I recently received a mug from a friend that says, “Friends are the sisters I get to choose.” That is such a true statement in my life. I love the blood family God gave to me. We live several states apart now so God has …
Rooted in Christ: Yielding Fruits of the Spirit
February ~ Love Never Fails
“If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as …
Worlds of Joy
Many years ago a New York couple entertained a foreign visitor by taking him through Coney Island. At the end of what they considered a perfect day, they asked him what he thought. He looked at the noisy, brightly-lit park and said quietly, “What a …
Joy in His Presence
Joy is referred to not once, but 422 times in the Bible. A simple word, it packs a powerful fruit of the Spirit punch. Joy begins with fellowship in Christ — loving Him and His presence. The seeds of joy are Holy Spirit planted, rooted, …
Joy When Your World Falls Apart
I saw this picture yesterday with a family all jumping into the air holding the letters that spelled joy. It was taken for their Christmas card. What struck me so was that this family has lived through one of the most difficult years of their …
No Greater Joy
As I prayed at the table, my Bible before me, I opened my eyes to find my eight-year-old son copying me—head bowed and eyes closed, his Bible before him. Not having had our children very long—we adopted them mid-last year, my heart filled with joy …
Strength in Christ’s Everlasting Joy
“But let all those that put their trust in You rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them: let them also that love Your name be joyful in You.” (Psalm 5:11) Do you have trouble with those that speak of joy as …
Fullness of Joy
”…so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” [John 17:13b] There are some very real and glorious promises given by God. Joy is one of them, but joy is the fruit. Like any fruit it grows out of something—it’s part …
Joy-Bringer
Just this morning I told my daughter we should have given her the middle name Joy. Except that it rhymes to closely with our last name and wouldn’t have been a good fit… then I said it together, Joy Coroy, and the laughter that bubbled …
Joy Beyond Christmas
Christmas is a joy-filled time, but sadly, during the rest of the year we rarely see true joy – even among Christians. Many of us long to experience joy – that deep, abiding kind of joy that we read about in the Bible, yet we …