Trusting what never changes.

I've read some fantastic blog posts in the last week. Like seriously good. Thanks friends for posting, for sharing your lives, your successes and your struggles. And thanks for (perhaps unconsciously) encouraging me to blog again.

As my housemates can testify, I spend at least ten minutes every day pretending that I'm Beyonce by singing in the shower. At the moment, my jam is the almost too cheerful Pharrell phenomenon - Happy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM).

As much as I love this song, I kind of think it points to one of mine (and maybe even our) problems. Our culture seems to value happiness above all else...and obviously this is found in having the latest clothes, Ipad and aftershave. Not. Parents so often wish that their children live a happy life which, in so many ways, is totally legitimate. Often though, I value my happiness really highly but then find that my happiness levels change so much over the course of a day, a week, a month.

When I came back to Southampton in January, I realised that I didn't want to be here. I thought that it would pass after a few days but it didn't. I've spent the last month learning stuff about myself, how faithful God is and how to man up when the going gets tough (I've failed at this one so often!)
Therefore, this month, on average, I haven't been that happy. So what? Does that mean that my life has crashed? I'm out of the race?

No.

The book of Ecclesiastes (or as my sister affectionately calls it, 'Eccles cakes') says -- 'For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven' (3:1). I've always loved the idea of seasons because it means that dips, low moods and bad hair days are not the end, they're just part of the journey (apologies for the X Factor style cliche!). What's more, happiness can go so quickly but joy lasts forever. So often, I'm tempted to link joy with a particular situation or person. But, ultimately, joy is a gift from God. True joy comes from knowing that you're saved, that you're right with God and that you're His - beloved, precious, redeemed. That's why it's not happiness that truly counts, it's joy based on something totally outside of yourself and bigger than your life - God's relentless love and grace.

This month, I'm determined to embrace joy. Join me?