HAPPY Monday!

Remember Duck Dynasty? Willie, Phil, and Uncle Si had us crackin’ up and quoting “happy, happy, happy” like it was our job. I still smile thinking about Spring Break in Orange Beach, Alabama, when we binge-watched it in a beach condo and laughed till we cried. Life felt light, silly, and full of joy in those moments.

But here’s the real question I’ve had to ask myself since then…

If I was happy then, why am I not still happy now?

It’s not that I’m sad or in a deep pit of despair or anything dramatic like that. It’s just that somewhere along the way, life crept in. The to-do lists. The expectations. The grown-up problems. The “I’ll be happy when…” thoughts. Sound familiar?

One of my favorite verses is, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Not your grind. Not your accomplishments. Not your perfectly curated feed. It’s His joy in you that brings strength. So when we stop enjoying our joy, we stop being strong. That’s the part I wasn’t connecting with.

Joy is from the Lord, and He gives it to us richly—like, lavishly! But it’s in us to enjoy it. That’s what “HAPPY” really is: enjoying the joy God’s already given us.

So if you’ve been wondering why you’re still not HAPPY, maybe it’s not because the joy is gone—it’s just gone unnoticed. You haven’t lost your joy… you’ve just stopped enjoying it.

Here’s your challenge this week: don’t just have joy—live in it. Laugh again. Sit in a cozy spot and smile. Turn off the news and turn up the worship music. Let go of “someday” and choose today to be HAPPY ANYWAY.

Because happiness doesn’t mean life is perfect… it means we’re paying attention to the joy that’s already ours.

It’s in us. We just need to yield to it.

Let’s go enjoy our joy again.  It’s the only way to get strong for what’s next and be genuinely HAPPY ANYWAY no matter what life throws at us. 💪✨

God is Love is HAPPY,

Adrienne

Check out last blog here: Can a Boyfriend Make Me Happy? How Can I Be Satisfied?

Find encouragement for every season with Adrienne Cooley’s books and one-on-one coaching—available now at https://www.happyanyway.org/shop