Joyfull Living

 Friday favorites cause me to pause and look back on the week and pay attention to the blessings God brought. It is so easy to move so quickly from one day to the next oblivious to how good God has been. This week found us on the road to 2 routine doctor visits, each over an hour away. It shuffled our work schedules and several times through week, we had to pause and reflect what day it was! Friday arrived and I attended an early morning fitness class. Mornings are my favorite time of the day and sunrises always bring joy to my heart. When class was over, we observed a beautiful sunrise and took advantage of a fun photo opportunity!  Driving home, the sunrise was spectacular from the different angles. Pondering the beauty, I realized that clouds make a sunrise more glorious. Pure blue sky and bright sun are beautiful, but sprinkle some clouds in and the colors become more vivid and unique. In our lives, every day is not a bright sunshiny day. There are cloudy days, rainy days,...

"But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 The journey to becoming A Woman After God's Own Heart begins with a heart devoted to God. Jesus told a story of 2 sisters - Mary and Martha. Jesus and His disciples arrived at the sister's home for a meal. Martha was consumed by the preparations of the event, the effort it took and the numerous details that this meal would entail. Jesus was coming - it had to be perfect! (I can so relate to her!). But, Martha failed to discern the priority and importance of time with God. Martha was so busy doing things FOR the Lord that she failed to spend time WITH Him.  But Mary chose the one thing needed, she put worship on the top of her to-do list. She chose the one thing needed. She knew nothing could take the place of time in God's presence. Time spent hearing and worshiping God can never be taken away, for it is time spent in eternal pursuits, time that earns perman...

 Today is the first Friday of the New Year. Being on holiday break, I returned to work yesterday, so it actually feels like a Tuesday!  But, a powerful habit to develop is to count our blessings and Friday seems like a great time to share some highlights from our week and some things I am loving.  On a trip over Christmas to visit our son, we enjoyed walking through Dahlonega, Georgia and seeing their beautiful Christmas light display. While browsing through the shops, we noticed an olive oil shop and wandered in. I discovered flavored balsamic vinegars! This was brand new to me and they offered samples of several flavors. We took home 2 bottles - pineapple and strawberry. All week the pineapple was used as a salad dressing and also a ham glaze. I'm excited to try more combinations and recipes with this. I will be sharing more about this soon!  Here's the link to the store:  Alpine Olive Tree and info on the benefits of balsamic vinegar. 

 Becoming a woman after God's own heart - isn't that a wonderful aspiration for the New Year? This has actually been a driving point for my life for many years. There is no 'attaining point' in this aspiration, but it is a journey filled with hope, times of discouragement and feelings of falling short, moments when life seems overwhelming, but there is always the vision that continually beckons.  When the opportunity to join a study on the book " A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George arose, I jumped on it! This book has been a source of inspiration in my life for many years. It truly shaped in my heart God's pattern for women and their roles as God's daughters, wives, mothers, friends etc. Is is a practical compass guided by God's Word to equip women to become all God created them to be.  Continuing with my January focus of Read, Write, Meditate, I'm challenging myself to read this book, keep a handwritten journal and post her...

 Happy New Year! Today is New Year's Day and it is a day with a quiet house and a quiet heart of reflection. Writing is a passion of mine, and this blog was created as a keepsake of life's cherished moments as well as a creative outlet for writing. Apparently, my aspirations fell short in 2024 as only 2 blog posts were written! Even though blog writing did not hit the priority list, through the year, several other disciplines impacted my life. Monthly focuses were marked and followed. A spiritual daily goal, a physical daily goal and a boundary to keep excesses in check were logged and checked or left unchecked each day for accountability.  January always brings the excitement of newness. For this month, my spiritual goal is to Read, Write and Meditate. Daily Scripture reading is a powerful habit for anyone to implement. Although this is an established habit in my life, often it is easy to read and simply go on with the day without the message becoming lodged in the heart...

 Don't you love it when things fit together to bring a little inspiration? Today was one of those days! A devotional this morning was titled "And Then Some" , bringing out that there is greatness in everyone, but it needs to be cultivated. The difference between the great and the mediocre, the powerful and the week, the remembered and the forgotten is to give it all you've got - and then some. The difference between average people and top people can be explained in those three words " And Then Some".   The top people did what was expected of them ... And Then Some. They were thoughtful to others, kind and considerate ... And Then Some. They met their obligations and responsibilities fairly and squarely ... And Then Some. They were good friends to the people in their lives ... And Then Some. They could be counted on in an emergency ... And Then Some. Three little words that can transform our society.  And Then Some.  Christians are called to be 'extra mi...