“Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” - Abraham Lincoln

If you were arrested for kindness, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
--unknown

After seeing how many people waste their lives (without a break: gab, gab, gab---and with all the consequences!) I can better appreciate how necessary and lovable silence is. And I can understand, Lord, why you will make us account for every idle word.
~St. Josemarie Escriva

Homemaking

A hundred men may make an encampment, but it takes a woman to make a home.
--chinese proverb

Focus on your home today. What can you do to make it a place of refuge for your family? A good, homecooked meal? Clean, organized spaces? A compassionate ear for listening? Spring is a good time to remake rooms and clean out clutter. Surprise your kids with a picnic lunch and read to them outside.

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
~Mother Teresa

Joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness.
--Leo Tolstoy

For today let me do the next thing with great joy in the service of my husband and children. Let me find my joy in giving to others.

Welcome spring!

For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.
---William Shakespeare

I love spring as much as I love Shakespeare!

Lent

Observing joyful silence for lent.

I LOVE....

~fluffy, white towels
~crisp, ironed sheets
~monograms
~shrimp, lobster and crab
~pinot noir
~chocolate cheesecake
~whales
~puppies
~kitties
~newborn babies, fresh out of the womb
~silence
~quilts
~fabric
~linens
~sunshine
~Hawaii
~Sydney
~Cancun
~Durango
~kids
~homeschooling
~Shawshank Redemption
~Signs
~The Notebook
~Pride and Prejudice
~F. Scott Fitzgerald
~Hemingway
~Casting Crowns
~Sarah Mclauglin
~the Olympics
~the Catholic Church
~advent
~Christmas Eve
~Easter
~stations of the cross
~mother teresa
~nice clothes
~waves
~lighthouses
~cape cod
~South Carolina
~Colorado Buffaloes
~scones
~paninis
~good pizza
~cold beer with nachos
~football games
~date night
~sitting on the beach in winter
~reading
~the rosary
~homemade cinnamon rolls
~italian food
~art museums
~the aquarium
~The Red Tent
~The Year of Wonders
~The Poisonwood Bible
~Barnes and Noble
~bakeries
~tea sets
~handmade soap
~candles
~aprons
~sitting by a fire, reading aloud
~really nice hotel rooms
~the bed at the Westin in Seattle
~wood floors
~cooking for guests
~guest rooms
~home decor magazines
~inspirational books
~Russell Crowe
~The Patriot
~Braveheart
~Gladiator
~Matt Damon
~Rachel McAdams
~Amy Adams
~Meryl Streep
~low country
~the Virgin Mary
~nuns in habits
~the ocean
~good conversation
~talking to fascinating people
~front porches
~roses and daisies
~outdoor fireplaces
~stargazing when it is really dark
~the Red Lion in Vail
~the Ore House in Durango
~country dancing
~George Strait
~violins
~bonfires on the beach
~seashells
~dolphins
~popcorn
~fajitas
~baby blankets
~baptism
~baby feet
~clean floors
~Pottery Barn
~dishes
~garlic, olive oil and rosemary
~handpainted anything
~layettes
~beautiful sleepwear
~nice people
~kindness
~manners
~Rendezvous BBQ~Memphis
~warm sand
~coffee with cream in a beautiful mug
~sunrise
~the earth from space
~spring cleaning
~snow falling
~wide, open spaces
~the Rocky Mountains
~Montana
~mothers and babies
~real men
~firewood
~being a stay at home mom
~nice nurses
~my obstetrician
~Southern hospitality
~a stocked pantry
~butterflies
~wrought iron
~lilacs
~sand dunes
~herons
~a stack of unread books
~my family

Marriage Friday

.. for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Ruth 1:16

Choose today to do something for your husband. A good meal, a clean house, a quiet evening, peaceful conversation, respect, happy children. Go out of your way today to ensure that when he walks in the door he knows you appreciate him. Service + self sacrifice = JOY.

