Happiness vs. Joy

2010 has been a really exciting year for our family. We bought a new house that we adore, we watched many good friends move away and watched our friendships flourish amidst the distance. Tom began a new job, I was able to teach swimming and find time to take some friends Christmas pictures this year. Matthew learned to ride a bike with no training wheels, Drew started swim team and kindergarten, Tyler started martial arts and second grade at a new school.

It was a busy year to be sure.

The one thing I learned very well this year was that you can't waste your time chasing happiness. I realized that I had spent the better part of 18 months thinking that if I just moved or just had different neighbors that I would be happy. Maybe I have spent much of my life thinking this... when I get my drivers license, when I get married, when I have kids, when I get a job, when I get a new car, when we make more money, when I get....

So when people ask me, "Are you happy with your new house?" I reply, "you know, it's not the house so much as it is enjoying what you have at this moment."

If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy

I am thankful for the memories we have in each house we have lived in and I look forward to creating many more with my family wherever we live.
I pray that all of you will be blessed and find joy in 2011. Joy is being happy for no reason, it is happiness that does not come from the external circumstances in our lives.

“When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace,
love, prosperity, happiness... all the good things.” -Maya Angelou