A Year of Delight

 

 

“You don’t really get Jesus saying very often there’ll be pie in the sky when you die. He’s really talking about now and today, and it’s supposed to be like that. You’re supposed to delight in what’s right in front of you.” Greg Boyle

 

Happy New Year, my friends!

So funny story:

When I came across this quote for my 2016 OneWord365,  I was munching tortilla chips from Homeboy Industries, listening to M.I.A, and sipping on a hazelnut latte.

I was doing that subtle rib cage, shoulder shimmy you do when you’re in public and wanna dance, but DO NOT want to freak out the person right next to you. The truth is, it was probably the most content I’ve been since my kids came home for Christmas. I was full on delighting in my life. Which is good since I’m spending 2016 recreating as many moments as that as possible.

I’m choosing to delight in 2016.

My word came to me a few weeks ago, when I was praying for a friend going through a terrible break-up.  I asked Jesus to do something I’ve asked him to do for so many friends over the years, “Lord, delight her today.” 

I always pray this for my friends because I believe God loves to delight his children. I think it pleases him when we belly laugh and smile when something cool happens. Just like I love surprising my kids my pulling into McDonalds after a particularly stressful shopping trip or leaving little treats on their beds, of my favorite- lunch box notes.  These little delight remind them how precious they are to me.  How much more would an all loving, perfect Father want to remind me how precious I am to him?

This is what I want to notice this year.

God’s pleasure over me and his provision every single day. These are altars of joy in my life.  In both the daily delights, the things Father Boyle says are right in from of me,  like good music, yummy snacks, and naps and the more elaborate ones like celebrations, dinners, day trips.

I started with compiling all my favorite things here on the blog, but I’ve also downloaded the List App to help me list, in real time,  everything that delights me this year because as nerdy as it may be,  lists are another daily delight for me.  (True story: I got a planner for Christmas and the first thing I noticed was the spot at the top of the page for thee projects per day.  There’s a whole section of my planner devoted to list making- oh joy and oh glory be!)

Here’s the first ten things on my delight list:

I delight in:

1: Celebrating friends’ for any reason, really- birthdays, job promotions, getting babies to sleep through the night, all of it

2: Making beautiful things for my home

3: Having people over

4: Playing with my dog, Fenway

5: Lots of throw pillows around me when I read

6: Date nights with my husband

7: Dancing with my kids after dinner

8: Learning something new

9: Laughing.  Hard.

10: Hugs.

and of course, making lots of lists.

I hope you join me in my Year of Delight.

The first time I do one of the above delights, I’m going to write about it until each item has a corresponding blog post. Then I’ll write a post listing another ten until this year I’ve had 1000 delights.  That’s roughly three delights a day. Which is kinda awesome: one for breakfast, one at lunch, and one at dinner time.

I’ll also write about cool quotes on delight and on the podcast, I’ll ask my guests to share their delights, too.  Hopefully this year, you’ll find your delight too.

Shalom in making Lists, Loving the life I have now, and Leaning into Delight this year,