Thursday’s Joy . . .

Resting in God’s Gift of Joy 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus . . . 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

Thoughts for today & tomorrow . . .  

Joy and peace are the beauty of life . . . sunshine, the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of friends, warmth, hugs, rest, laughter, music, poetry . . . the list goes on and on. Each of these, when really experienced can touch the heart and soul and let you rest in the glowing warmth of the joy that can be found here.  

Start the day resting in the Lord . . . when you rise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life, for
your energy and excitement to welcome the day. Give thanks for the joy of the Lord that feeds your heart and soul
with the strength to experience living today.

It is a choice . . . today choose life! Every morning when you wake up you can choose joy, happiness, love, or negativity, anger, pain. It’s okay to make mistakes, be sad, mess up choices . . . it happens . . . quit being so hard on yourself and today choose to feel God in your heart. . . choose to feel life and living in God’s presence . . . choose to listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit guiding you to joy. 

There are some things, some people, and some circumstances we just cannot control . . . but we can always choose
to follow Christ, have faith in Him, and know that He is with us on our life journey . . . that we can trust and believe in Him! 

It’s not about what we don’t have at Christmas . . . it’s about what we are given in the birth of our Savior . . . Christmas
is the reminder of that gift of everlasting life and unconditional love that comes with the birth of the Child. The
darkness will not overcome the Light that is Christ. Remember, you can find that knowledge, strength, and assurance
in God’s word.

The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace . . . Psalm 29:11 

When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy . . . Psalm 94:19
 

Reflections of Joy . . .  

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice . . . Philippians 4:4 

Through the bible and the world around us, through His Word and work. we see and can rest assured in the beauty
of Jesus and the joy He brings. It is also important not only to read God’s Word, but spend time reflecting on Scripture, study it, and internalize it. 

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and
that your joy may be complete . . . John 15:11 

Today, spend some time contemplating the phrases “so that my joy may be in you” and “that your joy may be complete.” How do each of these speak to you? . . . to your heart and soul? 

Copy the phrases down on an index card, journal, or other piece of paper. Underline the words that are most important to you. Doodle around them, copy over them. Let your heart answer what your mind needs to understand. Can you see Jesus in His words? Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes. 

Remember to pray . . .  

“Light shines on the godly,
and joy on those whose hearts are right” . . . Psalm 97:11 

When life’s journey gets a little rocky remember to talk with God. It doesn’t have to be a formal or fancy prayer . . .
it doesn’t have to be perfect or even make sense . . . God knows what you need—He just wants to hear it from you.  

Try turning your palms upward and imagine catching cleansing, falling rain drops in your hands. Let the water wash
the dust and dirt away, allowing the joy to come to the surface of your life again. 

The reality of joy, choosing to live a joy-filled life, is how you get closer to God, with more kindness, more gentleness, more joy, more peace, more patience.  

Are you ready to live with joy in your heart? 

Prayer is a direct line to God. It develops a relationship with our living Father that last a lifetime and beyond. Prayer
can change you in ways that were never thought possible. Pray now, for wisdom and understanding, and for God to
lift your heart and fill it with unspeakable joy.  

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.
For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold . . . Proverbs 3:13-14 

Resting in God’s Gift of Joy through the Kaleidoscope . . .  

As you “see” the prismatic movement of the kaleidoscope dancing in front of your eyes today, watch the soft movements filled with colors and hues, outlines and shapes. The movement provides a pleasing, relaxing focus that takes you away from the outside world for a few moments. Rest here. 

As we see Jesus at Christmas, we know the gift that God is bringing, and we can feel excitement and joy. Joy at the coming of Christ will override all other emotions.  

Jesus, God in the flesh, came down from heaven to all sinful mankind, to pay for all of our sins on a cross, and repair
our broken relationship with God . . . bringing us in right standing with God so we can live eternally with Him in heaven.   

We just have to believe in Jesus and His saving work with our whole hearts. Oh, what joy!!  

Rest in God’s Gift of The Light . . . Choose Joy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVEUl3z31BU