You Can Have "Don't Worry, be Happy." I'll take the JOY of the Lord!

CHOOSE JOY by Kay Warren

Joy (as defined by Warren):  Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things (30).

She says that joy and sorrow run “inseparably throughout our days” down a “set of parallel train tracks” (27).

“God is the only true source of joy” (95).

The Laughing Christ—(see the two pics below—I love the image of Jesus laughing and smiling!)  Jesus was a man of joy who actually was very funny, telling jokes within his parables!  It’s our modern world that doesn’t “get” his jokes!

  

Joy is a CHOICE.

Joy is not the same as happiness.  Happiness is all about a moment….an action….a feeling…Happiness comes as goes as quickly and as fleetingly as moments do.  We can not find Joy in happiness.  Joy is (see above)—in the good times AND the bad/hard/difficult/challenging/low/etc., etc., etc. times in life.

*The sweet irony of reading Kay Warren’s book is that God gave me a similar message over a year ago.  It think 2009 was my “Year of Joy.”  During that year, my planner was beautifully embossed with “The JOY of the Lord is my strength!”  Of course, I didn’t buy that planner in 2008 for 2009 with the thought that 2009 would be the “Year of Joy” for me; I bought that particular planner in 2008 because it was a gorgeous purple color that I just HAD to have!  Isn’t God funny how He works?  Throughout the year of 2009, God worked a lot in my life regarding JOY.  I have at least 2 post-its in my Bible with words from the Lord regarding JOY:  “You can Have ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy.’  I’ll take the JOY of the Lord is my Strength!”  And, “Make a Decision that I’m not going to anyone or anything rob me of my JOY or keep me from seeing the JOY that is in my life in knowing Jesus as my Lord and Savior!”

I also did a Bible study on JOY put together by the Women of Faith.

I did my own personal Bible study on the word JOY (and all its forms), finding all the references in the Bible to the word JOY (in various translations) and marking each and every one of them in my various Bibles!  I even bought myself a pink Bible (NKJV) wherein to mark all said references and in that Bible, as well as all my other Bibles, I marked all the references in PINK because the color of JOY is pink!  My favorite verses and the ones I’ve claimed for my life are:  “You love what is right and hate what is wrong.  Therefore, God, [my] God, has anointed [me], pouring out the oil of joy on [me] more than anyone else” (Psalm 45:7 & Hebrews 1:9).  JUMOY!

During that time, I also came up with a catch-phrase for myself:  JUMOY!  (Jump for Joy)  It doesn’t work as an answer when someone asks me how I’m doing (I started saying “Peachy” like my Daddy because that just comes out better), but I do get to use it a lot!

During that time I also spent QUALITY time weeping/sobbing and pouring out my heart before the Lord—on my face.  I remember feeling both drained and rejuvenated at the same time as I stood up off the floor of First Assembly of God in Hickory, NC.  It was truly very healing.  That was the night that started me on my Journey to Joy (which I’m still traveling, just in case you’re wondering).

Now for those of you who think I’m nothing more than a “Pollyanna” who always finds something to be Glad about, let me share some of the trials I’ve been through:

1.      In December 1998, I had surgery to remove my left ovary and part of my fallopian tube because of a cyst.  I was 6 months pregnant with my first son at the time.

2.      On March 16, 1999, I went in for my regular doctor’s appointment (I had two weeks to go until my due date).  There was no heartbeat.  We did an ultrasound to be sure, but the only heartbeat we heard was mine.  I had to go through labor and delivery; James Isaac was stillborn the following day, March 17, 1999.  He’d been gone for almost a week, but I had no idea until that moment in the doctor’s office when we didn’t hear the heartbeat.

3.      In November of that same year, just days before Thanksgiving, I miscarried my second baby, who I named Panya Ruth.  (I wanted a girl so bad.  I’m fairly confident she’s a girl because of a very real dream I had later the following year.)

