A friend of ours has just came out with a new book – you see it pictured above in this post. It’s called The Joy Switch by Chris Coursey, published by Northfield Publishing.
It’s a short read – only 165 pages – but chock full of great stuff that’s very applicable to your personal life and relationships.
For example, how do you assess when you are in relational mode or not? Use the acronym CAKE. These 4 things help you determine when you’re ON or OFF. Here are some quotes from the book on page 66 about that:
C – Curiosity – ON: I feel curious about what people are thinking and feeling. OFF: I Don’t feel curious about what people are thinking and feeling, nor do I want to or care.
A – Appreciation – ON: I can feel appreciation in my thought and my body. I remember what I feel thankful for (gratitude), and I feel appreciation for the things-people-moments I enjoy. OFF: I feel resentment. I do not feel appreciation or gratitude, nor do I want to. I am focused on what bothers, annoys, hurts, tempts or frustrates me.
K – Kindness – ON: I can feel kind and stay tender toward others right now. OFF: I would rather win and get what I want in this moment. I don’t care how I come across to others. I have no desire to be kind.
E – Eye Contact – ON: I look other people in the eye. OFF:I have no desire to look people in the eye. I avoid eye contact.
I don’t know about you, but relationships are very, very important to me. Having something like this to help me assess whether or not I am in relational mode is very helpful. I can remember CAKE!
The theme of the book can be summed up with the acronym CARS. It spends several chapters elaborating on how to turn on the Joy Switch, combining neuroscience, sound psychology and sound theology for a potent combo. CARS stand for Curiosity, Appreciation, Rest and Shalom-My-Body. You’ll have to read the book to find out all about it!
The verse of Scripture that comes to mind is known as The Great Commandment:
…’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Luke 10:27 NLT
This is what’s on my heart today. I wanted to give you something to help you increase your love for God and people so you can fulfill The Great Commandment in your relationships day by day.
With love and prayers,
Terri
