I'm so glad we got back into it on day 25 --- cause how much do I love talking about joy!? :)
There are so many cool verses about joy, but I think one of the specific ones that sticks out in my mind is how Christ's joy comes with the morning -- each morning.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his
favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the
night, but joy comes with the morning.Psalm 30:5
Several of you have done a Beth Moore study on joy, but to paraphrase, Beth Moore challenges us to remember the phrase "Joy Cometh". This is based on the above verse, that even if we can't feel joy in our current moment, shouldn't it give us even just a little comfort to know that it's coming?? :) I can't even type that without putting the little smiley face after it. It makes me think of people that maybe aren't having the best Christmas season this year-- people who have lost loved ones, people who have lost jobs, people who are alone. It makes me think of the song with the line "tidings of comfort and joy..." Christ's coming to earth at Christmas is where our joy started. His coming is what makes that difference.
I've been really trying to listen to Christmas songs with a mind of worship this year --- the Christmas music is sometimes an admitted form of frustration for me. At my job we have a 'soundtrack' of sorts that is like a 2 hour CD that loops for my entire work day. The Christmas version of this is especially painful. Jessica Simpson singing Baby it's Cold Outside, that's all I'm going to say. ANYWAY.... :) .... I would love for us to find the really cool phrases in our Christmas songs that include joy. I also want us to be thinking about what it is at the holidays that we let steal our joy. If you want to share that's great, or if you want to just think about it that's fine too. What can we do about it??! I'm hoping if we can share with each other we can encourage each other as well.
Hope you all are doing great!! Praying for you!! Beth
PS --- Click here for one of the BEST renditions of Joy to the World...Steph this is for you :)
