Joy....

I am not a naturally joyful person. In fact, I am a bit of a curmudgeon, and can find many things that make me grumpy. But I have lately been making myself take note of the little bursts of Joy that I have. In fact, I have been stopping and saying to myself, "THIS makes me happy!", sometimes with a great deal of wonder. I guess springtime is an easier time of year for me to take note of these little bursts of JOY, but it is a habit I want to keep up; this noticing of Joy. I believe God wants me to be happy, and the things that have made me feel that way are little gifts, tiny gift-wrapped presents, from Him.

Here are some of the things that have given me joy lately:

The scent of lilacs. I can't pass them by without thrusting a handful to my nose and breathing in pure bliss.

Fresh coffee in the morning. When the weather warms up, we don't always brew a hot pot every day, but when we do, ....Ummmmm!

Iced tea on the porch with my sweetie.

Iced coffee with a friend at a coffee shop.

Watching the cat roll in the dirt. His joy is infectious.

A tuna salad sandwich with crunchy bits of onion and celery in it.

A lake-wet dog.

New pictures of my grandchildren!! (Best of all!)

Hearing a good song that I haven't heard in decades, so that I had forgotten how much I love it.

Getting out my spring/summer clothes, putting the winter woolens away, and slipping into a well-worn favorite soft T-shirt that I haven't worn for 6 months.

The smell of my oil paints, and the feel of them passing from my brush to the canvas.

A new book by a favorite author.

Sleeping with open windows and a breeze lightly blowing the lace curtains.

A rare spring rainstorm.

Sharing a laugh with my husband or a friend.

Having a bit of weaving or painting look like I hoped it would.

A good hair day.

A sold painting.

May you also have JOY in the many simple gifts that surround us all! And may you stop and capture that moment with your awareness.