Hard Eucharisteos

Do not fear. I haven't frayed too much from the Joy Dare. I'm glad I have this blog to help me keep focus sometimes. Even though I haven't posted as much about it, I am still keeping up with it on a daily basis, well, for the most part. They have an iPhone app to help you keep up with your daily gifts, so I use it too. I do forget some days and I'm just gonna say it, sometimes finding something to be joyful about with the topic she gives is hard, at least for me. I'm learning to think in new ways to find these items. 

Every month on her list is 3 hard eucharisteos. This one is not fun. Finding joy in the hard things in life. 

Oh and get this last night in our James study, we listen to Beth discuss the verse in James that says to "turn your joy into mourning."  James 4:9. 

Yep, you read it right, that wasn't a typo. There are times when are joy needs to be turned into mourning and find repentance. One bullet point in Beth's study was that James is talking about when you don't take God seriously. It's not something to joyful about when you realize that you are not taking God's Word, His commands, His promises, His Truth seriously. I don't have the study in front of me right now, otherwise I would list them for you. 

On the other side of the page she discuss cynicism. She defines it as "carnality that thinks it is smart". It was an ear full last night! 

I have found it interesting that my "word for the year" that I chose was joy and in the study of James there is much talk about joy. I can't wait to tell you about it. But that may be sometime later this summer.  (Have I mentioned that I have discovered I have to plan things way out ahead of time.)

So my 3 hard eucharisteos from April 16 are:

1. asking forgiveness from one of the kids

2. my brother

3. trying to understand all is grace

It is hard to ask forgiveness from a child. 

My brother is in a hard place right now. But I am thankful for his life.

Ann talks about all being grace. It's hard to understand or find the grace in hard things, hard situations, circumstances you don't like or bad circumstances you create from your dumb decisions. It's hard to see God when He is not physically moving something we want done. I guess we are looking from within our box, from our expectations, and our timing. 

Beth mentioned last night that cynical people often have hurt places within themselves that need healing. People become cyncial because of their disappointment in other people and my guess is that cynics can also be disappointed with God. I'm not saying that I think every time you are disappointed with God or other people that you are a cyncial person. (I am not any type of authority) 

I think that it is something that happens over a period of time, through a series of bad events, misunderstood conversations, ruined expectations, our own misguided thoughts and opinions, etc that build up over months or years, without the person even knowing they are becoming cyncial. 

This is all just my thoughts from her video, I haven't finished the week's study. But maybe you can research it for yourself.

Heavens, I'm kind of bummed out now, that was not an exciting few paragraphs. 

I think maybe I need to go pick a flower or bake some cookies now! Maybe eat some chocolate or laugh with someone.

I also need to go pick up Elizabeth, who is a ball of joy herself, so until next time.