In Luke 2:10, the angel tells the shepherds he has good news that will bring joy. Joy is a concept we confuse with happiness. We can have joy even when we are not happy. Joy is connected with hope. We can be joyful in dire circumstances but have joy because we know this is not the end. Joy is anticipation that there is a good ending and the source is very good.
Tag: happiness
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Can a baby be too happy?
When I’m not feeling in the best of moods, nothing can cheer me up like a smiling, laughing baby. Nobody ever wants to make a laughing baby settle down. After all, what are you going to do? Tell him to act his age?
I didn’t think it was possible for a baby to be too happy. Then I found this article from the 2010 Psychology Today that reported covered Angelman Syndrome. This is a rare, neurological disorder that has continual laughter as one of its symptoms. My first thought was:
- Mom was right. No matter what it is, you CAN have too much of a good thing.
- Now parents have another thing to worry about.
Has someone told you to stop worrying about your child, only to discover later your suspicions were right? Or have you worried about something your child did only to find out everything was fine?
It’s inevitable. The Christmas schedule is crazy, you want peace on Earth, goodwill towards men. Then you hear your kids start to argue. They’ve only been on Christmas break for one day and they are driving each other crazy!
It is difficult to have the holiday spirit when your kids are bickering with each other. How can you teach your kids about joy and have a little yourself?
Take a deep breath and consider some of these points:
- Happiness and joy are two different things.
- Happiness is a feeling that ebbs and flows.
- Joy is based on what we know-our convictions. Even when things don’t go our way, we can have joy.
- Our joy isn’t based on the perfect Christmas.
- Let’s face it, people won’t cooperate
- Things break down
- Schedules become crazier than the flight schedule at O’Hare on Thanksgiving weekend
- And said to say, tragedies happen
- We remember loved ones who passed away
- A separation or divorce hurts even more this time of year
- Joy comes when we stop being self-centered and become others-centered
- Get a present for someone in need
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen
- Consider why the other person is grumpy
- Have they gone through a tragedy?
- Are they lonely?
- Have they spent all day working retail at the biggest Christmas sale ever?
Our happiness can go up and down with the thermometer. But we can have joy and teach our kids to have it during this busy Christmas season.
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Why being busy doesn’t make us happy
Cartoon of two boys at an amusement park. They are sick from the rides. One says, “We’re too busy having fun to be happy.”