Oasis Center Faith-base Ministry

These days Labor Day is the unofficial last weekend of the summer filled with BBQs and one last weekend on the river. Usually by this point, many, if not all kids are back in school and summer fun, is at an end. But that isn’t at all what it was meant to be and it has come a long way from its late 19 th  century roots. More than 130 years later there are a lot of lessons we could learn from the history of Labor Day. "While we may not be slaving away 12 hours a day anymore we are seeing labor concerns growing once more."   Labor Day first came into being at the height of the Industrial Revolution, in a time when workers were expected to be in work 12 hours a day, seven days a week and despite restrictions that were supposed to prevent it, you could find children as young as five workings in mills, mines, and factories across the country. The poorest in the country, as well as immigrants, often face unsafe work conditions, didn’t have access to fresh air, and didn’t get breaks.

When the day to day stresses of life start to get to you, and your goals or even happiness seem like they’re miles away, it’s important to remember the joy that can be found in your life every day. So often we associate happiness with big milestones. It can be easy to forget the little joys in life which really make life worth living. But when hope is lost, it isn’t always easy to find that joy.  Thankfully, here at the Oasis Center, we understand the importance of finding joy in the little things.  Here are three ways to immediately bring joy back into your life.    Count Your Blessings When it feels like you are trapped in a rut, and your goals are unobtainable, it’s important to remember what you have in life already. Take some time to count your blessings. This includes everything from your measure of good health, to the warmth of the sun on a warm sunny day. When you take time to count your blessings it becomes easier to find the joy in the little things.   Laugh Laughing is a gre