Joy to the World

Today I want to chat with you about one of my very favorite words...JOY!  I love this three-letter word.  Check out the information about joy that I snagged from webster.com

Definition of JOY

1

a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety

2

: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss

3

: a source or cause of delight

— joy·less \-ləs\adjective

— joy·less·lyadverb

— joy·less·nessnoun

Examples of JOY

Their sorrow turned to joy.

1. I can hardly express the joy I felt at seeing her again.
2. Seeing her again brought tears of joy to my eyes.
3. The flowers are a joy to behold!
4. What a joy it was to see her again.

Origin of JOY

Middle English, from Anglo-French joie, from Latin gaudia, plural of gaudium, from gaudēre to rejoice; probably akin to Greek gēthein to rejoice

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to JOY  Synonyms: beatitude, blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, felicity, gladness, happiness, warm fuzzies

Warm fuzzies...such a "today" word and not really up to the heights where I feel joy belongs! I also looked up twopaths.com word count and I found out this tidbit...in my NASV Bible JOY appears 122 times in the Old Testament and 60 times in the New Testament.  The verse that comes to my mind is...

Galatians 5:22:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness."


Do I wake daily with Joy in my heart...NO!  I have to battle the human condition just like everyone else (possibly more than some) and while I have lots of visual reminders of JOY in my day to day environment, I still have to choose joy at times!

I am filled with joy when... I am with my family, I first see my sweet granddaughter after a few weeks away from her, I hear beautiful music, I find a wonderful gift for someone special, and when I return home from traveling.

I do believe that joy in its purest form is best experienced with Christ in the world and when my world is in Christ!

"And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule of the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit"

(Roman 15: 12-13)

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in  it" (Psalm 118:24)

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."  (Psalm 100:1-2)

I hope you find joy this holiday season and that it fills your heart so full that you have to sing :)...just like Faith Hill...

http://youtu.be/B9vq0h0PZY0