Word Web Vocabulary

Last night I started doing a Veggietale Devotional with my kids. Don't ask me why I hadn't started one earlier with my oldest child being nine years old, but better late than never right?  I can't even begin to tell you how excited they were as we discussed what talents we each think we have and each of us went around naming what we think is  special about everyone is our family. They absolutely loved the time we all had together just sitting in the living room and talking about how God made each of us with a purpose. After that, myself and my two girls watched Incredible Journey. Both of them were crying throughout the whole movie, saying the "music makes me cry." I don't think they got the concept that movies have lows and highs, sad parts and happy parts, generally ending up with a high.  So they blamed it on the music. Either way it was a night that I want to repeat over and over again. It made my heart smile.

Thinking over the things that really make me happy are those intimate precious moments with my family, date nights with my hubby when we try new places to eat and go, girls nights with all my friends where we laugh and tell stories, hanging out with my mom or sisters shopping and talking, and of course being with my entire family at birthday parties or holidays. Every time I find myself in one of my "happy parts" it involves people. Not things, not money, just people. People that I love so crazy much.  But you know what? Whenever I find myself in a 'sad part' it involves those very same people. The people I love. Because people, well they're  people. People disappoint and let us down. We disappoint and let them down. Life can be sort of rollercoaster-ishy because of this. If our hubby snaps at us because he had a bad day, we get low. If our kids get sent to the principals office, we get low. If our friends do stuff without us, we get low. It seems as if we place all our trust and hope in other people to keep us happy.  The problem with is that is not their job, to keep us smiling all the time. Essentially nobody owes it to us to make sure that we stay in a happy part, not even the people we love.

This is where our problem lies, making humanity the source of our joy.  Our happiness and hope and peace  is only guaranteed when our source is Jesus. He is the supplier of every good thing in life, even those friends and family that you cherish so much.  There is nothing that we have that is good or great or wonderful that did not come from him. This is something I have been learning this past year. Obviously I still struggle with that sort of narcissistic  notion that somebody on planet earth surely wants to grant my every wish, but as time goes by and these challenges, these sudden lows come, relying on Jesus for my joy keeps me at peace even when the world seems to be crashing all around me. Sometimes even the smallest things, like a fight with a friend, can leave us feeling hopeless. But we have to learn to not let the circumstances with people disrupt the assurance and peace on the inside that everything will be okay. I am far less concerned with letting other people's lives and decisions and attitudes destroy my own life since I've been applying this.

Psalm 28:7-The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.