Friday, November 29, 2013

Christmas: be joyful

Christmas: be joyful by ric gustafson


We would love to have a Norman Rockwell painting Christmas but it never turns out that way. Instead, it becomes a stressful time of year with traveling, shopping, spending, baking, partying, entertaining and so on. This is not what God wants.
One thing we can do to have joy this Christmas is to have a joy verse. Choose a bible verse about joy such as Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 27:6, Psalm 35:9 or Psalm 118:24. Next, we can try to identify what is killing our holiday joy such as overscheduling or handling memories the wrong way. After that, we can put together a joy plan such as fewer decorations, focusing on a tree or using inexpensive candles. We can do less shopping and stick to a budget. We can do less entertaining and be selective where we go and whom we invite. Lastly, we can be a joy giver with a smile, a cheerful word, a kind look or a warm embrace. The most important thing at Christmas and all year long is that Jesus Christ is the most important thing in our lives.


resource help: Turning Points December 2012


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

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