Welcome to the Season of Joy. We sing “Joy to the World!“, and remember the angels who brought “Glad Tidings of Great Joy!”
Yet, we live in a world full of so much confusion, frustration, hatred, fear and sorrow… it is easy to wonder if Joy is even possible anymore. Where is Joy? How can we find it?
Here are a few ideas to ponder from some very Wise Men.
Finding Joy In Serving Others
“Great things are wrought through simple and small things. Like the small flecks of gold that accumulate over time into a large treasure, our small and simple acts of kindness and service will accumulate into a life filled with love for Heavenly Father, devotion to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a sense of peace and joy each time we reach out to one another.”
– M. Russell Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service
Finding Joy In The Gift of Life
“Throughout our lives, we must deal with change. Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure. But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly…
…Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes. This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now…
…Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey.”
– Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy In The Journey
Finding Joy In Sharing Our Gifts
Some of the most joyful musicians I know are “The Piano Guys” – John Schmidt, and Steven Sharp Nelson. I’ve included their newest music video below called Ode To Joy To The World! Both of these men have endured sorrow in their personal lives. John’s sweet daughter Annie died one year ago this month in a tragic accident. I recently heard him share his story, his faith, and his journey of gratitude. Steven has also seen his share of sadness. And yet, both of these men live joyfully. Those huge smiles on their faces when they perform are genuine.
When you watch this video, look at the faces of all of the musicians and performers. Every one of them are truly filled with JOY! And it’s contagious (in a great way)!
Do you think perhaps they have found their joy because they are sharing their gifts with the world?
Joy is everywhere!
Joy is in the “small and simple things” in life. The air we breathe, the birds in the sky, the stunning beauty of a sunrise and sunset – different each day, the laugh of a child, the excited greeting we receive from a pet. The people who we care for and the people who love us…
Perhaps the secret then, of finding our joy, is simply walking through life with Gratitude – and looking for ways to share our unique gifts. Share our smiles, our hugs, our kindness, our talents – and whatever we have – with others. When we walk in Gratitude and Love, we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus – the Babe of Bethlehem – the very One who angels announced with Joy to the world!
Indeed, the Savior of the World has truly made every Joy possible!
Just thinking about all of these things fills me with Glad Tidings of Great Joy! It makes me want to share Joy with each of you! I just want you to know that if you are going through a hard time right now, just hang on. If Joy isn’t fully possible right now, I understand. But I promise, it will be. If I could, I would hug you right now. I would tell you how important and amazing you are, and that everything is going to be okay.
May you feel peace deep in your soul, and may you find your joy in your journey. – MoSop
Latter-day Soprano 
That Joy to the World sung by David Archuleta brought me back from a dark place. It was the first song on his Christmas Album that he recorded a year after he was on Idol. He’ll never know how much it meant to me. I love the Piano Guys too. It was so sad when Annie Schmidt died. I don’t know if you know that she and David were friends, and she sings a solo part at the end of the song, “I’m Ready”, on his new album, Postcards in the Sky. I don’t know if she helped write it or what, just that she sang part of it and he had recorded it and added it to the album as a tribute to her. So touching. Music has a way of bringing joy to our hearts, when nothing else can.
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