Love, Joy, and Hope...

A lot of thoughts today as I sit in this quiet office (though yes, I am singing along to Pandora)... Fall break is this weekend... so students are quickly bolting for home or other adventures... I've been reading over friends blogs and contemplating some things I've been thinking about this week, and it's really just a question to ponder... I don't know yet if there is an answer to this question.

{What is more important: Happiness, Joy, or Hope? }

So we can make an educated decision... here are the definitions according to Miriam Websters online.

{Happiness}
1. good fortune

2. a) a state of well being and contentment
b) a pleasureable or satisfying experience

3. Felicity, Aptness

{Joy}
1. a) the emotion evoked by well being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires: delight
b) the expression or exhibition of such emotion: gaiety

2. a state of happiness or felicity: bliss

3. a source or cause of delight

{Hope}
noun
1. trust, Reliance

2. a) desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment; also: expectation of fulfillment or success
b) someone of something on which hopes are centered
c) something hoped for

intransitive verb
1. to cherish a desire with anticipation

2. Trust

transitive verb
1. to desire with expectation of obtainment

2. to expect with confidence


So... thoughts?? I have been thinking about this more and more as I have read the definitions... Happiness is a great thing... we all feel better when we are happy. However, isn't our happiness usually dependent on how we feel and is strongly affected by outside forces. I can be having a good day, be seeminly happy and with one unhappy occurance, my day is shot... happiness out the window. (I personally think that is a negative character trait for me, but I'll use it as an example) So yes... happiness is good, but happiness is a vulnerable emotion.

Joy... well, I think joy is something I strive for (and the name of a sweet friend!). I feel like it is a step or two above happiness... like, happiness on steroids is joy... because it is a bigger and better emotion... also... happiness causes joy because they are closely related emotions (they have ALL the same synonyms). Really, can you have joy without experiencing happiness?

... now that something to ponder.

Hope... to me thats just such a necessity in life. How do you go day to day with out the hope of things to come (whatever your "things" may be). I also like that hope isn't just a thing... it's an action (noun and verb!)... you can do more with hope. Hope takes trust, hope takes faith... because you can't hope without expecting something in return... with hope... you have to expect a result. If it happens that the result isn't what you hope for, well... then I guess that would affect your joy and happiness... so in a way, it seems that your joy and happiness are dependent on the things you hope for.

Anyways... just something to think about... feel free to let me know your thoughts!

Also, please be in prayer for my mom. She is starting to clean out some of daddy's things, she bought a new bed, and gave away some of his clothes. It is really hard on her to relive memories through each and every pile... pray for strength and comfort for her as she goes through this unavoidable task.

Love y'all,

KC