Busy is a choice. Stress is a choice. Joy is a choice. Choose well. Ann Voskamp Choose Joy. Repeatedly, if necessary. Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. Henri Nouwen Joy is found in God. Remaining near the source is vital to Joy. “Joy…
Category: Christmas
Joy is a Gift
Joy is the true gift of Christmas… Pope Benedict XVI God, Who is Joy Himself, is the Giver and Source of Joy. Isaiah wrote, To all who mourn in Israel he will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. Isaiah 61:3a Living Bible He gives Joy in His presence: You…
What is Joy?
We sing “Joy to the World!” And “How Great Our Joy.” But what is Joy, and how can we have it, especially right now, with pain, fear and tragedy everywhere? Merriam-Webster defines Joy as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” But emotions fluctuate…
Christmas Joy
Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts.Joan Winmill Brown The third candle of Advent is the Candle of Joy. Advent, meaning “Coming,” is a time of expectant waiting and preparation. Anticipating and preparing – for Joy and with Joy. Indeed, Joy overflows the narrative. Gabriel tells Zechariah, “Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you…
Prayer of Faith
When Faith Stumbles
God is working things out for you, even if you don’t feel it. Have faith and be thankful. Where faith and hope grows, miracles blossom. Unknown Faith lives and grows, strengthened by obedience, action, and overcoming. But even the strongest of faiths will be tested and can falter. Consider the Apostle Peter. Just before His arrest,…
Faith Overcomes
Overcoming obstacles starts with a positive attitude and faith that God will see you through. (unknown) (Mark 2: 1-12 New Living Translation) When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more…
Faith is Action
Faith is not what you believe; it’s believing enough to act on it. It’s an action word. In the Torah, faith in God means trust, not belief in particular propositions. Dr. Menachem Kellner As they went a woman who wanted to be healed came up behind and touched him, for she had been slowly bleeding…
Faith is Obedience
Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it…
Faith Defined
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. Hebrews 11:1-2 Living Bible Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines faith as “unquestioning belief that does not require proof…