What are others saying about being joyful always?

I took our theme verse for May and googled it - "Be joyful always."  Here are some things I found:

*Being joyful is more than a feeling.  It is a state of mind or attitude.  One reason we can be joyful always is that joy is not related to our day to day experiences or situations.  Joy says that when things are going well we can approach life with a positive attitude and a smile on our face.  Joy says that when things are rotten in our lives we approach life with a positive attitude and a smile on our face.  My saddest, scariest, most angriest time of my life was when my mother passed away suddenly at only 60 years old.  It was joy that got me through that time without slipping into a massive depression.  I know that my redeemer lives.  Joy in knowing that God is in control and that he has a plan for my life allowed me to weep with sorrow and still live positively.

*True joy comes from Jesus and his good news.  When the angels announced the birth of Christ they said they had good news of great joy!  Why can we be joyful always?  Because God loves us so much. Because Christ came into this world to heal and save the lost.  Because Christ's blood on the cross washes away my sins.  Because God's spirit is in us, equipping us to do "even greater things."  Because I have a hope and future with Christ one day, praising God in heaven.

*Joy comes from contentedness and assurance.  Reminds me of the truths in the old hymn.  How can you sing these words letting the truth wash over you and not be joyful even in the tears of life:
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

*It is God who whispers the joy into my life.  It is when I stop to talk to him that he can remind me of his love for me.  He tells me that I am His daughter.  Now because of what I can do but because he made me and loves me.  I was crafted by the great Designer.  I'm loved by an all-knowing Father.  I'm the daughter of THE KING.  I'm called by the God of heaven.  Sure I make mistakes, but he who is in me is greater than he who is of the world.

Finding Fruit Online

Today I spent some time reading what others have to say about the Fruit of the Spirit online.  Here are some snapshots of what I found:

Joyce Meyer
What I appreciated form this site were two ways to increase the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  First, one quote from the site is this: "the more you draw near to God, praying and reflecting on His Word, the more you will experience the fruit of the Spirit in your life."  In the video on the site Joyce also talks about fruit as something that the Spirit puts in us as seed.  The more we use the fruit the more it grows.  So the way to get better at loving is to love more.  The way to gain patience is to be patient more.

Lara Velez
She has just finished writing a study on the fruit of the spirit which I look forward to reading through.  On her facebook page she quoted this verse: "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves." - Galatians 5:16  I love the contrast between our sinful nature and Spirit's fruit in this verse.  I need to give up my stress for the Spirit's peace.  I need to give up my impatience for the Spirit's patience.

OpenBible
This site lists a bunch of verses related to the Fruit of the Spirit.  One of my favorites was this: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  Luke 11:13.  Holy Spirit (with his fruit) will come to us just by us asking.  We don't have to be good enough first.  In fact, we can't be good without Him.

Family Life
The writers on this site turned our way of looking at the fruits backwards.  Instead of thinking about how to produce them, we can look at if we are producing them as signs of what is going on internally.  The refer to this as a spiritual check-up.  If we are producing the Spirit's fruit then He is actively at work in us.  If we are not producing much fruit, then we need confess our reliance on self and commit to giving control of our lives to God.

Raising Arrows
This site has some fun lessons on the fruit of the Spirit to do with children.  I was convicted recently that when I learn things in my spiritual studies I should not be learning them just for me, but so that I can teach others.  That is what disciple making is all about really.  As a mom, I have three young ones that are relying on me to teach them and train them.  I should not only be working at letting the Spirit's fruit flow in my life but also at sharing with them how they too can rely on Holy Spirit.