H A P P Y

Tags

Bible, faith, happy

Happy. H-A-double P-Y. Why? Because God gave me this little, funny, juvenile, freeing word. He made it personal…intimate…restorative…It makes me smile. It makes me feel like singing – something joyful or silly. It conjures up images of Kindergartners finger painting with delight and abandonment. They aren’t worrying about the mess or striving for perfection. They are simply living in the moment.

Somewhere along the way, I lost that childlike innocence. I “accepted” that my life was always going to be…well…hard, a series of unfortunate events filled with more tears than laughter. I felt old and burdened, and undeserving of happiness. I would be faithful, stay the course, and endure!

A couple of years ago, our Bible study group did a study that required a lot of self-reflection on our past. One morning, as I sat alone at home with my book, I laid it all (again) before the Lord – the pain, the fears, the discouragement, the disappointments…I also boldly asked God to speak to me clearly, like He seemed to with the author…if not today, then one day. And as I prayed, I was struck by an overwhelming need to play my piano. It seemed strange, but I decided that even if this wasn’t from God, it wouldn’t hurt anything either.

So I headed to the piano, planning to play one song, but singing another. So I dug out the other song and started to play and sing. Halfway through the first verse, I heard someone say, “stop and read that again”. Not even thinking, I stopped and read the line again…

“Happy are they who will stay in Your city, and be near the Living God. I want, above all else, to follow Your footsteps and seek only Thy perfect way”.

It was one of those rare moments – God’s presence was strong, I held my breath. And then I wept. It affirmed what I already knew to be true, that happiness and joy don’t have anything to do with circumstances, people, power, positions, or possessions. My growing, deep desire to walk closely with God, to be wholly His = happy. “But all who are hunting for you— oh, let them sing and be happy! (MSG*)” –Ps. 40:16a And I have spent the last two years growing young and letting myself be happy.

          Happy                                                   HAPPY                         H-A-double P-Y!

*The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Puddle

Tags

faith, happy, poem

My life is like a puddle, serene and calm
It reflects the beauty around me
I am happy.

But every now and then, someone rudely sticks their finger in
They cause ripples in the surface and distort my view
It is hard to see clearly between the waves, snatches of the former views wash away
I am frightened.

The ripples have faded now and the puddle resumes its glassy surface
But I still keenly feel them, though less with time
I am weary.

The ripples are a warning
Someone can stick their finger in again if I am not prepared
I am uncertain.

They are also a reminder – it was God who created my puddle, God who allowed the ripples, and God who restored it to peace – He is my Sovereign
I am comforted.

I can survive the ripples, the fluctuations, the changes
I can choose to be forever changed by them, not defined by them
I am free.

The puddle will never look the same
But if I pause and look again, I can see something reflected there
Something that is even more beautiful
And I am blessed.

Cupcakes

Tags

cupcake, food, frosting, happy, humour, pink, sweets

Fluffy, swirled, sweet creations in a pleated paper cup – both pleasing to the eye and pleasing to the palate. With or without sprinkles, just the thought of a cupcake, any size or flavour, makes me want to close my eyes and lick my lips. I can just picture it in my mind, peeling back the paper like a personal gift, and image biting into it, pink icing frosting my lips…Mmmm…What is it about cupcakes that charm us to nibble and savour, regardless of age, race, gender or size?

Originally I was going to write about my recent cooking disasters: Greek Crock-pot Stew with an overwhelming tomato flavour…or the Chicken-Feta Sauce that looked like baby vomit, and had no taste…but who wants to focus on the ‘yuck’ when one can focus on the ‘yum’?

After Morning Break registration yesterday, I called and picked up a friend to go out for a bite of lunch…on the way, we passed a new cupcake store in town. I didn’t even know we had a new cupcake store in town, and since I very rarely travel down main street, I could have been missing out on its delightful creations for far too long. It was closed…but after lunch and a quick emergency run to a grocery store, we cruised down main street again and the cupcake store’s neon sign said “OPEN”! Hang a right, swing around the block, park, and walk quickly and directly to said store! How could we pass up such an amazing opportunity to indulge? We had, after all, just consumed a relatively nutritious lunch and it was time for dessert.

It is a very small store painted in pink (is there any other colour when you’re selling cupcakes??), but she offered 8 different flavours, each one with a swirled dollop of icing on top! It was hard to choose between Key Lime, Double Chocolate, Black Forest, Lemon Delight, Super Fudge…I finally chose Coconut Crème…and it was divine!

The first commercial cupcake was made in the early 1900’s, and since 2004, cupcake sales have been trending higher every year. Is it that cupcakes are just for us – a little bit of sweetness and colour, and a return to childhood when we were happy and carefree? Is it the size – small enough to eat without overwhelming guilt while still satisfying our craving for something sweet? I may not understand the psychology behind our love for cupcakes, so whatever the flavour (in my new favourite place), I’m just going to indulge from time to time, and savour every bite when I do.