Joy comes with the morning.

Wow. Do I serve an almighty, prayer answering, loving God or what? Blogging really does give me perspective. I have had the most incredible turn-around in my mindset. I feel joy again! It started around Thursday, when I felt myself being lifted out of the pit. But man oh man did I feel it Friday. I woke up Friday morning feeling incredibly refreshed, and spent an awesome day with my Mustard Seed girls. I spent the night watching my two favorite kiddos in the entire world (aka my future flower girl and ring bearer;)). I talked with two of my greatest inspirations/role models/friends/mentors (aka their parents). Saturday morning I slept in, went to the pool with one of my sweetest friends, and then watched my MSR girls until midnight. Friday and Saturday were full of crazy all over the place plans, but I felt such joy! I felt so much like.. myself. It felt like breathing again. It felt like hope. It felt like purpose. I surprised Tyler in Tullahoma for church on Sunday, and for the first time in a long time, I felt "there" at church. I felt alive, and I felt thankful. Even though I hate us being apart, I left Tullahoma feeling alive and thankful.
I've been so  busy being discontent with where I am not, that I've forgotten to love where I am. I need to love where I am, because that's here and now. That's Cookeville, and college, and interning at the ranch. That's 21 and not married. That's where I am. No matter where I want to be, that is where I am. Engaged, in love with my very best friend, and so excited about the rest of our lives! That is a very cool place to be, isn't it? I just need to stop being grumpy about such a unique and interesting phase. There is a lot to learn from these next 5 and a half months. True joy, constant peace, sacrificial self-control, and patience. I have an opportunity to very deeply and personally experience and grow in half of the fruits of the spirit. Love, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness are all things I can be practicing right here in Cookeville. I don't have to wait until January to overflow with those things that I can easily have now.
If you're reading this, my challenge to you is that you'd fight with me for contentment. In your every day life, fight for contentment with exactly where you have been placed. We can dream of things of the future, but we live/fight/impact in the now. My challenge to you is to live in the now, and to do so joyfully. I know way more than I'd like- how easy that is to say and difficult it is to live out. So let's do it. Let's be happy, and not have it based on something not quite here.
Let's be happy, now.