A familiar old folk song starts off, “I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart…” As we move from thanksgiving to Christmas; joy, thankfulness and festivity become more and more prominent themes. Lights go up. Music is played that brings back warm memories. Get-togethers with family and friends are planned. All-inall this season is one to which we look forward. That said, many of you are by now also thinking of all the other stuff. Over-crowded and stressful shopping experiences, calendars that are so packed, little room is left for breathing much less relaxed sharing and of course the very long lists of things do to.

“I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart…”

I suppose it is a balancing act. Do the positives of the season out weigh the negatives? Do the blessings outweigh the difficulties? Well my answer is yes! Or, at least they should. But I also realize it is not as simple as that. This is one of those times of the year when it is good to examine our choices. Some of the aspects of this season that we experience as negatives are things we have some control over. Hopefully by the time this newsletter arrives it will still be early enough for us to look ahead and choose wisely. The biggest positive of the season is of course the work of God. And this is not at all dependent on us. Lights up or not…our choice. Tree, artificial or real…our choice. Cards out to all friends…our choice. Party attendance…our choice. Jesus Born…God’s choice!! Most aspects of the Christmas season are touched by both the positive and negative. I like lights. But when I am setting them up in 32 degree temps and it is raining…I am really not a happy camper. I like giving gifts to people. But when I am shopping and there is no parking space and the line to the check out is three miles long and I am supposed to be somewhere else in 15 minutes…I am really not a happy camper.

“I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart…”

Admittedly, sometimes it is so far deep down in my heart as to be almost un-noticeable. When I am not a happy camper, when my joy is being overrun by the difficulties, I try to remember the choices I have made and the choice God made. Jesus is born. The joy that is down in my heart, where does it come from? Some of it does come from my choices. But, most of it really comes from God’s choice. Jesus is born. I can make choices that will lighten the calendar, that will help me avoid lines and that will give me a tad bit more relaxing and sharing time. Hopefully this year I will make some of those choices. But, even if I am not successful, God’s choice remains. Jesus is born. When joy is anchored in God’s choice it can not be shaken. When it is anchored in things of my choosing, well then it depends on how my choices are working out. This season I hope we all will say,

“I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart…”

And, for all of us I hope that joy will be anchored in God’s choice. When it is, no matter what else is going on we will have reason to smile. Here’s to a season full of smiles!!