Joy is your Birthright...EVERYDAY.

Ok, moment of transparency: I used to think joy had to be earned - that it would come after the hardwork, after the pat on the back from my boss, after the compliments from my friends, strangers and family, that it came after the worship and the war. But I had a wakeup call, Joy is NOT a reward, it's a choice. And in this season - in the middle of laundry piles, work, cheer camp, Zoom meetings and body souffle batches - I am choosing joy because it's my birthright. 

Joy does not have to feel bubbly. It's actually quite the opposite, it's the undercurrent that lies within a deep knowing that I cannot be plucked out of the hand of Father God - that He holds my world in His hands. We live in world that celebrates happiness but forgets about joy. Happiness is a mood. Joy is a meaning. And when you know who you are and whose you are, joy becomes inevitable. It becomes internal. 

As I write this, I had an "a-ha moment". Sometimes, joy can feel a bit rebellious. Like I am breaking some unspoken rule by smiling too big, laughing too loud or loving myself too much. But let me remind you, your joy disrupts the enemy's agenda.  The enemy wants you burned out, bitter and barely hanging on. But when you dance anyway, when you delight in your skin, your life and your God given beauty, that's war paint! That's worship. Your joy is not shallow - it's strategy. 

This month, I encourage you to reclaim your joy - not by adding more to your plate but by pausing long enough to taste what is already there.  If you are reading this and joy still feels really far off, I see you. Life is a lot. You're doing a lot. You're carrying a lot. But even in your exhaustion, joy is possible because God is ever present.

So today, I bless you with the kind of joy that sneaks up on you when you least expect it. The kind that bubbles up in the littlest of things. Joy is not a destination - it's already here; you just have to make space for it.