The Bible: A dummies guide to achieving cheerfulness.

Time in America was wonderful. Time spent with family was, as it always is, a blessing. Time was spent hugging, recapping our lives over the past 5 months, laughing, putting together a ridiculous 2,000 piece puzzle, dancing games, board games, more hugs, a lot more laughing, building basement rooms, putting up decorations for Christmas, dinners, eating lots of candy, football games, massages, movies, taking down Christmas decorations, New Year, even more laughing, fondue pots, more puzzles, sleepovers, high school basketball games, making flubber with 30+ Kindergartners, and then laughing a little more.

Though all of that (and lots more that wasn't mentioned.) was wonderful, the best part of it all was simply enjoying each others' presence and being in the same hemisphere, the same country, the same state, the same city, the same home. You don't realize how far away you are until you travel for 26 hours by car, train, and plane to be in the same room.

Unfortunately time ran out. Its amazing how 3 weeks worth of time turns into a fragment of a blink.

Now here we are 26 hours back away and that was a hard hit for my little heart to take. I've been finding myself counting down to the summer but also severely discontent with doing that...whats the point of just suffering through with a mopey attitude? Fortunately... there is hope.

I was reading today and God spoke to me through Proverbs 15:15
He said-

"Leslie all the day's of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast."

If we walk around feeling afflicted, we are. If we go through our days playing the victim of God's will, we will be.  If I walk around feeling cheated of time with family, I am.

Attitude, attitude, attitude my friends. Its all about our attitude. Yes, we will be afflicted,  there never has been a promise of affliction's absence...but if we look at affliction with a fighting cheerful heart, we will grow.

Yes, God has a will for each of our lives, and with that will comes a lot of "Whys?"...but if we look at God's plan for us with a curious cheerful heart, His will is an exciting journey that comes with a treasure map.

And if I look at the time away from my family with a thankful, cheerful heart filled with memories, an insurmountable amount of love, and prayers...I can be more content about the time I do have rather than bitter about the distance.

"-a cheerful heart has a continual feast"

God never says "sorry, but you are stuck in affliction so all your days will be evil"  Friends, we have a CHOICE. Cheerful is a choice... Affliction or feast. Not just any feast but a CONTINUAL one! A continual feast over affliction...yes please!!

This has been an uplifting discovery this morning for me so I'm urging you to keep this verse close to all of your cheerful hearts as we all muddle through the afflictions that this world shoves in our faces....And choose to be blessed, choose to be cheerful!!