Christmas 2014

This year around Christmas,

I was not feeling so "Christmasy".

The weather had been so hot and dry.

Still the rains did not come.

I am one who loves to decorate my home.

It is so fun to put out all of the Christmas things that remind me 

of home, family, and Christmases past.

This year was a bit different.

I had nothing to use (everything is still in South Africa in storage).

Thankfully, my dear friends at the plant nursery

lent me this 2 foot high tree, which I decorated with handmade things 

(from seed pods found in the bush, toilet paper tubes, 

paint, washi tape, and glitter).

It still didn't feel like Christmas,

until I found the above nativity.

That was what was missing.

I collect nativities, but this one meant alot more to me 

because I had nothing else.

~~~

Over the last few weeks, 

as I have been working on the Christmas program with the children,

the Lord impressed on my heart the grand joy that surrounded 

the birth of the Christ-child.

The shepherds and angels gave glory to God.

The Bible says that even the rocks and hills cry out.

Every week, I would go home after hearing the kids sing-

"Joy to the world,

the Saviour reigns,

let men their songs employ;

while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,

repeat their sounding joy,

repeat their sounding joy,

repeat, repeat their sounding joy,"

I began to listen more closely to the sounds of nature around me.

The bleating of the sheep,

the wind in the trees,

the bird's song,

the tree frogs,...

all repeating the sounding joy of my Saviour!

My Christmas Eve this year was not different

than that night so long ago when the Saviour came to earth.

As I sat around the table with new "Church family & friends",

there were sounds of laughter and joy. 

Conversations of the Lord's goodness to us and our thankfulness for God sending His Son to earth were the praises sounding joy from our lips.

IBC Ladies group singing "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

Christmas Day began with a breakfast with friends

and then we headed over to church for Christmas Service.

After service, we went back to share gifts, eat delicious leftovers, 

and just spend some time together (I even took a nap!).

I hope that you too had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS

filled with joy for the Saviour's birth!

Luke 2:10-11

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, 

I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, 

which is Christ the Lord."

Tidings of Comfort & True Joy

During this Christmas season, I have been learning a lesson about true joy.

The world, things, and people around us sometimes bring us sadness and hurt, but they also bring us happiness.

Did you know, that all of those things fail to give us true joy?

Happiness is a feeling, 

but joy is something that you carry with you

 regardless of things or circumstances.

As I have read through the Christmas story numerous times in the last few weeks,  I cannot help wondering what feelings and emotions 

Mary and Joseph carried with them on that journey to Bethlehem.

 Why would God plan to have them travel so far

 during Mary's 9th month of pregnancy?

When they arrived, there was no welcoming committee, 

not even a bed to lay thier heads on.

Why would God not have planned a better welcoming 

for this virgin to miraculously give birth to the King of Kings?  

Mary might have even wondered what she had done wrong 

to deserve such a lowly time in labor - no midwife to help, 

no family or friends to encourage her on, 

just some smelly animals in a crowded stable.

Things happen in our lives that are out of our control.  

We find ourselves in circumstances where there seems to be no hope, 

but yet God has a plan!

How can I be happy amidst a time where circumstances 

seem to have turned my world upside-down?  

The truth is, I can't be happy.

 BUT I can have JOY!!!

True joy comes from knowing and walking with the Lord.

"Joy to the World" the Savior has come!!!

The other day, I spent some time doing a word study on "joy/rejoicing".

Below are some of the highlights from my study.

There is joy in Salvation-
John 16:22 
"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." 
~ noone can steal the joy that we receive when trusting Christ as Savior.  That joy is constant because we have tasted of the Lord's grace and mercy in not being worthy of Him.

Psalm 13:5 
"But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation."

Psalm 33:21 "For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name."

It is good for me to be joyful -
Psalm 32:11 
"Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all [ye that are] upright in heart."

Psalm 33:1 
"Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: [for] praise is comely for the upright."
~ i like that thought! "praise is comely for the upright".  No matter what happens to me in life, I am not alone.  I am His and He is mine!  I can praise God regardless of hardships, because He loves me, He knows, and He cares!

My daily walk with Him brings joy -
1Chronicles 16:10 "Glory ye in His holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD."

Psalm 40:16
 "Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: let such as love Thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified."

Nehemiah 8:10 "...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
