Joy to the World!

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!  I realize the Christmas season is "over," but why?  Why not celebrate Christ's birth in our lives every day of the year?  With joy! 

Yesterday we were at a spirit-filled and entertaining show given by Frank Runyeon. He used to be on soap operas of the day and night (i.e. One Life to Live, Falcon Crest, etc).  He talked about the Sermon on the Mount and then went into the messages that we get everyday from the media and society.  For children, it's BUY.  For women it's WEIGHT and looking good.  For men, it's WIN. 

His point was that we think we can find JOY in these, but it doesn't happen.  At least not permanently.  He spoke of his well-to-do son that went to Dominican Republic and seeing children that did not have much material goods, but were so filled with joy.  It reminded both Paul and I have this scene in St. Maarten.


As we were driving the streets of St. Maarten, I saw this house with the two girls playing in the parking lot next door.  I am attracted to colorful houses and doors, but this scene enticed me because the two girls had the same bright colored outfits as their home. 

We stopped, and as I got our of the car with my camera, they saw me and waved at me with these beautiful smiles.  It made me feel as if they knew me.  This was the first picture I took.  They came closer and I took a couple more photos.  The youngest girl has the words "cutie pie" on her shirt and they both were cutie pies!





 
Their home was located on the edge of an industrial area of Phillipsburg, a place that most Americans would consider undesirable for a home.  Yet they walked their dog and played in the rutted parking lot next door and greeted people with huge smiles.  You could tell they knew joy! 
 
The speaker yesterday spoke about our new year and our resolutions.  How many of our resolutions involved giving kindness and love to others?  I have to admit and my blog attests to this that my resolution is all about me and my eating habits, etc.  Thank God, I have time (i.e. I'm still alive) and I can add so worthy resolutions to my new year!
 
I resolve to seek and find ways to give thanks, love, and joy to another person each day.  Thanks for reading my blog, there may only be a couple of you, but your comments are valued.  And knowing you are out there makes me more accountable for my actions.
 

JOY

JOY!

It's a word that we don't use very often in our everyday language. We use the word joy or rejoice often in speaking and singing about Christmas and Easter. Christmas, a time to celebrate Jesus the Messiah's birth and Easter, a time to celebrate Jesus the Christ's resurrection. Joy is not just a word to describe birth or re-birth, it's a word to describe our lives everyday. If we choose to do so. How many of us can say that we live our lives joyfully? It doesn't have to mean giddy, smiley, thrilling or high all the time? But is that not what we often think of when we hear "joy" (i.e. joy ride)?


Joy means "a condition or feeling of high pleasure or delight; happiness; gladness; An expression of manifestation of such feeling." How many of us can say that we live our lives everyday with happiness and gladness? Oh, we all have periods or maybe just moments of joy throughout our day, week, month, or year. Joy is not just a gift of feeling delight, it's an action, an expression of such feeling. How many of our family, friends or co-workers would say about us, "He/She is a delight to be around."?


Living a life of joy does not mean that we will not face obstacles and challenges. However, can we take those obstacles and challenges and convert them into opportunities to share our joy? Sharing is an action, a giving of ourselves... our time, talents and treasures. Why not try to live your life "joyfully" this Christmas? Maybe even into next year? A Joyous Christmas to all!

Joy

Rejoice! Rejoice: To feel or be joyful. To fill with joy, gladden.

Rejoice is a word we associate with Christmas, probably because of time-honored Christian hymns. The word joy is not a common word in today's vocabulary. It means A condition or feeling of high pleasure or delight. Do I experience joy? Do I ever want to say "Rejoice!" Sometimes, but truthfully, seldom do I say or feel it.

Think of the faces of children around this country as they open their gifts from Santa Claus, the surprise at getting something they asked for or maybe something they wanted and didn't expect Santa to bring. The joy is evident on their faces, the huge smiles and hollering whoops of excitement. It can not help but to bring a smile to our faces as we witness or have memories of the rejoicing.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on
his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

The above verses are on my calender for today. It's not verses from Luke as we usually read in correlation with the Christmas story. It is the prediction of the what the Saviour, Jesus Christ would bring to the world. Wonderful counseling, mightiness, everlasting and peace. In those days as now, there was strife and wars in the world and the Prince of Peace was expected, and hoped for, to bring peace to the world. Peace: An absence of war and other hostilities; a freedom from quarrels and disagreement.

Did it happen? Did peace occur, before or after his death? No. Not if we consider peace as being an absence of war and strife. However, if we consider another meaning of peace - Inner contentment; calm; serenity - then Jesus Christ has brought peace to the world of believers! Some would say that the only way to peace is believing and having faith in Jesus Christ.

Another word similar to rejoice is Hallelujah! A word used to express praise or joy. A word that is often associated with Easter and the rising of Christ from death. Words of joy associated with Christ's birth and His arising from death, a re-birth in a sense. A birth of a child brings joyful moments. a culmination of months waiting and preparing for a long-anticipated event. The birth of Christ was a culmination of waiting and preparing for the saviour of the world.

As we age, we sometimes lose the wonder of opening up gifts on Christmas morning. We leave hints and lists for spouses to find and we don't always have that many presents under the tree as we realize that we have so many things already. I knew about all of the gifts for me under the tree except for one. I knew where hubby bought it, but could not think of what it would be other than an article of clothing. So I was surprised to open up the present to reveal a lovely cashmere cardigan sweater. Cashmere has a softness and richness beyond compare. I have been longing to buy a cashmere sweater for quite a while, but could never quite justify spending the extra money. Hubby said, "You deserve a cashmere sweater at this time in your life."

How many of us have the feeling of the softness and richness of Jesus Christ's love and the promise of peace that he makes to us in celebrating His birth and re-birth? What do I deserve at this time of my life?