I Thirst Thursday

And for my sister....some things I love....
~lighthouses
~foghorns in the night
~cool, ocean breezes
~flowers year round
~the golden gate bridge
~point reyes
~benicia football games
~golden boy pizza
~little italy
~mission san juan bautista
~monterey bay aquarium
~ocean waves pounding
~marin headlands
~stinson beach
~sonoma
~wine country
~bodega bay

Nuns on Oprah

If you missed the Oprah show on the nuns, go to her website and check it out. I was pleasantly surprised that they were shown in a positive light and were treated with respect.

One of the nuns was asked about silence and she said,

"If you never speak to a being greater than yourself, you can never DO anything greater than yourself." WOW.

“Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life to the will of God.”

Only when we trust ourselves to listen and hear want God wants us to do, will we have peace. I look around and wonder why I am placed in this place that does not hold my heart and long to just go home. I know in my soul that God wants my to find my home...and it is not a place...it is wherever I am with Him, aligned with Him.

That is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. To know that what we want most is not the will of God. That He has something else in mind. Something that will cause us to grow in the way He wants. And it might be painful, or arduous, or not much fun. But, at the end we will see that it was right.

That is my journey in California. I am blessed to have what I love most, my husband, my kids, my lifestyle. I know the things I miss...school, church, kitchen, laundry room, yard, neighbors, food!, are just material things and don't really matter. But, how my fallen self loves material things sometimes..okay, most of the time.

Walking with him today and choosing peace in His will, not longing for mine. Dang, but that is hard!

Multitude Monday

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.”
-Buddha

thankful for...
~nebulizers
~sunshine
~sweet little people
~a hand to hold
~clean water
~a warm bed
~coffee with cream
~warm bread and honey
~family
~a good sermon
~truth
~my savior


A sermon today that spoke of God calling to Peter and making Him a fisher of men. His disciples were certain they were not worthy. Yet, Jesus equipped them with all they would need for their mission. He will give you everything you need for your journey and your purpose. We must only have faith and receive.

If you have a minute, read this. What a beautiful testament to LIFE.

Homemade Joy

“Oh, God above, if heaven has a taste it must be an egg with butter and salt, and after the egg is there anything in the world lovlier than fresh warm bread and a mug of sweet golden tea?”
---Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes (1996)



Want to make something warm and comforting for your family during a cold, dark day in winter. Ann has the most delicious recipe for biscuits. MMMM. Eat them with honey and hot tea. Sometimes we get a little slice of heaven on earth and for me, it is always homemade.

Walk with Him Wednesday

One filled with joy preaches without preaching.
~Mother Teresa

I watched the Duggar family special on tv tonight. I was watching because her doctor, Paul Wendel and his family, are friends of ours. It was the most touching episode. Regardless of what you think of the Duggars, there is no mistaking the joy that fills them. They live for the glory of God and they are filled with his joy.

I wish I only had 1/10th of the patience and serenity that Michelle Duggar has each day. And she has twice the number of children I have.

Joy...it radiates from some people and is nonexistant in others. God help me to be a joy radiator:)

Love is an action

And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me.
--matthew 25:40

Sometimes we get all caught up in the feeling. We want everything to be the pinnacle of emotion and we are distraught when we don't feel the love. However, love is more than a feeling, it is more than a noun. Love is an action--an action VERB.

We are fairly certain that we have been sent here by God to learn to love. To overcome all our human-ness and learn to love, divinely. That can be a hard task in our fallen world. People are stingy and mean, they are rude and hateful. They are beaten down by hardships and crosses to bear. They are hard to love.

But, Jesus did not ask us how we feel about the least of His brothers....he asked us "what did you DO?" Love is a verb. You are called to go out and LOVE someone, not with your feelings, with your actions. Do something for the least of His brothers, do something for HIM.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
--Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech

Marriage Friday

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. ~Socrates

Well, that quote just made me laugh. I hope I didn't make a philosopher out of my husband. How does one be a good wife?

A few years ago someone sent me an email from a 1950's home ec book that told girls how to be a good wife. Some of the advice was to have the house picked up, a good meal on the table, put on lipstick and a ribbon in your hair, make sure the kids are clean and quieted down, get him a cool drink and listen to him tell you about his day. The lady who sent me this thought it was the funniest joke...I thought it was pretty good advice and would probably save a lot of marriages...It also became clear that I don't have a lot in common with the women that I know. I just know that it would be so unpleasant to walk in the house after a long day to complaints and more work. I think it would be nice to sit down, have a cool drink, and transition into the family for the evening. That doesn't seem like too much for me to sacrifice for the blessing of staying home with my kids.

