Joy Published April 10, 2018 By Chaplain (Capt.) Meade Adams 2nd Bomb Wing Chapel BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Life has a way of changing us. It has a way of banging us up, tossing us around and spitting us out. It has a way of stealing our childhood innocence and keeping us from the things that we enjoy or that make us happy. We can get so wrapped up in bills, and debt, and responsibility, and work and everything else that we have on our plates that our hobbies, our laughter, our childhood innocence and optimism gets swallowed up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Growing up is a part of life. Responsibility is what growing up is about. The problem arises when responsibility chokes out the joy of life. When work, or finances or family issues become so all engrossing that we have forgotten how to laugh, how to smile, how to have fun then we are doing ourselves a disservice. The challenge then is finding things in our lives that reconnect us with joy. This is about being intentional to plug into things that make you happy. Plain and simple. How can you be more intentional about infusing happiness and joy into your day? Perhaps it would be scheduling a time for meditation or prayer. Perhaps it’s indulging in that donut that’s in the shop, or taking the time to watch old cartoons with your kids. Don’t let life steal your joy. Be jealous for your joy and be intentional about keeping it in your life.