The Pursuit of Happiness

HAPPINESS.......

What does that word mean to you? How do we attain this thing called HAPPINESS?? Is it something that only comes and goes? Can it become a way in which we live our lives every single day?

Well, I propose that THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS "can" be something we achieve and maintain the rest of our days on this planet.

How????

Well, a great way to begin is to consider daily doing something like what our young ladies from our youth group did tonight.....

Reaching out and spending time with others, focusing on someone else, OTHER than ourselves and being a blessing to those around us. THAT is how we begin to find HAPPINESS. We don't have to be in PURSUIT of it all our lives....HAPPINESS can easily be found through the giving of oneself for the benefit of someone else.

Tonight, 12 of our young ladies, met with some of the widows of RRC. They wanted to get to know us better and had an ice cream social for us, as well as a devotion by Debbie G. After this, they let us help with the blankets they had made for the Mercy House. You might not believe it, but if you'd of been there, you'd of seen it for yourself. These young ladies adore spending time with our older ladies, learning from them, listening to them and just being in their presence. In this day and age, you would think they wouldn't make or take the time, but they do and they end up being the ones who come away blessed for having been there.

Tonight, as I was driving some of the girls home, we got into the van and Amber said, "You know, it makes me feel so good to do what we just did." That statement pretty much sums up how I know they all feel. Their hearts were full and so was mine. It was in the precious moments taking time to reach out to our widows, that the girls found HAPPINESS.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS?????? You don't have to pursue it any longer. You'll find it when you give of yourself. It's just that plain and simple. Forget yourself, take the time and reach out to someone else. There is a myriad of ministries at our church you can be involved in and they all need YOU. Why not pray and seek the Lord about where you can give of yourself?? Someone needs what you have to give.

HAPPINESS is waiting for you......why not reach out to someone tomorrow? They'll be so glad you did and you......well.....YOU will find HAPPINESS:)

A Time for Everything

Writing has been hard for me since the death of my sister. I cannot seem to find the words....the ache is deep and lingering and the tears continue. I've struggled to be able to express how I feel, except for the tears. There are few who truly know my heart.

But, 2 Sundays ago, it was Emily R., who helped to lift me up out of the pit. It was to be her last Sunday in my class as she was to move up the following Sunday. She and I both were struggling. It is always hard for me to say goodbye to my girls when they "move up." I get attached, very attached to them after spending 3 years watching them grow and mature in the Lord. Emily stayed after class and she and I both cried. As we held each other, she leaned onto my shoulder and said, "I don't want to put my foot over the threshhold of the door cause I know this is the last time. I don't want to go."

Immediately, the Lord whispered this in my ear......

"There is a season, an appointed time for everything, under heaven....."

And so, that is exactly what I whispered into Emily's ear. As I was trying to encourage her and help her understand that truly, there IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING...the Lord God Himself, encouraged me also. It was time for her to go...."There is a time for every event under heaven...."
and just 2 weeks ago, it had been time for my sister to go...."A time to give birth and a time to die..."

I cried because I was loosing Emily and I had shed buckets of tears over the loss of my sister....but, I too, realized this...

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiates 3:1-8

For everything in this life.....there is a time and a season for a beginning and for an ending. Emily had helped me to remember this, even in my own sorrow. I cannot say that the tears have stopped, but I have clung to these verses, simply remembering that life is full of seasons. Some are difficult, some pleasant, but they are ALL a part of life and living. We MUST step over the threshhold, for life demands it. We cannot stay where we are, in the same classroom forever....never growing and maturing....we MUST take that step and move forward into the rest of the life that God has for us.

Thank you Emily, for helping me, even when you didn't know it and thank You Father God, for getting me through this most sorrowful time of my entire life. Once again, You have blessed.