I’m Full of It!

Romans 15:13 New International Version (NIV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I’m full of it and you should be too! Perhaps by now you’ve guessed that I’m not talking about the turkey. Or shopping. Or Christmas movies. I’m talking about joy. Or JOY as I like to type it.
What am I so JOYFUL about? Advent. Preparing the way for Christmas. So what does that mean?
Watching Elf 25 times? Going on a sugar binge? Buying Bey Blades for the second time (who knew my daughter would want one?)? Decorating? Carols?
No. Even though some of those things bring me joy, there is so much more to this season than changing the radio station each time “The Christmas Shoes”comes on the air. 
I’m not limited to JOY during this time of year but it is helpful as I reflect on this season to list my JOYS. My list is of JOYS is exhaustive but here are my top three at this moment.
1) Abundant Life: I have life with a purpose. I love my family and love what I do. I’m blessed to be able to serve God the way that I do and I enjoy how much I constantly learn each day.
2) The Presence of God: I have been focusing on the presence of God this year and have been amazed at the ways in which God makes Himself known to me. 
3) Growth: You would think at some point you’d move beyond growth spurts but when you think of growth in spiritual and intellectual terms then growth spurts are a wonderful thing. I know that I have so much more to experience in terms of my faith and so much more to learn along the way and I’m thrilled at the possibilities.
So I’m full of JOY! If you are too, let someone know that you are full of it too!
Until Everyone Hears,

What are your thoughts?