Joy and Bubbles

Right now, the house is an absolute disaster.
I'm a neat person.
I function best in order.
I am out of order.
In all parts of my life at the moment.
My brain is feeling stretched in many different ways and I'm not feeling like I'm accomplishing much of anything on the list in my head.
But, despite my overwhelmed busyness, my heart is full of joy!
Does that sound cheesy?!
I hope not.
I'm usually more of a person that tends to get freaked out, overwhelmed, and exasperated when things don't go as planned.
But I've been praying that I would just calm down.
Almost nothing I ever blow up over is ever worth half the energy I give it.
SO...I'm choosing JOY.
But it's always extra nice when you actually feel joy...not just choose it.
Is that what happens when you practice choosing it?
It becomes easier to see things God's way and less your old "freaking out" way?
Well, that's what I've decided and am hoping at least!

I can very easily focus on the fact that at this very moment, I am haphazardly typing around half-eaten fruit loops and crunching half of them whenever I move the wheels on my computer chair.
I could focus on the HUGE mess that is my house.
I could be SO tired of the very long hours Matt has been working for the past 3 weeks.
I could be overwhelmed with my tired, whiny kids who need very long naps, but instead get up 2 hours early.
I think I could go on for quite a while.
But instead, I'm grateful we had enough cereal for the kids to eat this morning...so I could go back to bed and get some rest.
I'm grateful that I have a house...and enough belongings to get it dirty in the blink of an eye. 
I'm grateful for my husband...who loves his family so much, who works hard to provide for us no matter what.
I'm grateful for 3 kids to love and cherish.
And I'm so very grateful for this precious little 5-year-old girl who just learned how to blow bubbles.
She's been such a help to me.
She's full of joy.
It just bounces right out of her from the minute she wakes up.
I have a lot to learn for her.