Where do you find happiness?

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jmjconder

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Let us agree to be HONEST…after all it is a forum.

I have lived a life that has been 100% focused on the world and 100% focused on HIM.

What makes me happy? I thought at one time it was “things.” So I tried to live a life focused on everything the world told me would make me happy. I found myself temporally happy…totally empty…completely wanting for something else that only left me feeling temporally happy…totally empty…completely wanting for something else…

I now know that what makes me happy is silence ~ prayer ~ the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass~ Reconciliation ~ a relationship with God ~ more silence ~ more prayer ~ the next the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass ~next the Reconciliation ~ ways to a closer relationship with God ~ more….

Nothing else comes close…

What about you! Be 100% honest.
 
I feel happiest when I can feel God’s presence, no matter the setting. I could be alone in a clearing surrounded by trees, listening to the birds…or I could be out with my closest friends, doing something that we enjoy. If I can feel God in any situation, I am happy.

I am happy when I talk to Him. I have sort of an unorthodox way of praying, if you will. Yes, I do the Rosaries and all that “organized, formal” prayer, but my favorite is when I can sit down and have a chat. I love to think of God as my best friend. Truly, whenever I picture Jesus, I picture the stereotypical man-with-long-flowing-hair/facial-hair-and-robes, but I always picture Him laughing or smiling. He’s a friend to me, and I want to talk to Him like a friend.

Huh. You’ve made me think. When I look back at it, those things really, truly make me happy.

A few other things that make me happy are…

→ solitude (every once in a while)
→ inner peace (scarce and hard to come by for me)
→ knowing (the answers)

but all of those come through God, as well. Everything I thought made me happy…comes from God.

😃
 
Being in the Presence of the Lord during Holy Mass. 🙂

God bless you.
 
jmjconder said:
Let us agree to be HONEST…after all it is a forum.

I have lived a life that has been 100% focused on the world and 100% focused on HIM.

What makes me happy? I thought at one time it was “things.” So I tried to live a life focused on everything the world told me would make me happy. I found myself temporally happy…totally empty…completely wanting for something else that only left me feeling temporally happy…totally empty…completely wanting for something else…

I now know that what makes me happy is silence ~ prayer ~ the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass~ Reconciliation ~ a relationship with God ~ more silence ~ more prayer ~ the next the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass ~next the Reconciliation ~ ways to a closer relationship with God ~ more….

Nothing else comes close…

What about you! Be 100% honest.
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I am with you 100%. I’d add in saying my daily rosary and going to adoration as much as possible. I just wish my schedule permitted mass every day. I’m to a point where I seek Gods approval more than mans.
 
I thought I have “been happy” many times in my life also I’ve thought I’ve been unhappy. What I have come to know, to understand is, what Gods purpose for my life is and always has been I just didnt understand the signs.
When I’ve had challenges/trials in my life like my first son dying as a baby or abusive partner and so on …I felt depressed alone frightened insecure and so forth.
When my first grandson was being expected it was like a light going on in my head.I realised my responsibility to lead them (all my children are lapsed catholics)back to God.Last September my grandson was baptised RC and although my son and his partner are not married they have attended church occasions happily.Last week my neices were confirmed my son partner and child attended happily.
My eldest son is now expecting his first child in 7 days and I pray he and his partner will see my example and follow me back to Christ.
My role has been to bring my family back to Jesus.I ibrought my sister back after years away,her 4 daughters got baptised,Confirmed last week (2 of them)on 21st June another takes 1st Holy Communion.I brought my Mother back after an absence of 13yrs and my disabled other sister the same.I also sponsor a child in Uganda,financially and emotionally support a refugee family from Romania.I help all I can not just catholics/christians but all Gods children.I fostered 2 sisters whose mother passed away.
I try to dedicate my life to helping others.
My calling is to bring as many souls to Our Blessed Lord that I can.
Knowing my true calling makes me happy and sated.
God Bless
 
I really don’t know how to answer that question. When I think of happiness and in what part of my life it manifests itself, I am at a loss for an answer. I don’t have much happiness to speak of really. At least not in how I would define it. I’d have to really sit down and think and write in order to find answers to the question you pose.

On the other hand, I do find contentment in my life. There are times when I am completely at peace and I have a feeling of security. I find this peace and security when I lie in bed and I sink into my faith. Another time is when I really see the ways in which God has blessed my life and has looked after me when times were difficult. Those are the two examples that come to mind first when I contemplate an answer to your question.

Thanks.
 
