My joyfilled planner

I have been using a planner as a prayer journal and a place to write about what the Word of God teaches me for quite some time. It reminds me to be intentional about looking for joy in my life on a daily basis. That joy comes first through a relationship with God. Once that relationship is in order, then it is easy to see the hand of God all around me - in His creation and in His influence in the events that happen in my life.

Today our world is so often filled with evil, sadness and corruption that we can grow afraid. When we stand on His Word and strive to be more and more like Him in the small, daily things in our life, then the fear lifts and a sense of peace can ensue even when things in the world are less than peaceful.

It is God who created us and who offers us salvation and grace. It is ours to accept and walk day by day.

I have found great joy in Him as I worked to create images that might grace a joy filled planner. I pray that this endeavor may bring a spot of joy into your life also. You are invited to come and see the planner inserts I have been working on for the last several months and to share with me in making the search for joy in God's world an intentional part of your life. Come and visit my Etsy shop - Planning4joy!

I would be most blessed if you would share it with your friends! Thank you.
Here is my planner for you to see.

What do you do when life hands you really difficult moments? Where do you look for joy? Sometimes it is easy to think that it is not possible to be joyful when times are hard.

But if we are planning on moments of joy being part of our lives, then we will find the joy. Sometimes it may only be a moment of joy and at other times there may be many such moments.

I recently had several difficult things happen and they coincided with a trip to visit my granddaughters who live south of me. My planner includes a page that intentionally asks me to plan a moment of joy. One particular day I was not sure what exactly that moment would be or if I would be able to find one.

I made a trip to see my eldest granddaughter in her new apartment space near Xavier University. I took my youngest graddaughter along with me on the visit. Since it was nearing the lunch hour, I offered to take them all to lunch. That was not going to happen however. Instead the colege student announced that she was taking us to lunch. The first time she could do this.

We drove down the street to a small restaurant near the campus. We ate, we laughed, we had a wonderful time. After we had ordered, the youngest asked if I had a quarter. We all shared a moment of joy as she explained that she wanted to put it into the juke box at our table. Her sister explained that it no longer worked but shared how it would have worked in a different time. That time was my time. We all laughed as we looked at the music shown on the juke box and tried to figure out how anyone could hear abything when all the jukeboxes were playing different songs.

It was a special time of joy and laughter. The difficult things that lay ahead of me did not diminish the  joy one bit.

In fact, having had that wonderful time to share a meal and to laugh together made the difficult things so much easier.

Write out your plan for joy. Take a moment for joy and for gratitude every day. You will feel burdens life and be encouraged to live the next days planning4joy!

What does a trash can have to do with joy?

Every artist's studio has some place to put scraps and trash.  On a trip to my local hardware store I found the perfect place for my trash - a mini version of a garbage can! I love it. It made me smile the moment I saw it. Joy! It is so much fun to have in my art space.

The trash can has been a part of my professional voice for many years. I saw so many people who had experienced deep pain, hurt, embarrassment and even abuse who had defined themselves by that pain inflicted on them by others. 

That pain lived in their hearts and minds. Often it ruled everything in their lives. The loveliness and strength, the gifts and talents of these people were often hidden by the scars of past pain. I have been there. You may have been there too.

For a time pain and hurt serves as a helpful reminder to a person of the dangers that often exist in the world of relationships. What once served a good purpose grows until it becomes the cause of pain itself. Enter the trash can. 

In therapy, in coaching and yes, even in your daily planner, the trash can becomes a way to intentionally choose to discard pain so that joy may take its place. For many years I have encouraged my clients to thank the pain for serving to help keep them safe. Then choose to discard the pain and choose to replace it with a new joy.

In the Midori style inserts I have created for my planner, a small sketch of a trash can is always there in the weekly sections. On it I write the negatives that I am choosing to discard that day or week. Then I write the plan I have to look for joy to replace that old pain.

What needs to be intentionally discarded in your week? How will you plan 4 joy? 

A Joy Filled Mess!

June 27, 2015

How does a person plan for joy in life? First, make looking for and finding joy an intentional act everyday. Second, be open to surprises. Third, share the joy with another.

It was a joy to have one of my granddaughters with me this past weekend to have a little creative time. She made a Father’s Day card for her Dad. She finished a canvas that she had started last year! And she made a messy apron to be her art apron. It is a work in progress. She can add things to it whenever she would like.

We decided that using spray dyes would be a great way to go. Where could we get messy with prays in a third floor condo with no good outside space for creating?

We found the ideal place! The bathtub! It could contain the spray. It was easy to clean. And, best of all, there was a delighted smile on her face as she enjoyed her permission to get messy!

It was a moment of joy to see her smile as she created an intentionally messy apron to use when she creates. Who cares if it gets paint on it? It is already intentionally messy!

Look for opportunities to find joy wherever you are. The possibilities are amazing!