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    Daily Splashes of Joy: 365 Gems to Sparkle Your Day
    Daily Splashes of Joy: 365 Gems to Sparkle Your Day
    Daily Splashes of Joy: 365 Gems to Sparkle Your Day
    Ebook400 pages5 hours

    Daily Splashes of Joy: 365 Gems to Sparkle Your Day

    By Barbara Johnson

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    About this ebook

    Open this book each morning, and let the "Queen of Encouragement" splash your day with joy.

    Acclaimed encourager Barbara Johnson has survived tragic adversity to become a merry missionary of mirth to those who need a little laughter in their lives?that is, to all of us! She knows firsthand how the smallest splash of  joy can soothe broken hearts with the light of God's love. And she's seen how a simple message of hope uplifts a life that's left in tatters.

    In these pages you'll find a daily dollop of Barbara's favorite jokes, heartwarming stories, witty cartoons, and heartache-survival strategies. Share a moment each morning with the Geranium Lady, and soon you, like Barbara, will realize you've been "blessed to be a blessing."

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateNov 7, 2005
    ISBN9781418566647
    Daily Splashes of Joy: 365 Gems to Sparkle Your Day
    Author

    Barbara Johnson

    Barbara Johnson was the founder of Spatula Ministries, a coauthor of various Women of Faith devotionals, and the author of numerous bestselling books, including Boomerang Joy, Living Somewhere between Estrogen and Death, and Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy.

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      Book preview

      Daily Splashes of Joy - Barbara Johnson

      Daily Splashes of Joy

      Other Books by Barbara Johnson

      Where Does a Mother Go to Resign?

      Fresh Elastic for Stretched-Out Moms

      Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy

      Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life

      Joy Journal

      Pack Up Your Gloomees in a Great Big Box,

      Then Sit on the Lid and Laugh

      Mama, Get the Hammer, There’s a Fly on Papa’s Head!

      I’m So Glad You Told Me What I Didn’t Wanna Hear

      Living Somewhere Between Estrogen and Death

      Boomerang Joy

      He’s Gonna Toot, and I’m Gonna Scoot!

      Leaking Laffs Between Pampers and Depends

      Children’s Books

      The Upside-Down Frown and Splashes of Joy

      Super-Scrumptious Jelly Donuts Sprinkled with Hugs

      The Tasty Taffy Tale and Super-Stretching the Truth

      The Pepperoni Parade and the Power of Prayer

      Daily Splashes of Joy

      Daily_Splashes_of_Joy_0003_001

      Barbara Johnson

      Daily_Splashes_of_Joy_0003_002

      DAILY SPLASHES OF JOY

      Copyright © 2000 by Barbara Johnson.

      All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

      Published by W publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214.

      Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations used in this book are from the holy Bible, New international Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 international Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible publishers. other Scripture references are from the following sources:

      The holy Bible, New Century Version (NCV), copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by W publishing Group, Nashville, TN 37214. Used by permission. The King James Version of the Bible (KJV). The Living Bible (TLB), copyright © 1971 by Tyndale house publishers, Wheaton, ill. Used by permission. The Message (TM) © 1994 by Eugene Peterson and published by NavPress, Colorado Springs, Co 80935. Used by permission. The New American Standard Bible (NASB), © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman foundation. Used by permission. The New King James Version (NKJV), copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, Thomas Nelson, inc., publishers. The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV), copyright 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.a.

      Jokes, stories, and quips included in this volume have been contributed by the author’s many friends, and we have diligently tried to identify the material’s origin. in most cases where no source is named, the writer is unknown, and the author disclaims any ownership or control of rights to this unattributed material.