4.      *I feel odd throwing this one in here, but during all this time, I lost several jobs.  I was let go from a Christian Bookstore!  (I know!  ME!  From a Christian Book store!  I still don’t know what happened there!)  I was let go from a bank I worked at.  (No real big loss there except for the fact that I really needed the job.)  I was let go from Tri-City Christian School after two years of teaching all 4 high school English classes as well as both Spanish 1 and 2.  (The Lord had been telling me it was time to go, but it was still a hard loss.)

5.      In November of 2005, just days before Thanksgiving (this isn’t the first nor will it be the last), I had another miscarriage.  I do believe another girl:  Anna Rose.  (This one happened on campus where I left a blood trail down the classroom and had to be taken off campus in an ambulance.  VERY traumatic for me.)

6.      On the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 2010, James raced me to the ER at Frye where I was suffering from an infection from Diverticulitus.  I stayed in the hospital for a whole week while Dr. Cox attempted to control the infection with medication.  When an attempt to drain the infection failed, I was rushed in to emergency surgery immediately afterwards where I was given a stoma and had to wear an ostomy bag for three months.  I stayed in the hospital for another week after my surgery.  Believe it or not, for me, the worst part of that whole experience were the hallucinations!

7.      Three months later, I went in for my reversal surgery where Dr. Cox reconnected my large intestine so I no longer have to wear a bag as well as removed 8 inches of my colon.  I stayed in the hospital for a week after that surgery.  (Recovery for both of these was slow, embarrassing, and very embarrassing.)

8.      In October of that same year, I started bleeding—AGAIN.  I’d been having trouble with bleeding too much and too often since my first surgery, but this time was the last straw.  Dr. Merta found I had a polyp that had to be removed.  This one was a day surgery, but in many ways, it was more painful than any of the previous surgeries!  I remember screaming in pain while in the hospital.

9.      I’m putting this as a separate one because even though other factors affect this one, it stands alone because of its importance:  Samuel is the only living child I will ever have.

These are just the major sorrows that stand out throughout the years that I have had to deal with.  So when you see me with a huge smile on my face….or when you hear me laughing from deep within….or when you hear me say that I’m “Peachy,” I would like for you to know that it’s because I have asked the Lord to pour out His oil of JOY on me more than anyone else, and I believe—no, I KNOW—He has answered my prayer.  It is ONLY in and through Him that have JOY in my life and in my heart.

Otherwise, if I wasn’t a quivering mess lying in my bed never coming out except to go to the bathroom and/or to eat junk food (right, that means not bathing), then I’d be 6-feet under because I’d have to end the pain I continue to fight each and very day.

But the bottom line is that I DO CHOOSE JOY—I do choose to live a life of JOY.  That doesn’t mean that I’m successful every day or that I don’t have the “bad” feelings every once in a while, but I know, from the depths of my soul, that, truly, the JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH (Nehemiah 8:10)!!!!!  JUMOY!

Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is just as amazing a book as everyone said it is.  I couldn't put it down.  All of the characters are so much fun and enjoyable to read.  This is the first time in a long time, though, when I am really rendered speechless over a book.  I don't know what to write about.  I'm not afraid of offending anyone by any comments I'd make; I just honestly don't know what to write about. 

Skeeter is my favorite character, but mostly because she is just so awesome.  It so cook to read about a girl who isn't the most attractive in the bunch, but yet overall, is the best and most likable character/person overall.  Out of all Skeeter's friends, Skeeter is the only one I MIGHT have been friends with, but probably not until after she'd started to realize how awful her so-called friends really are.  She was definitely part of the uppity crowd to begin with, but as her eyes began to open and she started to see them for who they really are, Skeeter started to become more likable herself.  Personally, even though it's the very thing that drove Stuart away, I think it's also the very thing that drew Stuart to Skeeter--he just didn't know what it was until she told him. 

I'm so very excited about seeing the movie.  There are quite a few things that I think will translate really well onscreen and I'm looking forward to seeing how some of these situation are handled.  I absolutely adored Celia.  Even from the start, she treated Minny as a person, and by the time we get to the part where Celia....well, you know what happens with Celia, I love her.  I don't care if she is "white trash."  I see why her husband chose her over Hilly.  Any real man would.  It's just so sad that Celia had to go friendless when she was so obviously lonely and needed even one friend.  I love that she found that friend in Minny. 

The Help deserves all the hype that's been raised over it as a novel.  I am sure the movie will be just as wonderful.  I can't believe I don't have TONS more to say about it since I enjoyed it so very much.....!

Oh.  I read a scathing review on the book recently.  I think it's in Goodreads, so if you go look at the reviews there for The Help, I think you'll see the one I'm referring to.  It talks about how Stockett obviously did not live during the time period and she so didn't know what she was writing about.  Is Stockett wrong?  I know she played a little with some details to make her story work in some places (she even admits that in her commentary at the end of the book), so why is that reviewer so negative?  I don't get it......

I did attempt to answer some of the questions at the end of the book....it would be fun to get together with some folks who have read the book and talk about those questions.....exchange answers/ideas/etc.....

Whether Wolf or Human.....F-A-M-I-L-Y

Jodi Picoult's Lone Wolf:  Another winner.  I love that this book is all about family and that no matter how bad it gets within a family, BEING a family is still more important than even the deepest of hurts.  Picoult shows that it's ok to FEEL the hurt....to find ways to express it, but more importantly, to DEAL with it....most of all, T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R.  Of course my sick curiosity made me want to hear Luke's side of the story as far as the affair was concerned.  I am repulsed by myself for not only thinking that as I was reading the last 100 pages, but that I'm even admitting it "out loud" on the internet for others even to read.

Two negatives (and I want you to know that regardless of any negative comments, they do NOT take away from my enjoying of Picoult's work!):

1.  As I've already mentioned in a previous posting, I'm getting tired of Picoult's books having a major court scene.  Every book has one.  Just ONCE I'd like to see Picoult resolve the conflict within the story without involving the court.

2.  Picoult is getting a little sloppy as far as grammar is concerned.  I noticed quite a few split infinitives in this one.  Yes, Cara probably would have used them easily, but the highly educated and really great lawyers wouldn't. 

(Jodi Picoult, if you ever read this, please know that I've done the same thing to every author, no matter how much I love his/her work.  I've gone on record for blasting J.K. Rowling for her lack of subject/pronoun agreement when using indefinite pronouns.  I've marked every single one in all 7 books!!!!  So please know that it's not a sign that I don't like your books.  It's just that I'm an English teacher and I honestly just can't help myself!!!)

Jodi, Jodi, Jodi, Jodi....

I have been avid fan of Jodi Picoult ever since I read My Sister's Keeper and The Pact enough years ago that I can't remember how long ago it's been....although, if I'd take a look at my bookshelf, I could probably take a really good guess since I've been buying her books in hardback as soon as they're released ever since then.  But anyway......

I am currently reading the most recently released Picoult book, Lone Wolf.  As usual, it really is a great book--a great STORY.  Picoult truly knows how to weave a tale that makes me want to keep reading to the next word, the next line, the next page.  I have only been reading it for the past two days since I had to finish The Hunger Games trilogy before I could move on to anything else, yet I'm already over halfway through the book.  I should finish it before the weekend. 

But, Jodi Picoult, as much as I love your books and as much as I consider myself a HUGE fan, I have something I need to say.  You're not going to like it, but it needs to be said:  You, like Nicholas Sparks, are now too predictable..  In every book I've read of yours over the past seven or eight years (at least since The Tenth Circle), you ALWAYS have a situation that leads to a trial.  And SOMEONE involved in the trial ALWAYS keeps SOMETHING secret throughout the WHOLE trial, even though each promises on the Bible to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  One of the lawyers is seen as a lawyer out for him/herself politically.

