On Thanksgiving Day I usually send out a text to a few friends and family wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving! This year, when in went to type the word happy, I just couldn’t.
For the past couple of weeks, prior to Thanksgiving Day, my heart had (and still is) heavy with prayer for family and friends who are going through a difficult season. Knowing that the feeling of happiness may not be in their hearts, and my own, I (we) are still truly grateful, blessed, and hopeful.
Joy comes in the morning.
I read Psalm 100:4-5 and obeyed, “Come through the gates to his Temple giving thanks to him. Enter his courtyards with songs of praise. Honor him and bless his name. The Lord is good! There is no end to his faithful love. We can trust him forever and ever!”
God is so good to us! His love is faithful! I will trust in Him and give much thanks to my heavenly Daddy.
Joy comes in the morning.
There may be seasons in your life when you are spending your holidays in the hospital with your child, separated from your spouse because they are serving our country away from home, going through family members with health issues or addictions and they are receiving assistance, maybe you are newly divorced or mourning the loss of a loved one, or a plethora of other situations which can cause your happiness to be down on the feeling meter…hang on…joy comes in the morning.
Hebrews 12:28 instructs us to be thankful. Be thankful because we serve a mighty God! “So we should be thankful because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And because we are thankful, we should worship God in a way that will please him. We should do this with respect and fear,” No matter what is shaking your life, know that God can not be shaken. He is strong! Hold on to Him. Joy comes in the morning.
As Thanksgiving morning progressed, my family went to enjoy brunch and fellowship at my mom’s. Seeing babies at their first thanksgiving puts things into perspective.

Throughout the day, I was reminded that despite what situations we are going through, life continues. We must keep living, counting our blessings, and serving God and others. Joy comes in the morning.
When dinner time arrived at our home, I was grateful that our original count of eight, quickly turned into thirteen loved ones gathered around the table. Counting blessings and being filled with joy.
So as I typed the words, “It’s Thanksgiving Day, and I am so thankful for dear friends like you!! I love you!” the word happy may not have been included, yet I sure was feeling blessed and full of thanks.
In today’s world, I’ve heard how people separate the words happy and joyful. When I googled the difference, the first article that appeared said, “It is important to know the difference between being happy and having joy…That is because happiness is an emotion in which we ‘experience feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bless and intense pleasure,’ whereas joy, ‘is a stronger, less common feeling than happiness,’ We experience joy when we achieve selflessness to the point of personal sacrifice. We feel joy when we are spiritually connected to God or people.” (By Rev. Dr. Christopher Benefield from an islandpacket.com article.)
Then, when I went to the website, gotquestions.org, the article started out by saying, “there is no explicit difference between happiness and joy”. Click on the following title to read that article:  Is there a difference between joy and happiness?
However you differentiate between the words happy and joy, I have the attitude of “I may not always feel happy (believe it or not!), but I am always truly filled with joy, gratitude, and blessed beyond I could ever imagine.” When you know that “joy comes in the morning” you are filled with a hope from God that overflows in your everyday life.
Friends, remember that this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas isn’t always so “happy” for some. I want to encourage you to pray for others, be proactive and spread some joy others’ way. Joy comes in the morning.



If you are in the midst of the not-so-happy season, I want to encourage you to lean on Jesus Christ, count your blessings, and do the same as mentioned above…pray for others, spread some joy others’ way, and be confident in God’s promise that joy comes in the morning.
My heavy heart was given to God daily. I notice that each time I send a prayer request or plea God’s way, He would fill my heart with more gratitude and joy. My heaviness did turn into happy. Try it…give your request to God.
1 Corinthians 1:4-5 I always thank my God for you because of the grace that he has given you through Christ Jesus. In him you have been blessed in every way. You have been blessed in all your speaking and all your knowledge.
Colossians 2:6-7 You accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, so continue to live following him. You must depend on Christ only, drawing life and strength from him. Just as you were taught the truth, continue to grow stronger in your understanding of it. And never stop giving thanks to God.


Romans 15:13 I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always
And remember…
The night may be filled with tears, but in the morning we can sing for joy! Psalm 30:5b
God is good…ALL THE TIME!
Turn your heaviness into joy!
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie