Joy thrives in the most unlikely places.  I learned this first hand last year.  You see, for 2012 my adopted theme was “Ain’t Nobody Gonna Steal My Joy.”  Looking back now, I realize how ironic that decision was because it was the hardest year of my life.    Yet,  in the midst of it all, I discovered that joy refused to die — it bloomed in the moments where friends prayed over me, where my husband hugged me and told me he loved me, and in the Scriptures God gave me to fertilize my spirit.

Joy will bloom in the soil of your heart even if the winter is harsh and sunlight seems elusive.  Just keep watering.

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 ^“Dear brothers and sisters,

when troubles come your way,

consider it an opportunity for great joy.

For you know that when your faith is tested,

your endurance has a chance to grow.

So let it grow,

for when your endurance is fully developed,

you will be perfect and complete,

needing nothing.”

James 1:2-4, NLT

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Q4U:  Has joy ever welled up in you during a difficult season?  Please share your story with us in the comment section below.

For further reading on this topic, check out “Cartwheels of Joy.”  

Thanks for joining me for Day 16!