As we enter the third week of Advent, we turn our attention to JOY, but not the surface-level joy we often associate with the Christmas season. Advent reminds us that real joy is often born in places of longing, waiting, and even hardship. The joy of Scripture is not loud or flashy; it’s steady, surprising, and rooted in the presence of God. The prophet Isaiah spoke of a coming joy when he wrote, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom” (Isaiah 35:1). Joy shows up in barren places. And when the angel declared, “I bring you good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10), it wasn’t to people who had comfortable lives, it was to shepherds on the night shift, living under Roman rule, carrying their own burdens. Advent joy is the kind of joy that doesn’t ignore reality but shines right in the middle of it, a joy that comes from knowing that God sees us, God is with us, and God is still at work. This week, we’re leaning into that kind of joy - the kind that grows in the waiting and strengthens our hearts as we journey toward the manger, and await HIS glorious return. You can experience JOY on the JOURNEY.