~ This verse is so helpful, because I find that if I put on joy, I have the strength to carry my through the day.  Where does that joy come from?  It comes from the remembering of all that the Lord has done for me, reading His word to remind me, and being faithful where He has placed me.

Witnessing & bearing fruit brings joy -
John 4:36 
"And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."

His provision makes me rejoice -
Deuteronomy 26:11 
"And thou shalt rejoice in every good [thing] which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that [is] among you."
~ He gives me all good things!  What else can I do, but rejoice!!!

Trusing He will be there with me brings me joy -
Psalm 5:11 
"But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in 
Thee."
~If I trust Him, He promises to defend and care for me.  The verse says it wil cause me to shout for joy!

Joel 2:21 
"Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things."

~ I can claim the truth that He will do great things in my life!

1Peter 1:8 
"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [Him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:"
~ My joy & rejoicing is evidence of my faith in His love and care for me.

Joy during trials and adversities-
Psalm 31:7 
"I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast considered my trouble; Thou hast known my soul in adversities;"
~ What s precious verse! He considers my troubles and knows how my soul hurts during adversities. How comforting to know that he cares for me so personally.  When noone else may know the deep hurt of a situtation, my Loving Heavenly Father knows it ALL!

Psalm 51:8 
"Make me to hear joy and gladness; [that] the bones [which] Thou hast broken may rejoice."
~ What a plea, to ask to be made to hear joy and gladness.  I have experienced some deep hurt already in my lifetime.  Some hurt is so deep that you do feel that your bones are broken.  your body feels so sick and weak, you sometimes just wish to give up.  Your hope is like the Psalmist's.  You long to hear the sound of joy again.  When that sounds hit your ears, it lifts your spirit.  God sometimes brings joy into our lives to life our heavy hearts and to relieve our brokeness.

Psalm 63:7
"Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice."
~ His protection makes me rejoice.  Like a bird sheltering her young with strong, protective wings, God is our help and shelter int he time of storm!

Isaiah 61:10 
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels."

Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
~ Persecution or trials may come, but we can rejoicing in knowing that we have a great reward awaiting us!

1Peter 4:13 "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
~ Our own sufferings for the cause of Christ, make us fellow partakers in Christ's sufferings.  I have found that trials and sufferings draw me closer to my precious Lord.

Maybe, you are experiencing some things in your life 

right now that seem to steal your joy.

It is your happiness that is gone, 

but you must remember where true joy comes from.

True Joy comes from God!

When I am feeling weak in joy,

I try to take some extra time to study His Word 

and rest on His promises.

Very soon, you will find that even amidst your trial

God has given you true joy.

"The Joy of the Lord is My Strength"!!!

Joy to the World!

Years ago, I chose the above verse as my life verse.  Ministry has always been dear to my heart.  God has richly blessed, by allowing me to serve Him in ministry over the last 18 years.  

It is not always easy to serve the Lord.  Satan tries His best to distract and detour you from God's perfect plan.  Sometimes you get so busy with the "doing" that you forget God's plan.  Many times a lack of joy follows us into our busy schedules of serving Him.  

As I designed the above bookmarks to send to some kids to remind them to pray for me, I was once again reminded of my life verse.  My desire is for others to see a true joy in my life that only comes from knowing Him.  Sadly, that is not always the case.  Many times my fleshly nature creeps in and I complain, or speak out of a lack of faith in the One who has called me to do His will.  Sometimes my lack of joy also comes from being "weary in well doing".  That is when I really need to rely on the joy that comes from God. 

 Let's see what God's Word tells us about joy.

 Ne 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: 

neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Ps 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.

Ps 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; 

at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

 Hab 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 Lu 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God 

over one sinner that repenteth.

 Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, 

that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

 Joh 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: 

ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

 1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

 3Jo 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

We live in a world without joy, because they do not know our Lord.  

This Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us not forget that He has given that joy to us.  Let us share that joy with others - Joy to the World, the Lord is come! 

(Please read my latest prayer letter on more about the shepherds spreading the joy.)