Despair orJoy - Life or Death

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between happiness and joy? I have pondered the question for many years. It seems to me that happiness is about doing what I want, getting what I want, having what I want. I am at the center. Happiness is all about me. Now don't misunderstand me. On the surface level there is nothing wrong with being happy. In fact, we have a solemn duty to those around us, as Dennis Prager is wont to say, to be as happy as we can.

For me however, I have found that joy goes deeper. Joy comes when I discover God working in the world. Often I find it in little things. I just saw this bird today and it brought me joy. I felt the joy, just as I can feel happiness, but the joy came from a deeper place. The joy came in being so amazed at the beauty of God's creation. Genesis tells us that he created much of what we see for us - that we might experience joy in it - and then come to know Him more and more.

Joy can come in the midst of very hard times. Joy can overwhelm us and bring us peace when there is no logic way we should be feeling peace. Joy defies man's logic. Joy is a gift from God in which I believe He shares a bit of His joy with us.

Many believe that we have come to a tipping point in our society. It seems we have lost our way. We are calling good evil and evil good. It is time for us to stand with God and judge evil as evil and good as good.

I cannot watch as people pick through a petri dish of baby parts and discuss the monetary gain that can come from selling them without feeling apalled. How can a person look at the tiny feet and hands in that dish, the tiny brain and see the joy that God had created in that baby. The child was murdered.It was torn apart in the womb that God created to protect the baby from harm. Yet many seem to want to walk away from the idea - the appalling idea of choosing death rather than life.

We see Christians beheaded, burned alive in cages, women and young girls being sold as sexual slaves and we turn away. Is it because we are overwhelmed by the horror. Or is it simply a question of not wanting our own happy bubble burst by the reality of evil rampant in the world?

Many who will read this will agree with me when I say it is time to stand and to call evil for what it is. It is time to stand for life. I believe we are standing on the edge of a cliff. The words of Joshus ring in my head - "15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. " (Deutoronomy 30:15-20)

Soe who read this will stop being my friends. I know that. It will nto be the first time. Nor is it likely to be the last. But if I personally am going to plan for joy, I must choose life and a life with God as my light and guide. Will you stand with me and choose joy and life also?

Not a Chiropractor

I had a wonderful phone call this week that brought a 'laugh out loud' moment into my day. Laughing - that really full body laugh - is a great source of joy. Let me share this crazy moment.

I spent nearly 20 years as a private practice counselor licensed to practice in Ohio. I closed my practice at the end of 2013. Now I spend my time doing some private life coaching and enjoying the creative part of my life.

The call came from a past client who had been trying to locate me and was excited to find me on the Internet. When she called I could hear hesitancy in her voice. The hesitancy was generated by the Internet. After chatting for a while, she told me how she found me. Google gave her several listings for me. The site she found had gotten two things correct - my name and my phone number. Everything else was wrong. Hilariously wrong.

I decided that I would do the same search she had done. Oh my! I am listed as a chiropractor. No, I don't think so. I really like my chiropractor (http://www.myclevelandchiropractor.com). Dr. Nicholas Cambouris is wonderful. But I have never had a desire to do what he does.

I am also listed as running a business management firm. Oh no! That would be a really bad idea. I enjoyed having my own counseling business but managing businesses for other people - not so much!

I laughed out loud as I read my business descriptions on the Internet. Most were so very wrong. I had a choice to make as I read. I could be annoyed that so much was published erroneously or I could take the moment of joy that a good laugh gave me. Who knows, maybe an Internet search for your name might give you a moment of unexpected laughter!

Enjoy a good laugh when you can. It can bring a moment of joy into your day.