Bridges...

Have you ever considered what your purpose is in life? I'm sure you have. Pondering our life's purpose is important. It's like the needle on a compass or the location setting on our GPS trackers. Knowing our purpose in life allows us to pick and choose activities, relationships, professions and even hobbies. I'm not just talking about occupations here. I'm talking about your life's purpose...how you make an impact on this big ball we call Earth.

I have taken a step back to look again at my purpose. Last year was a whirlwind for me - and even though I don't think I got too far off track, my vision got blurred from my Mother's sickness and death and from pushing so hard to fast track my seminary classes. But what came out of that was a renewed desire to be sure that the choices I make going forward connect to my purpose - my calling to ministry and the organic reason that God put me on this planet.

As I was praying one day, a picture of a bridge came to mind - one that looked something like this bridge. I couldn't get away from this image. I began to look for definitions that would help me see more clearly what God was showing me and He showed me that bridges connect two destinations that are divided by a body of water, a valley or crevice in the land that would be deemed treacherous or physically impassable without access to the bridge. As I thought more about this definition and image, I began to see this image as vision of my life's purpose. I'm a bridge. My life has been spent more often than not connecting people and problems with other people and solutions. I've often described my life as a great big "Dot to Dot" picture because I enjoy connecting people with other people and I really enjoy connecting life experiences with God's purposes.

This is not something that I had to learn to do or strain to be comfortable doing - it just flows naturally. If I may ask, what is your life's purpose? Has God given you a mental picture to help you understand it? If not, have you taken time to ask Him? So much of our lives are spent searching for that perfect career calling or that ultimate destiny that we miss knowing the real purpose of our lives. Maybe this is a simple concept that all of you who are reading this have known a long time about yourselves and I'm just now discovering it - that wouldn't surprise me at all! I'm a late bloomer! 😉

I think my point to writing this today is that we are all created to live our lives to love and glorify God by loving people and caring for His creation. We can best do that when we know our purpose and allow it to naturally flow through us. We can study about spiritual gifts and fruits of the Spirit and we should - it's very helpful to know and understand them well. But we shouldn't limit our calling to just our occupations or how we serve the body of Christ. Spending time in His Word and in prayer will help us all to discover and become more comfortable in living out our purpose and should help us to find contentment in the journey when the storms rage.

As I move forward in this journey in ministry, my heart's desire is to be the bridge that connects people with Christ, first and foremost. I want to be a vessel that connects artists and the arts back to the church and the love of Christ to artists who are searching for Him. And if I'm given the opportunity, I'd love to connect those in my circle with Israel and Israel with them - because connecting with Christ, with Israel and you who are in my circle has changed my life forever for the better...and I'd like to be able to offer that to others too.

Connecting dots and sowing seeds... Amy

Confidence and Contentment...

It seems that all week long God has been showing me through His Word and His people what He has already established in order to walk in confidence with Him. I have also gained new understanding of contentment.

I must admit, confidence is something that I wrestle with as a recovering perfectionist and contentment doesn't come easily for me. Part of it is because of my personal journey through a valley that seems unending and another part is that by nature I tend to be restless. I like change and the adrenaline of new adventures - but the risks of change and new adventures involve both learning curves and failure - which, for a perfectionist creates major emotional upheaval, so it's a vicious cycle.

As this year began, I committed to taking a break from school and to seek God on a deeper, more personal level. I have chosen to spend more time alone with Him to let Him heal the broken spaces in my heart and life from grief, loss and storms of life.

This week, God led me to two passages of Scripture and challenged me to see them with new eyes. Philippians 4:11-13 and Isaiah 50:4-11 (NLT). In Philippians 4, Paul encourages and thanks the church at Philippi for being such a source of encouragement to him and also admonishes them to walk in forgiveness, trusting God above and beyond circumstances, sharing the secrets of learning to be content. In Isaiah, the prophet provides new wisdom that God has already established, anointed and prepared the way for those who love and obey His Word. Now, I've read these passages many times before and even memorized them in part, but I never really paused to digest them as I have this week. I believe that the Bible is active and the Holy Spirit teaches new things when we are ready to understand them and yes, I hear Jesus speak to me at times through His Word and through His Holy Spirit - (call me crazy, too, Ms. Bahar- I'm ok with it).

