Thursday, March 20, 2014

So Your Joy May Be Complete

written by Emma Ball

Hello friends, family & Fellows supporters!

I’m so happy to be able to share with you what has been going on with the fellows lately.  We are currently in Rwanda fundraising mode trusting God to provide the funds we need for plane tickets. The Fellows are also continuing to train for our 10k that’s only two weeks from now (eekk) in Charleston. The amount of snow and ice we have gotten has not helped our training schedule. We are also continuing to learn how to do Morning Prayer and enter into the same type of worship that Christians did hundreds of years ago. I am looking forward to our last two months, soaking in all that the Fellows program has to offer. I cannot believe how fast the last 7 months has flown by!

Even more importantly than what I am doing with the Fellows is what I have been learning. The theme that has been popping up over the past week over and over again is JOY.   The Fellows received a devotional book by Jon Piper about the fifty reasons why Jesus came to die and the entry that stood out to me was entitled “to gain his joy and ours.” God has been teaching me that joy is not dependent on my feeling. Joy is not dependent on my circumstances. Joy is something that was acquired at the cross and is a gift to me that comes with salvation.


Hebrews 12:2 says “For the JOY set before him He endured the cross…” Jesus joyfully took on the cross so that our joy could be complete. That is incredible! I am able to live a full and abundant life because of the joyful sacrifice that was made. 

Joy is jumping on a beautiful beach in Florida,

Joy is endless laughter on Tuesday night dinners,

Joy is playing monopoly when all the power is out,

Joy is cooking dinner together,

Joy is so many things…

But ultimately …

Joy IS Jesus Christ.

Love Always,
Emma Ball

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11

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