I LOVE that this book revolves around family and the importance of mending family conflicts and BEING a family, not matter what.  In spite of the secrets and awful things that tore this family apart, they are still, most importantly, a family.  And weaving in the information about wolves and how they work together as a family unit is just incredible.

But predictability, Jodi Picoult.  Predictability.  I'm tired of (bored with) the courtroom drama.  GET OUT OF THE COURTROOM, Jodi Picoult!!!!  Just once, please, write a book that doesn't involve a courtroom or lawyers, unless the main character just happens to be one.  Please???????!!!!?????? 

You are an incredible writer.  But you've gotten yourself into a rut with these courtroom dramas.  They're becoming overly melodramatic just to keep the story going.  Focus on this family on their relationships.  Just ONCE let the characters resolve their differences without involving the COURT!!!


UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Am I now a "Mockingjay"?

It's taken me approximately a week....I finished the first in The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.  Wow.  As much as I'm enjoying reading Gone with the Wind, I have had an equally difficult time putting down The Hunger Games.  I finally couldn't stand it anymore today; I sat in my recliner/rocker and finished the book.  It really is a great book.

What is hard for me is not only that this book is apparently geared towards the younger generation (12 to 18 year olds in particular, it seems), but also that these are CHILDREN (12 to 18 year olds) killing each other!!!  There is never a question of IF Katniss (or her fellow tributes) will kill; it's simply a matter of WHEN Katniss and her fellow tributes will kill.  (Don't worry.  I'm not really giving away anything important that you don't learn within the first few pages of the book.)  It's so very disturbing. 

Just as Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" has always been disturbing..  It's always interesting to me that students who choose to read that story in my class are the very ones who come in the day we're working with the story talking about how much they hate the story--how "stupid" the story is because Tessie is killed in the end.  They argue that the story is pointless and just plain "dumb."  Yet, here's this little book by Suzanne Collins that is taking the country by storm. 

I finally read both the Twilight series and the Harry Potter series because others told me how great both series are and that if I love to read as much as I do, I'll love both of them.  So I read both series and, of course, have become a true "Potterite" and "Twi-Hard."  I've read both series at least 4 times through--all the books in each series, and yes, that includes the online availability of the partial draft of Stephenie Meyer's Midnight Sun as well as The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.  The same thing essentially has happened with The Hunger Games.  I've had a number of friends and students tell me that I HAVE to read the books; they know I'll enjoy them.  So, I finally got myself my copy of the first book, let it sit on my shelf for a good week, and then started it.....and even put aside Gone with the Wind to finish it first!!!

This book really keeps the audience's attention.....no doubt about that.  It's scary and creepy how well it keeps the audience's attention, though, considering the fact that it's a book about kids killing, yes murdering, each other in terrible and violent ways.  We were actually talking about this unusual phenomena the other day (in my British Lit class)--about how we as an audience are drawn inexorably to the scary, gory, unusual, awful, bloody, etc., etc., etc.  (The most interesting part of The Picture of Dorian Gray is when Dorian kills Basil and the way Basil's body is disposed of.) 

Yet, here we all are, hungrily (yes, the pun is intended) reading this new series, even chomping (again, pun intended) at the bit for the next one to come out!  Of course, the whole series has been released, but now that I've bought the first one in paperback, I can't buy the 3rd one until it's out in paperback, too!!!!  I'm sure I'll read it before then, but still.

Anyway, how am I supposed to reconcile my horror at what is happening on the page with the fact that I am drawn to this story--to reading each and every word of this story--like a hungry lion is drawn to raw meat?!  And, I can't wait for the movie to come out!!!!  I keep watching the movie trailers, anxiously wondering if my favorite (how can I say I have any favorite???) scenes will be portrayed as I envision them in my own head!!!