But I think if Paul and I were chatting over some iced tea and pecan pie, he would likely remind me that contentment didn't come easily for him either. Paul endured snake bites, shipwrecks, death threats, stoning, imprisonment, loss, loneliness, depression, sickness and so much more for the cause of Christ. He became an expert at suffering. He went from a high position as a Roman Jew to someone with a price on his head, a renegade, a rebel who followed Christ. So learning to be content cost him much. Paul preached with such boldness despite the death threats, he sang in prison, he praised God through the sickness because his confidence shifted from his physical body and the need for man's approval to his confidence that he had already been made one with Christ because of the work of Christ on his (and our) behalf through His death, burial and resurrection.

I have been reading Ted Dekker's book, "The Forgotten Way" this week as a supplement to my study, and this week's focus was knowing who I am in Christ. I think for many of us this is a lifelong journey. I battle being my own worst critic and enemy and I have beaten myself up so badly and talked to myself in ways that I would never speak to someone else...I could be called an abuser if my words to myself were heard...This book is a gentle reminder and correction to stop doing that. To be kind to myself - to love my neighbor as myself - I actually love my neighbors much better than myself....do you? Do you treat your spouse, children, pets or friends with great love and kindness but spew venom toward yourself when you make a mistake? Do you fear failure? If you fail, do you have a hard time recovering from it? Has it wrecked your self- confidence and caused you to continue to jump to the "next best thing" in order to find temporary contentment? 

This is a quote from Ted Dekker's book that made me stop for a moment and consider my own behavior...

"Remember it's not what you believe about yourself in this life that defines you; it's what the Father knows that defines you. Your opinion of yourself only defines the experience you have in this life. Indeed see yourself as He sees you, in Himself, for only then can you truly find joy in all He has made for you. Only then can you truly enjoy the beautiful gift of life in your earthen vessel, however temporal it is."

See, this is not about "self-love" or self-centered living. This is about personal acceptance of who we are in Christ that defines us. It's the unconditional love of our heavenly Father that gives us the contentment and confidence in these broken earthly vessels in our temporary home here on Earth. 

 I believe that people who have experienced a lot of hardship or tragedy in their lives develop a blindness or narrowed vision to what God has already done for them and through them - and it can be such a confidence wrecker too. For me, I've felt like I was walking around in a fog - just existing and about to give up and just settle for staying where I am until I retire in the name of "contentment"... based on Paul's writings in Philippians 4. But after this week, I'm beginning to have my sight restored.

Funny thing about God's timing. This whole week I have gotten a lesson on contentment - and it's much different than man's view of contentment. Contentment with God in any situation is to believe Isaiah 50 literally and to take God seriously when He says that the work has already been done - the story just isn't complete. It's not about settling for less than God has for you or giving up on your dreams - it's embracing the assurance that God's plan is for your good and His glory and that He mapped this thing out before the foundation of the world. If we can grasp this in our finite minds, we can let go of the wonder and worry of working it all out and instead, look for ways to share our gifts and our stories with others in the Name of Jesus with great confidence.

Some very wise friends said that if our ministry is not about people, then it's just therapy. That can translate to other areas of our lives too. If we only use our voices to sing in the shower, hands to build or paint or draw for our own good pleasure, physical training only to make our bodies look good in clothes or wear a certain size or wisdom just to learn for our own enjoyment, then it's all just personal therapy...it does nothing to glorify God or bless another... we don't have to be great, perfect or famous to bless another or glorify God...we just have to be us...we are already One with Him. See John 14:20. It's already done - finished - pre-planned.

How have I gotten here? It's way out and weird but it happened. One of my dear friends treated me to lunch and the movie, "The Greatest Showman" this past weekend. As I sat there and watched with great wonder and listened to great music - I observed a man who came from nothing, rose to greatness, returned to nothing and was humbled, when he submitted to that humility he was raised again but was able to let go of the idol of success and power and in exchange he discovered that it was ok to be a misfit and embrace and love the misfits around him. This movie is a MUST SEE...

