Joy

I once heard Joel Osteen say don't let anyone ever steal your
joy. I have repeated that many times to my son and to other
people, but I really don't abide by it myself! Maybe that's why
I chose JOY to be my word for the year.  I try to be a happy
person, but I also keep everything bottled up inside of me
and let things fester..... Fester is not a pleasant word is it?
I let little things bother me that I have no control over, I don't
know why. It's not that I think I'm right all the time, but
sometimes it's just that this is how it is and if someone
doesn't follow those rules then I think they are wrong.
When my son was in 2nd grade and it was his turn to be
bathroom monitor, he would come home pretty much
everyday and tell me how he told on some of the boys
in the bathroom. I always remember telling him, people
don't like tattle tales and is it worth telling on your
friend because they didn't wash their hands? His answer
was always they didn't follow the rules. Now how do you
tell your son to not tell on his friends for not washing
their hands, when he knows what's right and wrong and
he has been told the rules and that when you don't
follow them there are consequences. Where do you draw
the line at being liked & having friends and being a rule
follower & possibly losing a friend?  I tend to get most
upset when I'm around people and I see them as I like
to think of it as getting away with stuff!  That is probably
my biggest Joy stealer!  I want to get over this. I shouldn't
let other peoples actions take over my life like it does.
My hope this year is to be like a duck and let things roll
off my back! These people don't answer to me, why do
I make it any of my concern??!!  My hope is to find
JOY this year, in everything :)!

I hope you have a JOY filled year!
Mitzi