I have this list in my journal and I read it now and then to remind myself that sometimes I have to die to myself and invest myself wholly in us.

I Thirst Thursday

I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again. ~William Penn

I always wish I had a lot of money. For the obvious reasons that everyone wants a lot of money...but, also, I have always wanted to just be able to buy people gifts whenever I want to. I would love to buy my mother a bouquet of flowers and have them delivered to her today. I wish I could send my mother in law a new audio book (she is blind) but they are so expensive. I think it would be so fun to shower people with gifts. But, there is no extra money for these things. So, instead, today I will do what I can to make sure that these people feel my kindness. A card is all I have but even something as small as a card can brighten a person's day. Imagine on your lowest days getting a card in the mail for no reason. That would really cheer you up.

Do what you can today. If you can afford the flowers, then buy them, if not, then send the heartfelt card...remember you will not pass this way again.

Walk with Him Wednesday

Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough.
Garrison Keillor

My home is warm and dry. There is enough food in my house to feed 11 people for a month. I have access to clean water to drink, to wash with and to cook with. I have a washing machine, an oven, a refrigerator, a sewage system, garbage collection, and meat already killed and butchered. I don't milk any cows or churn any butter. My life is so simple with these modern conveniences.

I can read. I have money in the bank. I can get a job. I have healthy children. I have a hardworking husband. I have transportation. There is no war in my country. My life is peaceful, I have the education and the means to acquire all that I need.

My life is more comfortable than the majority of people in the world. Help me, Lord, to remember my comfort, and to not complain about anything in my easy life. You have given me abundance and yet, I find some petty thing to complain about. Forgive me when I do not love it enough.

Look Forward

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. ~A.A. Milne

It is a another dark, gloomy, rainy winter day in Northern California. These kinds of days, without any sunshine or fresh air can be depressing. Now is the time that it is important to find something to look forward to. All the rain, leaves me thinking of all the flowers I will have in a few months. It is time to start planning some gardens for spring. I can't dig in the dirt now but I can cut pictures out of magazines, plan the layout in my journal and order seeds. Looking forward to flowers makes me happy. Looking forward to anything pleasant makes me happy, a vacation, a play, a visit with a faraway friend, a night out with my husband. Plan something fun to look forward to...it doesn't have to cost a thing (picnics, stargazing, a movie/pizza night at home, or reorganizing a room. There is joy in the ordinary.

"You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without."

Fridays at the Joy Project will be about celebrating all that is beautiful about marriage. Mark Twain once said about Adam that he decided it was better to live out of the garden with Eve than in it without her. Do you love your husband like that? Do you tell him? Do you show him?

Marriage is hard work. You can't change another person and bend them to your will. But, you can work on changing yourself to become a better spouse. Giving is joy. Serving your spouse is joy.

I sent my husband a quote today that said I wanted a wedding that was beautiful, elaborate and filled with family and friends...he wanted a wedding that would make me his wife.

That is the kind of man he is and I am grateful for that. Fridays are about showing your spouse that he is the one person you can't live without, forsaking all others, including friends and family if they hinder your marriage.

What kindness can you show your spouse today?

I Thirst Thursday

There is hunger for ordinary bread, and there is hunger for love, for kindness, for thoughtfulness, and this is the great poverty that makes people suffer so much.
--Mother Teresa

Everyone has a story. I didn't realize that until I was in my early 30's and I had felt some sort of pettiness toward a friend. It was a silly thing and I was irritated with her. A couple of days later I found out that one of her children had died of sids before I met her. It brought me to my knees. How could I, in my self absorption, add to one person's grief.

I learned in that moment of clarity that every one of us has a story. We all have our own private griefs and sorrows. Do we want to add to someone's sorrow today or lift them up with kindness?

Kindness--God's love in your hands to give to your neighbor. Don't be stingy--Give it away.

