We know, as Christians , we are supposed to be joyful people. And joy is a result of having the Holy Spirit within us. However, there’s this thing called Life that easily can step in and rob you of your joy. Even though you are supposed to be joyful, you can’t because of something that happened that really put a damper on your day.   You don’t feel happy.  Did you know that Happiness is a feeling and Joy is a choice?  You can choose JOY.

Sometimes we start out on the wrong foot. Sometimes our actions don’t  facilitate JOY.  We might begin our day without welcoming God’s presence. We might be so busy we forget our quiet time with God. We realize halfway through our day, when things aren’t going the greatest, oops- we haven’t prayed all day! Or we go to church and act joyful but all the while we are waiting for the other shoe to drop- negativity is creeping into your soul.

The Bible is our basic instruction book before leaving earth.  I want to share some scriptures with you about JOY…..

Over the past week, the world came to life! Did you see it happen? Trees are leafing out, birds are building nests, frogs are singing their nightly love songs, the sweet smells of honeysuckle floats in the warm breeze, and the wildflowers begin to add bits and pieces of color throughout the forest where it was dull browns and grays just a few weeks ago. It is magnificent how God brings the earth back from its winter dormancy to the brilliant sights, sounds, and aromas of spring. It’s the perfect time of year (in my opinion). It’s beginning to warm up but not scorching hot yet. The days are getting longer and the sun is getting brighter. New life is breaking forth!

My prayer is that you can enjoy these beautiful spring days. If you’re exploring nature, you might notice some of those spring wildflowers I mentioned earlier. I found this wonderful resource from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. The linked PDF provides pictures and information on the wildflowers you may come across. Turn your outing into an adventure to find as many wildflowers you can find and consider the verses from Song of Songs 2:10-13…..

Did you know there is a difference between happiness and joy? Very often, people think that happiness and joy are the same thing. But for Christians, there is a big difference. When we look at how God defines joy, we see something much more powerful than happiness. The only way we can have true Joy is through Jesus Christ.

For National Women’s History Month, we have, so far, reviewed three amazing women as notable protagonists in Biblical history. We looked at the leadership of Deborah, the loyalty of Ruth, and the faith of the Shunammite woman. Each of these women were well-respected and played pivotal roles in God’s work during the Old Testament. For the last Monday in March, though, we move forward to New Testament time and look at a very unique, one-of-a-kind woman… Mary Magdalene.

A dear friend at a local church has put on a Lady’s Day event for a few years now, and I love attending it. This past weekend, about 70 ladies from the community and surrounding area joined together for another amazing walk through scripture, worshiping the Lord in song, and just enjoying each other’s sweet spirits. My friend delivered a message that really touched my heart, so I thought I would share what I learned from her devotion.

Ruth is a timeless story of heartbreak, love, and redemption. There are a lot of lessons one can learn from this short Bible book; however, this devotion will focus on the loyalty of Ruth. She remained loyal to Naomi, her mother-in-law; Jewish tradition and laws; and, most importantly, to God. What is so remarkable about Ruth’s loyalty is the fact that she wasn’t even Jewish… Ruth was a Moabitess from Moab.

Moab was an ancient kingdom that originated from……

And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Judges 4:5

Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:25-28 CSB

"She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet." Proverbs 31:21

“Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10