Photo by Frank McKenna on Unsplash
I heard a great interview on Focus on the Family with a
creative and joyful blogger, author and speaker, Courtney DeFeo, who has
written “In This House, We Will Giggle”. (Yes - you can buy it at Koorong – and
today there were two copies at the Woolloongabba store!)
The interview got me thinking about our schools and classes
and I thought we might be able to use this book and some of its ideas in
Chapel. I am thinking of younger students – but you could definitely make this
work with older students.
Courtney has written a book with 12 chapters and each chapter
is based on a VIRTUE! Those of you who know me, know my passion for Character
Education – so I loved the idea of this book.
In the introduction to this delightful book, it reads, “According
to Oxford Dictionaries online, a virtue
is a ‘quality considered morally good or desirable in a person’. So our
goal is to teach our children a core set
of traits that we value most and desire to see them live out daily ... such as
love, generosity, service, and responsibility.” The idea is that the hearts of children will reflect the
character of Christ.
January – Joy
February – Love
March – Forgiveness
May – Patience
June – Perseverance
July – Respect
August – Responsibility
September – Service
October – Humility
November – Gratitude
December
– Generosity
There are plenty of ideas that might work better in the home
or the classroom – but there are also some great ideas for Chapel. One is the “Catch
Phrases”.
Joy is a choice every day.
Jesus Christ is the source of my joy.
I have delight in my soul because I am a child of God.
Let’s praise Him in all things, even when things don’t go
our way.
Great friends do not steal you joy: they celebrate others
(even when life doesn’t go our way).
Image by Abigail Keenan on Unsplash
One idea that Courtney talked about in the interview was the
difference between joy and happiness. Great topic to discuss! The Bible says
little about happiness but a lot about joy!
“Joy should be a constant
companion. If
someone tells you they are always happy, be skeptical. Because everyone faces
unpleasant situations in life. But inner joy is a quality that is not dependent
on outward circumstances. So we are told to, “Be joyful always” (1
Thessalonians 5:16).
Joy is not defined by
circumstances. If
someone told you, “Be happy, no matter what happens,” would you agree? And yet
the Bible instructs us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).
Joy is dictated by our
faith and trust in God. Another passage, also written by the apostle
Paul, who was no stranger to adversity, declares joy a byproduct of growing
faith in God. “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God… we also
rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope…” (Romans 5:2-5).”
What is the difference between Joy and Happiness?
Here is the Jelly Telly take on Joy!
The story of Paul and Silas – the difference between joy and
happiness!
If you are looking for a framework – this very practical yet creative book, "In this House We Will Giggle: Making Virtues, Love and Laughter a Daily Part of Your Family Life" could be a
way to link religious education and Chapel. It could also be a way to develop a
common literacy across your school. Some of the ideas are really more for
families – but all the Chaplains and teachers I know are brilliant at adapting
resources to suit their own context.
I also love Courtney’s cards – which I think would be
perfect to have in your classroom or your office – or a set for every teacher!
I saw them online at Proverbs 31 Ministries and they do ship to Australia. I think these would be a fabulous resource for your school.