Walk with Him

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”
St. Thomas Aquinas

Joel Osteen wrote in his book, "Instead of telling God how big your mountains are, tell your mountains how big your God is." Nothing is impossible with God. Faith in Him is a gift, a treasure. Without faith the world must appear dark, lonely and desolate. Without faith there is no God. What a sad, joyless world that must be. Thank God for the gift of faith today and walk with Him, not alone.

Radiate joy

“If I regarded my life from the point of view of the pessimist, I should be undone. I should seek in vain for the light that does not visit my eyes and the music that does not ring in my ears. I should beg night and day and never be satisfied. I should sit apart in awful solitude, a prey to fear and despair. But since I consider it a duty to myself and to others to be happy, I escape a misery worse than any physical deprivation.” — Helen Keller

Yesterday I took my kids to the Chabot Planetarium in Oakland. We had such a nice time. For lunch we went to the cafe to buy a $5 hot dog! The guy working in the cafe was a young man and he was very mean. He did not like anyone. He snapped at all the customers, he barked at the cashier, he complained to himself. He was not a happy person.

The boys asked me why the man was so mean. What made him feel as though all the customers were bothering him and that his job was beneath him?

There are people in the world who think that happiness lies somewhere besides where they are. They think it is their job that makes them unhappy or their circumstances make them unhappy and if only these things would change they would finally find happiness. But, that is a myth. There are also people who live on the streets who are happy, who have really miserable jobs who are happy, who live in pain, or squalor, or amidst abject misery and yet still find joy.

If that young man took a new attitude today and greeted each customer with a smile and used his job to further joy in the world, he would find happiness. It lies within you. Radiate joy out to the world and you will find it blossom and take hold inside you. No job is beneath you if you have a happy heart. Every job gives you the opportunity to reach out with joy.

Excellence in humble work

~ Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. ~ aristotle

What if the great work you are producing today is clean clothes, a good meal, and a clean house? What if the only people who will see your work today are your husband and small children? God sees no difference between painting the Sistene Chapel and making a beef stew. All work can be done for the glory of God. God asks only for our excellence and our joy. He did not give us this life so we could muddle through it satisfied with mediocrity...He gave us an abundant life so they we might learn to love Him and give Him glory. He asks us to do all of our work with excellence. As Mother Teresa recognized we can do "small things with great love."

A clean house and a good meal are the gifts we give to our families. Let us not do them with a resentful heart, but rather go about our work with great pride because we are doing His will. Make your work today the very best you can give Him in thanksgiving for the multitude of blessings He has given you.

In Thanksgiving for...

healthy children
steaming coffee early in the morning
a forgiving husband
a crackling fire in the fireplace
warm, homemade bread and peach jelly

Single Purpose

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
--Chinese Proverb

Last night I had about a hundred things to do, chores that never end like laundry, picking up, cleaning, blogging, writing, etc. But, what I really wanted to do was learn to crochet. I am not good at crafty stuff. I am missing the part of my brain that understands simple craft or sewing instructions. It is a source of much frustration to me.

But last night I got it out and began to learn one slow stitch at a time. I ended up working on it for three hours and during that time I had to stop myself from thinking about all the things that were left undone while I was doing this project. I also had to ignore the uneven ends and uneven stitches....sometimes I want things to be perfect so don't even take a single step because I can't do it perfectly. It doesn't have to be perfect!! Why do I always think it does?

While sitting there crocheting, I had time to think, time to talk with whomever wandered into the room. Things I can't do while I am writing. This kind of activity is necessary for me to be still and I know my kids get tired of chasing me around the house while I am working to talk to me. So be quiet laundry...I am crocheting...

Too much stuff

Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have.
--anon.

I went to the bookstore to look at the homemaking books and to size up the literary competition. I didn't find any homemaking books at all in the section, but rather, found books devoted to the organization or getting rid of, clutter. It seems that we Americans are unhappy not because we are poor and wanting, but because we have too much stuff. We have to go buy books on how to not have so many material things. There is a science to managing the obnoxious wealth that we have in our country. Too much stuff...I am certain that there are millions of people in the world who wish they too had too much food, too many clothes, too much medicine, etc.