Second, God offered me an opportunity to see behind the veil of the music industry in such a way that would take too long to explain here, but in doing so He gave me a choice - to walk into it or to lay my own idol of fame and the big stage down and instead, walk in freedom. I have chosen the latter. What has come from that is freedom like I have never experienced before and restoration of joy even amidst the frustrations of life. I will write about this when God allows...it's good.

Third, God led me to the book, "The Forgotten Way" by Ted Dekker. If you have been searching for healing and restoration from a long journey of hard that has just sucked the life out of you, I encourage you to read it. It's filled with Scripture and challenges to go deeper. Order it at https://theforgottenway.com/home -- and don't hurry through it. Take it slow and re-read it if you need to - it's worth it.

Confidence and Contentment - I have wrestled with these two for more years than I can count - but God. He opened my eyes to see that I CAN be content, because He has already gifted, anointed and laid out a plan and I CAN be confident because God always keeps His Word - and like Billy Graham said, "some of us just take the long way home..."

Good stuff! Have a great weekend! Amy

What Kind of Eater Are You?

I read an article today entitled "What kind of eater are you?" It gave choices that I thought were interesting:

1. The Grazer 2. The "I'm So Emotional" Eater 3. The Distracted Eater 4. The "Can't Stop at One" Eater 5. The Hormonal Eater

I read through them and found myself wondering -- why didn't they include the "I just like the taste of food" eater?

What style of eater are you?

I'll admit - I'm a "I just like the taste of food" eater - I like ethnic foods, I like country cooking, I like the taste of food...I'm guessing that if I fit under one of their categories, it would be "The Grazer".

I think it's an interesting study. It probably opens doors to other "What kind of _____ are you?" questions we could ask ourselves too -- fill in the blank with anything - worship, friend, worker, etc. - but I think we need to be more careful about using these questions to pass judgement on ourselves and others and instead, embrace them and learn a little more about what makes us and each other "tick"?

If you're like me, I am betting you are your own worst critic. Do you tend to beat yourself up worse than others do? Do you joke about your failings but in your heart mean what you are saying? I do. Maybe it's time to take a look at the words we say to ourselves.

My friends are kind people - we share pictures of lost pets, lost people, hurting situations, prayer needs and encouraging words and verses - but how often do we speak harsh things to ourselves?

I want to challenge myself and y'all today to be kind to you. Say something nice to yourself and mean it...if you learn about your eating style that can help discover an area that can be improved embrace it and learn more.

I am a "just like the taste of food" eater...because of that, I have a huge range of food choices - that can be a blessing and a curse - so for me, portion control is going to be the key to a heatlhy weight and lifestyle. Now that I know this about me, I'm going to use it to my advantage, not to condemn. God has blessed me with the joy of eating good food - that's a rich and wonderful gift. There was a time in my life where I couldn't eat anything...and I nearly died. I have been restored! I need and want to lose some weight - for many reasons.

I'm beginning to understand that failure is born out of self-condemnation. Would we talk to others the way we talk to ourselves? God wants us to have a healthy concept of who we are - our strengths, and our limitations. It's ok to be imperfect. It's ok to work toward healthy goals but it's never ok to beat ourselves up.

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12:3

So what style of eater are you? May I encourage you to find the blessing in that style and enjoy the journey of discovering how to make it work to your advantage?

I think we all could use a little kindness today...

Just sowing seeds.

Amy Drinkwater

Here's the link to the article if you want to read more about eating styles:

Stop Hormonal, Emotional, and Non-Stop Eating | Weight Watchers

Eating behaviors can disrupt our weight-loss efforts. Here's how to overcome emotional, binge, and hormonal eating, and grazing .

WEIGHTWATCHERS.COM

Rest, Trust and Purge - an Unlikely Trio of Faithfulness

This past Sunday, our Pastor continued leading us through the book of Acts - focusing on the principle of Fasting.  The Lord spoke to me during that service asking me to let go or "fast" from my normal lunch plans from now until I leave for Israel and take time to spend time in His Word and prayer.  It's been wonderful to go a quiet place and prayer walk and spend time reading, studying and journaling what I've learned.  Most of what I've done has been private but today, I sensed that the Lord would have me to share this with you.

