Once Upon A Time

I used to be a semi-interesting blogger. I’m not sure what happened. I was just scrolling through some ancient archives yesterday and thought…sheesh…I might need to get a real job again. Evidently my brain has turned to mush in the last few years…or else I’ve just suffered a shortage of crazy events happening to me that I can write about…or else I’m just too nice to say what I really think these days. Or maybe I’m too mean now to say what I really think…because back then, I must have been nicer since I think I said what I thought back then and it didn’t seem that bad. ROFL. Maybe nicer/meaner isn’t the word…I think I was just really innocent and naïve back then, so when I said what I really thought, it was all good because I had no idea. Now I know too much and if I said what was really on my mind, I realize it would hurt people or might be inappropriate, so I refrain; therefore blog content gets a lot skimpier because it takes way too much creative energy to figure out interesting non-controversial topics. =)

These days, all my creative energy is tied up in homework and writing endless essay answers, I guess. Hopefully one day this will all be finished, I can get a real job again, and my brain will go back to normal (or as normal as it ever can be) functioning.

As long as I don’t turn into a villain, I should eventually get my happy ending. LOL. In case you don’t watch “Once Upon A Time,” I’ve been catching up on last season before the next season starts, so all these references are due to all the mixed up fairy tales I’ve been watching while doing the ENDLESS MOUNTAIN of ironing. It makes ironing slightly more tolerable.

Speaking of intolerable things, my computer is slowly grinding to a halt. I got on this morning and thought I’d clean a few things off and start with emptying the recycle bin. When it said it was deleting 7.2 gigs of trash, I almost panicked, but I resisted and crossed my fingers that there wasn’t anything in there that shouldn’t have been deleted. I have obviously gotta get in the habit of taking out the trash more often.

Anyway, school is going okay this semester…I think I mentioned already that I’m taking 3 classes which is still considered part time. I do NOT know how the rest of the people taking full time classes manage to have jobs and lives and get all their homework done. Part time homework is enough to bog me down. Between that, working on our house (Oy-vey…it never ends), taking care of kids (and THEIR homework, which is no easy task in 3rd and 5th grades), TaiKwanDo two nights a week, being really involved with church…the list goes on…

Whew. Anyway. I’m off for now. It’s about time to head to school and I’m thinking there is something I’m forgetting to do, so I better get moving.

And she lived happily ever after. =) LOL

Do You Have Joy, REAL Joy?

So, I’ve been contemplating this topic as of a few days ago but haven’t really felt like putting it into words. I still don’t, actually, but I know if I don’t, I’ll forget.

Maybe it’s better if I forget, but I’m gonna go with not forgetting and let it fly. LOL. Fair warning, hopefully this blog won’t offend anyone but if it does, it’s not intentional, just me and my opinions.

First, when I’m referring to joy, I’m thinking of the kind of joy David talks about in Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

There’s good people in lots of different churches. And when I say good, I mean: sweet, kind, fruit-of-the-spirit-exhibiting, Christ-followers. However, after going to many different places of worship, noting what seemed to me to be a collective spirit of heaviness and lack of real joy in one place of worship and seeing the contrast of the general feeling of joyful praise and worship in another, I totally don’t get how good people could stay stuck in the former. I’m not sure if I admire or pity their gumption for sticking out such misery. Churches are so much alike in many ways, in most cases, it’s not the style of worship or the message that is so different, it’s just the overall atmosphere. And as one who grew up in the system of beliefs (not calling out any specific church, just the general way of thinking) of the former, and now gratefully experience the freedom and joyful spirit of the latter, I feel like I see much more clearly BOTH sides. There’s good and bad, right and wrong on both sides, and there are good Christians, bad Christians, and sinners on both sides. But the one thing I love is being happy serving Jesus (and working to be more like Him…yes, I’m still working…I’m totally not there yet), and being around others who feel the same way. I think there’s people who are happy, and they love and serve Jesus, but they don’t seem happy serving Jesus. Obviously, many people DON’T fall in that category, but I think when the general population of a body of people falls into that, maybe that’s a little part of what creates that lack of joy in service (worship service or general serving).

That’s just my take on it. And everyone experiences gloomy days from time to time but if you’re a constant Eeyore, well…

And something else that seems to have a direct correlation to joy: I’ve found His yoke is easy and His burden is light. And when I took up HIS yoke instead of MAN’S yoke….

Well, I found joy, real joy, wonderful joy.

Now I just have to get the rest of the fruit of the spirit growing up in my life.

Love ya, mean it. =)