A few weeks ago we had our Ladies' Retreat for the ladies of Grandview. We had so much fun together talking, eating, precious time in God's Word and lots and lots of laughter!!! Oh, it had been a long time since I had really laughed. Laughter is a wonderful medicine!! 
The lovely Christy did the decorations for the tables. She is so creative:)
These are the ladies on the Women's Ministry Team!! What fun it is to serve on this team!! We had such a wonderful and challenging time in our sessions focusing on having the Joy of the Lord in our lives!! Joy is such a deep concept. It's so much more than a smile on your face!! Don't get me wrong I love to smile and love to see others smile too!! So many days we face things in our lives that are less than ideal. An unplanned trip to the Emergency Room, sleepless nights or mothers who endure the sleepless nights of a child, uncertainty at work, unsaved family members, death of a loved one, sorrow over a son or daughter who is headed down the paths of destruction, etc. etc. etc. All those things I've just listed are things that I have personally been exposed to through people I see on a regular basis. If we were to focus on those things it would lead us to be depressed, despaired, confussed and possibly bitter.
So often we base our joy on our circumstances. Life's not about ME or My Problems, It's About God and His Plan for my life! How I wish I could grasp this concept every moment of every day!! The conclusion our speaker brought as the Key to our Joy is:
First Seek God, Joy will follow!!
You will make known to me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy; In your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11
The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Self-Control... Galatians 5:23
Pray for God to work in your heart to do what he wants you to do! Read His Word!! Draw near to God and he will draw near to you!!!
