[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

[PROCON]

WOO-HOO, it's Road Trip time again, thanks Lauren!

[ansel12]

Doesn’t the road trip go to Pendleton a whole lot?

[radu]

Howdy, lauren.
Ya reckon things are ever going to calm down down there? It just keeps raining and storming over and over. I imagine y’all are weary of it by now.

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[MoochPooch]

Evening, all.

[luvie]

Thanks for a great road trip, lauren!

[southernerwithanattitude]

On base right now. Daughter had her Baby 5 weeks early so we are out here helping out.

[The Mayor]

May 14

Joy and Wisdom

Bible in a Year :

• 2 Kings 19-21
• John 4:1-30

I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.

Ecclesiastes 8:15 Sweetly fragrant cherry tree blossoms flood Japan with exquisite pale and vibrant pinks every spring, delighting the senses of residents and tourists alike. The short-lived nature of the blossoms cultivates a keen awareness in the Japanese to savor the beauty and scent while they linger: the very brevity of the experience heightens the poignancy of it. They call this deliberate enjoyment of something that will change quickly “mono-no-aware.”

As humans, it’s understandable that we’d want to seek and prolong feelings of joy. Yet the reality that life is riddled with hardship means we must cultivate the ability to view both pain and pleasure through a lens of faith in a loving God. We needn’t be overly pessimistic, nor should we fashion ourselves an unrealistically sunny outlook on life.

The book of Ecclesiastes offers a helpful model for us. Though this book is sometimes thought to be a catalog of negative statements, the same King Solomon who wrote that “everything is meaningless” (1:2) also encouraged his readers to find joy in the simple things in life saying, “There is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad” (8:15).

Joy comes when we ask God to help us “know wisdom” and learn to observe “all that God has done” (vv. 16-17) in both beautiful seasons and in difficult ones (3:11-14; 7:13-14), knowing that neither is permanent on this side of heaven.

Reflect & Pray

What kind of “season” are you currently in? How can you find joy in it?

Dear Father, thank You for being the source of beauty and joy in my life.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Tuesday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country and thanks Lauren for this morning's thread.

Yesterday at Comanche Lake:

How's everyone doing this morning?

[luvie]

HeyHeyHey, Early Birds!
What fun to visit Camp Pendleton!
It's very famous, ya know.
Thanks, lauren, for your hard work!
Hope all y'all have a Terrific Tuesday!
Guess what the weather is like here? 😹☀️
((((hugs))))