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Strangely Dim, 31OCT

I’m not talking JUST about peanut butter M&M’s…..

One of the most true lyrics from a Jesus-inspired praise song is: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus…. and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Everything grows dim, not just the old favorites of life. Everything.

The Joy of Jesus – that amplifies my joy of life.

The Joy of Jesus also can become a quieter delight, a deeper joy of peace in chaos.

The Joy of Jesus is hope in holding onto hope eternal…

Jesus is better than the most wonderful things on earth, in addition to being a better focus for us as direction in disaster, focus during the toughest times.

And, readjusting our joy of silly things too – good and bad…

Not just peanut butter M&M’s that truly aren’t so good as I remembered….

Halloween this year was nice but not spectacular, but should I be worried about that? No, not at all… the things of earth will grow strangely dim…. Halloween is different, my kids are grown,  my tastebuds don’t like the overly sweet stuff as much now, having changed to healthier eating,  and the decorations are not so important… the silly faces are ok, the gore is too fake for me to worry about,  I’m not into any type of devil worshipping stuff – those bitter aspects of Halloween? I mentally threw them away – those fluffy aspects of Halloween are fading away for me also,  and that’s OK.

Just like my tastebuds now savor tastier treats than those blah treats of my youth, my joy-tastebuds savor truer joys…

“and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace”

Yesterday, on Halloween, I mostly enjoyed seeing the joy of the people celebrating with each other. Sharing and witnessing fun joy with friends and family.  With my beloved neighbors, I enjoyed warm weather and a bonfire.  With my solitude, I enjoyed times of focused prayer. In my thankfulness, I mostly enjoyed that I was given an opportunity to really enjoy the day.

Seeing the cutest little costumed kids that parents doted upon, a joy.

Seeing the levity and gratitude of work folks also in costume was fun…

Being able to find JOY IN THE JOURNEY of life is priceless…

If all good things are from God, then moments of peaceful fun are sprinkled on the cake of life… as long as we attribute this cake itself to God Himself.

Joy, who are we to mess with that…

Strangely dim is how both frivolity and fright fades in the focus of God’s grace – the hope of eternal future clears up our current path of life…

It’s Halloween, so let me rush in Christmas now – Joy to the world, the Lord has come, the Savior reigns – lyrics mesh us into Xmas, because, the truth is that Jesus does reign all the time…

Who is better than all today’s earthly troubles? Jesus.

Who is better than all earthly glitter? Jesus.

Worship not the world but Worship Jesus in Spirit and Truth.

These song lyrics are on point:

“Just turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Amen