What & Where is True Happiness & Joy? - Coffee & Conversation

Do we need something complicated or elaborate to make us happy?

Do we need something beautiful or intricate to make us happy?

Do we need something expensive or outlandish to make us happy?

No I believe that mostly the simplest of things make us happy.

A Silly Picture

This picture that I saw on Facebook one day really made me laugh out loud.

Photo Credit - Holiday Spirit

 A Funny Word that makes us Laugh

 A Familiar Taste

So happy that there was one Mr Frostie ice pop left in the box because I don't like the Mrs Frosties

A Sense of Satisfaction over something we Achieve.  

The highest score I have ever got for one turn in a game of Wordfeud.

When we try and plan things to be happy events or special moments or fantastic pictures, they can be spoilt by the simplest of things as well.  But some of the best events, moments or pictures are the ones we haven't thought out or planned or hoped for but have just happened when we are not thinking about them.

I am definitely a person who likes to plan things but I have to learn to sometimes just let things happen and enjoy the moments that God gives me and not just the ones I plan.

Often I have been struck by the different things that I would chose as happy moments. 

It is great to think that the majority of them do not involve spending money so who can possible claim that money brings happiness.  

Often things that bring happiness are things I have made or achieved or took part in with others and memories.

These things were perhaps not perfect and not the most beautiful but I learnt new skills and I am always ready to take some time to enjoy my memories.

There is the contact with friends and family that make me happy.   

We were happy to have all our family together for summer holidays for the previous 3 years

A hug that made me very happy when I had a headache

Then there was that ordinary day when I was very happy to be able to embed this
 Gospel Presentation Video
 by Glen Scrivener

 in my blog sidebar.

This was not something that made me laugh or was cute & made me smile.

This was not something that involved my memories.

This was not something that I had accomplished.

No.

This was something that I knew would help to bring true happiness and in fact true joy to others.

What could make us happier than to know that others are happy too!

What can make others happy?

Where does our true happiness come from?

                   Not money and not perfection anyway!

Our true happiness is really deeper than happiness it is pure deep joy that comes from the Lord 

What and Where is True Happiness and Joy?

Can you say that you are truly happy?

Do you have this joy that nothing can take away from you?

I hope you take the time to watch the short 321 video
and share it with others too.

You may enjoy reading some more Coffee & Conversation Posts from this Blog

You may be interested in reading more encouragement around Happiness  at

Thankfulness & Happiness go Hand in Hand - A Dose of Encouragement 

 

Happiness, Happiness - A Dose of Encouragement  

What Makes us Truly Happy - Coffee & Conversation

3 Little Letters - Do You Know What They Mean? - Coffee & Conversation

They are just 3 letters!

They are used in everyday language!

They are written in messages, tweets, comments, etc.

But just because other people have used them it doesn't mean that we ladies as Christians should be using them.

People write them down often but some people don't even stop to think what they mean.

They are often used in capitals to show immense unbelief.

BUT

They do not mean "Oh My Goodness"  which is what some people may consider to be their meaning.

NO

The 3 letters 

OMG

DO NOT mean  "Oh My Goodness" 

Just google them and see that in every listing that comes up in Google it clearly states that these three letters mean

"Oh My God!"

Almost daily on facebook I see people sharing what they consider are fun quizes or fun games to play like

"What Job Suits Your Face?"

"What's Your Power Colour?"

"What Age Can You Pass For?"

"What is Your Life Story?"

"How Old Are You Based on Your Photo?

"What is Your Biography?"

"Who Loves You 100%?"

"Which Bible Verse Will Give You Strength?"

"Which Bible Verse Do You Need Today?"

Each time anyone clicks on that picture to get an answer about themselves they are promoting someone who is taking the Lord's Name in vain.

We need to have good standards and be obedient to God's word and therefore we should not say those words but we also should not support others who do.

I know that the Facebook page putting out these  "fun" click posts have this pic of a shocked face before the letters

 but that does not take away any meaning or severeness of the meaning of the letters.

Then the one that I really could not believe that Christians were clicking on was the following

"What Bible Verse Did God Write For You?"

because we as Christians should know that all the verses in the Bible have been written for us by God.

In fact I saw the same person do this one twice and they got a different verse each time.

So ladies I am saying that these 3 letters written or spoken are NOT glorifying to God.


We should be careful how we use God's name at any time and so we should look to His Word to determine just what are the right ways to use this Holy Name and in so doing Honour our heavenly Father.

Ladies let us take our cue from Mary who clearly recognised the Holiness of God's Name when she sang to God on knowing she was to bear His Son.

If we recognize as Mary did that God does great things for us how can we possibly not treat His Name with the reverence it deserves?

Ladies Do you Believe This? Coffee & Conversation

We believe a lot of things about ourselves.

Many are things we have decided about ourselves from the past or things we have decided for us for the future.

Many are things that family, or friends or workmates have decided about us and those things stick with us.

Do you believe all these things that have often been descriptors of you for years or months or weeks or even just the last few days?

We should not judge or describe ourselves by what others think or even by what we feel we have experienced.

We need to describe ourselves by what God says about us.

So ladies

Do you believe this list of personal things that God has declared in His Word?


You are HIS.


You are ALIVE in CHRIST.
You are a CHILD of GOD.
You are CHOSEN.
You are a CROWN of SPLENDOUR.
You are DEAD to SIN.
You are FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY MADE.
You are FORGIVEN.
You are GOD'S WORKMANSHIP.
You are HEALED by His STRIPES.
You are HIS.
You are an HEIR to the KINGDOM.
You are MADE for HIS GLORY. 
You are a NEW CREATION.
You are an OVERCOMER. 
You are REDEEMED.
You are the SALT and the LIGHT.
You are SET FREE from bondage.
You are a TEMPLE of the HOLY SPIRIT.
You are WHOLE.
You are WRITTEN on the PALM of HIS HAND.
You are WORTH MORE than MANY SPARROWS.
You are WORTH MORE than RUBIES.




