Joy

You have made known to me the paths of life;

You will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

God is the ultimate source of joy. So I would like to thank God for 3 things: Beauty, Baking, and Family. Let me show you why...

Aesthetics: the study of beauty. Unfortunately, pictures don't capture the essence of an environment, but this is the best I can do for you via the internet. Last night, I lit a bunch of candles, listened to the warmth of Lorie Line play the piano--which is slightly sentimental in that my Mom often played her CD's growing up, it just reminds me of home (Listen to a sample here), and drank a seasonal pumpkin spice latte. The sounds, the smells, the dim light, I'm telling you, immerse yourself in beauty and you automatically feel closer to God. And that equals an automatic joy. It's also one of my favorite ways to study; it makes the experience slightly more enjoyable. The Puritan Prayer book, The Valley of Vision, for it's beautiful language, and my newly purchased tea cups would also fall into this category of beautiful joy.

These are my new tea cups. Tea is another simple pleasure of mine.
Drinking it out of a tiny tea cup is a bonus.

A well stocked kitchen. A while ago, I had purchased the ingredients for pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. And last week, I made them. It wasn't that I was in a bad mood, but I just needed something to get me going again. I'd been waiting for an opportune time and this was it. I would also highly recommend the little cookie ice cream looking scooper. Just one of those things I feel like no kitchen should be without. It makes life easier and that's something to be joyful about!

Grandma and Gramps + grand & great-grandchildren

My family. Sunday we celebrated Grandma's 76th birthday. So, I did it again. Monday morning I had a biochemistry exam and where was I? Home. Instead of studying from dawn til dusk, I studied for a grand total of 2 hours on Sunday. And, I wouldn't change that, even after being disappointed with my score. Ryan drove to Lansing from Grand Rapids and then we drove the rest of the way home together. To be honest, driving there and back with him would've made the trip worth it in itself. I think the phrase, "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is especially true when it comes to siblings. Seeing so many Lukes in one place again wasn't too bad either! I could've been stressing about the exam, but instead I was full of joy. See what I mean? It was Time Well Wasted--and that's something to be joyful about.