Episode 72: Advent Week 3: Joy

When we think about joy at Christmas, most of us think of twinkling lights, rosy cheeks, wrapped gifts, and hot cocoa. But is that the kind of joy that truly fills us, especially if we are dealing with not-so-festive feelings like grief and sadness? This week on the podcast, we welcome back Holly Williams to the show to discuss what Advent teaches us about true, Biblical joy. Tune in to hear Lisa and Holly explore how we can find the kind of joy that sustains in all seasons and what practical steps we can take if we are having a hard time feeling joyful at all. 

Links:

Every Moment Holy: Volume II

https://www.everymomentholy.com/volume-2

Untangle Your Emotions

https://www.jennieallen.com/untangle-your-emotions

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Hello, and welcome to the Kern Salad Crown. I'm Lisa Panama, and today we are in week three of our Advent series, and we're gonna talk about joy. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Okay, listeners. We are in week three of Advent, which is actually always my favorite. I mean, who doesn't want a little more joy in their lives, right? Especially at the Christmas season. And of course, I mean, her name says it all. I had to invite on the podcast Ms. Holly Williams. Welcome back to the podcast. Thanks, Lisa. I mean, you have to have someone named Holly on the side during the Christmas season.

SPEAKER_04 0:48

Just my name. I didn't even think about that.

SPEAKER_02 0:50

So And of course, your spirit is also full of joy. You just sparkle in my eyes.

SPEAKER_04 0:55

Oh, you know, just thank you for your kindness. And it is fun to be back. I uh I I love this podcast. I I I actually uh loved the hope episode um and was so encouraged by it. So I it's it's a privilege, honestly.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Our last podcast we did together, for our loyal listeners already know, like you were just on, like just on, not that long ago. Let me look at the episode. I did write it down here. It was episode 54. 64, 64. So we're only on right now. We're on episode 72.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

So not that long ago, on it was called Shifting Season, same God, and I had such a good response, like from so many people that I knew you had to come back on eventually. So I mean, Advent Season was a perfect time.

SPEAKER_04 1:41

So thanks for coming on. Thank you. And I I'm already getting so much out of it. So I yeah, I I don't know what I have to offer, but I'm happy to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Well, I know that this Christmas is especially joyous for you. And we we kind of talked about this at the end of the last episode because you have your sweet, precious little gift of Calvin, her grandson.

SPEAKER_04 2:02

Yes, oh my goodness. I I am obsessed with him. So I feel like I really held back last time. Didn't talk. We I mean we touched on him a little bit, right? But oh my goodness, he is he is just this little bundle of joy. That's all there is to it. I mean, he's I am I am shamelessly obsessed. I've said I've been obsessed with him, but I'm I'm now shamelessly obsessed. And there there is just something about little ones at Christmas and and even like the Christmas story and thinking about Jesus, baby, Jesus, and having holding this new baby in your family. I mean, it's really special for sure. So yeah, I was drawn to joy because you know, we had kind of talked like, and I I love the idea of an advent series, and I thought, oh, joy is what's hitting me. Like that's you know, I could sure, I'll come and and chat with you. So talk about my grandson. Yeah, right. So here we are.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

Well, you know, there is something about like having kids in your life at Christmas, it just kind of brings back the wonder of it all.

SPEAKER_04 3:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

You know, I do think that somehow we lose that as adults.

SPEAKER_04 3:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

Especially in the busyness and in all the preparation, that there is something about a new baby in the family or a toddler or a nephew or whatever that just kind of opens your eyes up again to just how magical, dare I use the word, you know, this season can feel.

SPEAKER_04 3:33

Yes. And I mean, just the childlike wonder, right? It's it's precious. And honestly, kids' ministry, uh, shout out to those. I mean, that's a reason for serving with kids. Honestly, that that has always been, I don't know, a draw for me because you're just with those children and it's it's so special.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

So even sitting in the congregation and when they do like the Christmas songs, like and hearing those little kids and seeing them just on stage, usually like you know, someone's running off and hearing those little voices. I mean, there's just nothing like it.

SPEAKER_04 4:07

I couldn't agree more. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

I so I and I I get my own little baby for myself this year to enjoy. Oh, and it's only gonna get more fun. Yeah, it's only it already is.

SPEAKER_04 4:18

I mean, he's he's almost six month old, and um, he's just oh delicious. That's what he is. He's delicious. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

I love that word. Well, it's it's interesting because I think that joy is definitely one of those feelings we def want during the season.

