Happy Birthday GG (whoops a little late) and step one of JOY!

 April 6th was my GG (great grandma's) 91st Birthday!!!  WAHOOO!!!!  I tell you - if the Lord doesn't return before then- I pray I can do this well at 91!!! 

 We all sang Happy Birthday to her, and added the part where you sing....and many more until you are 104.  Yeah, she pretty much scolded us and said she would rather be in heaven by that point thank you very much ;).  Don't blame you grandma I know HEAVEN will be wonderful!!!! 

 So we got to go see her, gave her some home made cards, some hugs, love, and pictures of our family.  Because let me tell you this woman prays for our family!!!  I LOVE IT!!!  She is our own personal prayer warrior :).

 Oh and this lovely young lady- my cousin whom I love like a sister- is HOME!!!!  YEA!!!  She texted me a bit ago and said she finally made it.  Can I just tell you how happy this makes me?  I love Heidi sooooo very much.  The funny thing is Joanna treats her like she is a second mommy.  Now if you know anything about our Joanna, how to put this, she usually doesn't just like anyone.  As in she usually screams!  NOT WITH AUNTY HEIDI!!!  She loves her to bits.  I guess it must be because she can senses that she is my sister in my heart.

 This is what it looks like when you squish 13 people in 1/2 a nursing home room :)  he he he.....

 Grandma opening her chocolates from Heidi- yes she has a sweet tooth.  Maybe that is where I get it from? ;)

 So a while ago (yep my blog has not been very busy lately because I have been visiting my "sister" in the hospital pretty much every day) I posted about how to find JOY!  You see JOY will come naturally sometimes, and other times it has to be drug out and placed like a light in the middle of the room so you can remember it is there. 

 The first thing you and I can do because let's face it really I am preaching to myself here.  Is to LOOK FOR IT!!!  Search everywhere you can!!!  WHEN YOU FIND IT!  REMEMBER IT!  Write it down quick.  Take a picture of it!  Make sure you remember why you were happy yesterday, a few months ago, a few years ago. 

 You see this day was very happy.  We got to celebrate GG's life!  Afterwards Heidi and her girls and our crew went to the park to picnic, take a hike, climb some hills, talk, laugh, play together, enjoy the beautiful nature God created.  IT WAS GREAT!!!

But, not long after.........we all knew the very real possibility that Heidi may not be with us much longer?  OYE!!  And this is something that can hit you like a TRUCK!  SMACK!!!! 

Remembering JOY!  It is soo very important.  We are surrounded by bad news all the time.  Whenever we turn on the news, read the paper (which I tend not to do- yep fine with me- call me sheltered...don't care), we hear shouting from our children, our child comes home from school, or a playdate where someone said something mean to them and they are heartbroken, we get bad news from the doctor, we stop receiving love notes from our spouse and communication breaks down, and on and on the list goes!

It seems sooo HUGE- the bad stuff that is.  It seems like a mountain now instead of a mole hill.  That is when we start to feel GRUMPY.  Yes, I am talking about ME here.  I become a GRUMP!  I forget the little things that happened just a few minutes ago because now all of a sudden something comes up.....another RAGE from our child who struggles with RAD (reactive attachment disorder), another 30 toys that I see the kids conveniently forgot to pick up, another chore that I just asked to be done 10 minutes ago already "forgotten", my cousin is in the hospital, I feel unloved by something Jason said and I bite back at him with something unkind, I yell because I get frustrated about something that is out of my hands.  Should I continue the list?  Does it sound familiar?

That is when I NEED MY QUIET TIME with HIM!  With my SAVIOR who sits with me in my puddle of stubbornness and pity.  Then if I listen (as in shut my mouth) and let HIM remind me of all HE HAS DONE for me.   I start to feel it.  A glimmer of HOPE!  A little flame in my heart, a passion that says- my child I love you sooo very much.  I know you are upset right now, but REMEMBER JOY!

Tips- keep a list of JOYS!!!!!  After all if you are like me you keep a list of prayers (otherwise I would totally forget).  So keep a LIST OF JOYS- both BIG and small.  READ IT!!!  Remember them!!!

Keep pictures on the wall of your family or even in your JOY JOURNAL.  Sometimes in the quiet of me listening to God I stroll around the house and look at those pictures....really look.  I can hear them laugh, or a remember a silly thing that happened.  I see the twinkle in their eyes.  I remember who they are to me, and more importantly who they are to GOD.

Then.......it just happens.  My grumps start to fade away.  I become positive and happy about my life.  When those tough things happen...not gonna lie....I forget quite easily.  That is why it is sooo important to go back to my FATHER and ask HIM to remind me again, and again, and again of all the JOY!