HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE IN JOY

Joy

Excerpt: From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
Gail Manishor, Author
www.gmanishor.com/

God created each of us out of a need and in great joy. If we were created in joy, shouldn’t we be joyful? It doesn’t work to say “If I only had such and such I’d be happy,” “If only I had the right man or woman I’d be happy,” or “If I just lost 20 pounds, I’d be happy.” Why wait? Be happy now. “That’s easy for you to say,” you may tell me. Well, I am telling you. You can be joyful if you want to be. President Abraham Lincoln once said “A man is as happy as he wants to be.”

Take joy where you find it. Joy can be in the many little things as well as the big things. God doesn’t think in terms of small or big.
Everything is important. Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Sometimes joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

What do you love to do? What’s fun for you? Is it writing, drawing, painting, reading, going to the beach, walking in the mountains, skiing or gardening? Be creative in your own way. Make time for th things you love. Live in joy, and joy will live in you.

Joy is a by-product of knowing that God is always with you. It doesn’t mean there will be no sadness in your life. Life is change and growth. There are changing relationships or loss. Life just keeps happening. But it does mean that you can live in serenity knowing this truth.

In This Thing Called You Ernest Holmes wrote “As you enter into life, feeling the Divine Presence in everything, more and more you will hear a Song of Joy singing at
the center of your being.”

KITTENS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

No! No! Coco

In my desire for a new kitten I had forgotten something important. Kittens bite!  I looked up “kittens bite” on the internet. It turns out that’s what kittens do.

Kittens being baby cats are a lot of work. I was thinking cute and cuddly. She is cute and cuddly but she is also mischievous, scratches and bites. What’s a mother to do? Bill and I went over to PetSmart and PetCo and bought several toys home: a mat that lights up when the cat steps on a spot; a toy that stands up & has feathers & things to bat; a pup tent that lights up in the dark with purple balls in it; a ball with a mouse face & furry tail, some kitten treats etc. etc. They promised we could return what she didn’t like them.

The mat that lights up was a real flop, she couldn’t care less. The toy that  has feathers to bat fared the same. The pup tent with sparkle balls was a major success. She loves it and the mouse ball with the furry tail. The organic kitten treats did not excite her at all.

I checked the internet and was advised that cats don’t like to walk on aluminum foil and it will keep cats off tables and counters. Coco loves aluminum.

We are not deterred. Here is another picture of Coco.

 Coco’s mother,

Gail Manishor,
From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
www.gmanishor.com