Hymn-ful Sundays! "Come and Join the Celebration"

The last Hymn-ful Sunday post! It's hard to believe that it's been a year already.

This week's hymn again speaks of the birth of our Saviour Jesus. It is a celebratory hymn written by Valerie Collison and is sung as one of the Christmas/Advent traditions of my home church in Barbados. Valerie Collison is a contemporary hymnwriter and organist from the United Kingdom, and this is one of her most popular compositions.

Hymn-ful Sundays! "Joy to the World"

This week's hymn continues in the Advent trend with a popular hymn by prolific hymnwriter Isaac Watts, who lived in the 17th century in England. Watts wrote many hymns and songs based directly on passages of scripture. This one is based on Psalm 98.

Hymn-ful Sundays! "To God be the Glory"

We're back with Fanny Crosby again! This American hymnwriter wrote many many popular hymns that we still are singing almost 150 years later! This week's is a hymn of praise to God for all that He has done.

Biweekly Bits #1: Attitude is Everything

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

Attitude is everything. So many times my experience has been shaped by my attitude towards it. I can choose joy even on the most terrible days. Sometimes, the difference between a bad day and a great day is your attitude.

There are some days in life where joy is a choice. Everything goes wrong, people get on your last nerve, terrible things happen to you or your loved ones, or you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed. The point is, you don't want to be joyful. 

Those are the days when we need joy the most. Not happiness, not the smiles and giggles type of thing, but true joy, the kind that lives deep in our hearts and souls.This joy is able to turn lives around.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Phil 4:4

There are things in life that try to steal joy away from us. Take your joy back from them. Keep an attitude of praise and thanksgiving when joy-stealers abound. It's not easy, but it is worth it. Joy is our comfort when life isn't happy.

This joy is being able to say, like Job, when everything is life is going wrong, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25). It is being able to be like David, when he had to run away from his entire life because Saul was trying to kill him, and still he sang songs of praise to the Lord. 

So what attitude are you going to have today? Are you going to declare today a great day, despite its circumstances? Will you decide to be joyful no matter what life throws at you? Will you choose joy?

Be blessed and shine with a great attitude!

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Hymn-ful Sundays! "My God, I am thine"

This week's hymn is another by Charles Wesley. 

The Third Candle: Anticipating Joy

This week, we anticipate joy.

When the Son of Man came to this world, he brought with him joy. The angels knew it. When the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, the angel told them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11). After that, the whole host of angels began to sing!

Anticipating Christ

One of my absolute favourite times of the year is Advent. Not just Christmas itself, but the four weeks leading up to it that the liturgical church celebrates as Advent. There's something in me that just loves the idea of eagerly anticipating and celebrating the birth of our Saviour.

Each week, a candle is lit, and each candle signifies a word that is the focus of that week: hope, love, joy, peace. (A fifth candle is lit on Christmas day to represent Christ, and the light that he brings to the world.) We sings songs that tell of the coming of the Christ-child, and read some of the greatest passages in the Bible: prophecies of the Messiah coming to earth, that were spoken hundreds of years before his birth.