on being present

"to live in the present, we must believe deeply that what is most important is the here and the now..." [nouwen]

joy

i picked up one of my favorite books, Here and Now by Henri Nouwen...

"joy does not simply happen to us. we have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day...it is important to become aware that at every moment of our life we have an opportunity to choose joy...

"there is an intimate relationship between joy and hope. while optimism makes us live as if someday soon things will go better for us, hope frees us from the need to predict the future and allows us to live in the present, with the deep trust that God will never leave us alone but will fulfill the deepest desires of our heart

joy is this perspective is the fruit of hope. When i trust deeply that today God is truly with me and holds me safe in a divine embrace, guiding every one of my steps, I can let go of my anxious need to know how tomorrow will look or what will happen next month or next year. I can be fully where I am and pay attention to the many signs of God's love within and around me."