scott stonehouse

Would you like to love your life? I have a simple recipe.

Disclaimer: This is not a trick. This is not magic. It actually works if you follow the recipe.

Our lives are made up of years, which are made up of months, which are made up of weeks, which are made up of days, which are made up of moments.

The recipe calls for having a few moments each day that you love.

They could be moments of joy, purpose, community, or gratitude, for example.

Non-stop entertainment or unending joy are not required for the recipe to work.

Hard things, hurts, and tears can be included and the recipe will still work as long as you include some meaningful moments each day.

You only need a handful of bright spots each day.

If you have moments that you love each day, you will love your days.

If you consistently love your days, then you will love your weeks, months, years, and your life.

Does that sound too simple?

I think it is simple, but that doesn’t make it easy.

But it can be easy (or easier) because we can make the moments we love easy (or easier). We can find, design, and cultivate small, simple, easy moments that we love.

Although big, expensive, unique, complicated moments can be included in the recipe periodically, they aren’t required. In fact, the easiest way to mess up and ruin the recipe is to think that you need more of the big, extravagant moments.

The recipe is built around small, simple, easy moments.

In the morning: a good work out, a hot towel after my shower, a peaceful time of prayer and reading my Bible, visiting my parents.

During the day: a walk at lunch, a talk with a friend, working on a project that helps and serves others.

In the evening: watching football and eating queso with my wife, reading, dinner with friends, talking with our kids, visiting someone in the hospital.

Some of the moments are regular. Some are not.

These are some examples of small, simple, easy building blocks that I love. Building blocks that I can intentionally plan in my day so I will love my day. And when done consistently, I love my days and weeks and months and years and my life.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t without its difficulties and discouragements. I have those, too. But even on hard days, there are often good moments sprinkled throughout the day.

What are some examples of moments of joy, purpose, community, or gratitude that you can plan into your day tomorrow?