Simplify what you do have and do not replace all that junk. Then work on wanting what you have. Clean and organize what you do have and you will love it more, I promise.

I Thirst Thursday

As the bus slowed down at the crowded bus stop, the Pakistani bus conductor leaned from the platform and called out, "Six only!" The bus stopped. He counted on six passengers, rang the bell, and then, as the bus moved off, called to those left behind: "So sorry, plenty of room in my heart - but the bus is full." He left behind a row of smiling faces. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it. ~The Friendship Book of Francis Gay, 1977

How is your heart? Does it have plenty of room? Are you showing people that there is room in your heart?

After my 9th child was born, I suffered from postpartum depression. Every day I went out into the world and encountered rudeness and unkindness that sent me further into the darkness. I could not find the sun, a lamp or even a candle to light my darkness. Be a candle in someone's darkness today....better yet be a brilliant light, be the sun and shine the way for those in need. It only takes a kind word or a thoughtful gesture. There is joy in compassion

His Mirth

There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray.

There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation. There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth.
--G.K. Chesterton

This is my all time favorite quote about Jesus. I love to think of Him as seeing us as His children and that he found us funny, childlike and sometimes absurd. I love to think of Him as lighthearted and joyful.

We take ourselves to seriously. Walk with Him today in JOY.

Enjoy the gift of life

I asked God for all things, that I might enjoy life. God gave life, that I might enjoy all things.
--Unknown

A friend passed away early this morning from cancer. He left behind two young boys and a lifetime of memories. When he was diagnosed and learned it was terminal, he set out to do everything he could on his bucket list. He took his children places, he spent time with them, they did things together. He them some beautiful memories to comfort them throughout their lives. He did not have a long life, nor did he have a life filled with riches, but he had a full, happy life and enjoyed the thing that matters most..his wife and his children.

Go out and spread the joy.

"Scatter Joy"
--Ralph Waldo Emerson


This is my goal for today...to scatter joy. Oh my goodness, I just love the words. Scatter joy. Is that the most noble calling? How will you do it, to whom will you scatter it to? Life is so beautiful, you cannot help but scatter it around you.

Simplicity Sunday

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
--Hans Hofmann

What can you eliminate today so that the necessary can speak? Clutter on your counters? At your front door? On your desk? In your closet?

Living simply means getting rid of all the "stuff" that clutters up our lives. There is no reason to hang onto something that you don't love or use. Be free of it.

I am freeing myself of a lot of papers today and filing them in a file folder. Things kind of piled up around Christmas. When things are organized people are less stressed. You are no longer wasting time searching for things all the time, you know where it is and don't have to dig for it. There is a lot of paper associated with a big family...documents, schoolwork, forms, etc. Make a folder for each child that contains all their documents (birth cert., social security card, vaccination records, etc) and never search again.

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.
-- George Eliot



Last night after my husband arrived home from a business trip and all my little ducklings arrived home from school and sports, my soul heaved a huge sigh of peace. We ate homemade pizza around our big table and talked. As my oldest son makes plans for his future, it has reminded me how quickly time has gone by since I held him for the first time. How quickly the time passes as all my kids grow up and become the people we have been raising them to become. How grateful I am that there are still babies in the house to savor for a little while longer.

Take the time to experience the JOY of family. Give your kids the memories of home that they will carry in the hearts and souls wherever their future may take them. That kind of joy travels.

Joy of learning

It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.
--albert einstein

Finding joy today in learning with a young, curious son. We have explored earthquakes, revolutions and stories. He is a sponge. Although homeschooling is kind of wreaking havoc on my new schedule, I am reminded that this is my primary job in this life...raising good, holy, educated people to lead this country.

Excellence

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.
--Peal S. Buck

Yesterday all I really accomplished was cooking. I baked a lot of different breads (wheat, banana and pumpkin) and made meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner. It took me most of the day to cook all the food as well as taking care of my kids and a little journaling. It took me a while to learn to be a good cook...almost 2 years of practice, learning, failures and successes. But, I can cook and bake anything now. It is my only gift to offer him. As the world sees it, it is not much..just cooking, cleaning and caring for people. But, it is my life's work and as God sees it, a gift. When will we see with his eyes and view our gifts as treasures? Take your talent and use it to serve Him. He does not ask for perfection, only excellence. Live in excellence. Find joy in excellence, not perfection.

