Joy, Happiness and Just Plain Fun

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal

Fun with Mystery Photos

I hope you’ve been having fun with my mystery photos.Wednesday’s photo stumped most of you. Maybe because it was sort of fuzzy after I snipped out the little bit to try to trick you. Take one last guess and then look down a few paragraphs to see the “rest of the picture.” 
 

A New Photo to Guess
 
Here’s a new photo bit to guess. This one might be easier for you all. But whether you get the guess right or wrong, you still get another entry in the giveaway to increase your chances of being a winner in my book giveaway. I’m picking two winners who will get one of my books and a grab bag book of a different Christian writer. 

Joy and Happiness

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a
good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.
(Eleanor Roosevelt)

What makes us happy? Is happiness the same as joy?The dictionary says joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. You know that kind of feeling you have when the person you love says they love you too. Or when you hold your first grandchild. Or when you see a flash of a bluebird’s wings. Or a crocus bursting out of the ground at the end of a long winter. Or when you’re singing your favorite hymn and the words are just as meaningful on the hundredth sing through as the first. Or when you get the news that something you wrote is finally going to be published. 

Joy! It sings in your heart. Makes you smile when you are all alone. Makes your feet feel like dancing. Sometimes you feel so joyful you have to release some of the sparkle of joy into the air by moving. You might clap your hands, twirl around, 
jump in the air or do cartwheels. Joy can explode. 

Summer of Joy

That’s the kind of feeling I wanted readers to think about when they saw the title of my third Heart of Hollyhill book. I originally titled the story Sunflowers of Joy. No real reason except I love sunflowers and I wanted that joy to make an appearance in the story. But the publishers tweaked the title a little and came up with Summer of Joy. I like that title too although most of the story happens in the winter and spring. Even so, the title invites us to think about a summer full of joy. And that sounds fabulous. 

The Rest of the Picture
 
Oh, yeah, and see those little records. That’s the mystery picture from Wednesday. Amy guessed records among other things and Linda guessed it was from the cover of Orchard of Hope, but she may have meant Summer of Joy and had the titles mixed up. Thanks for all the guesses. Now it’s time to guess again. One more chance to get your name in the drawing hat and to have some fun. At least, it’s fun for me! 

Joy 

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are. (Marianne Williamson)