My dear friend

God makes me happy. Without grace I could find no true happiness. Yesterday on Trinity Sunday i was making a visit at night by myself and I was about to leave and I said the Fatima prayer from Blessed michael the Archangel before the tabernacle as I always do. You know… Most Holy Trinity i adore you…etc. For the first time I had understanding of my being Gods child at that time. I always believed and accepted it the 20 yrs I’ve been in the church but I understood it much better and this has made me very happy. A great grace to get on such a feast. I feel great with my improved knowledge. This is what’s making me happy now. It’s given my whole life a new purpose. I’m very happy and off to visit Dad again.

God bless 👍🙂
John
 
Happiness comes and goes. It does not matter.

What we have in God is joy. The joy at the foot of the cross is not happy but tormented. Our Mother Mary watches her innocent Lamb bleed and suffer, hanging from a tree. She is not happy but in agony. We Christians should also suffer with the knowledge that our sins hung Him there. Yet there is also joy at the cross, in seeing our salvation, in doing the Father’s will. There is faith, hope and love - that is our joy.
 
For me, things can make me happy. But there’s difference from happiness and joy. As Elishua said,
Elishua said:
Happiness comes and goes. It does not matter.

What we have in God is joy…
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I find joy in seeking God through nature. A beautiful sunset, blooming flower, or even a tiny baby. There’s nothing like holding a two-week year old baby or just looking up, and seeing the amazingly indescribable sky. And most of all, knowing that ALL these things, come from God. :heaven:
 
I feel happiest after Communion. I’ve been really focused on the world for much of my life… and none of it ever made me truly happy. Sure I had fun sometimes, but it doesn’t compare to God… and to knowing His perfect love. I feel happiest being with Him, and I hope one day I’ll be able to say that I feel happiest with Him even in suffering and trials.
 
When I feel part of something larger I find contentment, satisfaction and happiness in life.
 
Top of the list: Eucharistic Adoration

Number two on the list: Receiving Communion at Mass, and administering Communion as an EMHC

Next on the list: Praying the rosary

Next: Praying the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Next: Seeing people be kind to each other, especially at work or out in public
 
jmjconder said:
What about you! Be 100% honest.
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I am far from whom God wants me to be - way less than 100% on Him. If I thought I were 100% focusing on Him, there might be something wrong with me. I am 100% honest. 🙂
 
jmjconder said:
I now know that what makes me happy is silence ~ prayer ~ the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass~ Reconciliation ~ a relationship with God ~ more silence ~ more prayer ~ the next the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass ~next the Reconciliation ~ ways to a closer relationship with God ~ more….

Nothing else comes close…

What about you! Be 100% honest.
Click to expand...
i agree…

happiness anywhere else in SO temporary… and so infrequent…

another thing I’ve found is that since I’ve found Jesus (the Real Presence) it is kind of like i’m spoiled… because then when i am away from Him… well, i miss Him… feel his absence… feel more strongly the lack of love in society. I am not saying i live in the worst part of the country…andthat everything is bad 'cause its not but… well, no matter where you live, the world is not as nice a place as it even was 20 yrs ago… people are much more rude and uncaring these days… the devil has come down hard…

so anyway… now my time outside the Church (RP) just seems all the more problematic because it is NOT where He is… God is everywhere but the will of God is done through Christ and HE is in the Church…
yes, he’s also in His people… but no one seems to want to talk about him much in public… i sometimes wonder how many people really do have Him…

(true, maybe i don’t get out enough…)
 
withwind said:
I am far from whom God wants me to be - way less than 100% on Him. If I thought I were 100% focusing on Him, there might be something wrong with me. I am 100% honest. 🙂
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I’m glad there’s something wrong with me… 🙂
 
jmjconder said:
Let us agree to be HONEST…after all it is a forum.

.
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honest…

i am much happier when NOT around humanoids…

just me and God…

(Jesus and me in the Real Presence or while praying the rosary)

i guess there is one exception: the Mass… there is nothing like the holy Mass…
 
Knowing that I did something God wanted me to even though it was tough. That makes me happy.
 
I find happiness when I look at all the blessings God has given me. Children and grandchildren. Friends from church that God sent to me when I converted in 2004, and others when my husband died in 2006. The memories of my husband that come to me out of the blue. We enjoyed each other so much. I find happiness whenever I am in the church, at Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, or for Bible study or book club. Taking the Eucharist to shut ins as an EMHC. gives them and me so much pleasure. Greeting and enrolling new families into the church. Watching the Holy Spirit work in my life.

I am truly blessed. I am truly happy!:crossrc:
 
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