“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”
Psalms 98:1-3 ESV
One of the themes of Advent is Joy. Joy is often confused with happiness. Happiness is a feeling based on a state or condition of well being. Being happy is a good thing. It is temporary and can change as often as the direction of the wind in Central Texas.
In contrast, joy is much deeper. It is a sense of well being that endures even in the midst of chaos and adversity. Joy gives a glimmer of hope on the darkest nice.
In the Advent season we are reminded of our source of hope and joy. Our joy and hope comes from Christ. It is not based on our circumstances or our abilities.
Joy to the World
By Isaac Watts
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n, and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
The Dee Zone 
Dee, your musings are so uplifting and thoughtful. I love the Joy to the World song by Pentatonix and your wonderful explanation about the differences between Joy and Happiness.
May you have Joy during this season and all of the rest of your life. I hope your mom finds Joy, too. I think of her often and how much she has touched my life over the years.
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