Joy
Dear Momma,
We’re about six months into 2025 and the Lord has taken me back to my “word” for 2025 that I felt He was leading me into experiencing more and diving into more deeply. Before a year begins, do you choose a word or words to lean into for the year? For the 2025 year, the word I felt the Lord gave me was “Joy”.
I knew I hadn’t quite experienced the full depths of His Joy, His Joy over me, and living each day with an overflow of His Joy…yet. My prayer was that before the page of 2025 was turned and the new chapter of 2026 began, I would know His Joy AND experience His Joy to the deepest depths possible.
I have the best husband on the planet, but I can’t just stay home with him everyday for the rest of my life, although I absolutely would if I could. I don’t think it’s in the cards for the Lord’s plans for me :). If it were up to me, I wouldn’t miss a second of my girls’ lives. I love being there mom-perhaps the greatest gift is being their mom. My family brings me joy. My home brings me joy.
I’m blessed to be the head Principal of my school. My school will always and forever be a special place to me. Being in a leadership role at work, I get the blessing of seeing the amazing side of people, which is such a sweet gift from the Lord. These folks along the way have blessed my life abundantly. I also get to see some of the worst parts of people. Leadership has a way of showing you ugliness and evil up close and personal in this world. Being knee-deep in the sports world as a parent, we get to experience the beautiful side of sports. Our girls have met some of their closest friends through sport, travel across the country, and learn valuable lessons through a safe environment. They’ve had some of the best coaches and some coaches that shouldn’t be coaching young girls ever (if you ask me). Sports also has a way of showing folks’ true colors which can be exhausting, and sometimes I realize that some folks in the sports world will never make sense to me. The world makes me tired sometimes, y’all!
1 John 5:19 says that this world is a world where it “lies in the power of the evil one”. As a child of God living in this world, there’s a different depth sadness we experience from my lens. There’s a different grief and pain knowing the world today wasn’t supposed be what it is. But, whether the struggle comes from work, from sports or real struggles we see in the world by just turning on the news and seeing the hate, lies, death, and the list goes on, we have a Joy that is everlasting, even here on earth, through it all.
So, how do you and me truly and deeply experience this joy? No matter what’s on the news. No matter how much is in the bank account. No matter what the scale says or what circumstances I’m facing. No matter the diagnosis. No matter the gain or loss, the failure or success.
How does living a life overflowing with Joy really look like in real-time in my life? In my family’s life? How can I attain that?
It’s May of 2025 now, and verses that I’ve read before pierced me differently today. The Lord has given me clarity over my word for the year. In a world we live in that tells you joy and happiness is this or it’s that and in a world that tells you ‘you’ get to make up your own happiness (such a lie!), He’s reminded me of the Truth about Joy. I was prompted to begin meditating on the Psalms, so I began meditating on Psalms 1:1-3.
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season, their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”
He hit me with this Truth: Joy comes from “delighting in the law of the Lord” and “meditating on it day and night”.
He answered me. (Thank you, Lord.)
I want to know more of what Jesus says about this. What else do the red letters say about Joy?
In John 15, Jesus said: “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow.”
What are the “things” He told us?
Remain in me and I will remain in you.
a. By remaining in Him, “He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit” so “we can produce much fruit”. We are “called to be His disciples” which “brings glory to the Father”.
Remain in my love.
a. How? Obey His commandments.
Love each other in the same way He has loved us.
This is Joy. This is where Joy begins. This is where Joy lives. It’s where Joy exists and overflows. This is where the Spirit produces and waters the Fruit that can truly only come from Him. This is everlasting Joy.
It’s funny that while pausing from this meditation and reflection, I began scrolling and the first message I see says “when your joy is found in God, no one can take it from you.” That’s funny, Lord. Thanks for that right on time kinda message!
In a world where the Enemy is at work trying to weigh us all down with lies and deception and distract us from Truth, I wonder why I find myself ebbing in and out of the Truth that real Joy only comes from. While He’s trying to rob us with comparison, I’m reminded that spending time with Him clears out every lie, every distraction, every deception, every comparison, and the list goes on. I’m sitting at my dining room table and sit in this realization, this Truth.
Thankful. Pausing. Hopeful. Grateful. Repentant.
Sitting in the quiet, I go to my playlist to play a worship song. Sometimes all I can do is pause and praise Him, Sing to Him, and thank Him through song because sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be enough words to describe my thankfulness for His mercy and grace.
I love the Song that began playing for me, titled Nothing Else, written by Cody Carnes…
Coming back to where we started, where I first felt your love…
You’re all that matters Jesus
Coming back to what really matters
Just wanna bless your heart Jesus
Caught up in your presence
I just wanna sit here at your feet
Caught up in this Holy moment
I never wanna leave
Oh I’m not here for blessing
Jesus you don’t owe me anything
and more than anything that you can do
I just want You.
Nothing Else.
In a sense, I’m coming back to where He and I started, yet we’re starting from fresh all over again. He’s so worth it and I’m forever grateful that He thinks I’m that worth it, too.
This is what I’m called to. This is what you’re called to. This is where Joy lives and is birthed out of and overflows. He promises it.
If you’re like me, and have been too distracted to sit with Him, there’s good news. We can come back.
If you’re like me and days have passed not placing this time with Him as the priority of our lives, there’s good news. We can choose differently today and tomorrow.
If you’re like me, and have felt stuck at times trying to tackle things alone, there’s good news. He’s waiting for us to join Him for every step along the way.
Here’s what I know:
He’s worth it and He thinks you and I are worth it, too!
Let’s turn our Eyes to Jesus because it’s all for His Glory.
In love,
Kassie Leigh