Do you sense July Joy?
July starts with a bang – with fireworks, festive activities, and celebrations. Even the flowers, especially daily and lilies now blooming, smile this month.
Joy is a beautiful gift from God and one I am embracing this month. This essence brings healing, energy, and an invitation to dance with the spirit. I celebrate God’s delight – his goodness and faithfulness.
I wrote a whole series of the spiritual practice of celebration a few years ago. You can check it out here and here is the link for a free download accompanying this practice.
With this week bringing a holiday for those of us in the US, take a few moments to enjoy and embrace celebrations and joy. Pause and pray with thankfulness for all God has given us. We do have lots of reasons to celebrate.
- Celebrate our freedom.
- Celebrate our friends and family.
- Celebrate our faith.
Quotes about Joy
We have God’s joy in our blood.
Frederick Buechner
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The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.
Julian of Norwich
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Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Think of joy as a tank. I feel healthiest and most connected to God when my tank is full, and I fill the tank by practicing joy. . . .
By the same token, stress and anxiety siphon off the joy in my tank.
Gregory Popcak
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Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.
Helen Keller
Fourth of July Trivia to Share in our Celebrations
- The oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States is the 4th of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island; it began in 1785.
- One of the United States’ patriotic songs, “Yankee Doodle” was originally sung by British military officers prior to the Revolution as a means to mock the disorganized American colonists who fought alongside them during the French and Indian Wars.
- Americans consume about 155 million hot dogs on Independence Day alone; it is the biggest hot dog holiday of the year.
- Another bit of interesting trivia is that most historians think the Declaration was actually signed on August 2nd, 1776, nearly a month after its adoption and not on July 4th as is commonly believed.
How are you celebrating July Joys?
Love the joy quotes, Jean, especially: “Gratitude is a continual celebration of life.” AMEN! We will hopefully be celebrating July joy with a 2-3 day trip to see our youngest son and his wife. Steve has received the OK from his neurologist to travel!
such great news!! Sounds like that trip will be full of July Joy!
I’m celebrating July Joy this month by seeing more of my daughters. My youngest is off for the summers (she’s a teacher) so she’s free to hang out more with Mom. 🙂 We’ll travel together to visit my oldest daughter this weekend.
What fun you have planned for summer and some summer July joy!! Travel creates such priceless memories. Enjoy!
July Joy – I love this, Jean! And the quotes you shared here are so inspiring. Yes, I’m vowing to seek God’s joy this month and every month, letting His glory fill my heart and soul.
Blessings, my friend!
I like how you are vowing to seek God’s joy – intentionally looking for his love and delight.! God will honor that prayer for sure. Let me know what you discover.
I am celebrating July Joys with a big smile on my face. Thanking God for all His blessings and enjoying His creations. 🙂
God’s blessings are certainly the source of incredible joy, aren’t they? Thanks for stopping by and commenting.