Definition of Happiness:
1 state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
2 emotions experienced when in a state of well-being
I mentioned last week that we started a new series at church called “Soulful – Understanding God’s design for a happy life.”
I write a lot about my journey to find happiness in my life so I am super excited about this series. It is definitely something that I need to be aware of and work at on a daily basis. The main point I am learning is that in order to be happy, you must understand and accept what God has done for you in this life. In other words, happiness is a result of being grateful for the things you already have. To quote our pastor from today’s sermon, “in life it’s not what you see but how you see it.”
I have noticed a change in my way of thinking over the last 1.5 years and it is definitely a positive change. Sometimes I find myself in the most random situations and a feeling of joy will come over me…a feeling of gratitude that I have not quite experienced before. I can be at work. I can be driving my car. I can be typing this blog. Anything. I find myself experiencing this feeling almost every Sunday at church during praise and worship. Music is so powerful…it can bring back memories, it can give you hope, it can just make you feel GOOD.
Once you accept God’s design for happiness in your life…you become grateful for everything. What an amazing gift!
I had a beautiful getaway this weekend and experienced some things that I do not get to do very often. I was blessed with a little extra sunshine in the middle of this cold January and it warmed my heart. I am not sure what I did to deserve these blessings but I am beyond grateful. I am grateful for everything I already do have though…not just the big things. I am grateful for my 2 little cats who express so much love when I returned home…they even know what gratitude means. I am grateful for being able to hop into my car and drive less than a mile to buy myself a good dinner. I am grateful for my best friend who is always there for me and makes me laugh. I am grateful for the music I hear on the radio at this very moment. I am grateful that after 40+ years on the planet I actually finally “get it” and I am grateful to be surrounded by people who understand me and “get it” too. Life is GOOD!
This song below is one of those simple memories from my childhood…I remember singing my heart out with my childhood best friend whenever we heard it on the radio. I am posting it for my friend I will call “Edward”…thank you for the memories and for sharing some of the little things with me! A walk, a talk, a snuggle, good beer, good food, sand beneath my feet and music for my ears…that’s my happiness…I am blessed!
Stacey ~ iamalive41