the thief of joy.

Comparison is the thief of JOY.

-theodore roosevelt

I have heard this saying many times before. But I feel like this past couple weeks I have been confronted with the reality of how comparing myself to others really does steal my JOY. Several times recently I have gone to other women's homes and came away feeling heavier than I arrived. And most of the times we had good conversations but I subtly started looking around their homes and lives and pulling out the measuring stick.

  Her house is so organized. Her children never seem to fight what's wrong with mine. She always is so patient and laid back. She is teaching her kids about finances. She does devotions with her kids every day. Her yard looks like something out of a magazine.

You get the point. Blah. Blah. Blah.

And every time I come home and compare myself to the house I just left I feel like crap. And often times I am comparing their best to my worst. I am comparing my shortcomings or my house's shortcomings with another's best qualities. And I am always going to come up short when I am not choosing JOY in who I am and where I am. When I do,  I find I have it pretty good. I want to come away from a time with a friend blessed and encouraged by what God is doing in them and maybe even learn something from them. I want to bless others in where they excel and know what my strong points are and walk in confidence. 

I don't want to give away my JOY by comparing. 

 yep. i am pretty blessed.

"Abide in my love and your JOY will be complete"
-Jesus (John 15)

"The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday."
-unknown