“I have come so
that they may have life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10)
Entertaining…lively…merry…cheerful…humorous…pleasing
Do these words describe your typical day?
How you begin your morning
often sets the tone and your attitude for the day. Life can be disorderly or
magical-depending on our outlook. One of the most effective and sure signs of
the way our day is going to go is from the first thoughts that come into our
minds when we wake up in the morning. And we can experience joy and have some
fun with our day if we learn to start our day off right…overflowing with a joy
that flows from a deep source so that we may fulfill the purpose that God has
for us! The life He gives is abundantly rich, and the truth is…God wants us to
enjoy life every day.
Have you taken
Christ’s offer of life? God wants you to have some fun and joy now, not when…
F~feeling happy and excited
U~upbeat in
every situation
N~naturally cheerful
to everyone we meet
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it
is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the
secret of being content in any and every situation.” (Philippians 4:11-12)
It’s
true that our typical day begins with stuff like going to work, cooking,
cleaning, paying bills, taking care of children, etc…things that we may find
monotonous and boring. But this is the ordinary, everyday stuff that God wants
us to enjoy and have fun with! Imagine how much more enjoyment there would be
in our lives if we chose to be content
with everyday obligations and circumstances. If we are not putting joy and fun
into even the ordinary and routine things we do, then people are not going to want what we have, and I am pretty sure we were anointed to live a normal
life in an extraordinary way to bring honor to Him for all to see, We need to
reclaim the fun and intense joy that we had as children, and so often lose as
adults. Growing up and getting older doesn’t prevent us from having some fun
with that same spontaneous and adventurous spirit that we had in our youths.
The things we did as children, and all the things that made us happiest can
bring us joy again today!
“So I commend the enjoyment
of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and
drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the
life God has given him under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 8:15)
If
you are too serious about everything, you need to lighten up!
Many
of us are engaged in a lot of “have-to” activities, and we give up playfulness
and fun to become more focused on our adult behavior. But sometimes we just need
to take a break from our busyness, express and feel wonder and joy, let
everything go, and live in the moment. Joy comes when we generate a happy and natural
attitude, and is not dependent on our circumstances or obligations. As
Christians, we should be characterized as people who have a joy that is
overflowing, amazing, and abundant. We know that “the joy of the Lord is our
strength”, so we need to bask in His goodness and grace and embrace His joy as
our strength. There is always time to make room for lots of playtime in our
grown-up world!
“For you shall go out in
joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills before you shall break
forth in singing and all the tress of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah
55:12)
Great post Denise! I am all for a little, okay maybe a lot, of fun! Let's remember this tomorrow at work!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day...Chelle
Right now I'm going to have fun proving I am "Not" a robot! LOL
I am all about having fun Chelle-you're on! :)
DeleteLOL-no more anonymous comments! :)
We do miss so much of what He has to offer us if our attitude is out of whack and life is all about responsibility.....I think Jesus was a fun person that drew people to Himself...A lesson for us....
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding us that fun is a part of life....I hope you have lots of fun interspersed in your life this week....
Love what you said Nancy! Blessings and fun in your week too!
DeleteDenise, thank you for sharing. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteBlessings back to you too sweet lady! :)
Delete:)
DeleteYou always brighten my day with your colorful, Scripture-filled
ReplyDeleteencouraging posts!
Thanks Dawn; hope your week is just as bright and colorful! :)
DeleteDenise, thanks for reminding me to add a little joy to my life each day. If I can fill my mind with thoughts of Jesus then that will happen. What a joyful post!
ReplyDeleteFilling our minds with joyful Jesus; very inspirational to take with us each and every day! Thanks Peggy!
DeleteHi Denise,
ReplyDeleteI actually read this post a while ago, but just wasn't feeling too joyful at the time, so I didn't comment.
Well, I am leaving you this comment now, because this stuck with me for a couple days:
"If we are not putting joy and fun into even the ordinary and routine things we do, then people are not going to want what we have"
And then I 'Got it' (finally), lol!
Also, I remembered my word for the year ~JOY~
(I wish I worked with you and Chelle, sounds like you two are going to have fun this week!)
~God bless you, my friend~ Love and ((hugs))
Lisa
Wishing you abundant joy and fun for your day dear Lisa! Wish you were here to engage in fun with Chelle and I too! (We often laugh at things that we really shouldn't-ha!) Love and hugs back to you!
DeleteHey Denise! Apologies it's been long since I visited your blog (or even blogging for my own) because of the different events happening around. I'm so thankful for your blog it never fails to make me smile and feel encouraged! Love ya! :D
ReplyDeleteIt is so good to hear from you Joy; I have thought about you often! I hope everything is going well for you my friend; I have certainly missed your refreshing posts!
DeleteJust the perfect thing to read about today!! Thanks so much!! I linked up right after you at Unite today.
ReplyDeleteThanks Judith; I am glad you dropped by. I will certainly come back to visit you too! :)
DeleteAfter a powerful Sunday service, I am more fully grabbing the joy of the Lord that is my strength! To walk in His goodness and life abundant is so different from "Have-to" living, isn't it! Praise God for His freedom!
ReplyDeleteAmen Jen! What a blessing to experience real joy through His love and amazing grace! :)
DeleteDenise, I can't tell you how much I needed to be reminded of His joyous gift of abundant living! He's used you beyond what you can know today... thank you.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you, friend ~ Mary
Awesome Mary; wishing you amazing joy and a week filled with fun and laughter! Blessings to you too sweet lady!
DeleteWorking full time with little children is actually fun for me. They say and do the cutest things. I find myself laughing often. And then there is the joy inside because of my relationship with Jesus. Although my life isn't easy or perfect, I know the end of the story and ...I'm on the winning side. Now that's something to be thankful for and I can smile.
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing indeed Debbie; you have so much to look forward to everyday with those sweet and adorable children!
DeleteHi Denise, you know I love acrostics, this one F.U.N will be my current favorite. Thank you for the reminder not to miss out on all God has for us. God bless my friend!
ReplyDeleteTracy
Ps. Thank you for linking up, always "fun" to see you there ;)
Always blesses me to link up with you dear friend! Blessings for a day of fun! :)
DeleteI'm guilty of being too serious at times. Thanks for the reminder to implement more fun in my life. Wishing you a blessed day Denise.
ReplyDeleteI think I am sometimes too, but my spirits are so much higher when I am having fun! Blessings on your day too Wanda!
DeleteWhat a wonderful reminder and a great post. It hasn't always been this way for me, but right now I am filled with joy. Getting out of bed in the morning and getting to work on my projects is something that I look forward to.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all your hard work on this post.
Kathy M.
Thanks Kathy; sometimes just getting up period...is a joy! Ha!
DeleteWhat a {fun} post! I forget so often to incorporate fun into my living. It's Biblical though and I need to be more intentional about it.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, we all do! It brings honor and glory to The Lord, and makes us shine for Him! :)
DeleteHi Denise, I love the drawing at the first of your post and what it says. "Life isn't waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning to dance in the rain." Thank you for this wonderful post, we all need joy in our lives. "Rejoice always, and again I will say rejoice."
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Ken