What's Bringing You Joy Lately?

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Ps 16:11).

We're created to know and enjoy God. Though the world offers us things of temporary value, when enjoyed in His presence bring pleasure and delight. Here's three lately that have been a lot of fun lately.

Roam Research

This is a note-taking app I've been using for the last couple months and while it's been a steep learning curve, it's been worth it! It's a place i can import all my book and article highlights, use progressive summarization, keep a journal and manage projects all in the same app. It's a bit complicated to start, but the value of having information in one place is great for ongoing retention of knowledge. When I started my master's a couple years ago, I was introduced to the Zotero program for citations, and this week i just discovered how to integrate it into Roam!! (sorry, a little nerdy, I know) If you'd like an introduction to Roam check out this article.

Tough Parenting Moments

The role of parent is both daunting and delighting. We've got so much love for our children and desire for them to love and follow the Lord. But tough moments come in training - for both the trainer and trainee! As parents we can wrestle with how best to navigate a situation and teach the Gospel through it. It's been a joy to disciple them and watch the Spirit move their heart toward repentance. We might want to get caught up sometimes and think it's our work, but it's God's work and we joyfully get to be a part of it.

The Awana Program

Our family has previously been involved with Awana through another church, but this year we began our own program. I learned this year that Awana stands for: Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed (from 2 Tim 2:15). We've run through 7 weeks already and the kids were to do a big review this week, many didn't realize it was review week. But, because Awana utilizes spaced repetition, these kids, for the most part, were able to recite a page of scriptures without much time to practice. It's a joy to see God's Word planted in their hearts.

Wherever you've been experiencing joy lately, thank the Lord for these moments, people and yes, even things. These gifts we enjoy for His glory and for the good of those around us.

What are you enjoying lately?