      ISBN: 0-8499-1680-1

      Printed in the United States of America

      01 02 03 04 05 BVG 11 10 9 8 7 6

      Contents

      Acknowledgments

      Splashing Each Day with Joy

      January 1

      January 2

      January 3

      January 4

      January 5

      January 6

      January 7

      January 8

      January 9

      January 10

      January 11

      January 12

      January 13

      January 14

      January 15

      January 16

      January 17

      January 18

      January 19

      January 20

      January 21

      January 22

      January 23

      January 24

      January 25

      January 26

      January 27

      January 28

      January 29

      January 30

      January 31

      February 1

      February 2

      February 3

      February 4

      February 5

      February 6

      February 7

      February 8

      February 9

      February 10

      February 11

      February 12

      February 13

      February 14

      February 15

      February 16

      February 17

      February 18

      February 19

      February 20

      February 21

      February 22

      February 23

      February 24

      February 25

      February 26

      February 27

      February 28

      February 29

      March 1

      March 2

      March 3

      March 4

      March 5

      March 6

      March 7

      March 8

      March 9

      March 10

      March 11

      March 12

      March 13

      March 14

      March 15

      March 16

      March 17

      March 18

      March 19

      March 20

      March 21

      March 22

      March 23

      March 24

      March 25

      March 26

      March 27

      March 28

      March 29

      March 30

      March 31

      April 1

      April 2

      April 3

      April 4

      April 5

      April 6

      April 7

      April 8

      April 9

      April 10

      April 11

      April 12

      April 13

      April 14

      April 15

      April 16

      April 17

      April 18

      April 19

      April 20

      April 21

      April 22

      April 23

      April 24

      April 25

      April 26

      April 27

      April 28

      April 29

      April 30

      May 1

      May 2

      May 3

      May 4

      May 5

      May 6

      May 7

      May 8

      May 9

      May 10

      May 11

      May 12

      May 13

      May 14

      May 15

      May 16

      May 17

      May 18

      May 19

      May 20

      May 21

      May 22

      May 23

      May 24

      May 25

      May 26

      May 27

      May 28

      May 29

      May 30

      May 31

      June 1

      June 2

      June 3

      June 4

      June 5

      June 6

      June 7

      June 8

      June 9

      June 10

      June 11

      June 12

      June 13

      June 14

      June 15

      June 16

      June 17

      June 18

      June 19

      June 20

      June 21

      June 22

      June 23

      June 24

      June 25

      June 26

      June 27

      June 28

      June 29

      June 30

      July 1

      July 2

      July 3

      July 4

      July 5

      July 6

      July 7

      July 8

      July 9

      July 10

      July 11

      July 12

      July 13

      July 14

      July 15

      July 16

      July 17

      July 18

      July 19

      July 20

      July 21

      July 22

      July 23

      July 24

      July 25

      July 26

      July 27

      July 28

      July 29

      July 30

      July 31

      August 1

      August 2

      August 3

      August 4

      August 5

      August 6

      August 7

      August 8

      August 9

      August 10

      August 11

      August 12

      August 13

      August 14

      August 15

      August 16

      August 17

      August 18

      August 19

      August 20

      August 21

      August 22

      August 23

      August 24

      August 25

      August 26

      August 27

      August 28

      August 29

      August 30

      August 31

      September 1

      September 2

      September 3

      September 4

      September 5

      September 6

      September 7

      September 8

      September 9

      September 10

      September 11

      September 12

      September 13

      September 14

      September 15

      September 16

      September 17

      September 18

      September 19

      September 20

      September 21

      September 22

      September 23

      September 24

      September 25

      September 26

      September 27

      September 28

      September 29

      September 30

      October 1

      October 2

      October 3

      October 4

      October 5

      October 6

      October 7

      October 8

      October 9

      October 10

      October 11

      October 12

      October 13

      October 14

      October 15

      October 16

      October 17

      October 18

      October 19

      October 20

      October 21

      October 22

      October 23

      October 24

      October 25

      October 26

      October 27

      October 28

      October 29

      October 30

      October 31

      November 1

      November 2

      November 3

      November 4

      November 5

      November 6

      November 7

      November 8

      November 9

      November 10

      November 11

      November 12

      November 13

      November 14

      November 15

      November 16

      November 17

      November 18

      November 19

      November 20

      November 21

      November 22

      November 23

      November 24

      November 25

      November 26

      November 27

      November 28

      November 29

      November 30

      December 1

      December 2

      December 3

      December 4

      December 5

      December 6

      December 7

      December 8

      December 9

      December 10

      December 11

      December 12

      December 13

      December 14

      December 15

      December 16

      December 17

      December 18

      December 19

      December 20

      December 21

      December 22

      December 23

      December 24

      December 25

      December 26

      December 27

      December 28

      December 29

      December 30

      December 31

      Acknowledgments

      I HOPE YOU ENJOY the daily devotions and cartoons in this volume. most have been adapted from my previously published books. The quips and one-liners have come from the many letters and clippings shared with me by friends and supporters of Spatula ministries, and in many cases the sources are unknown. Some were borrowed from Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Tyndale house publishers, 1992) and Lowell D. Streiker’s two books, An Encyclopedia of Humor (Hendrickson publishers, 1998) and Nelson’s Big Book of Laughter (Thomas Nelson, 2000). in addition, my thanks go to these friends and organizations for allowing me to reuse their materials:

      Don Addis, the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times, for the cartoon depicting the fighting Methuselahs at Sunset manor Nursing facility.

