Let Your Heart Be Joyful

by | Dec 28, 2014 | Sunday Truth

Our home bears the evidence of multiple, wonderful Christmas celebrations.

New gifts for our home have been put in place. A stack of flattened gift boxes need to find their place in a storage container. Our fridge is full of leftovers, and chocolates appear to be everywhere–each one calling my name.

The stockings hanging from the mantel are empty, and it’s bare under our Christmas tree. In our tree, however, I’m finding numerous wadded-up balls of wrapping paper, compliments of my younger brother from the other evening after our family-wide wrapping paper ball fight. (Much safer than a snowball fight, mind you.)

Even though my siblings and I are in our 40’s and 50’s, we still act like little kids every now and then when we’re all together. I think it blesses and surprises our children to see us behave in ways we don’t normally behave… as with our wrapping paper ball fight.

paper ballsThese silly, wadded-up paper balls are gifts to me today.

They remind me of joy, laughter, and fun from the other night.

They remind me that it’s okay to let loose every now and then and do something unexpected.

They remind me that joy doesn’t happen just at Christmastime, but we can live in joy all year long.

Joy. All year long.

Our Christmas coasters have a perfect scripture on them for today’s Sunday Truth…

Let your heart be joyful edited

What reminds you of joy? What helps you keep your joy?

Is there an object or a certain thing that is a prompt to help you stay joyful?

What scripture verse brings you deep-down, lasting joy?

One of my favorites is Psalm 5:11:

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.

I may just have to keep one of these wadded-up balls for the new year…

To remind me when I don’t “feel” so joyful.

To help me keep focused on true joy, and not superficial happiness.

To take me back to the night of our wrapping paper ball fight.

To cause me to smile.

To lighten things up when life gets serious.

Even though Christmas Day is behind us, may the joy of Christmas live on in our hearts and lives all throughout the year!

Blessings to you today,

Julie

 

#SundayTruth is sharing truth from God’s Word to encourage us and equip us to live a life of eternal impact on this earth.Julie Lefebure Sunday Truth

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4 Comments

  1. Andrew Budek-Schmeisser

    I love the description of your Christmas…the wadded-up-paper-ball-fight sounds really, really groovy.

    Oh, dear, Just dated myself.

    My “joyous thing” came as a result of cold weather. Three of the dogs decided to share a sleeping crate – a Pit, a Boxer, and a Jack Russell. Seeing them there is just so darned CUTE.

    In terms of a Scripture verse that brings joy, I really don’t have one. I look at Scripture in its overall context, and deliberately avoid memorizing verses to facilitate this.

    There is a quotation which does help me, though. It’s from Winston Churchill, and it gives me heart:

    “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’ “

    Reply
    • Julie Lefebure

      I love how God made each of us unique and special, and how we each find joy differently. Even through a wadded up ball fight or three dogs sleeping in a shared crate. Blessings to you today, Andrew!

      Reply
  2. Betsy

    I love that Psalm 5 scripture! Just read it the other day. What a wonderful tradition: the wadded up gift wrap fight. We’re always in a hurry to throw our wrapping paper away after it’s ripped up, but I see we’ve been missing out on fun!

    Reply
    • Julie Lefebure

      Yes, Betsy! It’s a new thing for us too, but it was a blast. God bless you today, friend! Thanks for stopping in.

      Reply

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