Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Happiness

The agreeable sensations which spring from the enjoyment of good; that state of a being in which his desires are gratified, by the enjoyment of pleasure without pain; Happiness is comparative. To a person distressed with pain, relief from that pain affords happiness; in other cases we give the name happiness to positive pleasure or an excitement of agreeable sensations.
In a world full of trouble and turmoil it may be hard to find Happiness.

But I do believe you can find it!

But You have to look for it. You have to search it out! It will not just arrive. You may even have to manufacture it.

How you say?

Find some good and make yourself enjoy it.

Take your wife (or a good friend) out for dinner tonight and ask them 5 questions about their life. Listen to them and learn to enjoy the moment of a life shared with yours.

Pick your kids up early from school and take them to see a funny movie that you have already seen. When they say, “Dad, we have already seen this…” respond “I know I just wanted to hear you laugh, it makes my life worth the grind…” Then sit in the theater and wait for that moment you know is coming, just close your eyes and Listen to the laughter of your child.
Or find some funny story and share it with a friend who needs a laugh.

I recently discovered the article below, when I read it I laughed out loud. I printed it out and saved it till Saturday morning when Deb and I usually sit and enjoy a Starbucks and the view of our back yard bird feeders. (You thought my whole life was celebrity didn’t you?) Anyway, when I tell you we laughed, it is an understatement.

Laughter shared is so much louder and sweeter, it really is contagious.
(So today we share a letter written by that sad, Bible left in the lost and found at Church. That's right an open letter from a lost & found Bible.)

An Open Letter from a Lost & Found Bible


Dear Framanda Alvins,
This is your Bible. Remember me? You left me at GracePointeLifeTruthHouseNorthRiverElevateChurch. Last March. Remember, you had heard about its wonderful children’s’ ministry that had break dancing worship and an eagle piƱata at its Fall Family Fun Festival last year and thought you’d give it a shot. You were probably sitting there in church thinking to yourself, “Oh, cool, they’ve got the Bible on screens now. This must be the contemporary service. I don’t need to lug this old thing around anymore.”
You even branded your name on me in official Bible gold-plated cursive…you really liked the way “Framanda” flowed in that gold lettering.
Well, I ended up here in the dusty black hole I like to call “lost and found”…not the “I once was lost, but now I’m found” “Amazing Grace” kind of found, but more of a “someone left me here and now I have to hang out with some baby’s misplaced teething ring” found.
Welcome to the island of misfit Bibles. On my left is a Bible with a p.h.a.t. (purely holy and theological) fabric cover with a Thomas Kincaid church scene on it. To my right is a Precious Moments Bible with one of those scary looking big-eyed angel babies on it. I think it is riding a sheep. Get me out of here!
Anyway, just thought I’d write you a letter letting you know that I miss you. I remember when you used to highlight me and stick old bulletins between my pages. Now you probably look up Bible passages on your iPhone. Sure…that’s why you’re on your phone at church.

You’re Friend,

Lost & Found Bible


We trust you Laughed.




















See You In Church
Pastor Mark & Deb


What makes You Happy? What makes You Sad?


Post a Comment!


Read on at your own Risk….It gets a little deeper from here on.


Click the Title below for a downloadable Bible Study!!


What Is Happiness?



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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW . . . whatever could you have been looking at to make you laugh so?

Anonymous said...

Well good morning you guys.....just Bill & Nichole. We just read this blog together this morning and 'LAUGHED OUT LOUD" this is so funny. I remember church bulletins! Never really like the precious moments either... anyway we love this venue of outreach, it's awesome!

Anonymous said...

This is the day that the lord has made rejoice and be glad in it.Sometimes i forget this when the going gets tough but i hope only becouse im human.sometimes its just to painful.When its not so bad its easyer for me to get happy but i guess just not everyday.The lord does usually show up just in time and i love him.

Anonymous said...

Picture much improved...let me know when you are including friends so I can look extra special in "my" picture.
Lorna

Anonymous said...

By the looks of that picture they might have been eating out of the bird feeder again. has everyone been paying thier tithes?

Anonymous said...

My old bible!? I should check again in the lost and found for it. Thanks for the advice! We take so much for granted like just enjoying the laughter of our children. We often mistake happiness for that quick feeling or rush we get from getting our wants (usually unnecessary material things). But,"..relief from... pain affords happiness" And we get this when we trust our good Lord..Hallelujah!!! There is no comparison to the happiness you feel when God lets you see his miracles in your life..This is happiness!..the relief from the pains in life through our confidence in the Lord. :) :)

KOD said...

Happiness is hearing my daughter running up the stairs for our morning tickle session...sadness is realizing that its 6:30am ( I'm just not a morning person) Happiness is knowing that (as of today) I still have a job, while sadness is seeing family and neighbors going through foreclosure. Happiness is seeing people I have helped smile, while it saddens me knowing there are so many people out there hurting that someone hasn't reached out to lend a hand up.
Our daily lives are roller coasters of emotions and feelings that we forget have all been planned and I like many need to remember to Thank God everyday for my blessing(happiness) and challenges that make me stronger
Thanks to both of you for all you do to bless our family

Willie... said...

