Dear Friends,

We spent a delightful day with our daughter Tammy, Glenn, Glenn’s parents and our sweet granddaughter Peyton. (see below) It brought such joy to my heart to be able to be with them. The title of the Daily Word for April 5 was
“The joy of my heart is my guiding light.” I realized that is how I feel these days. My joy is spending time with Peyton and officially babysitting 2 mornings a week.

I love “The joy of my heart is my guiding light,” because it is what God has intended for us to do and be. JOY needs to be our guiding light in all we do.
You probably heard of the author, Marie Kondo, a decluttering expert, who says, “Does this bring me joy?” If yes, keep the item or clothing, if no, it is time to release it. This is good advise for our lives. Is our heart joyful? Is our mind joyful? Is our life joyful?

Ask yourself, does your job bring you JOY?
For me as a retired minister/teacher, I am delighted to create this
newsletter, hold labyrinth walks and officiate at weddings and memorials.
Does your service work bring you JOY?
For me I love being the Executive Director of the Poway Interfaith Team
and serve by creating newsletters, updating the website, helping
plan and execute a variety of events, seminars and activities.
Does being with your family and friends bring you JOY?
For me, I love being with my family and spending time with my granddaughter. It brings me joy to see her grow.
I love being with my friends. Even though this pandemic we zoomed and now we are all vaccinated and can get together.
Does your prayer time bring you JOY?
For me, this is my sacred grounding time of the day. I receive inspiration
and guidance as I surrender to the Divine Will. It brings me joy & peace.
Does your exercise activity bring you JOY?
For me my early morning walks are filled with hearing the birds, communing with the trees and walking our labyrinth. Not only is it enjoyable, it is keeping me healthy.
Does your PURPOSE in life, bring you JOY?
For me my joyful purpose is to help unfold the mission statement above in all
that I do.

This does not mean we shirk our responsibilities or no hardship comes our way.
For me I still struggle with an unresolved relationship. However I know JOYfilled Spirit is in both of us and the Divine Outcome is at hand.
It means we have a choice to view life from the perspective of gloom and doom or joy and gratitude.
For me I am grateful for the past relationship and look forward with joy to the new and restored relationship, however that looks.

Every experience we have in life is a GIFT, regardless whether we label it good or not good. How we choose to use that gift and view it from various perspectives, is our choice, Free Will.

So TODAY, allow JOY to be your guiding light in every moment, with every person, with every experience. Today will pass and tomorrow will arrive.
Will you wonder why you did or did not do what JOY guided you to do?
Live each moment in JOY.

In JOY,
Abigail and Steve

Abigail and Steve