Every Thursday, a bunch of area clergy come to our church for my favorite two hours of the week. For the first hour, one member of the group offers up a discussion topic or asks a question related to some aspect of ministry. For the second hour, we study the lectionary texts a week ahead. Today's first hour was spent talking about where we find joy outside of our work. The question was posed as such: What did you do in the last week or so that was for the express purpose of bringing you joy? What do you do on a regular basis to carve out intentional time just for joy?
I smiled, and began to rattle off things in my mind.
On Saturday [and Tuesday] I spent time with the Schleuseners and Sprowells, some of my favorite humans.
On Tuesday, I went to CSU to see President Obama!
Every Wednesday afternoon, I sit on a big couch at Solid Grounds and read God's Politics.
Multiple times daily, I laugh out loud at my inability to play Draw Something very well, no matter how hard I try.
I watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report nightly.
I go to the gym three mornings per week. [This may not be solely for joy. But I'm counting it because I get SO MUCH joy out of my strictly neon athletic wear.]
Every few days, I laugh on the phone with Fletcher while he walks to/from the grocery store late at night.
I watch The Newsroom and then hash out the details with my brother and my friends who watch it, via Twitter and text messages.
I eat meals with friends whenever our schedules permit.
I regularly get neon and/or glittery manicures and pedicures.
I regularly watch or read Harry Potter, my favorite adventure of all time.
I spend a lot of hours reading tweets, to be frank.
I bake treats for the people in my office and choir.
I feel pre-emptive joy about the fact that I'm going to see the Padres play the Rockies on Friday night.
These are just the first few things that I thought of and scribbled down in my notes. And these are just the things that are available to me after living in this town for three and a half weeks. I haven't even discovered all the possibilities for joy here.
The reason it even matters, you guys, is that it took my colleagues multiple minutes to be able to think of more than one thing.
It's possible that my plethora of joy comes from my status as new intern rather than senior pastor of 30 years. It's possible that my plethora of joy comes from my innate ability to skip out on work when there's awesome stuff to do (i.e. drink a beer in the courtyard with Paul and Maria and Tony instead of go to class [like half the time]).
The point is, I have all the joy. And I am going to keep having all the joy. So thank you, dear friend, for being part of my joy.
I smiled, and began to rattle off things in my mind.
On Saturday [and Tuesday] I spent time with the Schleuseners and Sprowells, some of my favorite humans.
On Tuesday, I went to CSU to see President Obama!
Every Wednesday afternoon, I sit on a big couch at Solid Grounds and read God's Politics.
Multiple times daily, I laugh out loud at my inability to play Draw Something very well, no matter how hard I try.
I watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report nightly.
I go to the gym three mornings per week. [This may not be solely for joy. But I'm counting it because I get SO MUCH joy out of my strictly neon athletic wear.]
Every few days, I laugh on the phone with Fletcher while he walks to/from the grocery store late at night.
I watch The Newsroom and then hash out the details with my brother and my friends who watch it, via Twitter and text messages.
I eat meals with friends whenever our schedules permit.
I regularly get neon and/or glittery manicures and pedicures.
I regularly watch or read Harry Potter, my favorite adventure of all time.
I spend a lot of hours reading tweets, to be frank.
I bake treats for the people in my office and choir.
I feel pre-emptive joy about the fact that I'm going to see the Padres play the Rockies on Friday night.
These are just the first few things that I thought of and scribbled down in my notes. And these are just the things that are available to me after living in this town for three and a half weeks. I haven't even discovered all the possibilities for joy here.
The reason it even matters, you guys, is that it took my colleagues multiple minutes to be able to think of more than one thing.
It's possible that my plethora of joy comes from my status as new intern rather than senior pastor of 30 years. It's possible that my plethora of joy comes from my innate ability to skip out on work when there's awesome stuff to do (i.e. drink a beer in the courtyard with Paul and Maria and Tony instead of go to class [like half the time]).
The point is, I have all the joy. And I am going to keep having all the joy. So thank you, dear friend, for being part of my joy.
What did you do in the last week or so that was for the express purpose of bringing you joy? What do you do on a regular basis to carve out intentional time just for joy?