I read Isaiah 30 during my lunch break today.  The devotional content I'm reading centered around Isaiah 30:15 which talks about resting in the Lord but I SO enjoyed reading the whole chapter. It answered a lot of my questions about my own struggles with rest, idolatry and world events.

In Isaiah 30:15 God speaks of returning to Him and resting..."Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength..." (this is in the context of Israel seeking out help from Egypt during wartime for provision rather than resting and trusting in God.)

It's comforting to know that God has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11) and in Isaiah He shows how part of that plan includes rest, waiting and returning to God. If you're like me, resting just isn't something that comes naturally or easy. If I'm at home and I may sit down to rest, but rather than sitting quietly or just watching TV or listening to music or doing nothing more than resting - I find myself multi-tasking -- I will look at a magazine while all that is on or a cat will jump in my lap wanting to be petted and inevitably, I will pick up my phone or tablet to answer a text or check Facebook or play a game and rather than resting - I'm mentally active.  Or maybe I go outside just to sit in the sun or watch the water or walk - but instead I find myself thinking about all the things I need to do, making either a mental list or physical list or get distracted by taking on a new project -- never resting or enjoying just the beauty of the day!  We are commanded to rest - and God patiently waits on us to return to Him and rest in Him rather than trying to conquer our worlds apart from Him - even in the small things.

Part of God's plan includes trust - In Isaiah 30:18, the prophet says, "So the LORD must wait for you to come to Him so he can show you His love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help." verse 20 "Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, He will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left"

Trust means giving over our concerns for the big and the small and letting Him have control and trusting Him with the outcome.  How many prayers do we pray, giving over the concerns of our hearts and then rather than trusting God to handle those concerns, we lose sleep, toil and spin over them or wrestle with God in prayer until He answers.  Now, wrestling with God in prayer and praying fervently is not a bad thing - unless we are doing it because we don't trust God - and that's a question we need to ask ourselves. Jacob wrestled with God and ended up with a dislocated hip for the rest of his life - God wins - always - and there may be a lifelong reminder of going to battle with Him as in the case of Jacob.  We need to trust God - He is faithful - He is trustworthy and His Word is true - but He is God, not our buddy and His will is always for the greater good and His glory.

Part of God's plan includes purging - Verse 22 - "Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, "Good riddance!"

Getting rid of idols and junk (physical, emotional, mental) - and burning them, throwing them out and destroying them as if they were common rubbish.  Idols weigh us down. My husband and I moved and combined households with  my 85 year old mother 2 years ago.  We have tried haphazardly to get rid of things that we don't use and aren't meaningful anymore but because we are busy, the process has been slow.  Now a lot of what we thought was so valuable is collecting dust, dirt, and spider webs and will be worthless if we don't get rid of it or find use for it soon.

It's never fun to clean out, clear out and purge.  But when we do - we make room. We make room for new things, new memories, new relationships.  We make room for God, too. God is showing me patiently how to honor Him by letting go. Part of the purging for me involves letting go of material possessions but I think there's really a larger calling to let go of old dreams that were never meant to come true and of letting go of old hurts that cut deeply and then forgiving myself and others who may have caused or had part in those hurts and bad decisions. Part of the purging process for me has involved letting go of toxic relationships and activities that didn't glorify God.  So I'm in a major season of cleaning out and letting go and in doing so I'm discovering I don't need as much, I don't want as much and I'm ready for new - whatever new is waiting but only if it comes from the Lord.

The rest of Isaiah will make your heart leap to read of God's power and promise to conquer the enemies and tear down the strongholds and refresh, restore and renew as the old is put away and the evil is defeated in this broken world.

I think we could all benefit from spending time in Isaiah 30 - believing that God always keeps His promises and He will prevail - over ebola, over Hamas, over ISIS, over our corrupt government, over idolatry, over war, and over Satan and all those things that war with our souls and minds for attention.

Rest and trust in Him this day dear friend and if He calls you to purge - make room for more of Him by being obedient -- it was a beautiful lesson for me. My prayer is that it will be an encouragement for you.

