Joy from the Lord

My 3 year old, after watching the movie Tangled, walks around saying, "This is the best day ever!!". It's SO cute! All the little things that happen in his day, he proclaims, "This is the best day ever!!" I had posted about this on facebook and a friend had said, "Just think if we all had such a great attitude toward life!"


This got me to thinking, we should have this attitude, I should have this attitude. So I decided that this would be my new motto. This is the best day ever!! Even if it's not, that will be my motto! Fake it till you make it! If you are feeling down in the dumps, and you are wallowing in your self pity, you aren't going to feel any better. But if you are feeling down and you try and change your attitude by being cheerful and thankful...pretty soon you aren't feeling so bad!


Last Saturday morning, we took Mr. M to his ship and he sailed away. He's been gone for 1 week today. It was sad, I miss him. But I am not going to walk around for months feeling like that! Every day is a brand new gift from God!! Every day, there is a blessing to be counted!


On Sunday, we had a bit of a rough morning cause we overslept and were a little late getting to church, I hate being late. I served in JBQ and then helped with check-in in kids church and by the time I went to service, I was feeling great! Every time some one asked me how I was doing...I said, "This is the best day ever!" 


Pastor Joe's message on Sunday was amazing!! It was called Remember, Appreciate, Anticipate. It was all about remembering what God has done for His children (and for me) in the past, appreciating it, and anticipating the blessings that will come in the future. God loves us so much and He will bless us! The whole message was SO in line with what God had been telling me! Even though we are going through a hard time right now, with Mr. M having to be away from us, we can anticipate the blessings that God has for us in the midst of this. Instead of focusing on the hard time we are going through, we need to focus on the positive things. I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband who loves me and is such an amazing Father to our children, I am blessed that my husband will come home again, I am blessed that we have a warm home, food to eat, family and friends who love me and support me, a church where we are free to worship the Lord, and a church family who has come along beside me to walk this road with me. And many more! I am overwhelmed with the blessings that God has given to us!


I went up to the altar to pray and a friend came over and asked what she could pray with me about. I told her that I was filled with so much joy and thankfulness right now and that I pray that God will help me to have that every morning! That when I start to feel like I am going into the pit...that I would remember the joy that God has given me!! While we were praying, Pastor Joe came over and laid his hand on my shoulder and prayed for me, in front of the congregation, with his mic on. Honestly, I'm not even entirely sure what he said. I was so filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. I just felt surrounded by peace and goodness and joy!! It was an amazing morning!


I have had my ups and downs this week. We started school and the first couple days were a little rough, but then after being able to talk to Mr. M and receiving some great advice from a good friend and fellow homeschooler, the rest of the week went great! Some days have been filled with busyness, others have had a little sadness mixed in. 
Today, I am a LITTLE sad. But I have found I can be a little sad and joyful at the same time! Cause my sadness comes from my human emotions, but my joy comes from the Lord! So even though I miss my honey like crazy, I am filled with so much love for him, and that is something to be joyful about!! I feel very, very blessed that God chose me to be Mr. M's wife. He knew that I could do this! He knew that I would turn to Him for my strength! The joy of the Lord is my strength!

                            

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. Psalm 28:7