When Joy Shows UP

This is the "Year of Joy" for me after a long time of grief and loss.  By "Year of Joy" I mean that I am determined to find joy anywhere and everywhere I can. 

Let me tell you, when I am on the lookout for joy, joy honestly shows up all around me. 

It is EVERYWHERE! Joy was very plentiful in my little corner of the world recently. 

​Follow me on a journey, as I share where joy showed up BIG TIME for me this week. 

Joy in the Classroom!

Joy was in my classroom this week when I received this picture from a very sweet student. It is her and I eating ice cream. It is my first picture of the school year and it has a special spot on my bulletin board and in my heart.

​I literally laughed out loud when she gave it to me because it is such a cute picture! She was grinning from ear to ear when I told her how special it was to me.

Photo by Little Lessons Learned by Dana

Joy in the Drive Thru!

Joy showed up in the drive thru this week when I tried McDonald's new chocolate brownie muffin. It tasted EXACTLY like the chocolate cake my mom used to make. She is no longer with us, so eating this delicious muffin feels like a hug from her. Sure made me smile!

Photo by Little Lessons Learned by Dana

Joy on TV!

Most days, as far as TV goes, I find that I am often channel surfing in frustration. It seems there is NEVER anything good on TV but this week, I hit the jackpot!

I watched America's Got Talent and viewed the golden buzzer performance of a very special contestant.

Watch below and try not to laugh! You will enjoy this. Trust me!

Joy at the Theater!

MAMA MIA! Here I go again talking about JOY!

My daughter and I are HUGE ABBA fans! This week we went to an ABBA tribute band concert called ABBA Revisited. It was amazing. We got our groove on, sang at the top of our lungs and even got to go up on stage for the grand finale of you guessed it, DANCING QUEEN!

​It was amazing and something we will remember for a long, long time!

Joy at the Garage Sale!

I have been trying to really get in shape this year and I found for myself and my daughter two pairs of high caliber wireless headphones for $2 each! They work great and will come in so handy at the gym or around the house when I want to listen to music. What a deal! I was so happy!

Photo by Ekaterina Belinskaya at Pexels

In Proverbs 17:22 ~ it says a merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. 

When you actively search for joy, it helps you have that merry heart that the Bible speaks of.  We all need more joy in this world.

I encourage you to become a joy seeker. Trust me, if you do so, you will never look at life the same and so many little things you will recognize as blessings and opportunities to truly enjoy your life. 

Tuck that in your heart today. ❤️

Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you that although our daily lives can bring so many things, there is still so much joy around us. Please help us to see the blessings, and wonderful things that come our way to encourage us, edify our spirits and make us smile. We need more of those types of things. Thank you for working those special moments and experiences into our days. We are so grateful.

In Jesus' name,
Amen

Sending you a virtual hug,
Dana​

Author

​​Dana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, blogger, author, and speaker. Dana desires to "love God and love people" whole heartedly. She has a passion for helping others and spreading much needed encouragement. Dana lives in Canada with her husband and two grown children. When she is not working in the classroom or blogging, she enjoys drinking coffee, watching Netflix and reading great books.

Tags: joy, joyful heart, seeking joy, look for the good, gratitude, a merry heart is like a medicine

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