Joy

I was thinking about joy yesterday. We typically associate joy with happiness. What if that's not at all what God intended joy to be? The Bible says to count it all joy when we face trials and suffering (I think that's James 2. I suppose I should get up and check) so that doesn't seem to make any sense. How can happiness be connected with trials and suffering? How can we put into practice in our everyday lives that joy is something that is within, based on the fact that God is ultimately in control? Nothing is a surprise to Him or out of His control. That alone should give us the peace that passes all of our natural understanding, which, ultimately, is what true joy is about.

That's what I think, anyway...