Do You Need a Dose of Joy Today?

by Jan Drexler

When I was getting ready to write this post, I thought I'd share my recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with you.

I was going to tell you how this "change of life" my husband and I are going through since he entered semi-retirement has brought about one wonderful new habit in our lives...after nearly 36 years of marriage, we are eating most of our meals together. After all, when you work in food service, you eat at work!

I was going to tell you how I've started making cookies again so that hubby can pack them in his lunch. I was going to tell you about my father-in-law, who took these cookies to have with his lunch every day. Four cookies. Every day.

But then I realized I had already shared this recipe on the blog, and when I reread it, I decided I needed to share the entire post that I wrote back in January of 2014. 

In the months after I wrote this post, it became clear to me how very, very good God is. My mother passed away just a few weeks after I wrote this, and the rest of the year wasn't all that great, either. BUT, God knew I needed this word. He knew I needed to be reminded of His joy.

And as I read this post again, I realized that you might need to read it. If my prayer list is any indication, a lot of us are going through circumstances that have set us back on our heels.

Because LIFE IS HARD. Really wonderful, and sometimes...often...really hard.

But God didn't intend for us to go through this alone. If you're having a hard time with something - anything - tell a trusted friend so they can pray with and for you. 

Then mix up a batch of Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, and enjoy the moment.

My One Word and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Over in Seekerville, where we Yankee-Belle bloggers all met, some of us have made it a habit to choose One Word for the year.

I chose mine in November. I thought about it, prayed about it, saw some flaws in my life I wanted to iron out...I chose "boundaries"...

...but God chose Joy.

(Let the music play while you read the rest of the post.)

You see, over the last few…no, several…years (or decades), I've let circumstances steal my joy. I don’t need to tell you what my circumstances are – we all have our own – but it started with one devastating event. Before I had fully recovered from that event, another blow came, and then a disappointment, and then a chronic sadness….

I let the events pile up like one snowfall after another, never letting the sun fully melt the old remnants of previous storms before the pile grew larger. Even when the sun did shine, which it does often in my life, there was always a crusty patch of snow in a sheltered spot that never melted.

Lest you think I’m prone to depression, I've always been an optimist. Happiness is easy to find when you know where to look.

Joy, however, can be denied.

Like when you’re recovering from the flu and every deep breath ends in a cough. You can try to fill your lungs with joy…but, oh, the cough. I’ll wait…until later…when I’m feeling better.

My word, Boundaries, sought to isolate that old patch of crusty snow…control it…deny it by ignoring it. 

Joy isn't so gentle. Joy rips into the covering of dead branches and frozen sod, revealing the icy canker, letting God’s grace melt every last remnant.

Once you give Joy access, it can’t be controlled. Joy will refuse to be hidden away behind circumstances. Joy will make itself known, and once known…you never want to let it be stolen again.

So my One Word is bright sunshine, warm rain, the scent of growing earth, bare feet in green grass, and the promise…oh, the promise!...that on that day when all is revealed, when the dark, rotting branches and mold covering my sins is stripped away…Grace will see Christ's righteousness instead. 

Oh, can there be greater joy than that?

What does all this have to do with Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies?

Years ago, when I was a young mother with one small son, I made these cookies often. Because of my novice helper, I would forgo bringing the mixer out of the cupboard, and do all the stirring by hand.

One of the things I've lost over the years is the enjoyment of those sweet moments with my young children…lost in a concern for mess, and getting the task done, and satisfying clamoring voices. 

Letting circumstances steal the joy instead of using the circumstances to magnify it.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients (for a small batch - feel free to double or quadruple the recipe):

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 Tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1/2  cup chocolate chips

Let the butter come to room temperature in a large bowl – and don’t cheat by trying to hurry the process in the microwave! While you’re waiting, read a good book. Or plan ahead of time to make these cookies, and get the butter out while you’re fixing breakfast.

With a large spoon, mix in the white sugar and brown sugar. Stir and stir until it’s all smooth. Now taste a bit. Isn't that delicious?

In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork or small whisk. Add the water and vanilla, and keep mixing until it’s all combined.

Add the egg to the butter/sugar mixture and stir. Stir until everything is all one happy mess.

