Where Is Your JOY?

I read the best post this past week from Tim Kimmel! I'm gonna share it at the end of this post. I just kept wanting to shout amen through the whole entire blog post.

I am often asked how I can have such joy.
My first thought is "How can I NOT have joy"?
Life is fun, an adventure, and I get to live it with wonderful people. Oh sure, there are days that really stink, others that lack any resemblance of fun, and at times people just aren't that great to be around. But my life isn't a result of one bad day.

I have always laughed when people ask that question. It tends to be the comment most often asked when they realize I have 8 children. Actually here is a series of questions I am asked....

• "Are they all yours?"
• "Are ya'll Catholic?"
• "Do you know what causes this?"
• and then comes ... "But you seem so happy!"

Some may say it to be funny but others I believe are asking with all seriousness.

What I realize is I have JOY because of Christ!
Nothing I did, but EVERYTHING He did!
But not everyone experiences the Joy that I know so well!

Oh, how we all need a taste of this JOY!

We are so quick as Christians to put a list of rules and regulations on our joy, freedom, and life. And we don't stop with our own lives we do it to others! What happened that we judge so?
Christ died so we are not bound to our sin. We are forgiven and He is an amazingly grace filled God. Oh, He has high expectations of me that I more times than I can count fall short. But, OH, how He pours His grace over my sin. He loves and forgives me every time!

Do you feel you have to perform?
Do you live in freedom?
Do you live in worry?
Do you long for joy?

I challenge you to read The Grace-list! I plan on posting this in our house because I see my teens from time to time falling into the trap of living a performance based life. God wants the relationship not an outward shell that conforms. He wants that heart! If live to perform, my joy is shattered. When I live because of a Savior who died for my failures I live in FULL JOY!