Behind Those Eyes-Ms. Happiness & An Award!

I feel good and back to myself for the most part after surgery two weeks ago. Just have to watch the sleeping in thing...caught myself still in bed at 9am the other day and scared myself when I woke up!! Good thing I had nowhere to be that morning. :) You can get away with it when you have NO children at home and a hubby who heads off to work early everyday. :)

I'm late with my online bible study...Say Yes to God hosted by Lelia at Write From the Heart. We are studying the book "Behind Those Eyes" by Lisa Whittle. Lisa even joins us and gives us encouragment. If you'd like to join or read the insight of others doing the study...you can check it all out at Lelia's site here!

Chapter 4: Ms. Happiness

This was a hard chapter for me to write something down about.  I've started a couple times.

On page 59, Lisa writes~A lot of things can make us feel happy for a time.  But a lot of things can also let us down almost as quickly as they perked up up.  I can relate to that.  It happens daily that we let little things make us happy for a time.  I don't think I've relied on things or people really to make me happy.   I've been a pretty content person most of my life and look at the positive side of things.  I am a pretty happy person.  I attribute that to being a child of God and holding very high morals. (Sometimes to the detriment of missing out on a bit of fun!)  I became a believer in Junior High and rededicated my life to the Lord as a senior in high school.  I married a believer and we were blessed to sit under one of the godliest pastors I have ever known and I grew in my faith.  We have always been involved in our church, yearned for that deeper walk with HIM and for the most part have relied on the Lord for his care of us.  We have not had an easy 30 years of married life but we work at it.  We always come back together and focus on what God's word says.  I would have to say I have never focused on being HAPPY.  I have put on the mask of happiness when I wasn't for a period of time.

Lisa also writes that the true and lasting source of our joy that fills our hearts and overflows into the paths of those around us.  When we go to the real source of joy, we find the answers we need to secure our contentment in life forever.  I took to heart this verse long ago when I was at a ladies bible study.  I actually put the verse in my husband's lunch and he quit his job the next day to start his own business.  It is:  Philippians 4:11-13~Not that I speak from want:  for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me.  

I took this verse to heart and it has helped me through each and every circumstance.

I take Lisa's prayer to heart as well...it is my prayer today.

Father God, we are women who desire to find joy, fulfillment, and peace in life.  We know that only You can provide these things.  But we admit we have sought other sources to make us happy, and they have only brought us temporary feelings of fulfillment.  You are our joy, and we seek YOU as our only way to be the happy women we want to be.  In Jesus' name.  AMEN.

This week I received my first bloggy award from Heidi. which just happens to fall in line with our Ms. Happiness chapter above because they give you that happy feeling for a short time. This reward requires you to name six things that make you happy! You will need to check out her blog when you want a laugh(go potty first if you are over 45!) or to see the cutest kiddos in Georgia!

Six things that make me happy:

1. My family~hubby, children and grandchildren

2. Sitting on the beach reading a magazine and listening to the ocean.

3. Looking at picture albums~I love looking at pictures!!! I also love taking pictures and sharing them with friends and family.

4. Learning something new from the Bible and applying it to my life. It gives me peace, joy and happiness.

5. Knowing that my children know the Lord and have grown up to be responsible adults attempting to make it on their own. I am proud of each of them!

Thanks for the award Heidi.  Please go here for a good laugh and here is another one and here one more.  You can also read about her precious son and daughter and her crazy husband who makes her laugh and makes her happy most of the time.  I'm supposed to link to 6 other blogs that make me happy but I've run out of time.  I've gotta get to bed as we leave for Chicago tomorrow and I still have to pack and get my nails done!  So Debbie, Nina Diane, Brandee, Carol, Carrie(Buzzings of a Queen Bee) and anyone else who reads my blog and comments, feel free to enjoy the award courtesy of me.  I'm off to bed...it's 1:20am!  I can't sleep in tomorrow!