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joie de vivre

I have a confession to make: when it comes to my kids, I'm a hypocrite.

That may sound a bit harsh, but it's true.

Like parents from all over the world, I strive to raise my kids to follow God. I want them to know Him deeply, to realize just how amazing it is that the Creator of the Universe chose them--that He loves them. I want them to walk closely to Him
and to have the peace that passes all understanding, to realize that their joy is not defined by their circumstances.

The thing is, lately I've let my circumstances steal my joy.

It didn't happen all at once, but there's no denying that my once ever-present optimism and joie de vivre have faded these last few years.

Yes, the circumstances in my life have been hard. If you read through some old posts you can see that it's been a hard decade, one I never could have imagined. I can't change what all has happened, even if I wanted to--life's funny that way.

The thing is, I can change how I react to things.

I can stop pitying myself when things go wrong.
I can choose not to dwell on the negatives.
I can remember that, no matter what happens, I have the only assurance I need:
 "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." ~Genesis 28:15

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  1. JillJune 2, 2014 at 7:19 PM

    Can totally relate, especially today for some unknown reason. You bring up good reminders.

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