Personality change

So... I was driving along in my car the other day, and I was thinking about the way I was when I was younger. When I used to go up to anyone and just talk to them. It is supposedly meant be part of my personality.
As I went through... I guess we will call it a "down" period in my life, I became more nervous to talk to people. I even began to avoid people so I didn't have to talk to them. My so called personality, was not holding up to its name.
Because I was not walking with God at that time, I now recognize the Joy that only comes from God. I had lost my joy! Happiness comes and goes, but joy is from the Lord and is ever present, even when you are going through something huge.
The joy of the Lord is your strength. Neh 8:10
Getting that joy back has been a long process, as I have sort God after it.
I can honestly say that the joy of the Lord is my strength, and after it playing such a huge role in who I was, and then walking away from it, is it meant to be this hard to get it completely back again?
The question I have come too is, Have I had a personality change? Is that even possible, or, am I just on a long journey back to wholeness?
Lord, Your joy is what I need to be filled up with every morning before I go into my day. Your joy is my strength, and always will be what i need to make an impact in people.

Amazement

I am continually amazed and blown away by God's Grace, blessings, and kindness. God is always showing me grace, blessing me, and coming through when I get to the end of myself, and it never ceases to blow me away.

I thought to myself the other day... What if I got used to it? What if I began to become complacent with all the things God does for me? What is it that keeps me amazed, and others oblivious?

When you have an open mind and spirit, you begin to see stuff you didn't see before. I know that when I wasn't following God for a while there, I couldn't see the wonderful things He was doing or trying to do, but as soon as I started acknowledging Him again, things that I couldn't see before became so real to me. I started to recognize "good things" for what they really were, Gods Blessings.

Ps 145:3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. This passage proves to me that the Greatness of my God will never stop blowing me away, if I never stop acknowledging things for what they truly are.
Ps 155:2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Surpassing means 'To be beyond the limit, powers, or capacity of; transcend.'

(A smile from God)

Always praise God for things that happen in your life. Anything from a good car park or a good view from your back yard, to the fact that the creator loves you, and gives you salvation (plus all the other cherries on top).