The Joy Before Me Challenge!

When I felt God nudging me to start this blog, one of the biggest hurdles for me was what to call it.  I really felt like I couldn’t move forward with anything until the name was nailed down.  Justin and I talked for hours and hours over many months trying to come up with a name that really communicated what I hoped this blog would be about…and bonus points if it somehow related to photography.  Then last Fall, through a Bible study and a dear friend, my eyes were opened to 1 Peter 1:6 and the phrase, “wonderful joy ahead.”  I knew instantly that this verse was pointing me in the right direction.  This blog was going to have the ultimate goal of pointing people toward that wonderful joy that awaits us at the end of this short life.  But I also knew that although the greatest joy is still ahead, we’d be missing out on so much if we neglected to recognize all the joy right here…right in front of our faces…right now.  So a secondary goal for this blog is to recognize and point out the joy and blessings we get to enjoy now.

You guys, that does not come naturally to me.  I tend to be a glass-half-empty kind of gal.  I catch myself focusing on the negative things in a situation way more often than I catch myself focusing on the positive.  Ugh!  How miserable!  I don’t want to live like that.

So I have a challenge for us.  The Joy Before Me Challenge!  Let’s start actually keeping track of the joys before us.  The mundane joys, the every day joys, the big joys, the little joys, and the unexpected joys.  Let’s practice keeping our eyes open to all of the gifts God has blessed us with.  Will you join me?  Grab yourself a fun notebook and your favorite pen (please tell me I am not the only one who actually has a favorite pen), or grab yourself a list-making app for your phone.  We’re going to officially start on Monday, May 11th.  This gives you plenty of time to get your supplies ready, and gives me plenty of time to remind you.

Not convinced this will work?  Let me tell you a story.  I once heard an experienced mom talk about praying prayers of thanks when you are about to lose your mind.  Remember we are going to be real here, so yes, we will admit that we all have times when we are about to lose our minds!  That very same afternoon, I was attempting to rock my screaming, over-tired infant to sleep before his nap.  I REALLY needed him to sleep because, well, I was about to lose my mind!  Remembering the advice from that mom, I started praying prayers of thanks….Thank you Lord, for the abundance of breath in this baby’s lungs…thank you for his strong will which will enable him to do great things for your kingdom some day…thank you for the stamina to be able to stand here and rock him for this very long time…thank you for the mommy break that is coming once he gives in to sleep.  I may have started praying through gritted teeth, but the more I prayed, I felt my body relax and the prayers turned a little less sarcastic and a little sweeter… Lord, thank you for the gift of this boy; he has brought so much happiness to our family…thank you for his life…thank you for this beautiful nursery he can sleep peacefully in…thank you for a husband who will happily relieve me after a weary day with kids…thank you for your abundant blessings, Lord.   The praying didn’t make Lucas fall asleep.  But it changed my perspective completely.  My heart transformed from complaining and frustrated into grateful.  I was recognizing the joy before me.  Glass-half-full.

I’ve got my notebook and my favorite pen (sidenote: if my husband heard me say “favorite pen”, he would surely say “nerd alert”). Gather yours.  Think about where you’ll keep your notebook…what makes the most sense practically for you (purse, counter, bedside table).  I believe The Joy Before Me Challenge can transform our attitudes and our hearts. Are you in?

The Joy Before Me Challenge…let’s practice noticing the joys around us!