JOy JOy JOy JOy Down in my Heart!

You know what the meaning of joy is? Hmmm? It's a small word. It can't possibly be all that important, right? No way! That is far from the truth. Dictionary.com defines joy as this:

"a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated."

Okay now - I have the deep abiding joy that comes from having Jesus in my heart. I can't imagine living my life any other way. Today during communion, I Can Only Imagine music video was played on the big screen at church. I've heard it a hundred times but hearing it in the context of communion brought tears to my eyes. Without Jesus, I wouldn't have eternal life in Heaven living with Him. I can't wait. And meanwhile, joy is splattered throughout our lives to keep us going until that day comes.

What else brings me joy? I couldn't even begin to name them all but I guess I'll try. My husband brings me lots of joy as well as my kids and our extended family. My friends bring lots of joy into my life.

But right now I have something else that is bringing me lots of joy when I think about it! My friend Mari is coming to see me from Randle, Washington. It's kind of crazy how we met. It was through Faithwriters.com. We got close really fast and the awesome thing is all that we have in common. God brought her into my life when I needed her the most and the same thing for her.

Because of a very generous Faithwriter friend, last August I got to go see her in person in WA. AND now, because of the very same person, Mari is coming to see me in Illinois! This Friday even!

This week, when I can, I'm going to be blogging about joy. Beware, I'll probably share my excitement about Mari coming just a bit:) What a way to bring in the new year - joyfully!