Add the flour, soda and salt, and…you guessed it…stir some more.  Isn't this fun?

Now add the oats, mix it all up, and finally add the chocolate chips.

Of course you can eat one of them! Eat ten! No one will tell!

Wait…did you forget to preheat the oven? Do it now. 350° is perfect.

Drop the cookie dough onto baking sheets by the spoonful. You decide how big you want them, but be sure to leave enough room between the bits of dough so the cookies don’t all run together while they’re baking.

Is the oven hot yet? Good. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. They should be golden around the edges, and the top should spring back when you touch one.

Let them cool as long as you can (try to hold out for at least five minutes so you don’t burn your tongue on the chocolate chips!), and then take one.

Hold an edge in each hand and s-l-o-w-l-y pull it apart. Catch a crumb on your tongue. Rescue that dripping chocolate. Pop one half in your mouth and savor it. 

Isn't that the best cookie you've ever eaten?

Now, grab a cup of coffee or tea, have a seat here in the cafe, and join in the conversation.

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Choose Joy (and maybe some Lentil Balls)

Yesterday Mindy asked about our word for the year (after distracting us with all those adorable grandbaby photos). I said my word was JOY and that I would explain more about it today.

2017 was a really rough year for me, and to be honest, I wasn't feeling the whole "choose a word" thing. I don't even recall what word I chose for 2017 and I wasn't planning to choose one for this year.

But then I read Sherrinda's post on Seekerville last week. I'll be honest. I read it once and it didn't change my mind. But for some reason, I read it again and the word JOY popped into my head.

It felt like an odd word for me, like I was tempting fate after 2017, but it was something I'd been thinking about - how you find joy even when things are rough.

On a whim, I typed #choose joy into Google. Up popped Kay Warren's book Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn't Enough

Isn't that title intriguing?

I downloaded a sample. I'll get back to that in a minute.

When I opened my mail, my daily devotion from Jesus Calling had arrived.

Let My unfailing Love fill you with exuberant Joy as you walk along the path of Life with Me.

from Jesus Always
page 379

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

—Psalm 16:11 NKJV 

 

 

Kind of like a slap upside the head.

Then I got an email with a link to download this:

 

By this time I was starting to feel like JOY had chosen me. 

So I started to read the sample chapter from Kay Warren's book. When I came to this line, I knew I had to not only choose JOY for my word, I had to embrace it and work at it. She says that the most important lesson of the book is that "Joy is a choice. The level of joy you experience is completely and totally up to you. It is not dependent on anyone else - what they do or don't do, how they ..."

Well she goes on, but I don't want to violate any copyright laws. I highly recommend clicking that link above and at least reading the sample Amazon offers. Mrs. Warren speaks as someone who understands the daily struggle and her insights are inspiring.


 So, if we're talking about JOY, how about some joyful lentil balls?

No? Okay. I'll save them til next week. But they really did make my tummy joyful when the vegan daughter and I made them for Christmas.

Nothing But a Big Ol' Smile

This year, I'm celebrating the release of my first holiday book.

So it only seemed right to share it with my new church family.

After the Christmas cantata Sunday night, at the annual church-wide Christmas party, they allowed me the privilege of doing a benefit book signing. 

And get a load of this.

The men...

Were just as excited as the women.

It was so cute.

Strapping ranchers buying books for their wives. Okay, so some of the wives came up later to get another book or two, but still. I thought it was so precious. I mean, these are the kind of guys we write about in our books. The heroes who long to make their lady happy.

You gotta love it.

Kind of like this little guy.

Who scampered off soon after I took this pic.

I love how the calves get so furry for the winter. 

Oh, and then there was the "super" moon.

A glorious display of God's glory.

You know, by now my house usually looks like the North Pole threw up.

But things are different this year. Yet despite the frustrations, I choose to find joy in the simple things. Because joy is everywhere. 

Joy isn't about things or feelings. It's not about the twinkling lights or the music.

Even in the worst of times, joy a choice. 

A choice to celebrate being alive, knowing God has a plan for you. 

It's the peace of knowing a Baby came into this world for the sole purpose of saving you.

Looking at life through the lens of joy gives you a different perspective. 

