Are you a JOY Thief?

"You'd never invite a thief into your house.  So why would you allow thoughts that steal your joy to make themselves at home in your mind?"  I saw this quote last week and shared it on my Facebook page but, I had to write more!  The mind is a powerful, powerful explosion of thoughts! So, are you gonna fill it with joy or allow someone else to steal it?  This mind we have been given can play tricks on us, can be influenced positively or negatively and can make or break your day!  Wheww!! You can be feeling JOY, spreading JOY, talking about JOY, have dancing legs full of JOY and all of a sudden BOOM!!  JOY has been stolen!  Why do we allow our joy to be stolen?  How does this happen and what can we do to keep our Joy!  Allowing a corrupt person or negative thoughts to make themselves at home in our mind is just nasty and rude!! Taking away our joy shouldn't be allowed and we need to get it back!
     Simply stated: The ONLY true and consistent joy we have in our lives is IN Christ!  Everyone and everything else here on earth including our very own mind will let us down.  No matter how many times we say this person or this situation won't let us down...trust me...it will...they will...I will.   But, I've never in my life ever said that God has let me down.  Just typing that right now seems so wrong and strange. God does have a plan and sometimes we don't fully understand that plan and won't understand for years to come and we may never fully understand. God plants seeds...allow them to grow!  Trusting God's plan is a whole other topic and blog! Later...
          We find joy in Christ and when our joy is lost or when it's being stolen, Christ can replenish us.  We must ask for help and pray without ceasing! That is a lot of praying, but you can pray your way out of negative thoughts and frankly out of anything that is a challenge in your life!  Remember, you are never alone...God is always with you holding you and directing you so let go and let Him lead!  The battle is real, so put on your armor of God and get ready!
     We have to choose every day, every half day, every hour, minute etc. to live IN Christ!  Living IN Christ magically invites the thieves in!  Sometimes I think the more we live IN Christ, the more abundantly the "joy thieves" surround us and the bigger the battle! All the more reason to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!   Don't let anyone or anything STEAL YOUR JOY and don't steal the joy of others!      
     We are not perfect and challenges are a part of all our lives, but to radiate JOY is a beauty that cannot be bought and something that should be sustained!  Surround yourself with JOY HEALERS instead of JOY STEALERS!  Stay strong y'all and love Jesus!! Much love, <3 Jodi