Today, with a very grateful heart, I am kicking off Season 7 of the podcast! I'm excited to be back behind the mic and I’m thankful for each one of you listening.

On this episode, my husband Eric joins me as we get a little personal and share 10 things that are bringing us joy right now. In grief, and in all other kinds of difficult situations, experiencing joy can be such a fight! Sometimes it can even be hard to accept joy again as sadness and melancholy feel so much more appropriate. And yet, because of the hope we have as believers and because we know this isn’t the end of the story, there IS joy to be found, and its worth fighting for.

I wanted today to be a reminder that in this broken world its important to acknowledge and notice the things, both big and little, that are bringing joy into our lives. As believers, our greatest source of joy is the Lord, and yet, in His kindness, provision, and grace, there are many things here on earth, even in the midst of hard circumstances, that we can enjoy and that point us, from lesser to greater, back to God. It’s good, healing work to find, accept, and lean into the beautiful things, even when our hearts still hurt. It’s part of the practice of intentional gratitude, a powerful tool in the fight for joy. And, it’s part of the "both/and" of life. 2 Corinthians 6:10 says that we can be sorrowful, yet still rejoice! We can feel like we have nothing, and yet possess everything.

This episode might feel lighter than some of the topics and conversations I typically have with my guests, but celebrating goodness when your heart is hurting can be hard. However, it can also be a beautiful part of the fight for joy and a practical way to keep holding on to hope as we watch God’s healing power to do it’s miraculous work in our lives. So listen in as Eric and I talk about joy in things like new friendships, getting creative at work, watching sport on TV, time with our adult children, boundary setting, walking, and more. I hope this episode inspires YOU to pay attention to the things in your own life that are bringing you joy, even in the struggle. Keep living in "defiant hope", believing that there is goodness from the Lord to be found in the land of the living (Psalm 27). Keep pressing forward in hope and trust while actively looking for these sweet reminders of God’s care, provision, and kindness. It's such a powerful way to keep fighting for joy!

*Don't forget that as a Fighting for Joy listener you can receive 10% off of your first month of counseling services from BetterHelp, my podcast sponsor. Check out my link at betterhelp.com/fightingforjoy. Christian counseling can be such a huge help in this broken world and a major tool in the fight for joy.

** If this episode was encouraging to you, I’d like to ask you to please consider rating the Fighting for Joy podcast, and even leaving a review. Once you find my show, scroll down to where it says “tap to rate” or “write a review”. Tapping to rate literally takes a second or two, and writing a review can be quick as well. Just sharing that you enjoy listening, or that it’s an encouragement to you is enough. The longer I do this the more I understand how helpful those ratings and reviews really are, so thanks for considering this. It means a lot!