Last week of July already and Joys for the week ending 7/25

 I saw a friend's facebook post about it being the last week of July and where summer had gone. I feel the same, but am determined to make August a great month! I have a few day trips planned and some other fun things, and some days of doing absolutely nothing. It's so important to have days where you do nothing. Well, it is for me anyway. As I get older, I think it takes me longer to re-charge! LOL!

Anyway, Here are my joys for the week:

1. Summer school is going well. 3 weeks down and 1 to go!

2. I am slowly getting better at the ukulele!

3. I had a great day playing Ukes with some of my colleagues!

4. The Olympics started. It's weird without people in the stands but still fun to watch the incredible athletes

5. Went to a graduation party today for the son of some dear friends. 

Hope you had a good week and remember to #findyourjoy

Opportunities and Joys ending the week of July 18

 Having an opportunity to share your story is an awesome experience. I had not shared my find your joy journey with anyone new in quite a while, but Wednesday night, an opportunity popped up unexpectedly. I could have not taken the opportunity, and just kept quiet, or gone about my day, but I didn't. I shared. I took 15 minutes out of my day, and I shared. 

This person knew about my cancer diagnosis and Mark's health issues, but not about the personal struggle and how we combated negativity with purposefully finding our joy. She had lost her only child, a daughter quite a few years ago. She was married and had a child (a girl) of her own. This loss has really affected them all. The most profound thing about this is... she told me she struggles because her daughter's name was ... Joy! She told me she struggles when she sees the name, and Christmas time is difficult because there are plaques and signs and cards that all talk about Joy or being Joyful. We talked, and parted ways.

Today at church, she stopped me, and told me I was such an inspiration to her, and that she will never look at seeing the name Joy again as a negative, but as a positive and as a little hug from her daughter in Heaven. She gave me a gift of an angel with the bible verse "For the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10.

Even though she kept telling me how big of a blessing I had been to her this week....it was her who blessed me. 

So, don't walk away from opportunities to share your story...you just might find yourself more blessed than ever.

Here's my joys for the week:

1. Sharing my joy journey

2. Receiving a gift that was so heartfelt

3. Finishing the 2nd week of summer school. Two more to go

4. Completing some household tasks that needed to be done

5. A short day date with Mark.(we have some others planned for August!)

I hope you can share your story and as always I hope you can #findyourjoy

To schedule or not to schedule and Joys ending for the week July11, 2021

 Having a schedule....... it's a necessary evil I think. I have a pretty strict schedule during the school year, but like to not have one when on vacation. However, if I don't have some sort of schedule or plan, I begin to get anxious because I'm afraid of not getting something done that might make it easier when I have to have a stricter schedule when things get busy again. Ugh.... it makes my head spin!

How "scheduled" are you? How do you balance a schedule with no schedule and getting things done and that anxious feeling etc?  Let me know

Here are my joys for the week:

1. Survived the first week of summer school

2. I'm learning to play the ukulele so I can teach it next year.

3. I had a pretty unstructured Saturday. it was hard, but nice.(see above)

4. Watched Black Widow on the deck and had some snacks! Best movie theater around!

5. Read for myself this week. I'm trying to do more reading.

Stop and enjoy a quiet moment for yourself this week, and as always I hope you #findyourjoy