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    The Year of Living Happy: Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World
    The Year of Living Happy: Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World
    The Year of Living Happy: Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World
    Ebook232 pages2 hours

    The Year of Living Happy: Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World

    By Alli Worthington

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    About this ebook

    Take a daily step toward joy and contentment and ditch stress, overwhelming thoughts, and boredom with encouraging and biblical messages from Alli Worthington.

    You do your best to live life well—you work hard to be present in the moment, take care of the people in your life, knock it out of the park at work and home. And yet, somehow, you still have days (perhaps more than you'd like to admit) where you're simultaneously stressed and bored, and you wonder if you even know how to be happy. Is happiness a worthy goal? Does happiness matter to God, or does He only care about holier things?

    Alli Worthington gets it. As a wife, mother of five boys, author, speaker, and entrepreneur, she knows a thing or two about being busy, stressed, and happy in the midst of a crazy world! Over the years, she's seen how happiness gets a bad rap in Christian circles, and now she is standing up to shout the good news from the roof (or the internet, as the case may be): You are allowed to be happy! Yes, you! You can be happy right now!

    Join Alli for The Year of Living Happy: Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World, and find the roots of your happiest life yet. Each of the 100 short and inspirational entries includes

    • a thoughtful message from Alli, based on God’s Word
    • practical ways to make your life happier day by day
    • a journaling section

    This gorgeous book is an empowering gift for yourself or any woman you love. It can be used as a daily devotional or as a guided journal.

    Be part of this exciting message: Happiness and holiness can coexist for a beautiful life. Don’t miss the great big adventure God has for you. Let this be The Year of Living Happy!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateOct 2, 2018
    ISBN9780310094906
    Author

    Alli Worthington

    Alli Worthington is known for her straight-talking encouragement and practical tools that help women reach their dreams in business and life. Author of The Year of Living Happy, Fierce Faith, and Breaking Busy, she is a well-known speaker, podcaster, and life and business coach. Her no-nonsense, guilt-free take on business, family, and balance has led to multiple appearances on The TODAY Show and Good Morning America. Alli lives with her husband, Mark, and their five sons outside of Nashville with a pampered golden retriever.

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      Book preview

      The Year of Living Happy - Alli Worthington

      A NOTE FROM ALLI

      Dear Friend,

      The fact that you are set to embark upon this happiness journey absolutely thrills me! I believe that as women of God, we are called to be beacons of light, hope, and yes, happiness in this dark world. The world needs us to share the gospel and do it with great happiness.

      I used to believe the search for happiness was a superficial pursuit, that happiness and holiness were mutually exclusive. But now I understand they go hand in hand. This work of seeking authentic happiness is important, and it is holy. As we seek after the things that create real happiness in us, we find God. And when we live the life God has created us to live, securely and obediently trusting Him in all areas, we are happier.

      Deep joy and a happy life are not dependent upon our day-to-day life events, and they are not superficial. As we seek the Lord and delight in all that He has for us (no matter our circumstances), we not only change, but we begin to change everyone who comes in contact with us.

      My hope for The Year of Living Happy is to bring the truth of Scripture and best of modern research together as a guide to real happiness.

      I’ve collected all my favorite and most helpful insights, research, and truths as a road map for you as you embark on the important work of choosing happiness in your life.

      As women of God, let’s be the ones who fight for authentic happiness and teach our families, our friends, and our communities by our example.

      As we begin this happiness journey together, I pray you will discover new truths, find some amazing life hacks, and have your eyes opened to the importance of holy happiness.

      All my love,

      1

      MADE TO BE HAPPY

      You were created to experience joy!

      HAPPY ROOTS

      I have a sweet friend who always says, Girl, my happy has deep roots. Regardless of her life circumstances, good or bad, she reminds me that her happiness is rooted way past the temporary trials of the day to the eternal goodness of God. I am always amazed at the way she responds to what life throws at her; whether it’s burned casseroles or broken bones, she calmly, joyfully takes it in stride.

      I love my friend’s expression because it reminds me that happiness is something God wants for me. It’s okay for me to desire happiness because it’s God’s desire for me as well.

      It’s also a great reminder that God wants us to stay rooted in Him to have happy, full lives that bear wonderful fruit. As Christians, we are allowed to be happy; we just need to keep in mind that true happiness comes only from Him. It does not come through our material possessions, our relationships, or our circumstances.

      When our happy has deep roots, those roots allow us to weather the droughts and storms of life. They allow us to trust in the goodness of God and to produce sweet fruit that reflects the heart of our loving Savior, Jesus. Jeremiah 17 tells us, Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit (vv. 7–8 NASB). In short, our deep roots allow us to live happy lives.

