"THIS JOY I HAVE......!!! DON'T LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR JOY!!!! CERTAINLY, DO NOT GIVE IT AWAY!!!"

Jesus is our hope. In Him, there is no failure. He loves us with a supernatural love. While He appears silent at times, and we are struck still with the cares of the world, He is working it out in our favor." HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026! "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12.

The world did not give me this joy, and the world cannot take it away. "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice." Philippians 4:4. My grandmother told me a long time ago not to put my trust in a person, man in particular. I have since read between the lines and reached the conclusion that she meant to only put my full trust in God.

Refecting back on 2025, I realize that God has been my great benefactor (as He has been my whole life). My family and the few friends that I have were on the sidelines. I am sure that they would have responded positively to my needs should I have asked. But God. But, God is and was always there taking care of my needs without me asking; He was there guiding me, protecting me and making my heart glad in the midst of it all; no matter the circumstances. For this, I give Him thanks. He was there making a way out of no way; covering me with His love even though I did not deserve it. He has given me joy unspeakable in little and big things; joy that the world cannot take away. "Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God." Sam Storms

Giving or taking something away under false pretenses is tantamount to stealing. Some folks will try to steal your joy. Don' let them. More importantly, do not let the world or any one in particular get you to surrender your joy. There is nothing better or greater than the joy that God gives. Always remember that the world cannot give you the joy of the Lord.

As we live, we are going to go through some things. Remember what Jesus said, "In this world, you will have trouble..." John 16:33. Sometimes you will feel a little down or even a lot down, but don't lose hope. God's grace is sufficient for you and so is His joy. God has created us to need Him. No one or no thing can fill that void except Him. Keep seeking Him and you will receive the blessings that He has stored up for those who receive and love Him and trust Him. That's joy.

Even our closest relationships can turn sour. See the recent headines. We can give all that we have and make extreme sacrifices, and still not receive the goal of someone truly loving us. It is heartening to know that God loved us before we were born and never stops. That's joy. Further, God never changes. We can count on His love forever. "Jesus is the same yesterday, and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8. This is bringing tears of joy to my eyes. He promised never to leave or forsake us, and that is a promise that will stand throughout eternity!!! You can shout now. Hallelujah! That's joy.

You may be thinking that you do not deserve this. Well, the truth is, you don't. But God. God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to take our sins upon Himself and to die on the cross on our behalf so that we could be forgiven of our sins; a customized redemption plan. Because of this great sacrifice, we can now be reconciled back to God and become not just His creation, but His children. All we have to do is to accept the the plan. That's joy.

The apostle Paul came to know that deep, everlasting love of God when he was struck blind on a Damascus road where he encountered the risen Lord. He was going about his business persecuting God's people. The Lord could have let him continue on this path and eventally let him end up spending eternity in a very "hot" place. But God. God, in view of His everlasting love, got Paul's attention. After an encounter with Jesus he was never the same. He started serving God with fervor and never looked back. Read the story. Acts 9:1-19. That's joy.

Some real talk now. We are all born with a sin nature. Simply put, we are drawn to doing what is against God's will. We know what is right, but we knowingly and sometimes unknowingly choose wrong. I know, you are a really good person. Unfortunately, we are not good enough. God's standard is perfection. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. Don't be discouraged by this. Be encouraged. I remember when I was a new teacher and one of the requirements was taking and passing the NTE (National Teachers Exam). People were lamenting how hard the test was and that some had failed it several times. My ears perked up. I did not even concern myself with how many times people took and failed the test. What I heard was that you could take the test over and over until you passed. Our God is the God of "another chance." We mess up over and over again. He keeps giving us chance after chance; without His love ever changing. That's joy.

The apostle Paul upon choosing to follow Christ found that life was still difficult, but his purpose and his actions were now in God's will and he could live joyfully knowing that God's grace was sufficient to get him through whatever difficulty he had to face. He further knew that his eternal future was secure. That's joy.

