JOY:

Joy. I really think that joy is something God has been trying to teach me lately. I would read about joy in the Bible and now I'm reading about being happy in a Christian book. And it's something I really need to work 

on. 

The Bible says in Nehemiah 8:10 KJV, ...for the joy of the Lord is your strength...Even if everything around us is unpleasant and out of order we have the Lord living in us and He is our strength! Hallelujah!

I've recently started reading Sadie Robertson's book "Live Original"-which by the way is really great and such a blessing and encouragement. And I'm only in the first chapter.😊😊😊-and in the chapter entitled "Think Happy, Be Happy", she talks about, of course, being happy.😉😉😊😊 She talks about choosing happiness and about thinking happy things. And how what you think will become your actions.

So my friends, this is my challenge for us all today. Let's choose Joy. Yes, things are going to go wrong. Yes, things are going to get us upset. But let's call the devils bluff and choose to be joyful.

You may have a certain thing that you have to do that makes you get stressed and very snappy. For instance, when I clean and do a lot of chores I have the tendency to get stressed out, snappy, and very-very-very-overwhelmed. But instead of me being so grumpy about all these chores, I can be grateful I have the ability to do them. Lot's of people have handicaps and can't do chores, I'm a perfectly healthy teenage girl-Praise God-and am PERFECTLY able to do these chores. Maybe you have a similar something in your life that makes you get frustrated and all upset. You could choose to be joyful and look on the bright side of it!

And something else Sadie says, and a lot of people, is that stuff and people won't fulfill us or make us happy. Only Jesus can.

So let's choose to rest in the Joy of Jesus! And that's TRUE Joy!

We have a Savior living on the inside of us!! A Savior who loves us and died for us! A Savior that's always there for us and will help us get through anything! A Savior that Gives us true peace!  We have a God that created the whole universe yet loves us and calls us His Children! And all that is something to be joyful about even when there's a whirlwind in our lives. 

And if you don't have Jesus as your Savior, ask Him into your heart! Accept Him as your Lord and Savior! Knowing He loves YOU so very much and died for YOU! God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for YOU so YOU could be forgiven and live a rich and abundant life in Jesus Christ! He loves YOU and wants YOU! 

Wow ya'll!! We do have so much to be joyful about! So let's choose joy! Let's strive in every situation to be joyful.

Remember: "The joy of the Lord is your strength" and that my friend, is Amazing!!

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Psalm 28:7 KJV