An Open Hand

"It is our wild desire to protect our joy at all cost that smothers our joy. Like a flame needs oxygen, joy needs an open hand."

- Ann Voscamp

Joy In The Morning

"In Christ, all our problems are temporary; all our blessings are eternal. Don't give up. There'll be joy in the morning."

- David Jeremiah

Choose Joy

"I choose joy... I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God."

- Max Lucado

Fruit Is Seasonal

"Interesting, joy and all those other lofty characteristics.

Jesus compares them to fruit.

Fruit is seasonal. Fruit ripens. Fruit can miss a season if it frosts at just the right time in the growth process. Fruit flowers then buds then grows and ripens. And it only does this once or twice a year. Maybe that was Jesus’ point.

Maybe He knew how delicious the fruit of joy is, but maybe He also knew how difficult and fleeting it could be for us sorry bunch of humans."

- An excerpt from Joy: Lilacs in the Rain by Amy Sorrells on her Self-Titled blog (Be sure to go read the entire post!)

Our Schedules Are Not Our Lives

"We all underestimate our need for joy. If we are not careful, we live as if our schedules are our lives. We cross one thing after another off the list. At the end of the day, we have completed our chores, but we haven’t necessarily been present for our own experiences."

- Mary Pipher, Seeking Peace (A quote included in the post A Shot in the Heart over at Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)