The Everyday Mavericks

  "But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to...spend ourselves for others, rather than ourselves. We find it difficult to muster or force these qualities. They simply grow as we allow God's Spirit to shape our lives." — Galatians 5:22–23 (The Message) Is there a difference? I find it fascinating that The Message uses the phrase "exuberance about life" instead of the single word, joy. That phrase has stayed with me. It raises an important question: What does it mean to become someone who is genuinely glad to be alive? Perhaps that is what joy has always been inviting us to discover. We often use joy and happiness as though they are the same thing: "I'm so happy." "What a joyful occasion." "I just want to be happy." Most of us instinctivel...