One I know I could stand to look through the whole year through.

How about you?

This holiday season, will you choose joy?

  

Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com  

My One Word and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Over in Seekerville, where we Yankee-Belle bloggers all met, some of us have made it a habit to choose One Word for the year.

I chose mine in November. I thought about it, prayed about it, saw some flaws in my life I wanted to iron out...I chose "boundaries"...

...but God chose Joy.

You see, over the last few…no, several…years (or decades), I've let circumstances steal my joy. I don’t need to tell you what my circumstances are – we all have our own – but it started with one devastating event. Before I had fully recovered from that event, another blow came, and then a disappointment, and then a chronic sadness….

I let the events pile up like one snowfall after another, never letting the sun fully melt the old remnants of previous storms before the pile grew larger. Even when the sun did shine, which it does often in my life, there was always a crusty patch of snow in a sheltered spot that never melted.

Lest you think I’m prone to depression, I've always been an optimist. Happiness is easy to find when you know where to look.

Joy, however, can be denied.

Like when you’re recovering from the flu and every deep breath ends in a cough. You can try to fill your lungs with joy…but, oh, the cough. I’ll wait…until later…when I’m feeling better.

My word, Boundaries, sought to isolate that old patch of crusty snow…control it…deny it by ignoring it. Joy isn't so gentle. Joy rips into the covering of dead branches and frozen sod, revealing the icy canker, letting God’s grace melt every last remnant.

Once you give Joy access, it can’t be controlled. Joy will refuse to be hidden away behind circumstances. Joy will make itself known, and once known…you never want to let it be stolen again.

So my One Word is bright sunshine, warm rain, the scent of growing earth, bare feet in green grass, and the promise…oh, the promise!...that on that day when all is revealed, when the dark, rotting branches and mold covering my sins is stripped away…Grace will see Christ's righteousness instead. 

Oh, can there be greater joy than that?

What does all this have to do with Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies?

Years ago, when I was a young mother with one small son, I made these cookies often. Because of my novice helper, I would forgo bringing the mixer out of the cupboard, and do all the stirring by hand.

One of the things I've lost over the years is the enjoyment of those sweet moments with my young children…lost in a concern for mess, and getting the task done, and satisfying clamoring voices. 

Letting circumstances steal the joy instead of using the circumstances to magnify it.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients (for a small batch - feel free to double or quadruple the recipe):

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 Tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1/2  cup chocolate chips

Let the butter come to room temperature in a large bowl – and don’t cheat by trying to hurry the process in the microwave! While you’re waiting, read a good book. Or plan ahead of time to make these cookies, and get the butter out while you’re fixing breakfast.

With a large spoon, mix in the white sugar and brown sugar. Stir and stir until it’s all smooth. Now taste a bit. Isn't that delicious?

In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork or small whisk. Add the water and vanilla, and keep mixing until it’s all combined.

Add the egg to the butter/sugar mixture and stir. Stir until everything is all one happy mess.

Add the flour, soda and salt, and…you guessed it…stir some more.  Isn't this fun?

Now add the oats, mix it all up, and finally add the chocolate chips.

Of course you can eat one of them! Eat ten! No one will tell!

Wait…did you forget to preheat the oven? Do it now. 350° is perfect.

Drop the cookie dough onto baking sheets by the spoonful. You decide how big you want them, but be sure to leave enough room between the bits of dough so the cookies don’t all run together while they’re baking.

Is the oven hot yet? Good. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. They should be golden around the edges, and the top should spring back when you touch one.

Let them cool as long as you can (try to hold out for at least five minutes so you don’t burn your tongue on the chocolate chips!), and then take one.

Hold an edge in each hand and s-l-o-w-l-y pull it apart. Catch a crumb on your tongue. Rescue that dripping chocolate. Pop one half in your mouth and savor it. 

Isn't that the best cookie you've ever eaten?

Now, grab a cup of coffee or tea, have a seat here in the cafe, and join in the conversation. 

Have you chosen your One Word for this year? And if you have, has it made a difference yet?

Or, what will you do to keep circumstances from robbing you of joy?

And just in case you need someone to teach you how to pluck joy from the passing hours, take the time to read this. How to Live Outside the Box