Our church family and community are grappling with the reality of a recent diagnosis of stage 4 cancer in our friend: Joy Grandgeorge. This 40-year-old mom of two (her youngest will be a fourth grade this fall) has been a leader in both our church and in our community.

So we are collectively caring, hosting or attending fundraisers, and/or pray for Joy, Keith, Jordan, Chelsea.

At a prayer vigil held last week, our minister asked us, as we read our Bibles, to notice how often 'joy' is written in them. And every time we see those words to reflect on this young mother who we care about.

Here are a handful of 'joy' verses:

"I have told you this so that My JOY may be in you and that your JOY may be complete."

~ John 15:11

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"Be JOYful in hope; patient in affliction; faithful in prayer."

~ Romans 12:12

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"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control......"

~ Galatians 5:22

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"Always be full of JOY in the Lord; I say it again reJOYce!"

~ Philippians 4:4

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