Friday Introductions: Jesus and My Orange Juice

A couple of years ago, I bought a new Christmas decoration for our home. I was at a craft fair, and I fell in love with a big, wooden cutout of the word JOY. In the center of the O, there is a wooden cut out of the manger scene. It stands about 2 1/2 feet tall.

I brought it home and set it on the mantel at Christmastime. The first time my husband saw it, he looked at it and said, "It screams joy." That decoration reminds us of the source of our joy. It's big enough that it's not overwhelmed by our 10-foot ceilings and our 7 1/2-foot Christmas tree. It's the first thing your eye notices when you walk into our family room.

That decoration captures the source of our joy and reminds us that because Jesus came to earth as a baby and died, we no longer have to be separated from God. And that brings us joy.

We want our lives to reflect that joy. We want to be like my Christmas decoration. We want our lives to "scream" JOY.

Because joy draws people in. It makes people want what we have -- a never-ending source of joy. Even in the midst of difficult times, we draw our joy from God. Psalm 30:5 tells us "weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning." While the world may seem bleak, God promises joy will come. All we have to do is tap into the source of that joy.
 
My friend Shannon Milholland provided some great insight into this verse this week in her blog Jesus and My Orange Juice. Shannon is a mother to four girls, wife to her husband Scott, and a talented speaker and writer. Her blog gleans spiritual wisdom and truth from the everyday events in her and her family's lives. Usually short, her devotional style writing offers a scripture, a story and a Biblical truth in each post. I know you'll love reading her blog as much as I do.
 
Check out Shannon's blog and as you go through this weekend, assess whether your life shouts JOY to others. If not, spend some time with God, simply tapping into the source of our joy.