Choices.
We make literally hundreds to thousands of choices daily, many of which impact our future. We may not even be aware of their effect in the moment. But choices are powerful. One of mine, in particular, has had a lasting impact not only in my life but many others.
I chose joy.
A cloak of grief and sadness covered my life. I lost both Mom and Grandma within weeks of each other and it sent me reeling. After a year or so of navigating the heartache, I longed to be free of sadness. My life was ahead of me with a young family who I needed and needed me. So, I chose joy.
At the time, I didn’t recognize it as joy as much as choosing to let go of negative. I was tired of grief and regret and craved happier. I chose to purposefully seek positive. 
When younger, my glass skewed half-empty with negative go-to reactions and worry as the norm. But in my twenties, I had shifted to being more positive. It was a willful choice, but soon I was seeing the world as half full.
Then in a blink, the two most influential women in my life were gone.
It was a deep, bruising blow and revived my negative nature.
To read the rest of my post and what I happened when I chose joy, click to see it on my friend Alisa Nicaud’s Flourishing Today blog!
Linking with the #Salt&Light ladies and Brenda at #ChasingCommunity 
I agree. We have more control of how things affect us than we realize. As believers we have “the mind of Christ” and can choose how to process what happens in our worlds. I’ve spent some time recently meditating on Paul’s decision to choose contentment whether ‘well fed or hungry’ whether ‘in need or plenty’. I think that goes for us emotionally too. we all face times when we are ‘hungry’ emotionally, and instead of persisting in that state and magnifying our emptiness, we can (as Paul did) rest in contentment. This concept is so lacking in the church today that we need so much to know that Christ is enough… even, and maybe most especially… when pain touches our lives. Thanks for your post!
Thanks Karen and yes, joy and contentment are choices we make. Circumstances happen which we can’t always control, but we do have control over our choices and reactions to those circumstances. Thanks so much for your thoughts today!
Left you a comment over at Alicia’s site, but wanted to leave a little note of encouragement for you here too. Lovely post, friend. ((xoxo))
Thanks dear Brenda for your encouragement!
Oh, that “Choose Joy” message was soooo familiar for me. After my second bout with cancer that portended doom for me, every morning I started out my day worrying, wondering if I would be around the following year, walking around with a cloud of gloom hanging over me. Then, one morning, as I was leaving for work on a blue-skied, cloudless day, the flowers were beautifully in bloom and I was feeling quite well and normal — but that refrain kept rolling through my brain, “Will I be here…?” Then, the epiphany: “Rita, you’re healthy enough to go to work; it’s a beautiful day. If you do die before next year, do you want to spend your last days worrying and fretting? Or do you want to live them with joy?” I chose the latter and it has been my attitude ever since — even though sometimes I have to remind myself — or the Lord reminds me in His word. It’s a wonderful thing!
Oh how I love those God sent epiphanies! Yes, let’s choose the latter-joyfilled days, no matter our circumstance! Thank you dear friend for sharing this!
Beautiful post. I shared a comment on the Flourishing Today blog!
Thank you!!