It’s Advent and many of you know all about lighting Advent candles and having Advent wreaths as your traditions. During Advent, we light the candles of hope, joy, love, and peace, and traditionally, each week would focus on each of those things. But, this year, I’ve decided to focus on Joy from the very beginning of Advent. Joy. Joy. Joy. And, Joy. Light the candle of Joy!
The Christmas season is the time of year when you see the word joy everywhere. Ornaments, decorations, sweatshirts, and lawn ornaments all have the word. Many Christmas Carols use the word joy in them in addition to songs we sing year-round. “I have the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart, down in my heart.” So, this year especially, I think we need to remember that down in our hearts is exactly where joy resides. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit, so it is within us and not dependent on what is going on around us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. –Galatians 5:22-23
There is a difference between happiness and joy and to simply try to explain it, happiness depends on happenings. Things that are going on around you and the circumstances that you are living through. Joy is different. Joy is from within and is a feeling. Aaaaaaaah. We can feel joy even when we can’t be happy. What a relief. Since joy is within us, no one can steal it. It can’t be taken from us. We have to make a decision to choose joy even when our circumstances are not what we hope for.
My favorite definition of joy is from Kay Warren. She states:
Joy is: “The settled assurance that God is in control of every detail in my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything will be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.” (from Choose Joy, 2012)
Let’s determinedly be assured that God is in control and that everything will be all right and let’s praise God in all things…even this. Whatever “this” is for you. No matter what today brings, remember joy is inside of you and you CAN be joyful.
I told K that I was retreating to my studio to write for an hour…I revised it and said “at least 30 minutes” because I have been working on writing an Advent Devotional/Bible Study for a while and I need to be more diligent. I made it to the room, tried to rid myself of distractions, had my cup of tea, found my notes, and began. I needed to print out a resource so I hit the “print” button and that’s where it stopped. The document did not print and my plan of writing had stopped. I did what everyone does and selected “print” again. Nothing. Maybe I didn’t actually select it, so I tried again. Print. Maybe I’m too far away from my wireless printer, so I picked up my laptop, sat next to the printer on the floor, and selected “print” again. Nothing. I checked my settings and made sure my wireless was turned on and the printer address was valid. Everything appeared to be set up and working. Print. Again…nothing. Finally, I did what apparently needed to be done. I turned off my computer. I sat for a few seconds. I turned my computer back on and then I heard it. The whirring of the printer as it readied itself and began its work. It started shooting out multiple copies of the document that I was waiting for. One neat and tidy document appeared….and then another…and then another…and another…please stop….another…another….how many times did I push the print button?! It stopped. Aaaaah. I now sat on the floor beside my laptop, my printer, and an overabundance of documents. I only needed one.
This fall I have coined a new term for myself. Sometimes I find myself having “a moment.” I actually had “a moment” while hiking in Utah with two of my daughters. We were at Arches National Park and taking a hike to Delicate Arch. The guidebook said it was a 3-mile hike roundtrip and I believed I was up for the challenge in spite of some recent knee and hip pain. It was a gorgeous sunny day with temperatures in the ’80s and the sky as blue as can be. We started out meandering up and down a graded gravel path, a few slightly strenuous hikes, but not much. Then, in front of me, the path became a “steep section of Slickrock” (as another blogger wrote) & the sun began to shine even brighter aka HOT! The hike became 480 feet steadily uphill. I was finding myself getting hotter, more winded, and nauseous. Altitude sickness is a real thing and it decided to visit me halfway up this steep slope. I found a tiny bit of shade from a desert shrub and I huddled in it. That’s when I had my “moment.” Tears came to my eyes as I pondered my next course of action. Should I go further or should I retreat to the parking lot? Was I really going to be sick on the side of this rock or could I recover and continue? And, even more importantly, did I really need to continue? The view I had while sitting in the shade of that little shrub was more magnificent than many people will ever get to experience. I had already climbed higher than many people would be able to. Some people would never be able to hike on this trail. Some people would never have been able to fly in the jet to get to this state. Some people wouldn’t have the energy, some people wouldn’t have the opportunity and I was having a “moment.” As tears streamed down my face I pondered and looked at this incredible view and I remembered so many other views that I have had that others haven’t. I’ve seen the hot springs in Iceland, I’ve seen the blue waters of the Turks and Caicos. I’ve been to the top of Rockefeller Center and I’ve kissed the Blarney Stone. I have been blessed beyond belief and I basically almost didn’t feel worthy to go further up to see a more spectacular view. It seems as if after my moment of clarity and appreciation, the nausea subsided and the tears dried up and I stood up and pressed on. I did make it to the top and I did get to see the Delicate Arch (which, by the way, if you are walking this…the top of the slick rock is not even close to the end of the hike!)
Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. – Mark 6:39
I journal every morning in a blank lined journal. I purchase these and get these as gifts and they are just blank and I start off writing “thank you for a good night’s sleep” in most entries. I just write my thoughts, prayers, and thankfulness and journal about the things that happened the day before and also anything that I may have concerns about in the future. For me, my thoughts and prayers are interwoven, so I tend to jot down names that come to mind and pray for them. This seems to be the perfect way for me to clear my head, make a plan, and start my day.
Guided Journal – These are fun ways to record some hopes, dreams, ideas, and history. You don’t have to commit to writing daily (but don’t forget to write the date when you do!) Sometimes a page will post a prompt that really gets you thinking or makes you want to take action. In my current guided journal, some of the questions are: “How do you find peace in tough times?” ” Who is someone you shouldn’t give up on?” and “Reflect on a time when you needed a new beginning.” Guided journaling is a bit more intentional, but looking back at them later is very rewarding. Definitely worth the time investment!
Bullet Journaling – This is the most fun and the best idea for someone who had trouble getting through all the words in this post so far! I started bullet journaling on April 25, 2020. I took a Zoom class with the Butler Library during the global pandemic and my first entry in my journal says, “We are to be on stay at home orders for 2 more weeks. What goals or habits should I try to track for 2 weeks.” (2 WEEKS?!) Short and sweet a bullet journal can help you track habits, make lists, and just jot down things in your life. You can create a different topic on a different page and fill it with boxes to checks, hearts to color in, and doodles of bullet points. I currently use this journal to keep my contact tracing (Oh, what an icky sign of the times!) Some of my pages are lists of fun ideas to do when stuck at home, good things that have happened since March, tracking a Facebook fast & menu ideas. I also write fun quotes in it and scriptures that inspire me. As I flip through pages of ideas, I come across things I want to remember, for example, “Be so busy improving your life that you have no time to criticize others.” Probably should flip through this bullet journal more often for reminders and inspiration.
Lastly, an informal gratitude list. When I was suffering from a bout of anxiety about the state of things, I kept a note pad by my bed and I jotted down things that brought me joy that day. I thought it would help me sleep and I think it did. I went to bed thinking of the good things and not the bad and I woke up seeing the reminder of those good things on the nightstand. Girlfriends, Sunshine, A walk outside, winning at cards, and Chinese take out were all listed for me to remember all that I have. 
If none of these ideas appeal to you, don’t hesitate to just write down a little something extra on your appointment calendar to remind you of who you were on that day or make a note in your phone. Whenever you come across any of these things that you’ve taken the time to write down you will be happy that you did! 
2020 has been a year of Plan B’s. “Plan B” is defined as an alternative strategy and we have certainly had to come up with some alternative strategies in the last 7 months. From ordering groceries to be delivered to sanitizing doorknobs, we found ways to live with a global pandemic. We have learned to watch movies at home instead of inside a theater and when we say we are dining out, it often means taking Drive Thru food to a picnic table. We’ve done it all. But now, it’s getting colder, we are moving inside and the holidays are coming. The novelty of finding a solution to everyday problems is getting old. So, how can we embrace Plan B for the holidays? I’m not certain, but I am sure it will require a little help from my friends!
I once heard someone say, that they could “Hobnob with Hobos and Highbrows.” I like that idea and aspire to do that…hobnob with hobos and highbrows. I realized this weekend that socializing with opposite groups of people is very common to me. I don’t know if it’s my geographic location or simply the circles I run in, but not only do I hobnob with hobos and highbrows, but I hobnob with lots of opposites. Couples with and without children, singles and marrieds, Republicans and Democrats, and maskers and non-maskers. People who eat gluten and people who are gluten-free. Drinkers and Teetotalers, Vegetarians and Carnivores, Christians and unbelievers, and those who prefer Pepsi and those who prefer Coke. I have friends who love winter and those who hate to see it arrive. I enjoy conversations with people with advanced degrees and those who haven’t finished high school. Clearly, there is a very diverse group of people that I hang out with and I enjoy each of them. Their differences make them who they are and make them interesting to me.
becktobasics 