Today I was thinking of the gifts of joy and praise. Watching the children sing and share in our church’s children’s Christmas program filled my heart with joy! People in our church then shared testimonies of praise for what God has done in our lives through the recent sermon series in Jonah. All the testimonies contained joy and praise in spite of a few of them bringing many of us to tears. We have a number of friends who have unexpectedly lost family members the past two weeks. Other friends and family are facing illness and hoping to spend this Christmas together. It’s hard to lose family members any time of the year, especially around holidays. A few friends were grieving family members who passed earlier this year not being with them this Christmas and a few others were grieving family members who passed several years ago. Perhaps some of you can relate to these situations too?

The National Institute of Health published a study in May of 2025 about the complexities of joy. The authors shared, “Joy was perceived as a distinct, profound emotion, often intertwined with gratitude and love. Barriers to joy included negative relationships, societal pressures, and emotional burdens, whereas fostering positive relationships, engaging with nature, and cultivating self-awareness were identified as key strategies for sustaining joy.” The study also shared the resiliency of joy…that participants experienced joy in spite of good or difficult times…that choosing joy produces resilience.

In this study, “Participants consistently shared that connection was fundamental to their experiences of joy, emerging from connection with others and sharing values, meaning, and purpose. Being connected to oneself, especially the authentic self, and being open to a range of emotions, were deemed crucial for experiencing joy. Connection to nature and the environment was significant, particularly for those who felt disconnected from people. Feeling connected to something larger than oneself and engaging in loved activities such as hobbies and spiritual practices were important for experiencing joy. Periods of diminished joy coincided with a loss of connection in various ways.”

It’s good to see research continue to show the benefits of connection producing joy. Life is hard and grief is a funny thing in how it shows up so randomly. It made me think about what I shared at Thanksgiving about intentionality in time with others as life isn’t guaranteed. A couple girlfriends and I talked about this again today…that we want to be intentional with the most important things and in living with joy and gratitude. We wanted to be more intentional with family, friends, and those hurting around us.

Wishing you and your family/friends Christmas blessings with joy and praise in the midst of whatever you may be facing. I’m also grateful for the Savior of the World who was born to die that we might live!

Winter Program Brochures have been mailed by several area counties or will be mailed after Christmas. Please RSVP to the county office where you’d like to attend the meeting being hosted. You can also find the list of winter events at: https://jenreesources.com/upcoming-events/.