Joyfully at Home: Chapter Five

Contributing to a Joyful Atmosphere

Jasmine Baucham says.....

Being a good daughter to your mother and father and showing kindness to your siblings are both ways to contribute to a joyful atmosphere in your home, but the attitude goes much deeper than mere actions.

True joy starts in your heart.

The crux of understanding the message of Joyfully at Home is to understand the beauty of finding your joy in Christ. This sort of joy is not so much a Pollyanna, Sally Sunshine view of life as it is an understanding of what a joy-sucking battlefield the world we live in can be.

Joy-stealers come in all different shapes and sizes, but, most often, the lack of joy starts in our hearts....

So many of us leave our best behavoir for those outside of our immediate families. We learn to put on a happy face and to control our actions. We save the fruit of the spirit for the people we truly want to impress (Galatians 5:16-27). If our joyful demeanor is a mask that we only put on when we leave the house, then it is a farce. A truly joyful young lady blesses her family the same way she seeks to bless others.

It can be difficult.

It's easy to put a mask on for people outside of your home--it's not-so-easy to fight the battle for joy twenty-four seven. As we strive, it is so important to keep the lines of communication with our parents open. As adult women living at home, there is a fine balance to strike between competence and independence.

Here are a few lessons I have learned about creating harmony in family dynamics

(Note from me: I am just listing the suggestions she gives. To get the bigger picture and to see how she elaborates on each lesson, I encourage you to buy the book :):

1. Give your parents your heart

2. Keep the lines of communication open

3. When you're at an impasse, learn to submit

4. Don't spend your discontent moments daydreaming about married life

5. Don't try to find that loophole

6. If you want to be treated like and adult, act like one

7. Set measurable goals

Be joyful.

Not because I said so, but because you know Him.

Not because you want to look good to the outside world, but because you're living for Him.

Not becasue it's what you're "supposed to do," but because He gives you all the reason you need to live life abundantly.

Not for any reason other than because it's what He's called you to do.

Check it out! =)