I did 30 minutes of de-cluttering last night. Worked on the dining room table. I sorted through mail, magazines, coupons, receipts, cats who climbed up and got in the way, paid bills, and even put all of the quarters in the quarter jar for laundry.
Tonight there are a few more bits of stray paper (coupons mostly), and non-quarter change to move to the big collection jar, and other such things to finish off the table. I also need to scan through the six magazines I found buried there and file them away in mom's box to transport to her house...out of my clutter and into hers. teeheehee.
After I cleaned, I snuggled up on the couch (cats in tow) and read for a couple of hours. Started the Janet Evanovich book "Full House." A light little romance she co-authored with Charlotte Hughes. Looks like there six books in the series. Lovely. Just lovely.
I also read more in my book "The Myth of Happiness" by Rich Wagner. I am reading just a few pages at a time as I try to take in the concepts and let them mull around in my head and heart. It's a great book on Joy.
Here's a little blurb on it from Google books:
"What is joy? What isn't joy? And most important, how can we experience it? After all, isn't that what we long for -- something that goes beyond a smiley face and takes hold of the fullness Jesus promised his followers? C. S. Lewis said he was surprised by joy, but the reality is that most Christians today are just plain confused by it. While paying lip service to joy, we replace it in favor of a cheap substitute -- happiness. In The Myth of Happiness, Rich Wagner dispels our misconceptions and reveals the true nature of biblical joy. He wrestles honestly with the tough questions many of us wonder but haven't known how to ask. Is joy anything more than a plastic smile? Can we experience joy while battling fear and uncertainty? Are Christians honestly expected to "count it all joy," rejoicing in the midst of turmoil and tragedy? Can real joy possibly live up to the hype? Joy transforms. It's God's most tangible gift available to believers this side of heaven. Wagner debunks the myth of happiness and helps us receive the unquenchable joy Christ promises."
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I'm not sure what I think of this. It is dammed hard to be joyful while unhappy. I mean in some circumstances I am sure it can be done but generally I associate JOY with Happiness.
Like for instance: say one's 3 year old child is missing and later found dead. Say one finds out that the 3 year old was brutalized before said death...one would be very sad, angry, shocked and maybe even destroyed. One might find joy if they believed that said child were in Heaven now and safe with God...but the Joy would be futile for the grief and anger and pain of the brutal loss would over shadow the Joy. It would probably even take the joy away and replace it with anger and hate.
Oh my...such heavy thoughts for so early in the mornings mind.
love u, Mom
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