“Enjoy Your Life”

Day 11 of 14 Joy Filled Days With God

The writer of Ecclesiastes was someone who knew how to live life to the fullest. That is why he also urges all people to enjoy life. Not one of us knows how long we have to live – therefore enjoy every moment of your life and make the most of it. Do not forget to have fun. You can actually do a lot to make sure that you are happy through doing things that are pleasant and enjoyable for you.

There are few things that make me as happy as discovering a new book by one of my favorite authors in the library; or better yet to buy such a book so that I can have it on my bookshelf to read whenever I want to. Other things that make me happy are to write something that flows easily from the beginning, to talk to my husband, to visit my children and grandchildren, and of course to travel and eat good food!

According to David Niven, people who have fun have a twenty percent chance of being happier than others. Put aside more time in the future for the things that you enjoy and that make you happy.

PRAYER: Lord, I praise You for Your goodness to me – there are so many wonderful things that make my life worthwhile. Thank You for each one of them. Amen.

The content for this devotional was taken from: “Where Hope Blossoms” by Nina Smit ©Christian Art Publishers.

“Choose Right!”

Day 10 of 14 Joy Filled Days With God.

Every day we are faced with choices. In the morning you choose what you will wear, what you will eat for breakfast, and what you will do on that specific day. These kinds of choices are not all that significant, but we also face important choices in the course of our lives, such as choosing a spouse or a career.

When a person makes the right choices in these areas they are happy, while a wrong choice can cause much trouble and be like a rope around your neck. The motto of one of my friends who has been diagnosed with cancer three times but who has come out of the fight healthy once again is, “Happiness is a choice.” She believes that each one of us can choose to be happy and get the very best out of life, or to be unhappy all day long because things do not always turn out the way we would like them to. She always walks around with a radiant smile because she has chosen to be happy.

If you know the Lord and love Him, He will help you to make the right choices – so go ahead and ask Him to help you to make the right choices when you have important decisions to make. Choose to be happy each day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, will You please lead me each day to make the right choices when I have to make important decisions? I also want to choose from now on to be happy regardless of what things happen in my life. Please help me to do this well. Amen.

The content for this devotional was taken from: “Where Hope Blossoms” by Nina Smit ©Christian Art Publishers.

“Smile!”

Day 9 of 14 Joy Filled Days with God

A frown uses much more muscles than a smile. A frown also induces stress – even if you just look at someone else’s frown! If a person is happy, they definitely do not frown at others. A smile, on the other hand, makes a person feel good.

If someone gives you a radiant smile, you find that you spontaneously smile back and immediately feel better. To receive a smile and to return one makes you happy. There is an old saying: if you meet someone who does not have a smile, you should give them one of yours. 

Share your smiles lavishly – especially among people who do not smile often. Lundqvist and Dimberg in 1995 conducted research which found that all people have a tendency to imitate the expressions on the faces of the people around them. Sad faces bring about more sad faces while smiling faces cause other people to smile and feel happy. 

PRAYER: Lord, I am sorry that I so often walk around with a sour face. I realize that it is Your will for me to be friendly to everyone. Help me to smile more so that I can make other people and myself happy. Amen.

The content for this devotional was taken from: “Where Hope Blossoms” by Nina Smit ©Christian Art Publishers.

“Do the Things You Are Good At”

Day 8 of 14 Joy filled days with God.

It is important for people to feel competent. So take responsibility for the areas in which you excel, whether this is cooking, gardening, or bookkeeping, and ask for help if you get stuck.

The people who have taken courses at university in the subjects they are good at will know that people usually achieve good results in the areas where their talents lie. If you decide to take the risk of doing something you do not like or for which you have no aptitude, the exact opposite occurs. I have struggled for years to organize meetings and bazaars like a good pastor’s wife before I took a “Use Your Gifts” course and realized that these were definitely not the areas in which I shine. Since I began to do the things I have a God-given talent for, things have gone much better. To struggle with the things that even with the best intentions in the world you cannot get right, will make any optimist despondent.

There are few things that are as wonderful as doing something that you are good at. My mother is a topnotch flower arranger and you can see her happiness overflowing when she completes an arrangement that people admire. So, from now on do the things that you excel in and your capacity for joy will increase.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gifts and talents which I have received from Your hand. Help me to make my contribution in the areas in which I shine so that I can be happy. Amen.

The content for this devotional was taken from: “Where Hope Blossoms” by Nina Smit ©Christian Art Publishers.