Title Change

As of 11:00pm tonight,  I've decided to change the name of our blog.  The name itself is nothing snazzy or particularly cute, but the former title was boring.  More importantly, I have been pondering the concept of joy over the last year and this Christmas season I have been moved by the need to find joy.  Not myself, particularly. I "find" joy easily.   Yet, I am struck by the difficulty others have in finding joy and how our society seeks to find joy.   Why does joy seem so illusive to many?
I've decided this year to focus my posts on the things, people, and experiences that cause me to find joy.  Additionally these posts will share times when joy seems more illusive, even to an extreme optimist such as myself.    
So why this year?  Why now?  Yes...Christmas is a motivator.  The contrast of the Christmas where Santa is the gift-giver is so empty compared to the Christmas where God sends us the Gift of a babe and ultimately our salvation.  The contrast of the materialistic Christmas in which making one's list and checking it twice is more important than receiving the gift God wants to give us-love, joy, peace for eternity.  The contrast of life with joy and a life without joy is painful.

If I could give anyone a gift this season, it would be joy.  Not the feeling of  superficial happiness, but the deep, indescribable feeling that consumes the soul.  The Joy that requires one to relinquish bitterness, envy, greed, control, regret, addiction, hatred, pride, and jealousy.  The Joy that requires trust in a good God who is just, loving, and a jealous for our affection.   The Joy that surpasses sin's hold on our lives and restores love, laughter, and life. 

I wish this gift was easy to give...the finding of joy...but I am also overtly aware of Satan's work at stealing joy or hiding it in obscure places.  It angers me that Satan so slyly sneaks in lies to our mind's thoughts, bring illnesses that rock our worlds, and temptations that cause us to stumble.  Pain, physical and emotional, steals joy.    I note that when joy has been stolen, misplaced, or is hiding, it is harder to trust our Savior's great love for us.  Satan wins a small victory when joy is lost.  The good news is, Christ has the final victory. Restoring joy, hope, and peace to our broken world.  God is love.

Maybe this is why I have embraced the Advent season this year. The season of great anticipation.  Anticipation of a long-awaited gift...the gift of our Savior..."And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6  Come Lord Jesus.

I am thankful my children bring me joy (I often don't have to look for it, they bring it right too me.)
(I apologize, my pictures won't rotate, so you have the joy of twisting something...body or technology to see my joy-filled pictures :)). 
Tonight we put up or tiny, well traveled Christmas tree.  The girls' exuberance was refreshing as we dangled lights, ornaments, and danced to Christmas music. 


Favorite statement of the night by Maddy- She really wanted to put a star at the top of the tree. So she gave it to me and said " Mom, while you're up there, would you please put the star on top?"  
Honey, Mommy is taller than the tree, I'm always up there.

They strung the beads around themselves and declared "Mom, open us up! We are your Christmas present."  If only they understood the gift they are to our family. 

The more ornaments and lights we put on the outside, helps hide the ugly on the inside.
  Sorry, doesn't work for people.
P.S- We aren't finished. The girls have a whole box of ornaments left :)  We won't win any decorating awards, but the joy is in the memories made putting this tree up together.