I am seeking more joy in my life this holiday season. When I say joy, I mean something more than mere happiness – something deeper and less dependent on circumstances. While I recognize that authentic joy can ultimately come from only God Himself, I do believe there are practical steps that we can take to pursue and cultivate joy in our lives. This holiday season some steps I am taking to experience more joy in my life are:

1. spending less time on the internet and less time watching TV/movies.
2. serving my wife by doing household chores more regularly whether she asks for help or not.
3. instead of avoiding social environments where I feel awkward, embracing them and seeking to serve other people in them.
4. having more unhurried leisure time in which I do things that I find enjoyable for no other reason than that I find them enjoyable.
5. sleeping more and exercising more.
6. Thinking less about other people’s sin, and more about my own, and more about the true meaning of Christmas.
7. Dusting off my guitar and getting back into it a bit.