I see God in the results of my goals and prayers when I include Him in the process. I also see him most when talking about God’s good gifts with others who appreciate God’s work in the ordinary.

Jesus says I can be happy always. He opens what we know as the Sermon on the Mount with an encouragement and permission to be happy no matter the circumstance.

I am not sure how to explain it, but there is a feeling of being loved no matter what when walking with Jesus. Some of it came through my youth via good parents. But they could only get me so far. Jesus has walked consciously with me for as long as I can remember, came to live in my heart at baptism and never let me go, even when I forgot him at times.

He indeed has a love that has not let me go.

Celebrating any victory with those who were included in the beginning, middle and end of a goal cements the bond with everyone involved, including God!

I am learming to try not to confuse thankful joy-filled happiness with pride. Happy people who make it through a terrifying season deserve all the joy they are feeling. I believe God watches over the joy-filled and rewards their faithfulness with a deep happiness even while storms swirl about.

I also believe that God pricks the heart of the joy-thief to change the joy-thief into a thankful being…even when the joy-thief is within us. But isn’t it like God to change us when we ask?

A mind that is thankful and joyful is a mind that is sold out to God. When we see God in the process, his joy fills us from head to toe.

The first “yes!” our soul yells after any victory!

The first tear shed after a major loss.

The first of monetary gain.

The first of anything we go through goes better with God!

He will throw the floodgates of Heaven open and bless us with more when we live Jesus’ love from the inside out, keeping first things first.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! – Malachai 3:10 (NLT)

Amazing!