Friday 5: Surprised by Joy!

Today is Friday, so it's time for the...

Friday 5: Surprised by Joy

Songbird cites:

Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No."
He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. (John 21:5-7)

Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5b)

Then Songbird observes:

This week I've been watching parents of the young people slain at Virgina Tech trying to make meaning out of the lives of their lost children, and each one seems to begin by focusing on something joyful about that child. It's a gift that most humans have brains wired to respond in that way. For some of us it can be harder to work our way out of dark places, but I believe joy remains the key. It is the spirit of resurrection.

Tell us about five people, places, or things that have brought surprising, healing joy into your life.

To begin, I'll mention my extreme propensity – maybe gift – for always being able to extract the good, the positive and the hopeful out of any circumstance, situation and person. Sometimes it has slowed me down or kept me stuck, but for the most part, it has saved me; I especially love Songbird's saying, "[Joy] is the spirit of resurrection."

1. Every time I suddenly remember the first verse of the previous chapter of John always joyfully surprises me again:
   
   Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. (John 20:1)


2. For a double play, the Eucharist and being in worship during a baptism.
3. Savory, tasty food, particularly shared with friends and/or acquaintances and good conversation. Always revives and gives me hope like almost nothing else can!
4. Cuddling with cats, or just watching them with their sense of style and their knowledge of who they are.
5. Despite being an ultra urban geek, being outdoors in nature, whether by the ocean, mountains, desert, forest or wherever.

I'm trying to include more pics in my blogs, so here's a pair from my most recent trip to The Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve: