Today I Choose - To Be Happy

The last week has seemed like an especially hard week on me emotionally. Not because of anything going on in my own life but because of all the suffering happening in the world - the tsunami, orphans losing families that for some reason or another are not able to go and get them, families being told by judges that the children they want to adopt would be better off kept in institutions, and families desperately trying to raise the funds they need to adopt the children they are trying to rescue.

I love being connected to the world through the internet but at the same time you can easily read about some horrible tragedy happening almost every hour.

So today I have decided to take a break from my normal Finding Forever Families Friday and focus on my blessings and being happy. Because, although I believe that God wants us to be aware of those who are less fortunate and suffering in the world, I do not believe that He wants us to live in misery.

My crying or feeling hopeless does nothing to relieve the suffering of these people. I cannot take their suffering away. I can pray that God will comfort them in their trials and that they will find relief and I can ask how I can help but my being miserable does nothing to fix anything for them.

Two years ago I was going through my own trials and misery and I would have never wanted anyone to suffer for me in hopes that I would suffer less. My Savior is the only one who can take on that job.

Today I choose - to be happy.  And here is a face that should be the poster child for happiness. I have never met a happier child.

Nevaeh can walk into a room and change the mood of the grumpiest person. She has a little personality that can light up the room and make just about anyone smile.

One of Nevaeh's favorite questions to ask me daily is "Mama, you happy?" I usually pick my head up from the computer and grumble a "yep" without really meaning it. To which she replies " I'm happy, too"

But why shouldn't I be happy. I have been blessed with so much.

So to help me get my fill of happiness today, I walked away from the computer and took these precious videos of my happy, happy children.

Next Friday I will post again about the children who desperately need to find families. But I will do it with a happy heart knowing that I am doing all that is within my power to help. I will no longer do it with a doom and gloom approach because I know that God still wants me to be happy even if there are orphans in the world and people who are suffering.

I can post information about them, pray for the families who are trying to raise money and send the money that I can to help. But I no longer want to feel guilty that I can't send money every month to all of them that I have found blogs for. And I don't want to feel guilty that I can't bring all of them home. I can only do what is within my power to do and leave the rest up to God.

Because I suffered and fought long and hard to be the mother of this beautiful little girl that is so happy and full of life and when she asks me "Mama, you happy?" I want to smile and laugh and hug her and say "Yes, sweetheart. I'm very happy because I am blessed to have you in my life".

Some Happy Scriptures

Psalms 146:5

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:

John 13:13-17

13Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

 14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

 15For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you.

 16Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

 17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Proverbs 14:21

21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Proverbs 16:20

20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.