Joy is Contagious

Morning Jessie,

It's so common for people to say "Happy Friday" or "Thank God It's Friday!" And I agree, I certainly communicate those words to many (mostly the first phrase, since in the realm of athletics weekends do not exist for most the year). But, I find it interesting that some people seek joy from knowing they have the next day off or they get to partake on a weekend adventure - ultimately giving them joy for that sole reason.

I think we should freely give and receive joy everyday! This idea of "joy" has been resonating in my heart the past few weeks. I'm embracing joy more than ever because God not only wants us to be joyful, but sacrificed so much to let us have joy in our day to day lives. Joy reminds me to pour my energy to the perfect ONE - and share that joy with the world.

The other day when I was in the gymnasium, I saw one of the women's basketball players shooting around. Something inspired me to get on the court and rebound for this certain individual. They appreciated the offer and we hooped for about an hour. Throughout that hour, we went from "sports" talk to "real" talk. We shared stories of adversity, exchanged our values and talked about our outlooks on life. We left the courts with smiles on our faces. I believe that if everyone knew each other's story, we would all get along. Instead of putting on a front or being bitter at the world, we could freely give and receive joy. 

This morning, one of the baristas at Starbucks (which I frequent every morning) gave me a welcoming face and said "What drink would you like?", letting me avoid the long line that I was headed for. I spoke with the barista for a bit and we shared a great morning conversation on love, life and more. I always smile in conversations and it comes so naturally. I just want people to know they are special, that God loves them and that the grace of God encourages us to be positive and share that with the rest of the world.  The barista wrote a special message on my cup and it made me smile again. 

Joy is contagious - and so is God's love.

Happy Friday ;-)