Obnoxiously Happy?

Are you obnoxiously happy? Here is my story about how being obnoxiously happy helps me when my body and soul is in need of Joy.

When we are not budging, He will nudge us. If we are stuck, God will unstick us. #Encouragement #Joy #Fruitofthespirit
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I once visited a nutritionist who asked if people found me obnoxiously happy. I said yes, and that friends, family members, and even co-workers have become angry at my optimism. I am the lady who looks for silver linings, sees the cup half filled rather than half empty and wears rose-colored spectacles.

After my nutritionist had tested my blood, hormones, and amino acids she told me why I was obnoxiously happy. She said I had an abundance of happy hormones in my system.

But the big take away was that when I become unhappy, my body is out of balance, so I must pay attention.

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Reflecting on this, I realized that the Fruit of the Spirit, including joy, is a gift given to us when we believe. Jesus brings us joy at our salvation. So, if we find ourselves lacking in joy, it’s a sign that we’re out of spiritual harmony.

When our body is depressed and anxious, there are simple activities we can use to boost our happy hormones, including serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin.

To naturally boost these happy hormones, we can go outside and get sunshine, exercise, laugh with a friend, cook with a loved one, sing or play music, plan a romantic evening, pet a dog, have a good night’s sleep, and manage stress. (1)

ALSO, stillness, praying, and meditating on Scripture produces these happy hormones. Another excellent therapy combines Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and optic flow with prayer walking outdoors. Sarah Geringer addresses prayer walks in her book Hidden Manna. EMDR prayer walks are suitable not only for us spiritually but also for healing our bodies.

You can also seek Christian counseling when you go through physical or mental anguish. I have had a great deal of counseling in my life. Each counselor was beneficial for what I was going through at the time. But what helped me the most was to allow Jesus into my trauma. When I embraced Jehovah Rapha as my Savior, my life transformed in ways I never thought possible. But I have come to know that complete healing won’t be fully realized until I am in heaven.

We need to tend to our soul beds with soul rest. Although healing from trauma takes time and work, it is worth it. There will be fallbacks, triggers, and slips. But daily spiritual and physical disciplines help manage the physical, mental, and spiritual trauma we receive because of living in the fallen world. Like a garden, we weed any shame, guilt, bitterness, or resentment roots that the enemy or we have planted.

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I hope this encourages you when you are downhearted. God is there for you and wants to answer your cries, prayers, and pleas. You are so beloved, so go to Him. Pursue and seek God and thirst for His living water (Psalm 42:2).

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 42:2 NKJV

God promises you will receive when you ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7).

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7 NKJV

When we are not budging, He will nudge us. If we are stuck, God will unstick us. He leads us to joy when we are joyless. What will you do? Will you join God in stillness, prayers, songs, walks, and intimate conversations? Will you seek, pursue, ask, and knock, then trust and obey Him?

Jesus heals the brokenhearted and will bind your wounds (Psalm 147:3).

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3 NKJV

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No matter where you are today, whether calm or at your wit’s end, know that Jesus is our Waymaker. Jesus, who walked on water, raised the dead, and healed the blind, gives you supernatural strength, too. Do not give up because God’s got you. God comes from a place of tenderness and compassion. We cry out to God, knowing He will help because He loves us. Pray, reach, and expect Jesus’s joy. You are no longer your former things; beautifully, God is making a new thing in you. But how do you know this will happen? Because God promises that just as He makes a way in the wilderness for rivers in the desert, He will make a new thing in you spring forth. (Isaiah 43:18-19)

The condition of my body naturally making an abundance of happy hormones helps me monitor not only when my body becomes depressed but when my soul is, too. I would love to hear how you manage your body and soul dips into depression, unhappiness, anxiety, and unhappiness.

How do you cultivate Jesus’ Joy?

Together, let’s be obnoxiously happy!

Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18-19

Reference Note (1) Happy Hormones: What They Are and How to Boost Them (healthline.com)

If you’re in need of help in this area, I encourage you to seek it out. You can find Christian counselors at https://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/counseling-services-and-referrals/.

Also, be sure to pick up our book “Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Discovering God’s Best.” Our prayer is that in these 40 days, you will shift your perspective, trust God’s timing, lean into Jesus, and recognize His blessings in ways you never expected. Grab your copy today on AMAZON! If you already have the book and haven’t left a review we would be so grateful if you did.

Purchase Unexpected blessings here

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