The Hunger Games truly is a horrific story.  I couldn't cry at all, which I found odd, but I knew what was coming.  It's not that the story is overly predictable, which typically ruins a book/story for me.  It's simply that when the reader knows that 24 kids go in to an area and they aren't allowed out until there's only one left standing, there can't be too many surprises.  There are a few, but not so surprising that I found myself crying over them.  I was, and am, horrified.....just not surprised.

Does that make any sense?

I'm hoping to get the next book in the series before the weekend is out and start reading it as soon as possible.  There's no way I can continue waiting to read the next book.  How did the original fans of the book wait for each subsequent book of the trilogy to be released?!  It's just as bad as waiting for the next Harry Potter book or the next in the Twilight series!!!!  Thankfully, I didn't jump on board with either of those series either until all the books were available!!!!  I'd go absotively, posolutely NUTS if I had to wait any longer to read the next book in the series!!!!

Finally, now that I'm a Hunger Games fan, what is my new nickname?  And how do I reconcile all three of my favorite series into one nickname rather than being called individually a "Twi-Hard," "Potterite," and...."Mockingjay" (????)?  I don't know what fans of The Hunger Games  are called, but I like the idea of being a "Mockingjay"-----I can live with that......

This is getting nuts....

It is not news that I read more than one book at a time.  This is the first time in a long time, though, where I don't know which book to read because I'm enjoying both of them so much!  And to make matters even more difficult, the new Jodi Picoult book comes out next Tuesday and I want to read it right away!  Plus, March 6, I think it is, Frank Peretti's first new book in over 7 years will be out!  I can't wait!  I signed up through Facebook to receive the book, so for every person who signs up, so many chapters become available for free!!!!  I have 10 chapters already waiting for me in my email!!!!!  Yeah!!!!  I love those authors; I read EVERYTHING they write!

But anyway, currently, I am reading Gone with the Wind, The Hunger Games, and The Picture of Dorian Gray.  All 3 are really great books that are each keeping my attention and making me want to read!  It's really pretty excited to be reading so many books at once that are each awesome in its own way!  The only one that is a new read for me is The Hunger Games, but I am still eating up the other two as if I've never read either one before!  Considering the fact that it's been close to 30 years since I last read Gone with the Wind, it feels like a first read!!!!

I honestly don't understand how/why people don't read.  It makes no sense to.  Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing the movie version of The Hunger Games, but my imagination is doing a great job of seeing the story on its own.  I can't wait to watch the movie version of Gone with the Wind--again.  It truly is one of the few movies that does justice to the book and has characters, scenes, etc. that are worthy of the great novel.  Vivian Leigh is absolutely incredible as Katie Scarlett and Clark Gable was (and still is) the ONLY choice for Rhett Butler!!!  Oh, I love that man!!!! 

As you know if you read my previous post, I saw Dorian Gray, the movie, over this past weekend.  Boy was I ever disappointed.  I GET that Dorian lived a life devoted solely to pleasure [of the senses] and that Dorian is as sex-crazed as he's presented in the movie, but that doesn't mean I need to SEE it.  All of the boobs were totally unnecessary for the story as a whole.  I understand several of the things the director and writer chose to do with the story, but if he wanted to make a porno movie, why didn't he just say and do so?! 

I am honestly on pins and needles in anxiety about getting back to my books.  I have one I read just when I go to the bathroom.  One I read whenever I'm sitting in my "special" spot on my couch.  And the other I read when Samuel does his reading for homework.  And I am enjoying each book and can't wait to get to the next word, the next page, the next chapter of each one!!!!  It seems a little odd to be reading so many books at once that I am actually enjoying!  I usually read several books at once because I don't like at least one of the books I'm reading and reading something else helps take away the monotony of reading something I'm not enjoying!!!!

Now, I want to pick up each one and read each one---but all at the same time!!!!!! 

