Today's a good day.  I have alot to be thankful for.  I have a great husband....the best.  I have three great boys that I get to talk with almost everyday.  I have a great daughter in law who is a great mom to my grandchild.  Of course I also have an adorable grandson who is healthy and very smart.  What more could I ask for?  I wouldn't dare. 

I try to find something good in everyday even when the day doesn't seem to go so great.  I try not to dwell on the negative but on the positive.   There's always something in our lives we can look at and feel blessed about.

I wasn't always a "Sandra Dee" sort of person.  No, in fact I used to be quite negative always looking at the glass half empty and wondering what I could do about it.  Better yet, what somebody else could do about it to make me happy.

I credit my belief in God for the change.  I believe you can have joy even when the circimstances in your life may seem to dictate otherwise.   I don't let my circumstances steal my joy.  We shouldn't.

Happiness comes from outside circumstances.   Many things may make us happy like getting a raise, winning a game, eating a favorite meal, getting a good doctor report, enjoying a spa treatment, having some alone time with no kids, etc.   Most of the time we're happy when we are getting our way or when it's all about us.  Not always tho.  Some people are happy when they are helping others and that's a good reason to be happy.

Joy comes from within.  It's not the same as happiness which is contingent on the external. 

So what about sorrow?  Where does that come in?  When someone is mourning what can we do?  We can't say, smile, be happy can we?  No.  We come alongside them and mourn with them.   The human life is filled with pain, sorrow, tragedy, heartache, pain and all sorts of difficulty.  Yet, in every difficulty you can find joy.

But when you have joy within, it doesn't matter the circumstances you encounter. 

Happiness is an outside job.  Joy comes from within.