In the Advent weeks, this third week is about Joy.

I talked about it yesterday in chapel, but I don’t have time to turn that into a post for today.

However, as I thought about Joy, I decided that you and I could benefit from a couple of journal prompts from Giving the Year Meaning: A Healing Journal for Advent.

You can, if you want, write answers in the comments. I’ll write in one of my journals. But take a couple minutes and write.

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From the entry for December 1:

These days, we think a lot about what’s not working, about what’s not turning out the way we planned.

But today, thinking through the last few months, what’s one thing you’ve been involved in that turned out better than you expected? Not in the country or in the world, but in your life.

It could be that you planted seeds, and they grew. It could be that you had a conversation, and it went well. (Maybe there was more than one.) It could be that you made it through the year when you weren’t sure how you would make it.

What turned out better than expected?

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From the entry for December 20:

At the beginning of this journey together, we wrote down something that had turned out better than we expected. It may have taken some work, but we found it.

Today, someone somewhere in your circle is experiencing delight. Many people may not have that, but someone does. And that person or that family may be feeling a little guilty that they are experiencing delight when so many others are not.

Today, this week, reach out to that person with a word of affirmation.

Who do you see? What will you say?