Photo was taken at Lisselan Gardens, near Clonakilty, Co.Cork (Irl)

The River Argideen flows under the trees in the beautiful Lisselan Gardens.

Thought on Tuesday – September – 28/08/2012

‘If you have no joy in your religion, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.’ ~Billy Sunday

A lot of people say joy and happiness are exactly the same thing, just different words. But there is actually a big difference between the two. Happiness comes from what we do, joy comes from God. Happiness is based on circumstances; joy is born in the heart and has strong spiritual connections. Happiness can change like the wind but joy is much more stable and always around. A joyful person thinks different, is usually upbeat and positive and always makes good company. They gently encourage and make the most of the present moment. A joyful person is slow in allowing bitterness, anger, jealousy or hatred to take a hold in their life. So if there is no joy in our lives at the moment, then there is a leak somewhere. Today our news headlines are predominantly negative and are no help to any leaks in our lives. But any leak can be repaired and at least plugged to stop the flow. In our Gospel stories Jesus did a lot repairing and fixing of leakages. He gave people a renewed sense of hope and brought much joy into their lives. Most important he showed them a way forward in how to find lasting joy. The same way is extended to us too. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.