Like many families, we’ve been talking about New Year’s resolutions lately—but the more we talked, the more we realized that what we’re choosing for 2026 doesn’t quite fit into the usual resolution box.

It isn’t a habit we’re trying to break.

It isn’t a goal to check off.

It isn’t a single activity we plan to master.

Instead, it’s a way of living.

Our family’s theme for 2026 is joy.

Not surface-level happiness. Not forced positivity. But a daily, intentional choice to live with joyful hearts—not just for our own good, but so that joy might spill outward and touch the people around us.

The Quiet Power of Joy

It’s amazing how something as simple as joy can completely change the atmosphere of a room—or even the course of someone’s day. A smile. A kind word. A warm presence.

Over the weekend, I was talking with my son about this very thing.

Like many teenage boys (and let’s be honest—especially teenage boys), he sometimes walks around with a straight face and very little expression. Part hormones, part personality, part being a growing human figuring it all out.

So I gave him an example.

I asked how he would feel if he walked into a store to buy something and the cashier, without a smile or warmth, asked in a monotone voice, “Is that it?” No friendliness. No connection. No kindness exchanged.

Then I gave him another picture.

“What if that same cashier looked up, smiled brightly, and asked how your day was going?”

As I said it, I put the biggest smile on my face—and wouldn’t you know it, he instantly smiled back.

I pointed to it with sheer delight and said,

“See? That’s the magic of a smile. It’s contagious.”

And when that smile is paired with genuine joy? It’s powerful.

Joy Isn’t Optional—It’s Obedience

Here’s the part that really shifted my heart recently.

Choosing joy isn’t just something I’m trying to do for my family’s sake.

I’m trying to obey God.

I learned not long ago that joy isn’t merely encouraged in Scripture—it’s commanded. God calls us to rejoice. And when we live joyfully, we don’t just benefit personally—we actively spread joy into the world around us.

What a gift.

It’s almost like a secret superpower we’ve been given: the ability to influence others, soften hearts, and bring light—simply by choosing joy.

An Invitation for 2026

If you haven’t settled on a New Year’s resolution yet—or even if you have, but this idea resonates with you—I want to invite you to join us.

Join us in choosing joy.

Join us in spreading it freely.

Join us in believing that small acts of kindness, smiles, and joyful hearts can truly change the world—one interaction at a time.

Imagine what 2026 could look like if this was our collective focus.

I think it would be a beautiful year indeed.

Raising Light
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