SPEAKER_04 4:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

I mean, if who doesn't want it all the time, but especially at Christmas, we just want to like instantly feel joy. But of course, the reality is that there is no like Christmas button that we press. Right. That just makes us feel joy. And sometimes we can enter this season not feeling it. I mean, you know, for you, I know you have a reason, right? Like you have this sweet little baby boy right now that just makes it real easy to access that joy. Yeah. But sometimes some seasons aren't like that. Sometimes we just aren't in it and we're doing all the things and going through the motions of the season, but we're not able to actually access that feeling. And so I think that begs the question, right? Can we manufacture joy in the season? Like, can we just figure out a way to just focus on the joy? Like, is it just like an extra cup of cocoa? And then suddenly, like, like what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_04 5:27

Oh man, manufacture is where I take issue. I I just hate that connotation when we're when we're talking about it. And that so my initial reaction is no way. We can't manufacture it because then it means it's not real, right? It's invented or made up or um I so the connotation of manufacturing joy just hits me wrong.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

I'm gonna Yeah, I agree with you, but I don't you think that there is a little bit of that like messaging to us sometimes?

SPEAKER_04 6:00

Oh, a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_02 6:02

That if you just do this, this, and this, or if you just focus on the good, even take every thought captive. Yeah you know, it's it's a nuanced, you know, approach to joy, I think that we have to take, but there is a tendency to want to just focus on on that in this season.

SPEAKER_04 6:21

Yeah. And and I, I mean, when you're saying, isn't that the messaging that we get? I mean, if you're looking at like commercials and advertising and everything, absolutely, I mean, that is that's fake joy right there, right? If you have these things and do this and have this, you know, these decorations and your house looks like this, and then you will have the joy. And we know that that often leads to emptiness, really.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Yes, it's so true. And or you just find yourself trying to make yourself happy in ways that aren't healthy. Right, right, you know, overindulging in whatever that might look like, you know, whether that's on your phone or whether that's on gift buying or um shopping for yourself, you know, coming out of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Like I was so excited to go to Bible study. So I'm like, I just need a break. My soul needs a reset. My mind was so consumed with sales and gifts, gift buying and all of that. I just needed a reset. And I was so grateful that that was like part of my week because I I needed it.

SPEAKER_04 7:26

Right.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

Mentally, I was distracted by a lot of very worldly things.

SPEAKER_04 7:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

And I think that happens to all of us.

SPEAKER_04 7:33

Oh, for sure. And you know, when you're talking about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it's like it's the chasing after and the deal and the, you know, and and there's that maybe a little adrenaline rush, but that's not that's not joy.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

And I think that is what we tend to do in the season to get that joy that we want to feel, right?

SPEAKER_04 7:53

I agree.

SPEAKER_02 7:54

You know, spend the money, get the perfect gift, buy the exact right wrapping paper and bows, or even get like the perfect holiday outfit or whatever we're trying to do, because we're trying to chase that that adrenaline that we we define as joy.

SPEAKER_04 8:09

Yeah, yeah. And it's funny because when we were talking about, you know, where do we want to go with this? And, you know, do you have a verse? And you know, we kind of talked about that. I'm like, oh yeah, a verse or a phrase from a verse instantly came to mind. Do you remember?

SPEAKER_02 8:22

Yes, yes, yeah, from Nehemiah, right? Right. We didn't know it was from Nehemiah.

SPEAKER_04 8:26

No, it was Nehemiah. It w it that what just kind of instantly came was the joy of the Lord is your strength. And uh yeah, I I thought it was maybe from the Psalms. I I just wasn't I was not remembering the context at all. In fact, um I I remember actually as a kid, we we sang this little song. It it was the joy of the Lord is your strength. The joy and I'll spare you, but Oh no, I wanted to join the concert, please. That's what I mean, it w which I did not know that song. Yeah, I mean, yeah, we sang it all the time, and it was just this light little lilting tune, and um, you know, but kind of cool because it is a scripture that I remember from song, but that's what I thought of.

SPEAKER_02 9:12

Yeah, and then when we started to dig into like, okay, well, if we're gonna speak on this, we need to probably understand the context, and that's when we discovered it was in Nehemiah. Yeah, and that part of the verse is actually like not mentioned in your song, right? And so we thought because we like to give a little context, we wanted to read to you the fullness of that scripture, and so I'm gonna have Holly do that for us. Okay, and so we're gonna do Nehemiah um 8.10. So the full verse.

SPEAKER_04 9:42

Okay, yeah. Nehemiah 8.10. Nehemiah said, Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. And so this immediately took me in a completely different direction than I thought I was going. And I thought we would go with this because uh I see the the phrase, do not grieve. And which means there was grief. And when I looked at, you know, the rest of the chapter, um, we see the verse right before that, verse nine, speaks of how the people were crying. And um you you think about the context of Nehemiah, it's it's um, they had been through so much, they had been exiled and were returning um home, some of them, and I think some of them weren't even home yet, and their city and their homes, and everything was in ruins. And of course, some you know may remember Nehemiah kind of led the charge and he was rebuilding the walls, and so they were uh just starting this process of rebuilding and and had nothing. And so, of course, they were grieving and they were in sorrow, and they were they it verse nine is actually talking when they heard the words of Allah being read, they wept because I think they realized how far they had strayed and they were coming, coming back home to the Lord, really.

SPEAKER_02 11:16

Yeah, and I I so appreciate you giving us that context because I think we could have just kept going with our our initial thought, right? Because the first part of that verse, go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks and and send that some to those who have nothing prepared. And so it it lends itself to that festive joy that we really want in this season. And I think we could be drawn to that. But like you said, do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. And it it's such an important both and, right? It's it's declaring that there was grief, right? He's telling them not to grieve, but like you said, there was actual grief in in their hearts at that point, and so he was encouraging them that the joy of the Lord was their strength, and that definitely adds a different element to even how we can approach this season, I think, you know, because sometimes we might feel like the Israelites where we are in a state of grief, whether that's because we've lost something or someone, or we're in a a state of rebuilding, you know, or our life feels like it's in ruins. You know, that doesn't change just because it's December, you know, 20th, right? Like life keeps chugging along even during Christmas. And so some of us might be carrying some really hard things in this season. And I don't know that the answer is a gingerbread latte.

unknown 12:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying there's a deeper message here where it's a good reminder that acknowledging the grief is an important part of it, right? Like name your heart, that's important. But you can't get stuck there. That there is a way out, that there is, as a believer, we have a source that we can go to for our strength, even in those moments when we feel weak.

SPEAKER_04 13:07

Yeah. Yeah, I I I like what you said, don't get stuck there. And then I'm thinking of that verse, he was giving them some steps to do. Go and feast and you know, do do these things. And it's almost sometimes I think we have to take the action steps, and then the feelings follow, and and not that joy is a feeling uh per se, because real joy is uh from a source and it it is the Lord alone, and so um yet I am struck by the idea that you can take action steps, it's not just wash over me, Lord, and and I will feel that joy. There's a little bit that we can do as well, you know. There's some onus on us, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

And I think to go back just a minute to the going to naming the hard. The reason why that is so important is, you know, that surface level joy, like we said, is not real joy, right? And we're just kind of you know suppressing our feelings or covering it up and numbing ourselves with easy, easy-to-reach coping mechanisms, right? As opposed to maybe, you know, really taking a hard look at our hearts this season and acknowledging the places where we feel grief or acknowledging like I'm just not feeling this, Lord, you know, and having one of those bench prayers with them, like we talked about a couple episodes ago, where you just like lay it out for them. And and sometimes you can just have, I always tell my daughters, like, you can have a pity party, but it's gotta be short. You know, I think Annie F. Downs, she's a a fellow podcaster and um much more well-known. Love her, yeah. I know, but she says that like you can have a pity party, but it's gotta be short, and then you can need to to do what you know is true. Yeah, like you said, those practical steps towards the Lord because we know that He is a source of joy.

SPEAKER_04 15:00

Yeah. So it's both. Right. You said something to me kind of offline too. You were you you made the comment, and I've just it just kind of stayed with me that if we suppress grief, we are we can also suppress our joy. Do you remember saying that?