      My prayer for you today is that your happy will have deep roots. And my prayer for you this year is that your roots will grow so deep toward the eternal goodness of God that you will be forever changed.

      Today, open your Bible to Jeremiah 17:7–8, record the date there or below, and write the phrase, My happy has deep roots. Consider doodling or drawing around the phrase to help it go even deeper into your brain.¹

      [Your Response Here]

      HAPPINESS IS A WORTHY GOAL

      Growing up, I remember being told that joy was spelled, J-O-Y—Jesus, others, and you. It was supposed to be a reminder that joy comes from having the right priorities, and that’s certainly true. But it seemed as if joy were always pitted against happiness. While joy was godly and spiritual, happiness was shallow and selfish. But as I kept walking with Jesus, I came to understand that seeking to follow God and seeking to be happy weren’t mutually exclusive.

      Our happiness (and our joy) are tied to what we desire most. Our problem with seeking happiness is that we try to find it in things that can’t sustain our happiness. But when we desire to find our happiness in God, we access a well of joy that won’t run dry.

      Scripture tells us, Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). I used to think that meant God would give me whatever I wanted if I seemed happy enough to Him. Now I’ve come to see that when my happiness is placed securely in God, He will be the desire of my heart. And when He’s the desire of my heart, my happiness isn’t going anywhere.

      God designed us to seek happiness in Him and to want to have the source of our happiness be in Him. As John Piper said, God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him.¹

      Think about your ideas of happiness. Have you given yourself permission to be happy? Pray and ask the Lord to help you find your happiness in Him and to live according to His laws. Record any thoughts you have or insights He gives you.

      [Your Response Here]

      APPRECIATING HOW UNIQUELY WE ARE CREATED

      I once heard it said that if we knew who God created us to be, we would never want to act like anyone else. We would celebrate even the things we may feel insecure about. We would see ourselves as God sees us. We wouldn’t see our quirks as flaws, but would begin to see them as part of the unique blueprint God used when He made us.

      Sometimes it’s so easy to be unappreciative of God’s unique design for us, especially when we begin to compare our design with others’. Doesn’t God know we’d be so much happier if we were slightly more proportional, or maybe more artistic, or possibly less afraid of public speaking? Yet, in all our unique variations, God has given each of us a unique way to live a life that glorifies Him.

      Allow yourself to be the unique person God created you to be, and surround yourself with those who love you for who you really are. Allow yourself the freedom that comes from not having to live up to other people’s expectations of how your life should be.

      One of the most common regrets people have at the end of their lives is, I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. We can rest in the knowledge that God knew exactly what He was doing when He knit each of us together. Learn to express to Him, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:14).

      List as many unique qualities about yourself as you can think of . . . yes, every single one. Thank God for each and every one you list. Thank Him that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Embracing your uniqueness teaches you to be happy just as you are.

      [Your Response Here]

      CREATED FOR CREATIVITY

      When I first had the idea that I wanted to write a book, I was thrilled and terrified all at the same time. On one hand, I was excited at the prospect of getting to create something that could benefit others. On the other hand, however, when I thought about the fact that people were going to actually read my work, it seemed scary and overwhelming. What if they didn’t agree with me? What if they thought I was a terrible writer? The idea of setting myself up for that kind of judgment was almost more than I could handle.

      It was like being on the high dive and making the decision to either jump or make the humble climb back down to more comfortable heights. One option was full of uncertainty and possibility, while the other was safe and sure.

      Maybe you’ve been there too—afraid to take the plunge but unwilling to climb back down the ladder.

      In those moments when our fears keep us paralyzed in uncertainty, let’s remember that our Creator has made us in His creative image. The book of Exodus reminds us, He has filled [us] with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills (35:31). We were made to make things, innovate, and exercise the unique gifts God has impressed upon us.

      Today, do something creative. Paint, write a poem, draw, knit; do what your heart dreams of doing. Then take a risk and show it to someone!

      [Your Response Here]

      TAKE A STEP TOWARD YOUR PASSION

      Remember when you were just starting out in life? Back then, it seemed life was presenting you with limitless opportunities and possibilities. But now, maybe it feels as if you’ve already made your big life choices and you might’ve missed your window of opportunity.

      Let me assure you, it is never too late to start something new.¹

      How do I know? I know because history is filled with so many examples of people who stepped into their passion later in their lives. Benjamin Franklin discovered the properties of electricity when he was forty.² Julia Child made her debut TV appearance at fifty-one.³ And J. R. R. Tolkien published The Lord of the Rings when he was sixty-two.⁴

      Then there was Abraham. Abraham was seventy-five years old when God called him to go to the land of Canaan and promised him offspring, while his wife, Sarah, was not much younger. They had spent years dreaming of what it would be like to have a family and then God promised them children at the ripe

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