Anchoring My Joy

Today I realized that the gift I knew God gave me--writing--is one of my greatest avenues of joy. Not that I didn't know I received joy from it before, but while I've been on a short writing break, I have felt as though I am floating between contentment and agitation. I thought I've just been in a funk, but it hit me today that the only thing that's changed these past couple of weeks, is my scheduled writing time has become catch up on the house time. And let's face it, writing is so much more satisfying than housework...and, it's a lot easier to find God in writing characters who seek Him, than it is to find God in scrubbing the kitchen sink for the fifth time in a week.
So, I am going to write. Again. A sixth novel.
Writing is more than a creative outlet. It anchors my joy and opens my heart up to God's gift to me.
Why would I hinder it?

To Rest

The past couple of weeks, I have been stirred to rest. Kinda funny-oxymoronish way to put it. But really, I have felt overloaded with social media, technology, tasks, thoughts, everything that fills my brain full and gives no room for peace.

I just want rest.
I crave it.
I want to find God in it.

And what better time to do it than when the world tells you not to--during this onset of holiday after holiday, material-asking, desiring, focusing?

Gonna try. Gonna treasure rest as much as I treasure accomplishment. So if I seem absent, if I don't answer when I should, it's because I've stepped away from the overflow and tapped into the gift God has given me: rest.

The Media Never Fails...

..to disappoint.

So I followed the news for more than a few minutes for the first time in months...maybe years. It used to be a terrible obsession with me--one that would determine my contentment, joy, and hope for a future.
And I realized tonight, after watching it, that it hasn't changed at all...it's just gotten worse.

A psychiatrist spoke on the election on the news channel I flipped to, and after he was done ranting, he said he would offer prescriptions to anyone who needed them since he was so negative on the election. Sad. SAD. SAD!!  But, it was true...we the people probably heard his words and it chipped at our contentment a bit.

How do we let talking heads affect us so? The White House isn't going to determine our demise. But I can't be so confident in saying the media isn't.

I am glad this night is over. Not because the guy I wanted to win won, or the guy I didn't want to win did. Just because I can stand firm in my choice to keep away from the media that fills our heads with fear and lies. Yes, I still continue to keep up with the headlines, but that's it. I have more important people to listen to, more uplifting things to read. Here's a start:

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8