Season of Joy

I love this time of year – the season of joy starting with Thanksgiving, and extending into the New Year. We start the season with a thankful heart. We continue the season filled with joy as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. We look forward to the adventures awaiting us in the New Year.

This time of year is extra special for an outstanding group of individuals – our Belhaven graduates. I know you are filled with joy as you anticipate commencement, and look forward to celebrating with your family and loved ones. Now the real work begins as you take this new found knowledge and experience into the world to continue to do great things! Congratulations graduates on your accomplishments!

Even with all of the joy, this season can sometimes get more stressful than joyful for some of us. When your holiday season becomes overwhelming, we need to remember that God wants us to be joyous this season.

I received a timely email with some great reminders of how to keep joy in your holiday. The author quotes from an article she read recently in Christian Today.

Six ways that you can make the most of your holidays…

Spend It With Family and Friends

Gifts, dinners and vacations are not to be the main reason for the celebration. Earthly possessions are great, but they are nothing compared to the joyous blessing of family and friends. God made us to be relational beings and even commands us to live a lifestyle of building relationships and loving one another (John 13:34).

Take Advantage of Focusing on Other’s Needs

The best part of the holidays isn’t the receiving, but the giving. Just like Acts 20:35 tells us “…It is more blessed to give than to receive…” Instead of focusing on what we’re going to get this season, why not set aside time and resources to give to the community and meet the needs of others?

Meditate on the Nativity Story

The true meaning of Christmas is Christ. It’s a great reminder of the wonderful news that our savior was born into this world to set us free from sin and iniquity. Taking time to meditate on the nativity story is a great idea to truly celebrate the reason for the season—Jesus. Celebrate the Intangibles Gifts are not the things that are of greatest value to us. Matthew 6:19 tells us, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” The greatest gifts are things that money cannot buy, and those are what bring the most joy and happiness to us.

Invest Into Yourself

It’s not a sin to treat yourself. Think of the holidays as celebrating the win of holding fast to what God called you to do this year. God wants us to invest and take care of ourselves just as much as we love others (Mark 12:31).

Rest

Holidays are seasons of sabbatical rest that restores our souls and bodies as we approach God once more in worship and thanksgiving. Honoring the Sabbath is serious business to God, and the holiday season is a great way to experiencing God’s rest.

I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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