Joyful Journey

I'm guest blogging on the topic of Inner Beauty as a monthly columnist over at Glory and Strength. This year we are looking together at characteristics that set a woman apart as a Christian, as found in Galatians 5:22-23.

Drop by Glory and Strength and click on "Growing in Glory" to find my latest reflections. This month we are talking about how joy differs from happiness. Here's a little taste to get you started. (And don't forget to keep reading to the bottom of this post to grab a great discount code for Affordable Mineral Makeup too!)

For years I thought the words “joy” and “happiness” were interchangeable. I'm learning that it is quite possible to have one without the other. A boat may choose to come in or out of port when the seas are calm, but when a storm comes it must stay anchored close to shore for protection from the battering waves. I am like that boat, feeling a certain care-free happiness when life's going my way, but only truly appreciating the depth of heart-sheltering joy when times are harder...

You hear someone say, “Under the circumstances, I'm doing okay.” Like a boat that won't be capsized in a storm, I believe God wants so much more for us than just living under our circumstances. He wants us to thrive in both the good times and the bad. The Bible, in the book of Isaiah, tells us God longs to give us, “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” I can't make such exchanges on my own, but with God's help I can move from despair to joyful hope...

Please come read more about joy at http://www.gloryandstrength.com/index_files/GrowingInGlory.htm then tune in again next month to share with me as we talk about lasting peace. :)

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