Thread by @GregoryHStrong

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. #SlateSpeak

God's peace and blessings friends. Welcome to #Slatespeak. We're a community within @TheSlateProject that meets every Thursday evening at 9 pm. Thanks for being here!

#SlateSpeak is a progressive Christian forum where faith & everyday life meet in an explosion of awesome conversation. You can follow the conversation using tweetchat.com, twubs.com, or tweetdeck.com, to enhance your #SlateSpeak experience.

We do not automatically agree with everything that we read. #SlateSpeak is a safe space for critiques & challenges. We do not shame or blame each other here. We respect each other's experiences and hold space for each other's truths.

It is totally acceptable to follow along silently. #SlateSpeak -ers call it "lurking". If you have a question, feel free to ask it! We are a friendly bunch. #SlateSpeak welcomes people of all faiths, no faith, and those who negotiate in and between all of the above.

#SlateSpeak truly welcomes you in. All of you. Come. You'll see that each post uses the hashtag #SlateSpeak. We encourage you to include it in your responses, comments, and questions.

It keeps the conversation together and affords everyone the ability to follow along in real time, and during the coming days ahead. And don't worry if you forget. #SlateSpeak is a dynamic conversation, always changing and evolving. So, here we go!

Let’s get this evening started with an ancient Celtic blessing (according to “The Internet”). A prayer for happiness and joy. #SlateSpeak

May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
Amen. #SlateSpeak

All right, let do a round of introductions and an icebreaker! Tell us your name if you’re safe doing so, pronouns you prefer, and if you could choose a single superpower, what would it be and why?. #SlateSpeak

I’m Gregory (call me Greg) Strong. He/his. I would love to be able to fly like a superhero (not like a bird). I’d look for wrongdoers and swoop in to carry off those they oppress. (I can fly, but I’m not a fist fighter) #SlateSpeak

Here we go! Last week @rozellahw deftly led us through a discussion on dying, death, and grief. This week, I’m hoping we can talk about another facet of our wild and crazy lives. Joy. Happiness. Bliss. Whatever you call the thing that makes you smile or LOL. #SlateSpeak

For the record, I lose sight of the happiness my life affords me all too quickly. In fact, I often think I have not so much to be happy about which for me is not the case. For some reason, that thinking is easier than thinking about the joys. #SlateSpeak

I know that this topic too, can be trying for some, so peace be upon you if you have to go. If you’re in a place of unhappiness for whatever reason, you care for you. We’re here now if you can stay, and the #SlateSpeak convo lives on forever when you’re ready.

Questions (Topics) will be prefaced with Q/T1, Q/T2, etc. You can keep your responses or comments organized by prefacing them with A1, A2, and so forth. You can reply or retweet with comment. Your choice! And don’t forget the #SlateSpeak hashtag!

I will attempt to keep my main conversation properly threaded. I did a decent job last night in our last week of #FallingUpward on #SlateReads (Wednesdays 9 pm ET) #ShamelessPlug so there’s hope. #SlateSpeak

T1: How do you define happiness or joy? What is it? #SlateSpeak

I'm borrowing some of the frame of this convo from last week. If it looks similar. #SlateSpeak

You all are amazing! #SlateSpeak

T2: Do you experience your joys as something that appears/comes to you, or are they something sought out or stumbled over? #SlateSpeak

One of the pitfalls, and don't let this stop you, of leading these talks is that you get taken out of the stream a bit. So much flowing by I might need to take a day off! #SlateSpeak #Joy

T3: Does the way we live or how we experience others dictate the level of happiness (or lack of it) in our lives? #SlateSpeak

I'm juggling Twitter app, Tweetdeck, and my phone. I've said it before. Tweetdeck needs native gifs and emoji!

And I caught myself tweet watching! #SlateSpeak

T4: Do you profess your happiness, or keep it “put away” as private?

I'm not the outgoing type. More likely to slide around the outside, if you will. I can feel like my happiness is at the expense of someone else's pain or suffering. Anyone? #SlateSpeak

T5: Are there images, songs, or movies that take you to “your happy place”?

And just like that, we're into the last 10 minutes! Each of you has blessed us with so much wisdom! #SlateSpeak

T6: (Last One) What scriptures or inspired writings do you turn to or recommend for lifting people toward happiness? #SlateReads

The hour is at hand... Relax, that’s not MY superpower. Let us close with a Prayer. #SlateSpeak

Creator of All, we rejoice in Your wisdom and strength and thank You for being an ever-present help in time of need. We ask that You would send us out from this place with a joyful expectation of what You’re Love means in each of our lives. #SlateSpeak

Mother God, we invite You to remain close to us in the days that lie ahead. #SlateSpeak

May the Spirit bless us and keep us as we draw closer to Jesus - and we pray that He would fill our hearts with love and joy, and keep us rejoicing in You and in the power of your Love, so that we may be strengthened and equipped to do Your service. Amen. #SlateSpeak

Thanks to everyone here in real time this evening, and to all future travelers through this conversation we’re having. Next week we’ll be here again, working things out. Stay tuned to #SlateSpeak and @TheSlateProject

Peace be with you! Goodnight! #SlateSpeak

I'm tired friends. I'll catch up to you all tomorrow. Have a blessed night! #SlateSpeak

Hi @threadreaderapp unroll please