joy – Amy Dagit

April 9, 2024April 9, 2024

Devoted to Love

Romans 12:10 (ESV)—Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Travel. It can bring out the happy, carefree us; it can bring out the hands-on-hips, ready-for-a-showdown us.

And how do I know that?

Just yesterday, my hubby and I hopped into the car for a two-hour drive to watch the eclipse. About halfway there, we stopped at a gas station for snacks at my request, much to the chagrin of my hubby, who very much wanted to get to our destination. Still, he filled the tank while I went inside for a leisurely browse of the snacks. A bit too leisurely if I correctly read my hubby’s facial expression when he came inside to collect me. Even so, I argued a bit and continued my browsing, albeit with my gaze moving faster over the selection of goodies.

Immediately, in the car, God prodded me: Apologize. He said I should have swallowed my wants (not quite as tasty as my snacks), paid for the drinks in my hand, and left the store without looking further. He finished with, “Honor one another above yourselves.”

Yep, one of those memory verses I’d tucked away, a verse about love that applies to every relationship, not just spousal ones. This characteristic of Christ allows us to be humble, to sacrifice our selfishness for the wants of another. Humility helps us to push aside our worldly feelings and love with zeal, joy, and faith. And we can sacrifice these human faults to live as Christ did because we have the peace of knowing Christ overcame the world (John 16:33).

On this day, I sinned. But I chose to turn from the darkness and walk in the light (1 John 1:7), to apologize for my behavior of not honoring another above myself. My hubby forgave me—and for good measure, we sealed the deal with a kiss.

December 20, 2023

Christmas Traditions, Old and New

In years past, my hubby and I walked a Christmas tree home from the grocery store. This tradition changed last year when the local grocery store, only a couple of blocks from our home, stopped selling pine trees. That tradition ended (sigh) with a tree purchased from another nearby store and hauled home in the trunk of the car.

Come this year, neither store stocked Christmas trees (double sigh). And wanting the blissful pine smell—and not only from a wax melt—my hubby and I hopped in the car and ventured to a nearby Christmas tree farm. The trees stood in the barn like a line of stately nutcracker soldiers, no Charlie Brown trees in sight. We picked out a lovely fir and loaded it in the trunk for the journey home.

After carrying the tree inside, we fastened it into the iron tree stand my mom passed down to me. She received it from her parents. Tree snug and sturdy, I got my Christmas on, hanging baubles on branches, reminiscing of travels past, while listening to Christmas music, a yearly event I thoroughly enjoy. And since decorating, I’ve buried my nose in the branches a time or two for a whiff of piney goodness.

I love my Christmas traditions and the joy they bring. But Christmas is more than earthly traditions. It’s a celebration of the birth baby Jesus, the Light of the World. And to celebrate, I think it’s time to light up my life with new traditions: reminiscing about my spiritual journey this past year, celebrating my successes with a prayer of thankfulness, or spending more time with my nose in the Good Book rather than in the tree.

Merry Christmas! I pray your traditions bring you joy and light!

Baked cookies in shapes of trees and snowmen and topped with colored sugar crystals

August 15, 2023August 14, 2023

Traveling With a Joyful Heart

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)—A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

When it comes to vacations, I am a planner. I schedule events on a calendar for each day of my travels. But at times I misjudge the distance from one place to the next, or I don’t plan enough time for an event, and suddenly my elaborate schedule crumbles. I internally berate myself for messing up the situation, arms crossed and shoulders slumped.

In a matter of moments, my joyful heart sinks into a pit of mire. The activity I once looked forward to threatens to derail my vacation. The mud in the pit slowly sucks away my ideal plans.

The easy answer is to wallow in the mud—and sometimes I do, as my story reveals. The better answer, though not always the easiest, is battling the mud and pulling myself back to joy. And such a battle requires the right tools, beginning with the Bible’s guidance.

A few of my go-to verses that remind me to seek joy come from Philippians 4:

Verse 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Verse 6: ” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Verse 8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

These verses remind me to focus on the positive. They lift my spirit and allow me to finish my vacation with a spirit of joy.

I encourage you to highlight in your Bible and memorize a few verses that provide you the medicine of joy. Practice making these your go-to thoughts in your travels and in your everyday life.