Welcome to our summer joy series!  The next 4 episodes are designed to help bring more joy into your life and this episode we are kicking it off by talking about what Joy is.

Joy is the silence of striving.  It’s more than contentment...it’s like a mix of gratitude and contentment.  It comes from the inside and is not swayed by outside circumstances.  Fruit of the spirit is like real fruit.  It needs to be attended to for healthy growth and it takes time.  So how do you get there?

1. Accept the holy spirit
2. Grow in your faith by
   1. Reading the word of god
   2. Pray and have quiet time with the Lord
   3. Drown out the world and make God bigger

Worship and song is a great way to do this.  For one, it has a big influence on our thoughts and emotions like nothing else can.  If you need to renew your mind and keep your spirit in alignment with God vs the world, this a great way to do it.  

When it comes to summertime, music provides such a big part of the season.  I have many memories of summer concerts, driving with the windows down and the radio up, and music playing while playing in the background while we play in the water, the backyard, or camp.

Adding in an awesome summer soundtrack can have a big impact on the joy that you experience this season.  The words and melody that you hear and sing along with will impact your heart and mind.  This keeps you in alignment with God, growing you faith and growing in the fruit of the spirit.