Defining JOY

We have had a VERY rough week at our house. Each day of school is still a struggle for us, and after having been home together for 2 full weeks, it was incredibly difficult to go back and face the next semester - especially for me. I just enjoyed being home with the kids SO much and realized how good we had it "all those years." I have been praying for God to help me not take things for granted and he has certainly answered that one! (Another lesson in "be careful what you pray for!)

I have to admit that I didn't feel very joyful this week at all. I felt like I was on survival mode to just get through each day. I worked hard to keep my focus right and to look for truth past my emotions and hormones. I asked God to show me what He was doing and I hid under the umbrella of my amazing husband. Then, one day, for some reason, I looked up JOY in the dictionary. I found this:

JOY –noun

1.	the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.

2.	a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.

3.	the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.

4.	a state of happiness or felicity.

Well, I didn't have delight, or happiness, I didn't feel satisfied, pleasured, elation, my son was NOT succeeding, I didn't feel appreciated, glad, gay, or felicity...whatever that is! But, because I looked it up on dictionary.com there were lots of ads on the page, too....including this one:

How to be happy
Watch this short video on the key To happiness and joy in knowing God
www.HappinessAndGod.com

Well, I didn't even click on it to check out their video....just seeing those words was all that I needed. Through all of my crazy hormones and emotions, I still know that God sent us to school this year, that He has a wonderful plan for us, and that He will go before us and see us through. And THAT gives me satisfaction, gaiety, elation, pleasure...and JOY. And peace. And strength for the next day.