Everyday Joy

When I look at the world around me, I see so much pain, sorrow, and struggle. I see people stumbling about, running through life with no direction. I see men and women, young and old, missing out on what makes life truly worth living.

There are so many things we all face every single day. There are mountains to climb, and valleys to weather. There are victories to celebrate, and disappointments and failures to overcome. 

Enjoying the good moments and overcoming the bad is a part of life. However, it’s an aspect so many fail in.

So many people let one bad experience — one bad moment — drag them down into a pit of despair. They let terrible and painful experiences wreck havoc in their lives, and have no way of stopping it.

So many people drift through life without truly ever enjoying themselves.

I know I have been guilty of this.

So how do we enjoy our life — not just in the big, exciting moments, but in the small tasks, the everyday? How do we find the strength to overcome the hard times and come out better than before?

Ask this question to friends, family, coworkers, and mentors, and you’re probably going to receive a different answer each time. But it all boils down to this: Joy.

Nehemiah 8:10 tells us “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Joy will be the game changer in your life. Joy will be the answer to so many of your problems. Joy can be a lifestyle and not just a feeling.

This has rung true in my life.

See, I was the one who drifted through life without a purpose. I was the one who never enjoyed life. I was the one stuck in a never ending cycle of depression and heaviness. I was the one barren of joy.

But one moment with God changed me forever: I was filled with joy. 

From that moment onward, I have walked in joy. Through the good times and the bad, through the heartache and the pain, through laughter and tears. Through it all, I have walked in joy. 

I experience joy everyday, and I want to teach you to do the same. I want to show you that life is worth living, that there is a purpose, and there is a way out. Pain is not forever, and joy comes in the morning.

In Everyday Joy I will teach you what it means to walk in joy. I will share with you lessons and revelations that God has given me. I will share with you what inspires me to laugh and sing, even in those trying hours.

I pray that Everyday Joy will be a blessing to you, and that these words that God gives me will jump right off the page and pierce your heart. 

As you dig into this blog and gain wisdom from the other by leaps and bounds blogs, let Nehemiah 8:10 be your steady anthem: The Joy of the Lord is my Strength.

Maddisen Sauls is the smile and voice behind the Everyday Joy blog as well as the author of the Word of the Week posts and the editor of by leaps and bounds. Throughout her life, Maddisen has worked as a reporter for small town newspapers, a School Age and Preschool teacher, and has acquired her ministerial license. 

An avid book reader and lover of the written word, Maddisen is passionate about using her favorite medium to reach the lost and the hurting, and to offer encouragement and hope to those struggling through life. 

Following her battle with depression, Maddisen has made it her mission to help other people through this journey and to bring joy to the lives of the people around her. 

You can find Maddisen on Instagram @maddisen.paige