      Ten to one (April 13) from Tell Me Again, Lord, I Forget, © 1974, and the poem i Don’t Understand (October 16) from Lord, It Keeps Happening and Happening, © 1984, both by Ruth harms Calkin, Pomona, Ca 91768. Used by permission. all rights reserved.

      Mary Chambers’s witty cartoon (august 4) is reprinted from her book Church Is Stranger Than Fiction, © 1990 by Mary Chambers. Used by permission of inter-Varsity press, p.o. Box 1400, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

      Ron and Karen Grosse, lighthouse Christian Books in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for their insightful photo of the flood-damaged neighborhood.

      Darcey Hripak for her adorable little characters depicting the wardrobe of Colossians 3:12–14.

      The Lion magazine, lions Clubs international, for the cartoon, you are here . . . because your husband won’t ask for directions.

      Danny Loya for his thought-provoking illustration of shoes related to 1 Corinthians 15:52.

      And special thanks to cartoonists Randy Glasbergen, Bunny Hoest, Bil Keane, John McPherson, and Dana Summers for granting permission for me to include their witty works in these pages.

      Splashing Each Day with Joy

      OH, THAT WE ALL might have the happy demeanor of an old lady in the nursing home where my sister, Janet, visits to play the piano for the residents. one week the feisty, ninety-three-year-old woman told Janet, i wake up in the morning, sit on the edge of the bed, put my feet on the floor, and say to myself, ‘I know who I am . . . I know what day it is. And then I say, ‘Well, PRAISE the lord!’

      Starting each morning with an attitude of gratitude— no matter what the circumstances—can splash joy over the rest of your day. The moment your eyelids flutter open, remind yourself to whisper the old lady’s jubilant prayer: Praise the Lord! Say it out loud with a smile on your face, and you might just be surprised at the difference it makes in your morning.

      Force yourself to smile as you make your way to the bathroom so that when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, you’re ready for that first laugh of the day. (This may be easier for some of you than others, depending on what appears in that mirror!) look for joy gems sparkling in all the dark corners as the hours pass.

      Sometimes the smallest word or the most unlikely gesture of kindness is all that’s needed to turn a hurting heart toward the light of God’s love. i know how often a friend’s joke or funny story has helped me find the silver lining in an otherwise gloomy day. i hope the same thing happens as you work your way through this book of daily readings. may you be encouraged by the thoughts, jokes, cartoons, and suggestions included here. They’re my way of sharing a splash of joy with you each morning! i hope each little gem lifts your spirits all day long, until you finally lay your head on your pillow again at night, still smiling as you remember the moment we shared.

      It’s not always easy to be joyful. But it’s possible, because as Christians we have a secret strength—we have hope! And we know the rewards of joy-seeking are always worth the effort, because as soon as we decide to be joy-seekers we turn into joy-spreaders. Then the joy we share with others boomerangs back to splash us with refreshment. as Christians, we are all blessed to be a blessing.

      Daily_Splashes_of_Joy_0008_001

      January 1

      The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month will be the beginning of months, the first month of the year for you. (EXODUS 12:1–2 NCV)

      There’s something so satisfying about beginning a new month. I just love r-r-r-ripping that old page off my calendar and starting over on a fresh, new month with all those clean, unblemished squares— unspoiled days just waiting to be enjoyed. Celebrating the first of the month is one of my longtime traditions. On that day I change the sheets, wash my hair, and take a bath (on other days too, of course, but especially on the first of the month). Then I do something special—like treat myself to asparagus! But the most important thing I do is resolve (again) to heed the apostle Paul’s advice: Forgetting all the pain and failures of the past, I strain toward what is ahead— heaven!—and I put the future in God’s hands.

      The present is what slips by us while we’re pondering the past and worrying about the future.

