Joy to the world the Lord has come! At this time of year, joy can be one of the hardest things to fill on my Christmas list. I just can't ask for it at customer assistance, or find it on isle nine in the home furnishing section. It all starts with the condition of my heart and who the source of my joy is! When we read the Psalms we find that King David seemed to always be on a emotional roller coaster, whether he was in deep sorrow or pain, or on the mountain top praising god for His goodness, Psalm 16:11 seemed to be the theme for David's life. It says "In Your presence is fullness of joy". In all things David longed to be in God's presence, because he knew that God was his source of joy, even in the difficult things. He figured out that joy came from the inside out, not the outside in. It sounds simple, but the world around us wants us to believe that joy is found in our possessions. I look around at all the great things man has created, Hi-rise buildings, computers, Ipod, pizza, etc, but nothing has ever or will ever come close to God's creation, you and me created in the likeness of Him. That is where we will find our joy, because that is where He finds His joy, in us. The best gift every Christmas is love, It is not hard to find and doesn't need to be wrapped, you can pick it up at the Cross and has an never ending source of joy. Man's presents will never compare to God's presence! May your homes be filled with God's presence. Merry Christmas from Hockinson Living Hope! Pastor Jon Andersen