Where is the Joy?

My thoughts have been preoccupied with the concept of joy for some time now. I was listening to the Newsboys song, "Joy" and thought, that sounds like it should be right, but that is not how I feel.

You give me joy that's unspeakable

And I like it...

Your love for me is irresistible

I can't fight it...

If life's a battle, the invasion is complete

If it's a rhythm, I have found the perfect beat

If it's a renaissance, I've got a new birthday

The world don't give it

And the world can't take it away

A couple of months ago, I was reading through the book of Job and came across Job 7: 4-6

"When I lie down I say, When shall I arise? But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn. My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and come to their end without hope."

Hmmm... "full of tossing till the dawn," "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and come to their end without hope." Yup, that sounds about right. I felt like I could totally relate at that moment, and I felt justified in my hopelessness because, hey, if a righteous guy like Job could feel like that, it must be ok! Needless to say, I have never suffered like Job and had no reason not to feel joy and hope.

The more I thought about it, the more questions I had. I began to wonder, what exactly is the definition of "joy"? Is it merely an emotion that comes and goes depending on one's situation? What does it look like lived out? I decided to looked it up in Webster's dictionary and this is what I found:
1a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : DELIGHT
1b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion : GAIETY
2: a state of happiness or felicity : BLISS
3: a source or cause of delight

Well, that was not exactly helpful at first. An emotion, an expression, a state, and the source of these things... But then the word "delight" caught my eye and made me think of the command in the Psalms to "delight yourself in the LORD" (Psalm 37:4). There must be an aspect of joy that is connected to the will. Maybe we can purpose in our hearts to be joyful. Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit after all and we are called to walk in the spirit (Galations 5: 25).

So, maybe the Newsboys only presented half the truth in their song. The world can't take it away, but that doesn't mean we can just take it for granted. Christ is our joy (going back to Webster's definition of joy as the source of delight) and we have to keep our eyes fixed upon Him and look to Him alone for that unspeakable joy.

Memories That Will Last a Lifetime!!!

Bus fare to the Miami seaport = $2
Airfair to Miami = $200
Cruise fare to the Caribbean = I would rather forget
Fun times with my sister = PRICELESS!!! =)

Why I Haven't Posted in a While...

Aren't you glad I have a good reason? =)

We had a couple of storms while at sea and were blessed with a rainbow! As I was busy taking pictures, C. turned to me and jokingly said "we're on Noah's Ark!" I laughed and went on with my piture-taking. After seeing the water spout the day before (I got a picture of that too), the rainbow was a comforting reminder that God is God over the wind and waves, as well as His people.

This is the Zenith (the ship we sailed on). It sails under the Bahamas' flag. It has 12 decks, a crew of 640, and is a little over 600 feet long. The chefs and waitstaff serve aprox. 1,500 people, at 7-8 meals per person, per day! How is that for a statistic?!
C. and I walked the length of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman (which actually happens to only be 6 miles) . It is definitely the most absolutely gorgeous beach I have ever seen in my life!!! I took more than 300 pictures in the space of 6 days, and the majority were taken on Grand Cayman.