Today is Sunday, December 22, 2019 – three days before Christmas. I woke up refreshed after a full night’s sleep (can I get a witness?), yet not excited about the holiday. Why?
Because this year is different.
No kids or grandkids coming over for our usual Christmas Eve dinner and gift exchange. Just me tending to hubby with a cold, bundled up, coughing and snot-nosed. Before you consider me mean, his chicken soup is in the crock-pot as I type. Ha!
Photo by Eberhard Grossgasteiger from Pexels
The grey sky, forty-seven-degree temps, brown grass, and barren trees outside my window could lead a person into depression. They could. If a person focused on what they did not have or what was missing.
Expectations are not healthy, IMHO to navigating holidays, especially those where circumstances change.
My husband and I will celebrate twenty-five years of marriage in February 2020. The man knows me. I am blessed and grateful for him, (hence the soup). We are both adjusting to a new community, changing temperatures (baby, it is cold outside- to us former Floridians) and the absence of family. Therefore … he suggested we drive to Florida the day after Christmas to see our teenage granddaughter. Now you’re talking!
What does this have to do with my mood?
Everything. Emotions are temporary because circumstances are fluid. My emotions do not rule me. I choose joy, a much different thing than happiness. Joy, real joy isn’t even a feeling. So much deeper, joy is … well, supernatural. Tears last for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance (Psalm 89:15 NKJV).
These are but two of thirty-nine scriptures on joy from the Bible. You can read them yourself and I urge you to do so if you are in need of joy this holiday season. A simple keyword search will make them magically appear on your screen using any Bible app.
Gather with Your Church Family
We are blessed to have planted ourselves within a small church family in our new town. But I’ll always be a member of the community at Freedom Christian Center because our hearts are connected. That is an amazing thing and another subject altogether. Hubby and I join them online every Sunday from 10 to 11:30am because the worship is rich and the sermons inspiring.
Today provided exactly the tonic I needed. Worshipping my Savior with folks I love. Nothing can be finer than to be in Carolina, but not as rich as teaming with online streaming. I’m feeling great now after setting my focus on the eternal and not the temporary.
So come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
YouTube Oh Come All Ye Faithful
As Christians, we are joyful and triumphant because our Savior was born and we are no longer lost. Jesus died on Calvary’s cross for our freedom. We have hope this Christmas!
From my heart to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah readers and friends. May peace reign in your hearts and homes and may the Light of the world shine forever inside you. Amen!
Categories: Christmas encouragement joy
Kathryne
Christian author and inspirational speaker of truth that makes the darkness tremble. Author of two non-fiction books at https://linktr.ee/TattooedKing
Kathryne Leach 
HI Kathryne,
Just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance. God Bless! 🙂
Sherline.
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Thank you, Sherline and back at ya. Hugs!
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It is harder without the pitter patter of little feet and family members around. I have missed all of it. Sending love and hugs.
Merry Christmas.
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Merry Christmas! Three cheers for choosing joy. 🙂
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It is Christmas morning and we are both feeling much better, y’all. Cheers to elderberry syrup, fluids and rest. Merry Christmas!
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