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Count It All Joy


Every year we come to the special season when we give thanks. We share gifts. 
We bake sweet treats. We simply love and have compassion on those who are less fortunate. 
I would be lying to you if I said I did not enjoy receiving because we all take pleasure in opening a gift or getting a compliment.

However.... How much better does it feel to give those gifts and compliments ? It is truly rewarding!

When we say Jesus is the reason  for the season, we mean more than 
"it's the time we celebrate His birth." 

It means; this is a special time for us to let His light shine. 
It's a time for us to give without expectation of receiving. 
It's a time to spread his love & cheer. 
Many times a simple act of kindness is all a person needs to open their heart to God.


Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV)

There is perhaps no time we should be more diligent to wear the "Garment of Giving" than at Christmas time.

It's a time when husbands and wives give to each other. 
Parents give to their children. 
The blessed give to the unfortunate. 
The believers give to the lord. 

We capture this so perfectly when we sing "Joy To The World" because God cheerfully gave it brought Joy & Peace to the world.

There is no greater honor than to wear this garment of giving... It is definitely more blessed to give than to receive.

"Christmas waves a magic wand over the world and behold everything is softer and more beautiful" -Norman Vincent Peale

I recently started reading a book "Choose Joy Because Happiness Isn't Enough". If you can wrap your mind around this concept, it truly is a wonderful way to live!

Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.

Most of us walk through life content to be happy and live by the standard of 
"I'd be happy to get through this day."

What if we chose JOY instead and walked through life with the attitude of:
"No matter what tomorrow brings I will be joyful for the blessings I have."

The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keep out joy.

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:38 KJV)

"Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. We cannot avoid pain but we can avoid joy." -Tim Hansel

We can't control how people treat us or how they make us feel but we can control our actions and how we react to a situation.

Sometimes, as unfortunate as it may be we have to remove people from our life because their actions constantly hurt us. It's often hard to express how another person makes you feel and them receive it the way you imagine them to.

However, James 1:2 tells us 
"When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy."

I could tell you that I'm a Pastors Wife and a mom so I have it all together but the honest truth is that I still have moments of self-doubt and extremely low confidence so I need extra reassurance in times of trouble that I'm going to be ok and joyful!

I'm not that different from you. I am human and I always rely on God in every issue but what we must remember during this busy season is, Jesus is the reason for the season and he is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

The bottom line is Joy is a choice!
So you see... It's up to you!! 

There is an old song:

"No matter what you're going through or what we have in store, I will praise the Lord."


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