SPEAKER_02 15:14

Yes, and yeah, I remember learning that concept in that uh Bible study we did by Jenny Allen called Untangle Your Emotions. I'll link that in the show notes as well. That was such a a really like helpful information source in terms of like what it looks like to be emotionally healthy, yeah. And acknowledging, you know, your sadness and also like taking your thoughts captive in a healthy way. Yeah. You know, that you can't suppress those emotions because if you do, you are going to end up numbing out and and then you're not gonna feel anything, and that's how you get apathetic. And and so you have to actually to be emotionally healthy, you have to acknowledge and be in tune with all of the things you're feeling because you're those emotions are telling you something. Yes, they're telling you to pay attention, and they're also pathways to God, you know. Sometimes in our grief, you know, we never feel closer to God than in those moments because we have no choice but to go to him, you know, and that's why even in this season, that's worship too. If the only thing you can bring to the manger, you know, is your grief. Yeah, that's why he came, right? Yeah, like that is that is worship, that is celebrating Christmas and why he came to earth to to be the Prince of Peace, to be our counselor and comforter. Yeah. You know, and and so there's it's it's acknowledging both. And you had a beautiful like book that you shared with me. It was actually just like a no, I don't think we can read the whole thing, but did you want to read one of those pages from Every Moment Holy that really kind of talks about this idea of both grief and joy coexisting?

SPEAKER_04 16:52

Yeah, I uh I love those books, Every Moment Holy. Um, there's three versions, and this is the second edition, and this one, the second edition is more on death and dying and grief and grieving. And um, there is um in volume two, it it's a liturgy for embracing both joy and sorrow. And what I like about these books is a lot of times it helps me, it helps put words to what I feel like I am feeling and can't quite articulate. And I'll read one of these prayers and I'm like, this is my heart cry, Lord, and it just it it gives words to my feelings. And so um yeah, I thought this one was so good. This is just a a snippet from that one. Amidst the pain that laids these days, give me courage, oh Lord, courage to live them fully, to love and to allow myself to be loved, to remember, grieve, and honor what was, to live with thanksgiving in what is, and to invest in the hope of what will be. Be at work gilding these long heartbreaks with the advent of new joys, good friendships, true fellowships, unexpected delights. Remind me again and again of your goodness, your presence, your promises, for this is who we are: a people of the promise, a people shaped in the image of God, whose very being generates all joy in the universe, yet who also weeps and grieves in its brokenness. So we, your children, are also at liberty to lament our losses, even as we simultaneously rejoice in the hope of their coming restoration.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 18:59

Right? Yeah, that is just so beautiful. Yeah, I sometimes I mean I'm just I I can't yeah, they it just gives me words and I I have feelings and it puts words to it, and I I I couldn't have said that halfway near as beautifully as that. And yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

Yeah, I think it's just so affirming and yet so encouraging at the same time. It does, it holds both that those things. You are it is okay to lament our losses and simultaneously rejoice in the hope of their coming restoration.

SPEAKER_04 19:37

Yeah, I I love that line. We're shaped in the image of God whose very being generates all joy in the universe. Think about that. Um I I mean, he is the source.

SPEAKER_02 19:50

He is the source. Okay, so where do we land with all of this then? You know, he is our source of joy. You talked about we can't manufacture joy, but we have access to the source of joy in the universe. So you tell me, Holly, what do you think that this looks like then in real life?

SPEAKER_04 20:11

Like, yeah, it's bringing me back to that question, can we manufacture it? And you know, I was very averse to that terminology, but I'm I'm thinking, you know, we we do have everything at our disposal, and and by everything I mean we have the one, the source of joy, the one from whom all joy generates. And and we have him, we have everything when we have him, and apart from him, we can do nothing. Um and so it's it's just really that simple, right? But it's really that hard to, you know, it it's it's both. It's it's being intentional with knowing him and being connected to him. He's the source. So apart from him, we're not gonna find it.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

Yeah, and immediately my mind goes to John 15.

SPEAKER_04 21:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

You know, abide in me, remain in me, and this idea of staying connected to the Lord. I'm gonna go ahead and just read those verses if that's okay. I'm gonna do John 15, and you know, we could probably read all of John 15, but we're just gonna we'll just do nine through eleven. Okay. And it's it's so good, and such a good reminder to us of what's true. And it's not just a a good feel good scripture, it's it's uh it's instruction. Yeah, it's it's comforting, it's encouragement, but it's also telling us what we are to do. You know, if we if we want to experience closeness to the Lord and and eventually joy, feel that joy that we want to feel.

SPEAKER_03 21:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

Okay, John 15, starting at verse 9. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my mind. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may get may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. It's so good. It is. I mean, I know that this is Jesus speaking. You know, I think it's called, it's part of what is called the upper room discourse or his farewell discourse. So he's talking to his disciples and encouraging them before he goes to the cross. And he's explaining to them that, you know, if you just keep living out the commands, you know, I've taught you. Just keep living out those commands and trusting in the Lord. And I'm telling you these things as a reminder, which is what we have in the Bible.

unknown 22:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

And so what I immediately think is one way we can stay connected to the Lord is by reading his word. I mean, Jesus is very clearly telling them, keep my commands. Well, if we're to also do that, we have to remember what those commands are because we are a forget forgetful people.

