Party Righteous

Well Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great time counting down till midnight. My family and I were privileged to bring in 2009 with some old friends in the Youngstown area and it was great sharing laughs, eating all night, and partying it up. And it was nice to know that we would actually wake up without a hangover, without regrets, and with the ability to remember the night. I think a lot of people feel that partying has a worldly connotation and I suppose it does to some extent. But does it have to? Shouldn't Christians have the most fun of anyone? And shouldn't we be able to have fun and party it up without sinning? According to my Bible laughter and fun and joy are a good thing. So why then do some people act like we have to be staunch and stuffy to be Christians? I think we should be showing the world what real fun is all about and let them see that they don't have to sin to be in. It's like an old pastor friend preached one time; If you've got the joy of the Lord then let them see it on your face. PROVERBS 17:22 says "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine!" However, that same verse goes on to say, "but a broken spirit drieth the bones." In other words we can either bring joy to people's lives or we can burn them out. So I don't know about you, but in 2009 I want to strive to be the kind of person that is a good medicine for people. I want to be the kind of person that rubs off the joy of the Lord on everyone I meet. I want to party righteous this year and I hope you'll join me.