Today is the first day of practicing my one-word resolution: Joy.

5 Random things that brought joy today:

1. Eyelash Curler

seriously, ladies, this wakes your whole face up. Do it.

Joy: 1 Tired Eyes: 0

2. Dancing

This was my view today at 10:02 AM at the Chuck-E-Cheese. With more than five what-happened-to-my-life Chuck-E-Cheese workers looking at me, I taught this Dance Machine a lesson! Actually, I scored an F. Now, the kinda joyful Nicole of 2010 would have played once and scurried off to act like a mom who cares about my toddler on the horsey ride. But the JOY-Nicole got back on that thing AGAIN, onlookers be darned!. AND I scored a D.

Joy: 2 Normal: 0.

3. This Face
I’m sorry. I don’t care that I’m his mom. That is JOY right there.

Joy: 3 Harried Mom: 0

4. Gratitude. Now I hate to sound trite and tell you (in my head this is a very nasaly, whiny voice) Just count your blessings! I find that “counting your blessings” usually involves things like health and food and children and good parking spots. Not that I don’t think those things are awesome. But when I count my blessings I want to count the promises God has made and delivered on.

Here’s the thing: I think God actually wants us to be wowed by him. Not because he gives us an iPad for Christmas, but because he shows up in a way that makes us know that there is a spiritual realm. That He is present and moving and working around us, and in us, and through us in other’s lives. That there is a kingdom on the move and that kingdom is here. So when I count my blessings, I want to see THAT.

When I counted those kind of blessings for 2010, I wrote down TWENTY. I was in awe of God’s presence in my life, and frankly, a little embarassed that I didn’t recognize how active He was, blessing me left and right in 2010. I am grateful, which makes me joyful.

5. Bible Search Engines. Because I wanted to find a verse with “joy” and “dancing” in it. I found this one:

You turn my mourning to dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy Ps 30:11

Mourning and sackcloth sound a wee bit dramatic (well maybe not after this post), but I think somewhere between the sackcloth and the Dance machine at Chuck-E-Cheese, God whispered:

if it ain’t happenin’ with joy, it ain’t happening.

Touche, my Lord, touche. No matter what. No circumstances should separate me from true joy.

Joy: 5 Normal: 0.

You turned my disappointment to laughter, you took off straitjacket of the ordinary and replaced it with the best-ever dancin’ boots of joy.

It’s not too late to join the one-word resolution revolution! Leave a comment here with your name and word so i can add you to the prayer page! If you’ve already signed up, how’d your first day go??