I've got the joy...

Joy, joy, joy, down in my heart! (What?) Down in my heart! (Where?) Down in my heart! (Oh!) I've got the joy, joy, joy joy down in my heart, down in my heart to stay! Ok, so maybe that's not the absolute correct way the song goes, but that's how I always sing it. And I sang it quite a bit today. It was my weapon of choice against wallowing in my annoyance. Every time something would happen that would get on my nerves, make me frustrated, or in some way bother me, I'd start singing that song to myself. It worked rather well, actually. It's hard to stay annoyed when you've got that tune in your head. And just in case you don't just yet, here you go.

You're welcome. :-)

I'm pleased to say that my first official Joy day went pretty well. I don't count yesterday because I didn't have to work and I didn't do much that tested my joy... except waiting until 2:00pm for my first cup of coffee. It was actually kind of funny. I couldn't figure out why everything seemed so bright and harsh, or why it hurt to have my eyes open. About 2 minutes after my first sip of caffeine the world righted and I was good to go. You'd think after 25 years of being a coffee drinker, I'd have figured that one out. Oh well. 

Bring on '14

It's that time of year again! Everyone's making New Year's resolutions and vowing that this is the year to stick with it. Working at a gym, the "Resolutioners" can be the most stressful part of the job, so I've been a little adverse to making resolutions the past few years. That being said, I decided to make one this year. There is a lot of stuff I need to work on, but I made one all-encompassing resolution: Be More Organized. I figure if I can be more organized with my spending habits, I will save money. If I'm more organized with my meal planning, I'll eat healthier and probably lose weight. If I'm more organized with my time, I'll feel less stressed. Being more organized will help with a multitude of sins.

I have also chosen my Word of the Year. Last year my word was Love. I wanted to love everyone more. It was definitely difficult. I did great for the first few months, then I ran headlong into a wall. That being said, I think I was able to love people more than if I hadn't been trying to work on it. I was more compassionate and understanding, to the point of annoying others who wanted to be mad. Oops. This year, my word is Joy. Amy and I were at the book store the other day and I kept seeing books about finding hope. Finally I said "I don't need hope, I need joy!" and I realized I had my word. I do have hope for my current situation, but I need to be able to find the joy in the midst of it. I think my theme verse for 2014 may be Philippians 4:4-5.

If you're interested, there is a 4-day devotional available here about having a word for the year. I like having a word of the year. It gives me something to focus on. 

I have so much more to share with you, but I'm starting to get exhausted. I hope everyone has had a pleasant start to 2014. Stay safe!