The Joyous Spirit of the Season

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Can you believe that Thanksgiving is already past and Christmas is around the corner!  With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we’d better drink lots of Joy Juice to keep us in the “spirit of the season”.

             It’s true that many of us miss “the spirit of the season”! Stores started weeks ago pulling out their Christmas decorations and filling the shelves for early shoppers.  We may have already begun making our lists and agonizing over what to get our family members this year.  How many of us have already marked our calendars with numerous Christmas parties, dinners, programs and events? And that’s not even to mention trying to plan with our loved ones when and where to meet for family time during the holidays.

           And then there’s decorating our house, making Christmas candy for the neighbors, practicing for the church Christmas program, attending the school Christmas sing-a-long and the community Christmas parade.  Are you tired yet….and it’s just the first Monday in December!  Let’s take a big swig of Joy Juice and think about this for a minute.

         What is this season all about?  To see how much “busyness” we can pack into the month? Or is it about experiencing the JOY of Jesus?  Let’s remember that we would have no reason to celebrate if it were not for the birth of Christ.    Why don’t we make a conscious effort to truly enjoy Christmas this year? The angel said it best in Luke 2:10: “I bring you good tidings of great joy that will be for all people!”

May the “tidings of joy” radiate from each of us as we share the JOY of Jesus in celebration of His birth.

May Every Day Be "THANKS-giving" Day

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Even if you ate a big Thanksgiving meal yesterday, there’s always room for JOY JUICE!

            Most of us probably did eat too much yesterday….turkey and dressing and all the trimmings.  But we must remember that there are many hungry people in our world.  If we are ones who are blessed with plenty of food, then we should not take that for granted. Be thankful and take advantage of any opportunity to share your blessings with those who don’t have enough.

             When Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States of America in 1863, he declared the last Thursday of November Thanksgiving Day. Every president since Lincoln has also declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.  But should we wait for the fourth Thursday in November every year to express our thanks?  It should be a constant condition of the heart. And from our thankful heart should flow a need to help and serve others.

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) says:

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

            May we focus on our blessings; be thankful for what we have received and look for doors of opportunity to open for us to serve others in various ways.  This is the way to genuine joy in the Lord.  Spread His love with a grateful, joyful heart.

            Let’s make every day a joyful, “Thanks-giving” day!  

 

Give Thanks and Be Joyful

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Happy Thanksgiving!  Are you serving lots of JOY JUICE at your Thanksgiving feast?

            For a day that is unforgettable, greet your guests…whether family or friends…with a heart of gratitude.  Though many of us will be busy cooking, serving and entertaining, we can still demonstrate an attitude of gratitude. 

            Instead of getting stressed about all we have to do (like poor Martha did in Luke 10), let’s take a cue from her sister, Mary, and concentrate on what is most important….sitting at the feet of Jesus!  He said that Mary had chosen what was better. Regardless of how we are spending Thanksgiving Day, whether we are alone or have a houseful of company, we can each make a decision to “choose what is better”.

            Read Psalm 100 aloud:

            “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

            Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

            Now, don’t you feel better starting the day with God’s Word?  It’s up to you to whisper your personal prayer of thanksgiving. Make sure it overflows with JOY!

Serve up some sweet Joy Juice at your Thanksgiving feast, whether it’s to a table full of people or your individual serving. Give thanks and be joyful.

 

Leap for Joy with Gratitude

        Have you had your Joy Juice today?  This is the day before Thanksgiving.  Time to take care of all those last minute details to make sure you’re ready for the big day! Make sure your pantry is filled with JOY JUICE!

            Many of us are looking forward to family coming in for the holidays.  We’ll be busy, busy, busy with grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, getting ready for our guests.  But let’s not let our busyness overshadow the reason for the holiday.  Why not slow down a little just a bit and take time to count our blessings?  There is an old hymn that I can remember singing countless times that tells us to “Count your many blessings, name them one by one…and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

            When we stay too busy to recognize all that God has done and is doing in our lives, then we are TOO BUSY!  May I suggest that as we go about our day today, that we take a few minutes to meditate on the goodness of God? Let’s go to the book of Psalms and read some of the beautiful verses that were penned by men who loved God.  They will remind us to be thankful.  Psalm 28:7 says “My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”

            Take time to thank God for your blessings…and ask Him for an extra serving of energy and stamina as you face the busyness of the next few days. Let’s not get so busy that we forget to GIVE THANKS and allow our hearts to leap to for joy in gratitude and praise to God.

Get ready for a joyfully blessed Thanksgiving Day by making the right kind of preparations today!  

 

Count Your Blessings of Joy

                        Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  This week of Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to keep plenty of Joy Juice within easy reach!

            We all have so much for which to be thankful, don’t we?  If each of us would write down our blessings, the list would be endless.  Begin right now mentally noting some of those things for which you feel blessed and are grateful.  It might be:

·        Family

·        Friends

·        a home

·        good health

·        grandchildren

·        a wonderful church family

·        a job you enjoy

  The list could go on and on.

            We are blessed! But…… do we take these things for granted?  OR are we genuinely thankful? How often do you find yourself expressing your gratitude?  Psalm 100 is a psalm of thanksgiving. The Psalmist tells us to “Shout with joy to the Lord.”  I must confess that I don’t even whisper my gratitude many times….much less shout. How about you?

            This Thanksgiving, let’s be intentional about expressing our thanks to our Father in Heaven, Who is the giver of all good things.  Let’s thank Him for His goodness and His faithfulness.  A grateful heart is a JOYful heart.  So, give a “joyful shoutout” to the Lord!  After all, that’s what this season is about!

Count your blessings, focus on the outpouring of God’s love and enjoy this Thanksgiving with a renewed, grateful heart!  

 

           

"I Thank My God" with Joy!

             Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  As we begin week of Thanksgiving, let’s make sure we are drinking our Joy Juice faithfully so that our hearts will overflow with gratitude.

            It’s kinda like the question: Which comes first…the chicken or the egg?  Are we thankful because we’re joyful….or are we joyful because we’re thankful?

            Genuine joy comes from having a thankful heart—being appreciative for the things that we have, instead of focusing on what we don’t have. Joy comes from being satisfied and content with what God has blessed us with, instead of being jealous of the things someone else possesses. There will always be those who have more than we do….materially.  But is that really what’s important?   Let’s take a lesson from Paul.

            He begins his letter to the Philippians with thanks.  Though he wrote this letter from a prison cell, just listen to his joyful words: “I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy……”

             Could you pray with joy if you were in a prison cell?  Paul could because he realized that he had what was important…a relationship with Christ.  Is Jesus that important to you?  So important so that you can look beyond your circumstances and remain thankful…regardless. 

           

            Like Paul, let’s thank God, pray with JOY and get ready for a blessed Thanksgiving.

Forget the Past; Run Toward Joy

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  I think the Apostle Paul drank lots of Joy Juice.  He knew he needed it for the race that was before him.

            In Philippians 3:13-14, we learn how Paul could remain so joyful. He was determined to drink his Joy Juice faithfully.  Listen to what he said: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

            Do you understand what Paul was trying to say? All of us have a past. We’ve  done things we are ashamed of and wish we could “do over”. But we don’t have to be  defeated. Christ has given us hope.  Paul tells us that we should repent and put our past behind us. God can make us into a new creation.   

          One Bible scholar says, “Don’t dwell on the past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with him NOW.  Realize that you are forgiven and then move on to a life of faith and obedience.  Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of your hope in Christ.”

            Put your running shoes on and don’t look back!  Let’s run the marathon together and press on toward the goal for which God has called us. 

            Keep your eyes on the prize and run with joy!