JOY in Our Life: Keep Looking Up.

The lamp pictured has been a blessing to me at my desk for many years. The special light helps dispel Seasonal Affective Disorder – SADs – and to keep its user looking up emotionally with JOY instead of sadness caused by not enough sunlight. The many JOYful adornments on it serve the same purpose. The pole had broken away from the base years ago and I had taped it up with duct tape and various supports. After listing badly the past few weeks, today it collapsed and fell apart.  We took the time to completely change the support structure to make it secure again.   The special adornments with JOYful significance to me are back in place. The little metal angel from my mother-in-law is inscribed with the words, “You are an angel.” The card from a friend reminds me daily to “Keep looking up!” The butterflies are reminders to keep growing, soar higher, transform into all I am becoming. The card with roses of love from a friend named Joy, who is now in heaven,  thanked me for being an instrument of peace. The angel at the top was from my mother and reminds me she has been part of the great cloud of witnesses cheering me on from heaven this past twenty-nine years. On the back of the base you see a cozy pink wrap. I am wrapped up with the love of God, family and friends. The cross reminds me Jesus has my back, my front, my heart and, no matter what I am going through, His strength is the source of my JOY. Look around you. Keep looking up. See reminders of JOY.  by Maxine R McLellan