      January 2

      A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life. (PROVERBS 14:30 TLB)

      Some people spread joy wherever they go— whether or not they mean to! And some of us have to put forth a little effort to keep a smile in our hearts. Others are never happy unless they’re complaining about something. I got a note from a woman who had a friend like that. Luckily, the woman who wrote to me could see the humor even in having such a pessimistic friend. She wrote, "My friend Irene is always complaining! I took her to a greeting-card store the other day, and she looked and looked and looked.

      "Finally, I said, ‘Irene, what in the world are you looking for?’

      She replied, ‘I’m looking for a card that says, I had what you’ve got—only WORSE!’

      This is the same witty woman who told me her horoscope predicted one morning that she was going to have an adventure involving water. And then, she continued, I dropped my false teeth in the toilet!

      I am wonderful, marvelous, extraspecial, unique, first-rate, exceptional, outrageous, surprising, superlative— and, above all, HUMBLE.

      January 3

      The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. . . . The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. (EXODUS 15:2–3)

      Daily_Splashes_of_Joy_0011_001

      Hardening of the heart ages people more quickly than hardening of the arteries.

      January 4

      Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. (PSALM 37:4)

      Italk to many gals who go through the year without receiving a nice, gift-wrapped present with their own name on it. There is a fabulous remedy for this problem. Right after the first of the year (when most stores have sales) find a store that sells nice little gifts and does courtesy gift-wrapping. Pick out at least five presents for yourself to cover your birthday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, wedding anniversary, and Christmas. They needn’t be costly, but they should be something you like.

      Bring your presents home and place them around the house in prominent spots where you’ll have to move them as you clean. That way they get shifted around so much you’ll forget what is in which package. Then each one is a surprise when you open it! This idea works beautifully. When anyone asks you what your husband gave you for your birthday or anniversary or your kids gave you for Mother’s Day, you can proudly show them the lovely gift that you received. (You don’t have to tell everything you know!)

      Life is a gift. Unwrap your present!

      January 5

      He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. (PROVERBS 15:15 NKJV)

      One day I noticed a car parked at the La Habra post office with a license plate that said, 2 BUM NEZ. I thought, That’s so cute—the guy probably has arthritis or something.

      As I tore around the car with my arms full of things to mail, I called out, Oh, I just LOVE your license plate! Someone was helping him out of the car and suddenly I saw that he didn’t have any legs! Talk about hoof-and-mouth disease! But he put me at ease by saying, I’m glad you like it. My wife said I should get one that says, ‘NO LEGS,’ but I would rather have folks get a chuckle out of it like you did than have them feel sorry for me.

      I love that dear man’s attitude. It beautifully illustrates one of my favorite mottoes: Pain is inevitable but misery is optional!

      May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.

      January 6

      How well he understands us and knows what is best for us at all times. (EPHESIANS 1:8 TLB)

      It was one of those days when everything had gone wrong. Preparing to leave town for a speaking engagement, I hurried to the supermarket to stock up on a few things I would need for the trip. Naturally, I got a dumb basket with wheels going in different directions. As I made my way to the checkout counter, I felt completely forsaken when I saw the checkout line filled with women who apparently were shopping for the U.S. Army.

      Please, Lord! I prayed. I need just a LITTLE encouragement today.

      Just then a man stepped into an empty checkout stand and said, Young lady, I’ll be glad to check you out over here!

      I looked around. Then I looked at the clerk. Why, he was talking to me!

      Maybe it was the young lady part that lifted my spirits. But mostly I think it was knowing I wasn’t forsaken. I believe he opened that line just for me. What a simple way to be reminded of God’s continual care.

      Frogs have it easy. They can eat what’s bugging them!

      January 7

      Be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here. These trials are only to test your faith. (1 PETER 1:6 TLB)

      We can hope for a miracle, but there is no simple, quick way to be young, thin, and lovely. As the years zoom by, you begin to think you’re in a war to keep your mind together, your body functioning, your teeth in, your hair on, and your weight off. It can really be a chore. It’s a lot like trying to hold a beachball under water . . . sooner or later something pops up or out! That’s why my favorite excuse is, I used to be Snow White . . . but I drifted!

      Aging gracefully means living long enough to make a joke of the things that were once breaking your heart.

      January 8

      Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (MATTHEW 11:28)

      Tears and heartaches come to us

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