Christmas is coming - put a little JOY in your life.

I came across a collection of letters that children wrote to Santa Claus. 

Some of them were pretty good. 

One said, "Dear Santa, you did not bring me anything good last year. You did not bring me anything good the year before that. This is your last chance. Signed, Alfred." 

My favorite went like this: "Dear Santa, there are three little boys who live at our house. There is Jeffrey; he is 2. There is David; he is 4. And there is Norman; he is 7. Jeffrey is good some of the time. David is good some of the time. But Norman is good all of the time. I am Norman."

If you could use one word to describe Christmas, what word would it be?

 Some folks would use words like headache, busyness, expensive, or even bothersome. 

To many people Christmas is just another day, only a little more expensive and a lot more trouble. I have heard even Christians use these words to describe the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. How sad that an event that brought so much joy in Heaven should bring so little joy here on earth.

I would like to suggest to you as we begin this beautiful season of the year that this Christmas season can be a time of joy, no matter how broke you are or how busy you are. Joy is like love- it is not merely an emotion, but a decision, and I believe you can be as joyful as you want to be.

Joy… it comes naturally when hopes are fulfilled.

The wise men, who had seen the star and set out to find the reason for            it – the Christ child baby – had fulfilled their purpose and had reason to rejoice.  Their long journey ended in great joy.

But what about when it doesn’t? What about when hopes don’t seem to be fulfilled, and journeys don’t seem to end happily? After all, some Christmas seasons are just much harder than others.  Finances are tight, loved                 ones are sick or grieved, and joy is harder to be found.

Yet in the wise men’s situation, the secret to finding joy seemed to be in the science of the star. You see, the star was still there, even when they couldn’t see it.

So the wise men had to keep looking, keep anticipating that what started   them on their journey would enable them to complete their journey.                    They had to keep actively seeking the star, allowing joy to be the final result.

Whatever might seem to loom in front of you this Christmas, know there is still joy ahead to be found.  
Keep seeking it.  

And when you find it, celebrate… in an exceedingly great way!