That story was cute. :)

It's also interesting how Pastor's message this morning fit together with the Bible Study at the end of the blog! Good stuff! This is real food, and it is one of the main reasons Kim and I love New Life SO MUCH! \o/

Anonymous said...

Happiness this week was hearing such a beautiful song in church this Sunday morning and Sunday evening and coming home, googling it, finding it and I have been listening to the song ever since. The song At the Cross touched me in so many ways. I now have the lyrics and downloaded the song from Amazon right on to my Blackberry. Now that's happiness!

Anonymous said...

I just found time to read this blog and what an awesome way to continue to reach out to the body...this is much better than facebook....happiness for me right now is going to take a nap while the babies are sleeping...just keeping it real and simple...LOL...miss church and can't wait to go back this upcoming Sunday!

Anonymous said...

Hi Pastor, I will now Identify myself from my previous Blog. LAW is Lori Anne Wesley. I am the woman who recommitted herself to God this past Sunday and who's daughter accepted Christ for the first time. Still listening to that beautiful song, At the Cross. Still bringing me immense happiness. I even sent it along with the lyrics to my Cousin who is a Minister in a Church in North Carolina. He is the one who led me back to Christ Hallelujah! Glory be to God. Well back to listening to my song!!

GI-JOE said...

First off let me say the church and plp in it are feeling like fam and a new home. Great message by your father sunday, Im trying to get closer to God and new life has been helping. Thanks to my Uncle lenny for bringing me to new life ( i Feel like I have a new life) I served in the army for 8 years and i applie it to my life every day if you modavate the troops thay will be happy and willing to do anything for you same with church show the plp love and modavation and and laugh with them we will get closer to God and have a better start to our week being soldiers for God. any way thanks for every thing pastor Mark..... Do something diffrent for your wife for V day even if you have plans.
Joe Johnson

GI-JOE said...

Hello Pastor Mark,
I love new Life it brings me so much joy on sundays i wish to start going to bible studies now The plp at new life are great ant Your father wow what a guy well see you all next sunday thanks for making me feel like fam
Joe Johnson

Ashley Cardoza said...

There is some humor there! Hahaha. I think I might have a few bibles in that lost and found.

But really, that's why I am on my phone during church. Between the OT and NT, I think facebook even has a passage on my phone.

Keep those blogs coming!

Anonymous said...

Ah Happiness!!
Pastor's message this past Sunday hit home with me so much.
I am (as I guess many of us are) the true prodigal son. I chased after "happiness" in all the wrong places. Things, possessions, money all became real idols in my life. I thought they defined my "happiness" (because I was dead inside), but I was wrong...dead wrong (almost killing myself wrapping one of my cars around a telephone pole).
What I thought was my ultimate high...my "happiness"... came crashing down on me and ruined my life as I knew it. I hit the bottom. It was all gone, gone gone.
As Pastor said, if the prodigal son never came to the point of eating the filth the pigs were eating he never would of heard his wake up call. He never would have realized he hit bottom.

I had many idols that controlled my life for 15 years before I got the call...the rescue call...and Thanks Be to God for the deepest love anyone can ever experience...for I was once dead and I am alive again, I was lost but thank God He found me !!!! Ps 116: 1-7 "...when I was in great need, he saved me".

This is true happiness, to know that no matter how unlovable you become, or you were, God so loved us that He gave..and gave..and gave !!!!! Well GLORY !!

Anonymous said...

You know something, this is one of the most awesome songs of praise I have ever heard....thank you Jason! You have a blessed ministry of healing and inspiration with song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOY0mjjmx8Y

....You have overcome the grave, Your glory fills the Highest place, what can seperate me now ! You go before me, You shield my way, Your hand upholds me, and I KNOW YOU LOVE ME !!!

What on earth can make anyone happier than this ? !

\O/ hey Willie, I like this...it beats ;O)

Anonymous said...

hey Willie

this is my brother Chris' blog spot..he too is a christian radio host of a program called Iron Sharpens Iron....check it out

www.sharpens.blogspot.com
www.wnygspiritofny.com. check the program guide 3 to 4pm daily
carnzen@optonline.net

Anonymous said...

Good Morning Pastor, Happiness is spreading thru my Facebook page. I sent the video from You Tube of that beautiful song At The Cross to my FB page now anyone who visits my FB page can enjoy the song as much as I have. And people are. Friends and family in the Lord or not. That's Happiness for today.

Anonymous said...

"Find some good and make yourself enjoy it."......Simply stated, but amazing!! So true :)

MICHAEL SHUEB said...

Hubert H. Humphrey:

Here we are the way politics ought to be in America; the politics of happiness, the politics of purpose and the politics of joy.Yours is a nice blog.