What Valen...Christmas is All About(Chapter 16)
Weekly Wednesday Joy in Spite of Stoopidity
Joy in the Word
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10 ESV)
When was the last time you received good news of great joy? Some days my heart feels weighed down by the ugliness of the world. The stoopidity of it, if you will. The sorrow that meets us when we tune in to the news or social media – I am not sure we are wired to face that on a regular basis. And yet, unless we make effort to avoid it, it is always there. Evil doesn’t even lurk in the shadows; it is right in our faces. I wonder if that is how the shepherds were feeling that night when the angel visited them. Living under Roman rule was not a cake walk.
Bringing good news was not just any good news. This was news people had been waiting for for hundreds of years. This was news specific to the long-awaited Messiah. News about Jesus. News designed to cheer those who heard it. News that held intense, exceedingly fantastic joy!
If your heart is feeling heavy in these days, turn to the good news of Christ, again and again. Fear not, and let the extraordinary, fierce joy of Jesus be what the world sees cutting through the darkness that is spilling out around us. Let’s face what is making us lament with the joy of Jesus…Kristin
(Luke 2:10 ESV) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
You may read my previous notes and see the graphic on this website page. I have also added the recording of this to this page so you can always find it again via the index page. That’s where the context begins.
How interesting that now we have holidays colliding again with these randomly chosen Bible verses about JOY. Here we have Christmas for Valentine's Day.
Click to listen to me read as you scroll the graphics below.
Please pray with me. God, thanks for the glimpse into the past of a collective pause and a reverent silence and how it connects to when You will come again. It is kind of awesome how all of Your Word connects. Amen.
Concordance G5479 chara: χαρά, Pronounced khar-ah’ (khar-ah’) Meaning joy, gladness, delight, greatly joyful, from the root word G5463 (χαίρω - rejoice); Found 59 times in the Greek New Testament.
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Quotable
Framed Joy
Today I need to paint something that felt unifying.
When the world feels heavy I want to remember this: love God, love people, share great joy. And like the green blob reminds me, I and others will make mistakes…but like Cheryl wrote: when Jesus is center stage, hearts are moved.
Stoopidity Noticed
fibromyalgia and the ways it makes some days harder to just live with it
only being aware of our funny bone when it isn’t funny
the timing of the check engine light coming on - right before a road trip
Sleep should be good, but it is stoopid.
Hubby has been sick over a week.
Knowing I am not paid what I am worth.
Joy Noticed
barefoot shoes - my feet are so happy in them
the sun gracing us with its presence a bit longer each day
talking on the phone with the kid and saying “see you next week!” before we hang up
The air outside is warming up!
Finishing taxes and knowing a refund is coming to help pay down medical debt.
Looking at my old coin collection that I gifted to my son years ago and the memories.