Joy Journal

Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; love more, and all good things will be yours.
--Swedish proverb

That pretty much sums it up, don't you think?

I started to get in a bad mood this afternoon because none of the little kids were taking a nap which meant I wasn't going to get any time to get a project done and I had been looking forward to it. I felt the grumpies coming on and needed to bust out of it quickly. I don't have any friends around this town so I can't call someone, I have small children so I can't just go for a run or take a hot bath by myself, things that experts say to do to improve your mood. So, instead, I got out a notebook for myself and crayons and coloring books for the girls. While they colored I made a joy journal...cut out pictures from magazines that inspire me, quotes from inspirational books, and a list of blessings.

I didn't get my project done for the day but I did add to my joy by doing something that made me feel blessed and happy. Now with my mood restored and that list of things I didn't get done today filed away, I am on to preparing for the evening. Meatloaf and roast potatoes with homemade bread. Who can be in a bad mood with a good meal to look forward to.

The Joy of Simplicity

What I love about January is the simplicity of it. After you take down the Christmas decorations and put it all away, everything looks so bare and clean. This past weekend we got it all put up and today will be spent creating some new order in old spaces.

New toys need to go in new bins. Old toys need to go to Goodwill. I already boxed up old clothes, mine especially, to go to Goodwill...I had a sweatshirt from college still...I graduated 20 years ago!!

I already reclaimed the cabinet above the refrigerator that Greg had highjacked for his junk cabinet. It now houses my seldom used appliances. Today is the linen closet. I have a husband and kids who can't tell the difference between bathroom towels and kitchen towels and washclothes and dishclothes. I don't see the confusion..it is perfectly clear to me and hence, I am always baffled to see washclothes in my kitchen sink. Okay, it drives me crazy. So, today I am labeling baskets and filling them with appropriate linen and hoping that everyone can read a simple sign around here!

There is joy in the simple life. Too much stuff clutters our minds as well as our homes. Today spend your day clearing some of the clutter from your life and revealing the joy beneath the stuff.



I have learned by some experience, by many examples, and by the writings of countless others before me, also occupied in the search, that certain environments, certain modes of life, certain rules of conduct are more conducive to inner and outer harmony than others. There are, in fact, certain roads that one may follow. Simplification of life is one of them.
--Ann Morrow Lindbergh (Gift from the Sea)

Happy people have goals

Studies have found that people are happier when they have meaningful goals that they are working toward. We all need something to work toward and also something to look forward to. Since it is the resolution time of year, write out some goals instead of resolutions. Goals are more positive than resolutions as well because goals tend to be process driven and resolutions are just statements about what you want.

When writing out goals make sure that they are specific. You don't want to just say "be kinder," but rather have a clear objective such as "I will work at the soup kitchen 2 Sundays a month during 2010." Make sure that you don't not give yourself too much to do. Remember that we are trying to work on one thing at a time in order to actually finish them.

My goals for this year look like this~~
~Write 2 book proposals and submit them. Submit one by the end of January.
~Submit 3 articles to magazines.
~Spend 1 night away alone with each child.
~Have a date night once a week.
~Exercise 3 times a week.
~Continue adoration 1 hour a week.

Happy people are always working toward goals. They are always trying to accomplish things and to become better people. Goals are an important step in the joy project.

One joy scatters a hundred griefs. ~Chinese Proverb

Yesterday I took two of my little ones to the movies. The movie itself did not impress them much. We saw Princess and the Frog and neither of them were all that interested. But, the previews, now that was a different story. One was for Disney's Ocean and when my animal lover daughter saw those ocean animals her face lit up. She was captivated. Truly, that was worth the whole price of admission to me. Pure joy for a few minutes.

I thought how like that we are though. The previews give us such a jolt of joy and then the real thing is somewhat disappointing because it is not like the preview, a few minutes of the best parts. But, we must grab those few minutes of joy and hold onto that feeling to recall in moments of boredom, irritation or grief.

Joy---drink it in.