It’s time for another SASSY SUNDAY SERMON from the irrepressible, irreverent, irresistible Reverend SASSY SHORTS!
Wow has our world changed over the last 14 weeks.
When I started this SASSY book-writing process at the end of 2019, I could have never imagined that I would be writing in the midst of this phase of Corona.
I’ve written a ton of blog posts in the last month, and started a podcast a couple of weeks prior to Corona called The Sassy Southern Yankee. As soon as Corona hit, my friend Michele joined me and we’ve been co-hosting daily episodes to provide comfort, support and education for parents and kids.
Because of all the changes and all of the focus on helping people stay emotionally healthy during Corona, I found myself asking: Why am I writing this SASSY SUNDAY sermon? How is it different than my other posts and podcasts?
So I opened the document containing my original intentions. The heart of why I’m posting every Sunday as Reverend SASSY SHORTS! is:
NEGOTIATING FOR JOY.
Beyond survival. Beyond the grind. Negotiating for joy is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself and for those you love.
Isn’t that what we’re all being faced with right now? We’re doing our best to survive this time of Corona.
In being confronted with the dark shadow of our own mortality, our own death. (which we generally AVOID thinking about), we are also becoming more keenly aware of our JOY, the TRUTH of our being, the ESSENCE of what’s really important to us, rises to the surface during times like this.
This is different than wartime, when there’s not so much time for self-reflection. We have time to reflect now. We have more mind-space to negotiate. Not just for survival. But for JOY.
My prayer is that we use this time to individually and collectively connect with our deeper truths, our deepest joys. And to make those so important that we never forget them for the rest of our lives. To make those so REAL that we keep them at the forefront of our lives.
We can’t do this alone. We need each other to give and receive support at this higher level of being.
It’s how we as human can bring our divine nature to life. Not just as a pie-in-the-sky ideal. But for real.
Joy-Based Living can appear to be a cute, sweet, fluffy, idealistic dream. But that is not the heart of what it is or who we are. JBL is all about practicality. We might have to take baby steps to get there. And for some of us, it might be even slower than ever.
But it’s not the speed that matters. It’s the direction. The intention. The movement. The momentum.
I’m with you. I’m here. Standing for your JOY. If there’s a particular challenge you’re facing, please share and I’ll do my best to respond in a blog post, a podcast or a SASSY SHORTS sermon.
I wish you wellness, health and so much love.
Debbie Happy Cohen, AKA Reverend SASSY SHORTS!
Debbie Happy Cohen, author and coach, is also the founder of Joy-Based Living. Her Master’s Degree is in counseling, specializing in family systems, healing emotional trauma, and practical spirituality. Also affectionately known as Happy D! and Reverend SASSY SHORTS!, she lives on Lookout Mountain in Alabama, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her books include Reach Your Stars!, SANCTUARY, It’s All About Kids: Every Child Deserves a Teacher of the Year, and I Don’t Think So! You can find her blogging at http://www.joybasedliving.com.