Loss of a Friend - Reposting

This is a blog I wrote a couple of years ago.  We are living in a season of time where there are wars and massacres of innocent children and brutal martyring of Christians around the world that the news is reporting (and likely not reporting, too.)  We've lost entertainers and athletes tragically and loved ones to cancer and other diseases...and we have kids headed back to school and some off to college for the first time -- lots and lots of change!  So as I sat down to write, I was reminded of this blog and decided that I would re-post this one while I work on the other one - it just seems so relevant right now - maybe even more so than when I wrote it...I pray it will touch and encourage you.

Loss of a Friend:

Today as I awakened, I realized that I have been mourning the loss of a friend.  I've been so sad lately and had no idea why.  I've been so tired and couldn't understand other than having some trouble sleeping.  You may be wondering who this friend was ...my friend was Security.  I held on so tightly for so long to her that she became somewhat of a crutch.  But in this last few years, God has asked me to let her go.  He's asked me to surrender her for a more reliable friend - Trust.

It's always hard to get to know a new friend, especially when you weren't interested in having to give up an old friend in order to start this new relationship.  There's a phase when you feel alone, strange, different, cautious, reserved, and so many mixed emotions that go along with it.  The elation of finding that you have something in common with this new friend doesn't always come instantly.  At least that's been the case in making friends with Trust.

How did I lose Security as my friend?  Through a season of loss, a season of surrender and a season of sacrifice.  Having to realize that Security was a liar and couldn't be trusted came with a devastating job loss, draining financial reserves, loss of "fair weather" friends who just couldn't go to the hard places, distance from family, a season of ill health and near death, and fear of homelessness.  Security has to be tangible or she can't handle the pressure and she leaves when things get hard...

So what about this new friend, Trust.  Well, Trust doesn't make friends easily.  She requires complete abandonment of logic and self-sufficiency.  She is jealous and must have my full attention.  She meddles and probes into the deep crevices of my heart and requires that I surrender all things that are meaningful to me to her.

I must admit, I didn't like Trust very much the first time I met her.  But the more I get to know her, the more I realize that the depth of my friendship with her will be lifelong and permanent and will make me a better, deeper and richer friend to others if I will allow her to change me.  She has a very intimate friendship with the Lord and holds the keys to pleasing Him.  She has lots to teach me and is patient to wait until my grieving over Security is done.  She understands and forgives when it's hard for me to let go or when old wounds cause me to push her away.  Her greatest enemy is doubt.  She won't stay in the same room with doubt but she and Faith and Wisdom are best friends.  To have them as friends is like finding a priceless treasure.

So even though I know that losing this friend, Security, has been a painful separation, losing a friend is never an easy thing for anyone.  But if she's moved into your house and become your friend, just be careful.  She won't stay when the going gets tough.  She is never long term even though she may tell you she is.

If you are seeking to be friends with the things of this world or the people who seem to have it all together, they may be disguised as this friend called Security.  If you find yourself dismayed or pierced deeply when people lie, hurt or wound you or if a season of loss comes into your life - Security may have taken up residence in your household.  If there's a need have wealth, financial reserves, perfection in lifestyle, appearance or acquaintances, you may be nursing a friendship with Security.  She will tell you that you don't need others or that you need to listen to people who make you feel good and she will tell you that all you need is what she can offer which is a lie. She will tell you that you alone know what is best for you and she will most definitely tell you that you don't need the Lord - she is a liar.  Let her go - tell her goodbye and grieve her departure as long as is necessary...but change the locks and don't let her back in.

 If I may encourage you today after reading my weird little story, Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (security).  In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."

I lived with Security far too long and letting her go has been so difficult...am I sad? Yeah.  Am I grateful that Trust has taken her place? Oh absolutely!  She brought along her friends, Faith and Wisdom.  And though they aren't quite as fun-loving as Security was - I know that they won't leave me when things get tough.

Be blessed in the Name of the Lord...Amy

Freedom - bought at a great price!

Hi Friends - Last week I posted some of my headache with the lackluster experience I've had with a pool on Facebook.  I mentioned that I knew there was a blog post in there somewhere and a lesson to be learned -- I'm working on that one...but today and for this week, I decided to post another writing from my friend Theresa Bryant regarding our freedom...a great reminder for all of us both at home and abroad...God bless you as you celebrate this week...God Bless America!!