Dorian vs. Dorian

I'm going to start this by saying that I LOVE Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.  It's one of my favorite books--among so many others there are too many to count.  Anyway, I love the concept of the picture taking in EVERYTHING from Dorian's life, especially his sins/evil--he doesn't do any good, so there's no reason to mention it.  That's a genius idea of dealing with the whole immortal plot concept.  Who hasn't looked at a favorite picture and thought about the good times  and wished they could have lasted....forever?!

So I was excited, yet a tad trepidatious, about watching the 2008 movie version called Dorian Gray.  We're supposed to watch it in my British Lit class later this week and I felt the need to preview the movie first.  If you've read the book, you understand my trepidation. 

I did NOT like the movie one tiny iota.  First of all, it's awful.  I don't think the acting is good at all.  They deliver Wilde's epigrams as epigrams rather than smooth lines of comfortable dialogue.  Secondly, Colin Firth has straight black hair and dark brown eyes, almost black, even.  Dorian is clearly described by Wilde as having curly blonde hair and blue eyes!!!!  Why change that?!  Even Matthew McConnehy (sp?) would have been a better choice just because of his looks!  UGH!  Third, the BEST scene in the whole book isn't even in the movie!!!!  When Dorian breaks it off with Sibyl in the book, she has fallen on her face before him (yes, she's bowing before him), and she reaches her tiny, pitiful hand out to touch Dorian's boot as he tells her she has killed his love for her because of her bad acting [in front of his friends].  It's such an incredibly tragically, romantic moment in the book.  I can see Sibyl's pitiful, tiny hand reaching out, yet pulling back because she isn't even worthy to touch his boots, as Dorian pulls his boot roughly away from her and storming out of the room--leaving Sibyl to her pain and despair......and eventually, to take the poison to kill herself.

The movie has Sibyl kill herself by jumping in the river.  That IS more tragically romantic than taking poison, but it simply seems to me to be an unnecessary change to the story as a whole.  Overall, it's the least significant change in the story, but I simply don't see the need to change something like that.  Drugs are such an important part of the overall story, so having Sibyl die of some poison fits that part of the story more than her jumping off a bridge into the River.

I also can't believe that the movie has Dorian dispose of Basil's body himself.  Dorian would not have done that.  He's above such things.  Besides, it's an incredibly powerful scene when he calls in his "friend" to dispose of the body.  That scene where Dorian has to convince said friend to do this terrible deed is a superb representation of how powerful Dorian has become.  While he hasn't grown "up" as far as appearances are concerned, Dorian has grown up and grown into his manhood.  He has taken charge of his own life.  He has realized the power of money, as well as his own youth and beauty.  He understands the power he wields...now.  He no longer needs Henry/Harry.  He can make his own decisions.  He has become even more of what Henry/Harry expects him to be---Evil incarnate.

And worst of all, it's really the director's excuse to create a porno movie.  I personally think the director should have called the movie Dorian Makes a Porno.  The graphic sex and drugs scenes are TOOOOOOOO..........I know that Wilde very clearly talks about the fact that Dorian, after Sibyl's death, proceeds to live a life of utter pleasure, doing anything and everything that pleases Dorian himself, including, but not exclusive to, sex with both men and women and drugs, opium in particular.  But Wilde was able to create an amazing story with vivid images of Dorian's life of pleasure without specifically describing the events in detail.  Which means that the extreme pleasure scenes this director takes with this movie version are completely over the top and unnecessary.  I don't need to SEE "it" to know "it" is going on......Do you know what I mean?  Besides, it's sexier to leave something to imagination.

I'm very disappointed in the movie version.....And I haven't even talked about the picture itself!  I'm not even going to get started on THAT......good grief.....did they have to have the picture growl evilly??????  Seriously?!  UGH!!!!  And then to have Dorian fall in love with Harry's daughter and betray Harry by sleeping with her?!  No words.......

For those in my British Lit class, if you want to see Dorian Gray, you'll have to watch it on your own time--with your parents' permission.  I'm not going to show this one.  I'm corrupting you enough just by agreeing to the class choice to read the book.......!!!!!