Advent: Having Some Joy!

 "Tis the season to be jolly."  REALLY??? Who said?  Ask the folks who have lost loved ones this time of year if this is correct.  Or asked someone who is all alone.  Or ask someone who is homeless, hungry or mentally ill, physically ill or who has a loved one who is ill.  Go ahead: Ask the one who is sleeping in a car each night or some other vehicle.  Walk right up to them and say "Is this the season to be jolly?"   Doubt they are gonna "name that tune" as the tune of their season.

Well what about joy?  Now that is another issue.  I have known some who are labeled among the "have nots" or who have been traumatized by life who have found joy.  Really?  Yes... really! This Web Log cannot cover it all, but I will try to break it down using another one of those acrostics that I love to use.

Justified:  This relates to the person who has learned, no matter what their social situation, that "it is well with my soul." Each  learns that turning from the sin of  life, that leaves us broken, to Jesus... well it changes us inside out. We come to know that we are living in a relationship with God. Its like its just as if I have never sinned.  In deed, in God's eyes, that is the way it is. I am (you are)  Justified.  The "slate" of my life is clean. The "sin virus" has been wiped from the "hard drive" of my soul {:0)>

Occupied:  The Lord comes to take up residence in my life (your life.)  The Holy Spirit dwells within:  The fruit of the Holy Spirit begins to have a transformationsal impact on  you and me.  Check out Galatians 5:22-23.  Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith and self control actually begin growing from this Spiritual interconnection with Almighty God!!! Wahoo!!! 

Yielded: Living one day at a time, one step at a time begins getting us on line as we occupy ourselves hungering and thristing after righteouness: As we keep on walking (in faith) as we daily yield to God, HE develops us as new creations.  This tends to happen when problems raise their ugly heads, and we increasingly yield each one to our LORD. HE is not surprised by anything and HE is in control of everything. Oh sometimes we may not be happy, and we may not know the future.  BUT we DO know who holds our future in HIS hands. So we have J-O-Y: A blessed assurance in which we are empowered by God to keep on keeping on... through good times and bad.

This has worked for me and it is working for me.  I want it to work for you.  So I wish you a "JOY FILLED ADVENT!" And you know from my blogging I want you ...

2 BE BLESSED 2-DAY... ESPECIALLY 2-DAY!
SoJourner

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