What about you? Do you have joy? There is joy in knowing that God will take care of you. Nothing and/or no one can take away what God has deemed to be yours. Neither can what God has in store for us in eternity be equaled or done away with. He promised. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His word will stand. Stand on it, live by it. There is no easy, carefree life to be had here. If you think otherwise, keep on living. But, we can live joyfully. God can give us peace in the midst of a storm. He can also quiet the storm. "Whatever season you are in, whatever the circumstances surrounding you, the Lord is able to give you peace, security, covering and protection. You do not have to be afraid, even in th midst of a storm." Psalm 91:1,4. That's joy.

"Oftentimes, we forget that we have the power to choose. Choose joy. "Dont wait for things to get easier, simpler, better. Life will always be complicated. Learn to be happy right now. Otherwise, you will run out of time." Anonymous.

A while ago, I wrote a blog about throwing a pity party where we could lengthen the time of the pity party by sitting there alone or we could shorten it by inviting a special guest (the Lord), bringing the "party" to an abrupt end. Many times we find ourselves in situations not of our own making and sometimes of our own making. Either way it does not mean all is lost. We still have the ability to choose how we will respond. "Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." Henri Nouwen.

All of us would like to live a charmed life, but this is highly improbable. That is not to say that you cannot

live your best life; one that is filled with joy. You can. Especially when Jesus is the center of your joy!

1. Seek God. "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6. Get wise. "The fear of the Lord is beginning of wisdom." Proverb 9:10.

2. "Cast your cares on the Lord for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7. Let go of worries. In other words, let go and let God.

3. Embrace joy! The joy that you receive from the Lord; the world cannot take it away. Unfortunately, sometimes we let it slip away. Guard against that. Live joyfully everyday.

4. Live in gratitude. "Spiritual joy is what you experience when you choose to give thanks to God no matter what happens--even when things go wrong." Jim George.

5. Remember, trouble don't last always. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5. "After the pain, the joy will still be here." Walt Disney. Hang in there. There is light in the morning after.

6. To you: You know who you are: "Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the life you are actually living." Rachel Marie Martin. God's got you! He has a plan for your life. Relax! Let Him take the wheel.

Happy New Year! I'm back!!! So glad to be back from a short hiatus. I pray that in this New Year you and I will trust God to breathe on our plans and bring them to fruition with your and my efforts and His grace. May you embrace joy, and live gloriously as you walk in the plans that God has lovingly designed for your life. Wishing you God's very best in the New Year 2026! GOD BLESS YOU IMMENSELY!!!

Yours, Yvette

Thank you for your continued support. I remain deeply appreciative. You can send comments to vttlane@gmail.com. or cym456@aol.com.

TRIBUTE TO FELICIA STARASIA ALLEN: (January 24, l991-January 31, 2025)

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the life of one of the beautiful, talented and gifted young women in my church (the Burke Avenue Baptist Church) who God called to her eternal rest on January 31, 2025. In her young life she exemplied the virtues of a virtuous woman. God gifted her with the voice of an angel which she used to glorify Him. Her faith was evident in all that she did. She was a brilliant Christian role model. In all things she thanked and praised God. Felicia loved and served God with her whole heart. She was on her way to becoming a star, as she embarked on a music career. Little did we know that her star was shining brightly all the while. It became more evident when God called her home. Boldly printed on the merchandise that she was to use to promote her music was: "God's plan is perfect, even when it hurts." Felicia Starasia Allen. Your godson James and all your godchildren will miss you as will the Lane family, your immediate family, your church family, your godparents and all your extended family and friends and, of course your loving husband Wasslo. You made an indelible imprint on our hearts and you will remain there always. We will cherish your memory and the music that you left for us to enjoy and reflect on. But, we rejoice in knowing that you are rejoicing somewhere around God's throne in the arms of our loving Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. "Absent from the body, present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8. Of this we are certain. That's joy!