Genuine Christmas Joy

             Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  When the JOY of the Lord is in our heart and thoughts, then we’re on the right track for a blessed Christmas season.

            We know that if we’re not careful, we’ll get caught up in the stresses of the holidays and miss the blessings that God has prepared for us.  Let’s think of how we can prevent some of the stress by examining our priorities. Some things we truly can cut out….and other things we can approach a little differently. Let’s take stock of what we really want for our holiday season and do something about it!

            What’s the most important? 

• The number of Christmas presents under the tree or the quality time spent with our loved ones?
• Is it the amount of money we spend on gifts and decorations or is it the resources we share to help with a real need in someone’s life?
• Do we have to “keep up with the Jones” and give our kids the latest gadgets or fads…or do we value more the time with our children, teaching them about the love and JOY of  Jesus (and celebrating His birth)?

When we take the time to get our priorities straight, we can face the holiday with a renewed love for the Lord and we will see Christmas in a different light.  Godly wisdom will help us to see what’s truly important, and we’ll be “too blessed to be stressed”!

      My prayer is that each of our hearts will be focused on genuine Christmas JOY that comes from the birth of a baby named Jesus. And though he was born in a manger more than 2000 years ago, that joy never grows old.