Joy to the World

What makes us all so much more joyful this time of year than any other time? Could it be that the angel's message to the shepherds holds true today? "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of GREAT JOY!" The good news. Christ is that good news that no matter how dismal everything around us might be..,,there is always GOOD NEWS of great joy that can change everything for us.

Yesterday was my girl's birthday and it was packed full of JOY! After a precious time of birthday celebration and gift-giving -- which of itself was full of joy because of our Lexi. She had a huge, heavy bag and said as she gave it to her mother....."I know it looks like Easter threw up on it! (Meaning the colored flowers and tissue which she found that could hold all her treasures.) Staci pulled out a stuffed bunny and Israel flags and kleenexes because she knew us -- that before the day was over, we'd be crying tears of joy. Lexi said, "I needed to add a few things to weight it down." And she had other items of her own as well as a couple of things she had borrowed from her mother, and used this birthday opportunity to return them all wrapped up. She actually did have some really great real gift items at the bottom of her "Easter" bag, but the journey getting to them was, to say the least, tear-making hilarious. Yes, we were joy-filled!

We girls saw where Elevate Life Church had posted on Instagram "FREE Women's t-shirts for women who came into their bookstore and said the word "JOY". In our usual style and form, we went in singing "Joy to the World"! No, we just don't roll with a simple "JOY" -- it's gotta' be "Good tidings of GREAT JOY!

Later, we went to Cracker Barrel for lunch and, lo and behold, a youth choir from LoveJOY, Texas came in and seranaded the dinner guests with "Joy to the World" and other carols. Of course, we thought it was just for us, but since there were other customers there with us, we let them enjoy themselves as well. ;-)

Back to my first paragraph here in today's post. Great joy!! What is that joy that the angel was talking about? Let’s seriously consider that Christmas night over 2,000 years ago. It was pre-electricity era – can you imagine the terror the shepherds experienced when the dark skies became brilliant as the angel appeared to them? But the angel gave them solace when he said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY that will be for all the people."(Luke 2:10). Those terrifying moments were replaced with good news and great joy. The first words the angel spoke were words of comfort and words of command: "Do not be afraid."

“The Bible tells us in Psalm 16:11 that ‘In His presence is fullness of joy.’ If we want joy in our life, we need to revisit the Nativity scene and realize that's where God's presence was experienced in the form of that tiny baby boy. And, I'm here to tell you today, He is now a grown-up boy -- a King -- that, daily, we can experience His presence and know that GREAT JOY! We can experience it at a birthday party or a busy restaurant. We can experience it when facing a crisis or a disappointment. Joy isn't the same as happiness. Happiness is based on those ooey, gooey feelings when everything is going right. But JOY is based on the CONSTANT of He Who lives big within us. He is that GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY and when we sing those words "Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room......" That's the key....preparing room for Him inside to be the joy-giver, and peace-maker

Sincerely, God wants us to GET IT – about why He sent His Son Jesus -- the good tidings of great joy which is for all people. “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy!” I give you Jesus.

Making Room for Him

These photo inspirations are from the beautiful Advent by Candlelight at St. Benedict's Church in Broken Arrow where I was so honored to speak at last night. Slowing down from our busy schedules and activities, to purposefully STOP the hustle and bustle to "nest" in God's presence most certainly gives us the perspective of what this Advent season is really all about.

Obviously, candles and their glowing lights are abundant at an Advent by Candlelight. Each table hostess adorns HER table with her own china and place settings, as well as the focal point of the table -- her specially designed centerpiece and trimmings. You can see the intricacy of the details with the sole purpose of pointing us to He Who is the reason for this beautiful season. And, if the tables aren't enough to take our breath away, the hostess serves lovely desserts and provides little gifts for her table guests. While we're treated like royalty, it really is all about our KING, but since we're His daughters.....of course we get the ROYAL treatment.

Sunday began the Advent season which refers to the four weeks before Christmas when we celebrate Christ's arrival to planet earth.
The word "advent" means a coming or arrival, especially of something or someone extremely important. It's when we reflect on God's promises and prophecies to His people. And, it's a time of preparing our hearts in anticipation of the special day when we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior. While enjoying the festivities -- sleigh bells, carols, chestnuts roasting, reindeer movies, parties, visits to see Santa, baking Christmas goodies, gift giving --pondering ADVENT, keeps us remembering that there is such greater reasons for this glorious season. It's about a better day, a better life, it's about HOPE.

My message to the ladies revolved around the Nativity scene. If we look closely at a Nativity scene, we'd see far more than the angels, shepherds, wise man. the animals, the manger, Joseph, Mary and the baby. We'd see and realize that the Nativity scene is an explosion of worship. The angels are worshipping from above, the wise men, with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh are bending low to worship, the shepherds are worshipping.

Advent is about worshipping He who is worthy of all worship and praise. Before His crown, there was a cross and before the cross was a manger and before the manger was a seed. He who left heaven's glory to come to earth was planted in Mary's womb as a seed. He came to you and me to prove His unfathomable and indescribable love to say "I understand you". A baby crying because his diapers are wet -- Jesus says "I understand. I was once a baby." The young child who is restless in church -- Jesus says, "I understand. I, too, knew what it was like to listen to my rabbi in Nazareth to go on and on." The teenager -- nobody understands teenagers -- but Jesus says, "I understand. I was a teenager." The young person who is faced daily with temptation and sin. Jesus says, "I understand. I was tempted in all points as you have been, yet I did not sin." The one who feels rejected, unloved, lied about -- Jesus says, "I understand. I was rejected and despised by men. And what could we possibly do to show our gratitude? We, too, can be worshippers of THE ONE, who is altogether worthy of our greatest praise and worship. Joy to the world. The Lord is come. Let EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM....and heaven and nature sing....and you and I sing.

I pray that we become true worshippers during this Advent season and beyond -- that we come to realize that HE UNDERSTANDS us because He became one of us.