God is the happiest being in the universe. 

From The Life You've Always Wanted

The streak ended today. The easy way of the days. Finding pleasure in the lives of these little ones. Giving in service stopped being a joy today.

We have small group coming tomorrow. And the basement isn't ready for children and the toys aren't ready for children and the projects waiting in the basement are waiting and not finished so the living room isn't ready for adults. And Abigail and Simon like to be read to and to get out art supplies and to bicker and to . . .. And Chris is working on the car of a friend. And the ironing isn't done and the apples are still in their box and the....

And I am cranky. And as much as I want to find joy, I am tired--physically in need of a nap. Joy doesn't happen in exhaustion, or in list making, or in counting the ways I, my family, and my home are deficient.

Ortberg precedes the above quote with this,

God also knows sorrow. . . . But the sorrow of God, like the anger of God is his temporary response to a fallen world. That sorrow will be banished forever from his heart on the day the world is set right. Joy is God's basic character. Joy is his eternal destiny. pg 63

He doesn't ruminate in the fallen. He gets on with the business of the day, with the redemption of His world.

I ruminate and I fuss and I fume and I am not God.

So what have I learned today about becoming joyful--making my days a celebration. I have a list.

• routine is good. my children do better if they know what is happening so they don't have to keep asking about the next thing. i don't get aggravated if they aren't asking 54.5 times.
• naps are necessary when one is tired. movies are too.
• since God is joy, I need to ask for Him--joy is a fruit of the Spirit and without His presence there will be no joy.

There you have it. Today had joys--

:: cuddling with Abigail on the couch ::

:: the friendship of Frog and Toad ::

:: Simon's love of food and dog ::

:: toys sorted and put where they belong ::

:: husbands who understand ::

:: and get their tools out of the kitchen ::

::Strawberry Shortcake on Netflix ::

Tomorrow will have joys. I just want to live in those moments instead of living in the list of what my friends will think.