A Search for Joy

Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Maaning could be re-titled for me My Search for Joy. I've been searching for joy fro a long time, probalby my whole life. Joy really came to my attention a few years back when Conversations (a wonderful, but no longer published journal) printed an article about joy. In it I learned that joy is biologically different from happiness. They show up when experienced in different parts of the brain. Happiness depends on which way the emotional winds are blowing at the moment. Joy is more deeply rooted than that. Joy also dissipates over time and has to be replenished. Of course the Disney Pixar movie Inside Out helped as Joy was at the forefront as heroine of the movie's theme and focus. Joy became more real in the grace of a second relationship and commitment in marriage to Camille. And today I am mining the literature as well as my heart as to what taking delight in means. Joy and delight are akin. Joy and delight result in a deep sense of satisfaction. They involve spontaneity, improvisation. No wonder this early on introvert found great satisfaction in puns, those word jokes learned while practicing over a two year period of time for the National Spelling Bee. I also learnd from Anne that puns and jokes can hurt, so I had to tone down my spontaneity in that area and reflect before I go splashing my word tricks on someone else. This takes me back to the seed planting of this journey when I read Stephen Shoemaker's sermon about contentment which as I've discovered, is a part of joy and delight. Stephen wrote about Psalm 131:2 -But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. (NIV) So what does this have to do with my life's focus now in working toward the healing of trauma through a ministry of the church? Abuse and trauma rob God's creatures of joy and delight that are born in the innocence of childhood, and even that of adulthood. The Good News, Banner Headlines, are that there is hope and healing even from the most brutal abuse or neglect! And a vital, living, renewed, refreshed relationship with God through Jesus Christ can bring that to re-fruition in a person's hear that has been shattered by the brokenness of abuse and neglect. For some of you today, all you can feel is the darkness you were plunged into at a veyt early age, or maybe, recently. Let me say with Psalm 30:4b - "...weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Wake up with me this day and find and experience joy. The Father has left that gift next to your bedside, ready for you to be dressed in it this day. Feel the warmth and clean scent of joy and delight wash over you as He clothes you in his righteousness. Let's rejoice! And, again, I say (along with the apostle Paul), rejoice! Blessings!

A Change in Direction (Somewhat)

First of all, I want to apologize for being away from The Epiphany Engineering Company for a long time since 2013. A lot has happened since then. Anne, my beloved wife of 42 years died in 2016. I retired from the Dallas ISD teaching at Spruce HS the next year. In 2019 while at the Texas Baptist Convention in Waco, TX, I reconnected with a long time ministry friend, Camille Simmons. I had met Camille in San Antonio 1n 1993 while doing a Story Listening Evangelism training event for the San Antonio Baptist Association, where Camille was Coordinator of Ministries for 16 years. After that three minute chance meeting in the hall of the Waco Convention Center, we began to talk ministry business over the phone two days a week. That turned into multiple times, daily, even after midnight. September 5, 2020, God's grace brought us together in marriage and a joy filled new chapter for each of us began. Both of us had recently known the painful loss of a spouse. For nearly 18 years I have also worked in the field of trauma, as an educator, author, and presenter. Camille shares in this calling with her own national prayer ministry for parents of small children. Here is the change in direction: Shortly I will launch podcasts aimed at helping both survivors of trauma as well as the Courageous Christians who answer the call to minister to those who have been abused and traumatized in the their lifetimes. This will be addressed to each group separately. I will continue to use and build the Trauma Ministry website: www.traumaministry.net. AND I will devote The Epiphany Engineering Company to talking about all things trauma. The blog will continue to include my work with Story Listening Evangelism which is a critical component of healing with trauma survviors as well as a critical tool for listening for those Courageous Christians who will be called to Trauma Ministry where they will be trained, equipped and, supported to increase their resiliency and capacity to enter into the pain of the stories and lives of trauma survivors. A long time ago when the modern missionary movement was launched, one person said, "I'll go down, if someone holds the rope." We may not live in an age of deep mining from which that metaphor came, but The Epiphany Engineering Company, Trauma Ministry, and every breath I take will be to hold the rope as Courageous Christians minister to Trauma Survivors and as Trauma Survivors have the courage to break their silences and enter into a world of care and healing for their brokenness. And for Trauma Survivors who have so longed to be seen, heard, known, and understood, Trauma Ministry will attempt to connectyou to a Courageous Christian who knows just how to listen to you, no matter what, so you will be, once again, seen, heard, known, and understood! So hang on for more guidance in the Change in Direction! Blessings! Erenst Izard PhD epizard@verizon.net