SPEAKER_04 23:13

And I'm I'm picturing him sitting at the table with his disciples, and and this they were they didn't really understand everything that was going on, but for Jesus, this was like the the pinnacle of everything that he had to share with them. Just wanted to remind them remain in me as I remained in him, and and then your joy will be complete. It's like if I could just give you anything, it's it's stay connected. Yeah. Um, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

We in my in my living room right now is my Christmas tree, which I love. And we have actually invested in a pretty good one about five years ago. And we were, you know, our old one, the lights kept, it was a pre-lit, and it kept the lights kept going out, and we actually ended up like having to like cut them out. And then had one. It was just a pain in the worst. Yeah. So we went and we we all was as a family were in in Lowe's, and there was this beautiful, like really tall pre-lit. It is beautiful with LED lights. Like, I'm like, that tree is incredible. And so we invested in it. And this year, for whatever reason, I don't know if it's getting old or or what, but there's a one section of the tree that is lit, but it's not as bright as it was and as the rest of the tree. In fact, I think the whole tree is a little bit dimmer than it has been in the past. And so I'm really frustrated about this. And so I kept saying something to Jeff, like, can we fix this? And he's like, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. Well, once we got the ornaments on it, I'm like, I can look at this whole chunk. Jeff, can you see? You know, and he he's not as worried about it as I am. So I went over there and I kind of like wiggled like the branch, and the lights went out and then they went really bright on. So clearly it was like it's a connection issue, right? It's a connection issue. And so the light was still burning, there was still, you know, something there, but it was dim. And so what that makes me think of it's like the strength of the connection is what matters.

SPEAKER_04 25:15

Yeah. You know, that is a great picture of what is being described here. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

So if we want that joy, that bright light, you know, even festive joy that we're like really drawn to, right? It's all about that strength and connection. You know, we need to abide, we need to remain, we need to move toward the light, the source of joy, you know, and if we do that, the promises, you know, that we will bear fruit. I mean, before this part of scripture in John 15 is the whole, I am the vine, you are the branches. And and talking about if we remain in him, we will bear fruit. And we know from Galatians 5 that one of the fruit of the spirit is joy.

SPEAKER_03 25:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 26:00

And so it all comes full circle that if we just keep remaining in him, we keep investing in that strength of connection, the joy will come.

SPEAKER_04 26:08

And isn't it interesting too that he's preparing for his death and talking about joy? And there it is again, that joy and grief sitting together at the table, right? And it's just, I I hadn't quite thought about it like this, but I mean, that is the whole of scripture, right? It's this arc of when sin came, everything got messed up, and there is always a plan though, from from the start that God would redeem. And um, and yeah, and so it's just it's interesting thinking about the joy with the grief, and then you know, going back to what you were saying, when when we uh allow the grief, we are making room for the joy as well. And it it really is a different way to think about it, other than the, you know, coming into this, it's like, oh, the childlike wonder and my baby Calvin and all that's wonderful and great, but I don't want to shortchange myself of the goodness um that comes from real healthy fruit from from God, yeah, you know?

SPEAKER_02 27:15

Yeah, I mean, I think about just blessed are those who mourn, right? And the blessing is because the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. You know, it's it's what Christmas is all about. God with us, yeah. Emmanuel with us in the sadness, in the grief, and also in the joy, right? I mean, of course we can still go and do all the fun things of the holiday, right? Go drive around in our jammies and look at you know the Christmas lights and and enjoy a hot cocoa. Like these are fun things. It's not that we can't have fun, absolutely, but true joy, the joy that lasts and the joy that gives us strength, right? Going back to Nehemiah is only found in time and in the presence of the Lord.

SPEAKER_04 28:02

Mm-hmm. And what an important lesson for our kids to see too, right? Uh to be honest and be real and um even you know, just expose them to, you know, this reality of the world, and what a teachable time to then bring in the hope of the savior, and and that is why he came. He knew why he came, he was coming to redeem.

SPEAKER_02 28:28

Yeah, I mean, the reason why he is the light of the world is because and we needed him to be the light of the world is because it's dark inside of heaven, yeah, yeah, and that's just the truth, yeah, and acknowledging that only helps us appreciate our need for the light.

SPEAKER_04 28:48

Absolutely, absolutely okay.

