Dear Reader:

Frederick Buecher once said; “The story of one of us is the story of us all.” (If I am telling a story and I begin to notice people in the audience nodding their heads and smiling…then I smile even more…because I know the story is connecting to others.)

While I was researching the story behind the favorite Christmas hymn “Joy to the World” a couple of days ago….I came across a young musician, Jason Gray, who had recently worked on a Christmas album and was reflecting on the songs he wrote that didn’t stray from the truth of the chaos and crisis behind The Christmas Story.

The more he thought about his selection of Christmas songs for the album, some new, some old….he felt a strong responsibility to tell the story truthfully. Every one of the “main characters” ( he realized in a personal epiphany he had) in the scriptural Christmas story, as told by Luke, are in the mist of crisis and drama in their lives.

There is Mary, a pregnant unmarried teenager, Joseph, a bewildered and betrayed-feeling fiancee who doesn’t know what to believe, their families (most likely) demonstrating conflicting attitudes, excited prophets and magi, amazed shepherds, and evil-doings lurking in the frightened hearts of the “establishment” and its rulers.

No doubt this is not a comedy and at least a PG-13 rating….too much violence for small children. Yet Gray chose “Joy to the World” for the last song in the album. He did this because he realized that “joy is not the absence of conflict or crisis; it is the presence of God.” (The Christmas story is God’s story which is now our story because of the baby Jesus born in that manger.)

When we study the story behind our own given names, many times a genealogical history is revealed that we never knew. Quinn Cadwell ends one devotional with this thought:

…“And did you know you have a name older than those? Sweeter than the ones crooned to you at bedtime, deeper than the ones that cut you to the quick? That matters more and tells the truth of you better than any of them? It’s the name God gave to you in the womb, and every morning since: beloved. “

The garden statue in the title post photo was the first statue placed in my garden…the children gave it to me. The name of the statue is “Bliss.” As I studied garden statues on-line one day prior to the first initiative in the garden’s creation, this smiling little girl, with birds on her arms swung open wide to welcome life just touched me so.

To me…this is the face of joy.

Here are the two Christmas albums Jason Gray has produced…I spent one whole afternoon listening to different songs from each….but his title song “Christmas is Coming” really felt like joy to me….I know it is after Christmas but get your toes tapping…aren’t we supposed to keep a little Christmas in our hearts every day of the year? (*Harvey I immediately thought of you with this song.)

Christmas Is Coming – Jason Gray – Official Lyric … – YouTube

So until tomorrow…Let us remember that all the crises and conflicts we experience on our own travels through life, telling our story as we go, are leading us to the joy we so seek; Emanuel  (“God be with us.”)

“Today is our favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday’s blog on the vastness of the universe took Jo back to her childhood stargazing nights too…..Jo Dufford

“You have brought back such great memories for me today. Suddenly, I was back to my childhood when there were no air-conditioners. Because it was the South, families often sat outside at night trying to catch a breeze. Mother would spread a blanket on the grass, and my sister and I would have the most wonderful time finding constellations or telling stories about what we saw.

If I close my eyes, I can see those beautiful stars, feel a cool breeze and still have that wonderful feeling of total peace and joy from yesteryear. “Thanks for the memories!” So grateful your appt. went well. Prayers for Trey.”