{Hope for the Home}: Making JOY Come Alive

He was walking down that long, dusty road from Judea to Galilee. You know the one.

Most would have taken the long way around, avoiding Samaria altogether. It was a dirty place. Filled with ungodliness.  No one wanted to associate with those people. Their very presence could contaminate you.

Coming upon Jacob's Well, he sat down, tired from the journey. When out of nowhere, she shows up, a filthy Samaritan woman. 

I imagine her daily trip to the well was a sort of escape from her life. Anything to avoid the reality of 5 former husbands and now living with a man who was not even her husband.

If only she could meet the right man, her problems would disappear.

Isn't that what we think?

If only I could find a husband...have a baby...get rich...lose weight...land a better job. Get A Drink. Then I would be happy.

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. {John 4:13-14}

What is it that you are waiting on, to be happy?

The woman at the well came in search of water but instead, she found Jesus. Her joy was made complete, despite her circumstances. She immediately ran back to her town, leaving her water jar behind, telling everyone she encountered, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 

And they did. They saw a change in her and as a result, they went to him.

You see, happiness is circumstantial. True joy is found in Christ alone. Will you let him fill you up?

Family Activity for the Week...

I have found that focusing on your blessings and being grateful for what you have, instead of what you don't have, leads to joy. This week I challenge you to read 15 Happy Ways to Joyfilled, Grateful Kids and choose at least one of the activities listed to do together as a family. Be sure to leave us a comment to let us know what you did and how it turned out.

Did you do the love challenge from last week?

Don't forget to hang your {Joy} fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on joy in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Monday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about PEACE! :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.