You are MADE for HIS GLORY.   
     

You are WORTH MORE than MANY SPARROWS.
You are WORTH MORE than RUBIES.



You are MORE than a CONQUEROR.
You are MORE than YOUR PAST.
You are MORE than WHAT YOU WEAR.
You are MORE than WHO PEOPLE SAY YOU ARE.


You are ........
You are ........


You are so many things in God's eyes but most importantly you are His creation and He has a plan for your life which starts with

 Salvation

You are FORGIVEN

followed by

 Assurance

You are WRITTEN on the PALM of HIS HAND.

and then let's finish where we started

You are HIS.

from the words of Jesus

Ladies Do you Believe This?

The 10 Commandments for Parents with FREE PRINTABLE - Coffee & Conversation

Many years ago I found these words but never knew exactly where they came from.

They were entitled:

The Ten Commandments for Parents.

"The 10 Commandments for Parents"

1.     Your sons and your daughters are not your's alone;

         bring them up to know ME before they are grown.

2.     Provide for their needs and know, as you do,

         that I will provide for each one of you.

3.     Live by MY WORD, in love and in fear,

         so you are living a message that children can hear.

4.     I delighted in sharing creation with you;

         help your children appreciate loveliness too.

5.     Respect them, for each is unique by design,

         welcome their specialness, help them to shine.

6.     Cultivate character, loyalty, truth -

          lessons in living, to carve in their youth.

7.     Take time to listen, to laugh and to play,

          when your children have grown the memories will stay.

8.     Teach them to talk to me often in prayer;

          I want them to trust that I'll always be there.

9.     I am there for you too.  Remember to ask,

          and I will equip you for this holy task.

10.   These are MY loved ones.  Thus it shall be:

          as you do unto them, you do it to ME.     

I printed them out on cards and gave them to the parents of the children who came to our "Good News" Club one year over 20 years ago and then recently when I was sorting out some old materials for Kids Work I found one of them and of course the words are as good now as they were then.


Now I have made a new copy of these and I hope you like it.

Don't forget to download your free printable for the "10 Commandments" HERE  if you have not already subscribed to Sandra's Ark


If you have previously subscribed to Sandra's Ark then you will find the link for all my Resources in any of the emails you have received from me.



 Or pin this for later:

Anyone signing up to follow my blog in the sidebar will also receive the free printable above.

Top 10 things I Do Each Day to NOT Keep a Tidy Home

Notice I DID write NOT keep a TIDY Home

AND

This was not a mistake

So here are my very simple honest


 Top 10 Things I Do Each Day to NOT Keep a Tidy House 


1.     Set my alarm and then repeatedly hit snooze

2.     Open the Post and throw it on the table

3.     Go right from breakfast to the computer before filling the dishwasher

4.     Do not read my Todo list until the afternoon

5.     Go through Social Media before lunch


6.     Set my timer, ignore and then set it again

7.     Last thing at night - say I'm going to turn off the lamp and clear the living room - then an hour later......

8.     Say to myself - I can fit some more paper in that waste paper bin in my study but no it overflows on to the floor instead.

9.     Go to check the washings in the Utility room but get waylaid by the draw of a cup of coffee and then forget what I was going to do and end up back at the computer with my coffee mug.

10.    Any other form of procrastination I can think of at any time of the day.

Why don't I keep my home tidy?

I know I sort of filed this in my mind as part of  Coffee & Conversation  because it is one of my short chatty posts but perhaps it actually falls under the category of  Home Organising as illustrated above because let's face it there wasn't actually any housework was there!

Or perhaps it truly belongs under the category of 10 Things because I like numbers

You can choose for yourself where you think it belongs.

What Makes Us Truly Happy? - Coffee & Conversation

So often these days I read or hear about people blogging or writing or just sharing on Facebook or Twitter about how we need to concentrate on what makes US happy.
The focus is on the person themselves, they must always be the most important person in their own lives, they must always come first.

This is not what I have experienced as I have gone through life and I am not young so I have had many years of getting to know what makes me happy and it is not putting all the emphasis on myself.

Indeed I believe that if we only think of ourselves then we will never be truly happy.



Of course I am very happy that I have friends and a husband who make me laugh and smile.  
BUT
I am also very happy when I can be instrumental in helping others to laugh and smile.  
Thinking about this I thought I could make just a few suggestions of extremely easy ways in which any of us can help to put a smile on someone else's face, to bring them a little happiness.

Some ideas that came to mind were:

• Invite them for coffee or a meal.

• Bake a cake or cookies or buns to share with them.

• Send them a card.

• Write them a letter or email them.

• Visit them.

• Take time to talk to them or listen to them.

• Send them a picture (just for them) by email or text.

• Phone them 

• Make them feel welcome when they are around you

• Simply say hello and smile at them.

Why not go out and simply say hello and smile, it wont hurt you and it might put a smile on someone else's face.

Then when it puts a smile on their face it will put a smile on yours as well.

Why do I say this?
BECAUSE
I am very happy that I have friends and a husband who make me laugh and smile. 

If we only think of ourselves we will never be truly happy.

And let's not forget the people we may be meeting for the first time

And because I believe that the instructions we have in the Bible are for our good and the good of others.

DON'T FORGET!

Why not go out and simply say hello and smile, it wont hurt us and it might put a smile on someone else's face.