A little about me...

I'm just a girl who has been abundantly amazed by all that God is gracious enough to teach me.  Reflecting on my miscarriage, our unemployment, financial woes, familial stress, two babies, a human husband and a very sinful heart, I am realizing more and more that I have a blessed life!

I am learning every day that JOY is a conscious choice, not merely a hope.  It is a path, a process, a practiced art. 

My travels through life direct my growth in JOY.  May my journey be my home.

Claiming JOY... Why Does It Matter?

JOY?

It's not happiness.  Nor is it a Pollyanna outlook on life.  JOY is different.  Claiming JOY is the act of choosing to trust that our entire life (the ups, the downs, the fun, the chaos and everything in-between) is part of a grand design by the Ultimate Designer- for His glory and our good.  It is with that perspective that we view all things, and for that reason we are unable to crumble beneath misery or depression.

We are called...

...to pursue JOY in ALL circumstances, at ALL times, with EVERY breath... especially on the hard days.  "Consider it ALL JOY... when you meet trials of various kinds..." (James 1:2)  It's not just a nice thing to do.  It's not a suggestion.  It is a COMMAND.


But how?

As we better understand who God is, we more clearly see from His perspective.  The closer we are to His heart, the more we are able to do His will.  He desires for us to claim His JOY, and that is what this blog is all about.