SPEAKER_02 28:50

So, what is your live it out then?

SPEAKER_04 28:53

Miss Holly. Okay, I I've been thinking about a little bit. I knew this question was coming, and um so I'm gonna I'm gonna say it. I I I'm feeling that in order to remain, to abide, to be connected, I I need to be meditating on scripture. And so um I was thinking, I I think I'm gonna try to memorize a good chunk of John 15. I was I was looking at it, thinking about where to start. I'm nervous. You can tell. I'm like the commitment scares me a little. But um, that's where I'm that's where I'm leaning.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

Yeah, I think that's such a great practical way to to live out what we're talking about here. Um maybe you can make a song about it. That's what I need. Um I and I I think I might steal this. Okay. How about this? Instead of stealing, how about I just join you? Please do. Because I do know parts of John 15. Yes. But it's repetitive, so it can get tricky to get it all in the right order. But I do love it actually very much. I think it comes up all of the time in my life, constantly. It just everywhere I feel like it's always brought to mind or comes up in my studies, or you know, I just I would love to have that memory. So I'm gonna join you in there. Okay. So I feel like I could definitely do 9, 10, and 11, but you're wanting to go like beginning of jump.

SPEAKER_04 30:25

Well, okay, I'm looking because I'm I I really love verse four. Um, remain in me as I remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. I mean, that's where it kind of starts. So I don't know. I know it's good. I'm gonna meditate for sure.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

And yeah, maybe we read through one, like make a make a point of reading through like maybe this week or until you know Christ throughout this Christmas season, one through eleven.

SPEAKER_04 30:53

I already feel guilty of them backpedaling on my live it out.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

No, we're not backpedaling. So we're we're we're zeroing, we're honing in. Okay, all right. I want to be Dr. J would appreciate it. Okay, yeah. So we're let's read through, and I don't want to be the boss of you. I'll just say what I'm gonna do, and you can join me as I join you. Read through, meditate on one through eleven and then really work to memorize it, but really committing to memorizing nine, ten, and eleven.

SPEAKER_04 31:22

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

I love it because I think the meaning of one through eight is so is is important. It's a little harder to get it right, though, I think from a memorization standpoint, because there is some of that repetition in there. Right. Yeah. But I mean, not that we can't, right?

SPEAKER_04 31:37

Yeah.

unknown 31:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

So that's what I'm gonna do. What about is that sound good to you? Are you gonna you're gonna still go for it?

SPEAKER_04 31:43

Um I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna memorize a part of it. I just don't know what that's what I'm doing though.

SPEAKER_02 31:49

And I think we naturally will.

SPEAKER_04 31:50

Yes, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:51

Like I think the more you meditate on it, the more you naturally memorize it. You find that in other verses, like the joy of the Lord is your strength. Like, I did not have a song, but I knew that verse too. Right. Yeah, I didn't know the address either, though, right? So um, yeah, yeah, I love this idea. That's a perfect out. Let's do it. Yeah, and I would challenge our listeners too to maybe join us in this live it out, you know, and um to really like make sure you're staying connected to the Lord.

SPEAKER_04 32:19

Meditate on the true source of joy, yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

And to know that if there is some level of grief you are feeling right now, that you're not doing it wrong. Right. Yeah. Acknowledge it and then just bring it to the Lord. And that's exactly what we're called to do.

unknown 32:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 32:35

Holly, would you thank you? First of all, thank you. Oh, yeah. Thanks for coming on here. That was good. I I appreciate you so much. And you know I'm gonna ask you back again, just so you know. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 32:46

I it's a privilege, it really is.

SPEAKER_02 32:48

Would you um mind praying us out?

SPEAKER_04 32:51

I will. I'd be happy to. Oh, Heavenly Father, you alone are the true source of all joy. Let us never shortchange ourselves by shortchanging our time with you, by looking for quick fixes, um, by believing the lies of what what the world wants to sell us as joy this season. God, you are the joy giver. You are the source of joy. And we we've just got to preach it to ourselves every day that it is from you, Lord. And I know Christmas time is a gift, and it's it's such a beautiful season to remember Emmanuel God with us. And so I pray that we would take delight in the fun traditions and the things that add to just um just the special time of year this is, Lord, but let us truly, truly connect with you this season, and let us remain in you, abide in you, be connected fully to you so that our joy can be complete, God. In your name I pray.

SPEAKER_02 34:06

Amen. Amen. Listeners, be encouraged. Joy will come if we remain in the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

He alone is our solid ground.