"FREEDOM ISN'T FREE"

In 1776, at a young age, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence which has been described as a magnificent and revolutionary document.  It was a 28-count indictment against King George in which the colonists declared that they were a free country, that they could make decisions on their own, that they could select their own leaders, and that they were no longer to be subjected to a class status as defined by the king.  One of the most quoted parts of this document is “Behold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”  This was a totally foreign concept to most people in the world at that time.  This freedom was not realized until after winning the Revolutionary War with the Kingdom of Great Britain (now known as the United Kingdom) in which many lives were lost.  The forces fighting for our freedom were described as “rag-tag colonists,” but they were fighting for a way of life and prevailed against the British soldiers who were fighting for a king. 

As you celebrate our freedom as a country from Great Britain, perhaps you will recall the phrase “Freedom isn’t free.”  This phrase has been used in poems, songs, speeches and commercials to explain the fact that freedom often comes at a very heavy cost. 

Our salvation, on the other hand, is totally free to us.  However, it came at the ultimate price for one life – that of Jesus Christ.   He bore the sins of everyone and endured a tortuous death in order that we might be free from our sins if we only accept him and ask him to be the ruler of our lives. The following are some Bible verses that speak of this freedom.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  (Galatians 5:13)

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)  

On Friday, most Americans will celebrate the 4^th of July in some way with family and friends. Perhaps you will attend a local parade or a barbeque or a patriotic program complete with fireworks or perhaps you will visit the grave of a veteran.   Whatever you do, may you reflect not only on the price paid for our freedom as a country, but also reflect on the ultimate price paid for our salvation which is the greatest free gift we could ever receive.

If You're Happy and You Know It - Praise the Lord!

God has blessed me with the renewal of friendship with a dear lady I met when I was on the road as a college recruiter.  She was a teacher for many years and I had the honor of presenting to her classes during her tenure.  She has now retired and God has placed her in a wonderful position at her home church and we were miraculously re-connected at a conference this past March.  I love how the Lord draws us together for His glory and our good pleasure and each week, Theresa sends an encouraging email that lands in my mailbox on Monday mornings.  Her words are a blessing and I can think of no better way to say what she has -- this is something I believe and try to inspire in others ... "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life."  I hope you enjoy her words this morning...Love you Theresa!!

ARE YOU “HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY” IN YOUR CAREER/LIFE?

I love the phrase “Happy, Happy, Happy” from the Duck Dynasty television show.  Back in December when Alvin and I were putting up our Christmas tree, a flower vase fell off the fireplace hearth and broke.  Alvin said, “That not make wife happy, happy, happy!”  Yes, I was disappointed, but I had to laugh at how he handled the situation.

When I was teaching high school students, I taught a unit on careers.  Students would take an aptitude test to determine possible careers to match their skills and interests.  Then, students would choose a career from their list to research.  One of the things I tried to emphasize to my students was to choose a career in which they would be happy and not to choose one just because the salary attracted them.  Before retirement, we spend a great deal of our lives in the workplace; therefore, we should enjoy that time.  All jobs have some stress and unpleasant tasks, but working at something you really enjoy doing makes the time go by so much faster. 

This past year, I met a cashier in a grocery store named Amanda.  She sent a stock boy to replace an item of mine that she had noticed had a hole in it.  I complemented Amanda on noticing the hole, and she shared with me how much she enjoyed her job.  After asking her a few questions, I learned that she had previously worked at a totally different job that paid more, but was a high-stress job.  Amanda expressed to me how happy she was that she had made the career change, and it certainly showed in her smile and attitude.

When our school janitor was asked by someone why he always seemed so happy when working, he replied that he did not work for man, but for the Lord.  He literally lived out Ephesians 6:8:  “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord.” 

Both the cashier and the janitor were “happy, happy, happy,” and as a result, they made those around them much happier.  Draw near to the Lord, and he will make your life happy no matter what your circumstances.  This is more than mere happiness; this is pure joy!  The word joy bring to mind the children’s song with the phrase, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.  “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.” (Psalm 19:8)   Whether you are working or retired, if you are not joyful, perhaps, it is time to prayerfully consider some changes in your life.