard enough we will see those things that make our heart full of joy and reminds that GOD IS WITH US! Today look for those moments of happiness and let them draw you to God! Have a blessed day!

Enjoying my coffee with Jesus I am reminded that joy and happiness are two different things. Happiness is good but it’s temporary. Joy is that deep connection with our Lord that brings peace even when everything is not going well. Joy brings peaceful assurance of God‘s presence. My awareness of joy and the blessings that God brings can make a regular day to be a day full of blessings. I experienced a deep joy yesterday when I watched a newborn baby and his family were out to dinner with the grandparents. Watching the new parents and grandparents showed me true joy. Thank you Kevin and Lexi for reminding me of joy! The gift of receiving joy which comes from God is that we have to share it and it becomes contagious. Today experience the JOY that only God can bring and then share it, share it with your spouse, your children, someone who may need to hear from you today. For this is the day the Lord has made ( and it is full of joy) let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Don’t forget to share it!