John 14:1-3 (NLT)
Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home . . . When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
Woo-hoo! There’s room in heaven for you and me.
We’re coming off the Christmas season, where there was “no room” for Jesus (Luke 2:7).
The last book of the Bible gives us a different view:
Revelation 3:20 (CEV)
Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together.
If I make room in my life for Jesus, he makes himself at home. We sit together, share a cup of coffee (or an extravagant meal), and talk. He speaks, I listen. I speak, he listens.
I make room to chat with God. 
Isaiah 35:10 (ESV)
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.
Sometimes we get so comfortable is this world, we forget about the joy to come.
My friends, this should not be so. I, for one, look forward to a crown of everlasting joy.
Matthew 1:23 & Isaiah 7:14
Call him Immanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
“God is with us,” bringing joy:
Joy to the world, joy in the world! 
I’m almost over a bout with the common cold. After a week of sneezing, coughing and decongestants, I noticed a change. I could breathe in and out through my nose. No sniffles, no congestion, no medication. My body was working the way it is supposed to . . . O joy!
It’s easy to take God’s marvelous work for granted. Let’s not.
Psalm 103:2-3 (NIV)
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases.
JOY!
God’s beautiful sunset led me home this evening: shifting hues of pink and orange painted across the blue sky sliding into tones of gray.
Made my heart sing.
Lord, Your mercies are new every sunset.
Great is Your faithfulness!
(from Lamentations 3:22-23)
My one-word for 2023 is actually three words:
Pray God’s Word.
I’m looking to Scripture to put words to my prayers.
For places:
Psalm 122:7 (ESV)
Peace be within your walls and security within your towers.
For people:
Ephesians 1:18
That the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.
For the Church:
from Acts 9:31
That the Church will enjoy a time of peace and be strengthened . . . and increase in numbers.
I’ll run out of year before I run out of verses.
