Simple Is Better – The Things Filling My Soul with Joy

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Every week, I look at my calendar and determine that I will have more opportunities to do those things that have gotten pushed aside. Again. By Friday, I wonder what happened to the week and why I didn’t get more done.

Anyone else raise their hand? This has become a constant and repetitive challenge in my life. Yes, I know. Often it’s a first-world problem. Yet I feel the real struggle of too many things getting set aside for too long. Life is real. It happens. Things outside of our control creep up into our days and weeks, and they zip by without us fully appreciating them.

To slow life down, appreciate more of what is good in our lives; sometimes, we just need to stop and find the joy and blessing of the day.

And so, this is what I am doing these days. Celebrating the little wins and joys that I find in everyday life. As I share some of these recent joy-filled moments in my life, I pray that you are encouraged to reflect and think about what joy-filled moments have been filling your soul this summer. Seriously. Sit down. Make a list. Celebrate each thing on this list.

Here’s what has been filling my heart with joy lately.

Fresh veggies and herbs. Last summer, I planted a few herbs in some small planters on our deck. Can I tell you how MUCH joy this brings to my heart? I just open the patio door, go outside and pick the cutest little tomatoes and herbs, walk in the kitchen and prepare them for a meal.

So. Good. Our evening salads have been filled with these baby tomatoes for weeks. I use the herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary) weekly. Honestly, they add so much flavor to food.

When our youngest granddaughter is at our house, she LOVES to pick the tomatoes. We eat them, and then she asks if she can take the rest with her.

You don’t have to be a gardener. You just need a couple of containers with a few small plants. I realize it’s much too late in the summer to begin this. Tuck this one away. Buy the planters (on sale!) now. You might be impressed how much this simple thing adds joy to your life.

Real flowers. If you’ve been around for more than a minute with me, you might know that I value real flowers. Whether they are from your yard, garden, the roadside, or the store, pick/buy the flowers and let them sing to you every day.

Zinnias are some of my favorite summertime flowers. They take basically zero effort to raise. Throw some seeds in the ground and let them do their thing. Once they start blooming, they flower until it freezes. They come in lots of different colors and just bring joy to my life.

I saved seed from last year’s zinnias and planted them this year. A couple of days ago, I picked one zinnia, a stem of basil and put them in this tiny vase by our coffee bar. Now, every morning, my day begins with a smile as I see this little flower as I make morning coffee.

Is it ridiculous that such a small thing brings too much joy into my life? I’ll let you be the judge for your life.

Real conversations with real people. Multiple times in just the last week, I found myself in situations where I was having real conversations. Honest, raw, real-life stuff. Some conversations were short. Others were longer. What I realized is that connection is super important. It’s not about how well you know someone. It’s taking the time to really LISTEN. We spend so much time talking. How often do you just listen? It is amazing what people will share with you when you simply listen.

Yes, there are times when we need to talk and share. The best conversationalists are truly those who have mastered the art of listening.

Good books. This summer, I have pushed myself to read/listen to audiobooks that are not my normal reading genre. It’s been so good to try different authors, writing styles, and stories. I have purposefully read less “work” books this summer and more “fun” books. Soon, I’ll do a post sharing some of my favorite books. For now, just read something. And not on a digital device! A magazine. The newspaper. A journal. Ask a friend for a suggestion. Go to the library and check something out. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and love this way of expanding what I read.

Regular exercise. Truth? I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. I know it’s important. It helps my body and my brain. I have exercised regularly for decades because I know it’s good for me. This doesn’t mean it’s always fun. I don’t get those eye-popping endorphins that some people talk about after they exercise. It just doesn’t happen to me.

As I age, I also know my body has changed. It can’t do what it did even a few years ago. So, my exercise expectations have also changed. These days, I still walk or walk/run a few days a week. I lift weights several days a week. When I don’t see the physical results as much as I would like, I remind myself that I would not like what I would see if I stopped exercising! Sometimes, I use exercise as a “break” to help me recenter and refocus.

If exercise is such a drag, why am I listing it as a joy? Because I want to appreciate and value my body and my mind. I celebrate what I CAN do today, even if it is different from earlier in my life. God has blessed me with a uniquely created body. I want to honor and celebrate in many different ways. And this, my friends, brings me JOY.

So, what is on your JOY list these days? How are you filling your soul? Caring for yourself emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually? We can talk about how quickly our days go. Yet, I pray we also pause and celebrate the special little moments of our lives that bring us even a drop of joy. We need these momentary mental breaks and vacations. We need time to reflect upon all the goodness in our lives even when things feel tough. This allows us to celebrate what we have more than what we feel is lacking. And this, my friends, will give us hope.

Blessings –

Dianne

Dear God – It’s so easy to slide through the days and let one drift into the next. Help me pause today. Appreciate the little joys that show up each and every day in my life. Thank you for them. Amen.

Would you like to start your day with God? It’s easy to let the day begin without spending even a minute with Him. That’s why I created Daily Text Prayer, a short prayer sent directly to your phone each day. If you’d like to receive it, text dailytextprayer to 608-924-5208.

Looking for a bit of daily inspiration? Check out my daily affirmation posts on Facebook and Instagram (Dianne Deaton Vielhuber and Simple Words of Faith.)

Dianne’s Upcoming Unraveling Together Book Events:

Sun., Aug. 30 – Blackhawk Bethlehem Church, 9 AM worship, S10174 County Road C, Sauk City, WI

Sun., Aug. 30 – Pages & Parcels National Day of Grief Event, 1-3 PM, 101 N Main St, Potosi, WI