Joy

As I sit here and write, I am tickled pink with my new sprucerupper finds that I bought today from my local Dollar Tree. Occasionally I go in there and buy small things. Today I got some new picnic plates, bubbles, sand bucket, and pool toys. Riley was thrilled with the things she was handed to hold while I pushed around the cart.  If you know me and my crew well, you will know that we really did not like winter one bit these past few months. It was a effort everyday to find joy in what seemed like a never ending time of cold and snow. We really did meet each day with the attitude of make lemonade out of lemons, despite our friends back west sending us photos of them swimming and going to the beaches in January. Then today, I walked in that store and realized we made it, we made it through the winter and now we are ready to embrace spring and the upcoming summer months. Hindsight, the change of seasons has taught me to appreciate the smaller things that normally you take for granted. Just yesterday, we commented on how quickly it seems that the leaves fell off of the trees in our backyard during the Fall and now tiny little green sprig leaves are beginning to bloom again. It is beautiful and yet so simple. The cherry blossoms are out in full bloom too. Wow, who knew something so small could develop in to something so big, full and elegant. Being a southern girl, I would compare this classic tree to when the magnolia trees begin to bloom down south. While walking by it, you can't help but to notice the layers of color throughout each bloom. It's small, but they're stunning.  In bible class we have been studying to become more like the woman God designed for us to be. This week's lesson was on joy. I'm usually a happy person, confident, and generally not a worrier, so I was so surprised at how the lesson touched my heart. Maybe being sent here was a new chapter for me to learn along my journey with Christ.  Maybe it was for me to learn to appreciate the small things. Take time to stop and look at the things you take for granted every day. Don't let bad weather or obstacles you face in life, steal your joy! I love how God sometimes, can just jump right off of a page and speak to you. My heart was open and I heard him loud and clear. Take time to have Joy, real joy, not by materialistic or superficial joy, but HIS joy that only he can create.  Sometimes as a busy mama, you just get lost and caught up in the busy things in life. It's hard to slow down and listen to him, really listen to him. I have been training myself to be more intentional in my day. That's a whole new blog post of its own, but now even my girls are seeing things they have never seen before and they too are experiencing the joy! Funny, how joy can be so contagious!!! When every one is excited for what is happening in their life, I truly believe God is in the presence, smiling, nodding along, as if to say, finally you're getting it!  Kind of like what we do to our own children, when we tell them something over and over again until one day that light bulb goes off and they get it!

Now lets fast forward to our personal joy. Miss. Riley Joy. I am sure people are tired of hearing me say this, but truly she has been nothing but a joy since she entered this world. She brings a smile to everyone's face and we soak her up as much as possible every single day. She is a light and we are learning what joy really looks like through her. Recently, we got a diagnosis for her of neurofibromatosis 1 and let me tell you,  don't go googling that one. If your interested in accurate information, go to the children's tumor foundation. They have tons of wonderful information. However, our future is so uncertain with her right now and we have lots of upcoming appointments for her and one would say you have a reason to not be joyful and be worried. Yes, maybe, but we have fully trusted her care to the one only Savior Jesus Christ since the moment I found out I was pregnant with her. I remember being so sick with her and making a promise to him, as long as this sweet baby got here and I could hold and kiss her sweet little face, I could handle whatever came my way with her. Now here she is and we know our joy with her comes from somewhere else. We may have bad days and so many upcoming uncertainties, but HE knows the future of her. We trust that and have joy in that.

James 1:2-4 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters. whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.