Joy.

Where do you get your joy? 

No, not the dish soap.  The joy, joy, joy, joy...down in your heart! [::Where?!::]

Completely unrelated, but Gum Wall in Seattle! 

Do you try to get it from your circumstance? You can find happiness in certain circumstances, but once things stop going your way...then what? I'm not going to get into the whole joy vs. happiness thing... but joy isn't as fleeting as happiness.  Joy sustains the ups and downs.

So, where do you get your joy?

From your friends and family? Yes, they are awesome. But people will always let you down -- and if you haven't experienced that yet, you're lying.  We are all broken and although we do our best to care for and support "our favorites", you just might get ditched by a friend once in awhile when someone else offers them Seahawks tickets.

Completely unrelated again, but...Hedgie burrito!

And PLEASE don't hope to get all your joy from a marriage or relationship.  That is way too much pressure on one person to try do that for you.

I follow Graham Cooke on Facebook and one of his quotes has stuck with me all week:

"Be of good cheer! You are the living embodiment of Glad Tidings of Great Joy.  You must find your happiness from Christ within."

Of course, at first all I could think about was Christmas. We always hear about joy at Christmas.  Because Christ IS joy.  And because of that, joy is an everyday experience that if you don't have....you're missing out.  Big time.

I've had to do a serious attitude and joy check recently.  I was relying on getting joy too much through my circumstance.  (More specifically my current job situations). But that just caused me to be disappointed. And complain. And carry around a spirit of negativity.  No one likes that. So I stopped.

And really I don't know why I was like that.  I am blessed to have an income!! I live in an INCREDIBLY beautiful state with an insanely awesome boyfriend and new friends. Also, my friend Emily just came to visit....which I think was the turning point for me.  Because showing her my new city/state made me realize how blessed I am to be living here in the first place.

I like the beginning of Cooke's quote.  "Be of good cheer!" You can have joy even if you're not necessarily happy. But being happy always helps.  And like they say, happiness is a choice! Be friendly to everyone you come in contact with.  Not just nice.  Try being almost overly friendly and engaged with people.  Get your eyes up and away from your phone.  Contribute to real life conversations going on around you.

Also, take time to be by yourself.  Some people are honestly afraid to spend time alone in the quiet.  But just try it.  (Hey, that rhymes...) See what happens. And like I said before, Christ IS joy.  You can't have true joy without Him.  So take out that Bible and read a verse or two or thirty and ask Him to teach you something.

Break out of your normal routine every once in awhile.  Take a drive out in the country or into the city. With a friend or by yourself! See what the Lord shows you.

That's what I've been telling and forcing myself to do lately.  Because for me personally, I know I need to spend more time in the Bible and less time on my phone.  More time in prayer and less time complaining or worrying.

By doing that, the joy is already coming back (and to be honest I don't believe I ever really lost it, I just wasn't living in to it).  And actually this post was inspired by a customer at work just yesterday because after some simple typical hardware store small talk he said to me with a smirk on his face, "You have the Joy, don't you?" and I said, "Why yes, I do!" and he said, "I can tell. Because I have the joy of the Lord, and I'm guessing that's what you have, too!" as he winked and walked out the door.

It's evident. And contagious.

So go on, and be of good cheer!

It's way more fun.  I promise.