Overflowing Joy

As you know my soul work writing has been delinquent. No excuses to be given just statement of fact.
Happy Father's Day to all my friends who are dads. Trust you had a good day. My children are always generous with their appreciation and compliments. Thank you Leah and Sarah.
Joyce and I enjoyed a walk around Windmill Island late afternoon. It was cloudy with a breeze so the walk was nice. It is a scenic place. Last weekend we were in West Allis to celebrate Maya's 4th birthday. We had a good time doing that. We leave this Thursday for Sioux Center for the celebration of Mom Vermeer's 95th birthday. Most all Joyce's family will be there for that. We appreciate our children making the effort to be there with us for this occasion. Joyce and I will be there for the entire week along with her other siblings.
On June 12 we celebrated Joyce's birthday. We did our usual volunteer work at Ditto. We had dinner out with Leah and Kurt at Piper, a nice restaurant overlooking Lake Macatawa.
Before retiring for the evening we did our usual devotional reading together and I said to Joyce I wonder what the reading will be tonight on your birthday. Providentially it was titled "Overflowing Joy" and most appropriate for a wonderful woman named Joyce, a name no doubt which is a derivative of joy. The reading was based on Galatians 5: 21, "The fruit of the Spirit is...joy." The reading went as follows:
"The word joy has all but disappeared from our current Christian vocabulary. [not sure that is true]
One reason is because we have confused joy with happiness, and have come to believe it is found in pleasure, security and prosperity. In doing this, however, we have believed a lie that Satan is constantly telling the world to believe. But James did not say, "Count it all joy when you fall into an easy chair." He said, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials." (James 1:12)
Joy is not the same as happiness-- although they may overlap. Happiness depends on circumstances; joy depends on God. Happiness vanishes when life turns painful; joy keeps going and may even grow.
Joy comes from a living, vital relationship with God. It comes from knowing this world is only temporary, and some day we will be with God forever. It comes from the fact that although we do not yet see God, we "believe in God and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" (I Peter 1:18). It comes from a life of submission to the Holy Spirit-- regardless of circumstances."

So I celebrate and rejoice in the Joyce in my life as well as the wonderful gift of joy growing in me by the work of God's Holy Spirit. And when the trials, difficulties, problems and sorrows come to my life may the joy of the Lord be ever evident in my living. May it be so for you as well.