Joyfull Living

Over At the Well today, the topic is Change. The opportunity is open to reflect on the goodness and faithfulness of God through all (good and bad) times and to share a verse or encouragement for changes. The Lord has been speaking into my heart about no hesitation . The other day in the grocery store, I saw a girl I had went to school with over 20 years ago. Back then we had a squabble over a boy, but have since retained our friendship. She didn't see me and for whatever reason, I chose not to speak to her. Later, it became evident that I missed an opportunity to minister grace to her. The grace that God has placed in my heart to extend to others. I hesitated and missed out. Changes are all around us. Our oldest son graduated this spring. It is tempting to stop and think and lament on how fast the time went, how I was not ready to enter a new phase of parenting, etc. But, if I were to hesitate, I would miss the opportunity to walk this new path with him. Changes will ...

Before I got married, Sundays at my home were not set apart from any other days. My mother usually worked on Sundays and we did not attend church. When my husband and I began dating, it was evident that in his family, Sundays were special days. His family attended church and then would usually gather at his grandmother's home for "Sunday lunch". Sunday lunch was a time for a lot(!) of family to gather and enjoy a fabulous home cooked meal. Fellowship and fun always followed with the family. This was a totally new thing for me as my family was small and a big meal was not a usual event! I began to treasure those special Sundays. As time moved on, Grandma was unable to continue the tradition and my mother in law stepped in and hosted Sunday lunch at her home. We enjoyed countless meals and have wonderful memories of family fellowship with babies on the floor, kids outside playing, sitting outside on the porch and enjoying one another for many years. As the fam...

Do you hate to iron? I just read a great tip to help keep clothes wrinkle free. Pour about 1 inch of fabric softener into 16 oz of water in a spray bottle. Remove garment from dryer and hang on clothes hanger. Spray this on the garment and gently pull or shake with your hand to remove wrinkles! Quick, easy and cheap!

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him. To those who seek Him. This is a beautiful reminder that God is good and He is faithful. No matter what ou r circumstances are, we can safely put our hope in Him because He will not fail. Happy Word Filled Wednesday!

Today I am over At the Well talking about ways to keep an eye out on the homefront. Come over to At the Well for a visit!

Today is the first day of school! I love the fresh start the first day of school offers: new clothes, new book bag , new school supplies and a fresh approach for the day's routine. No sleeping late, but up early and moving ahead with purpose. Of course today started well because we were so prepared! I got up first, got myself prepared for the day with a quiet time, coffee (of course), exercise and preparing for the day ahead. I payed close attention to the clock and stayed busy getting things done - lunch packed, supplies ready to go, supper planned to prepare for the day. It was a reminder to me that my morning routine sets the tone for the family's day. If I wake up late and then try to rush everyone to where they need to be, the day will not end up good. If I purposefully plan and use my time wisely so that I am not rushed, but relaxed and encouraging, it will be a blessing for everyone for the day. Now, the newness of the school routine will wear off quickly this wee...

Today I am a guest contributor over at Hearth Management. Hearts Turned Toward Home is a series of testimonies of women's hearts being turned toward their home. If you haven't read my testimony, the Lord gave me another chance to be a stay at home mom, but more than that, He put the desire in my heart to care for and build up my home and family. I am now a part time working mom, but my heart and priorities are at home. It is important for me to say that full time working moms are wonderful and they have my deepest respect. I hope in no way to offend those who work full time, and although working full time did not work well for my family but was a valuable tool that the Lord used to turn my heart home. The main issue is not about if we are working moms or staying at home moms, it is about the Lord changing and turning our hearts toward home! Come over and visit Hearth Management!

Since our boys have been in school a while now, we have a nice little back to school routine that works well for us. We take the boys to get their needed supplies, etc. and go with them to meet their teachers. Even with our oldest going to college, Mom tagged along to orientation and open house! Our middle son chose a different escort to take him to pick his high school class schedule this year: Cool huh? Plans suddenly changed while we were shopping and he got the invitation to ride with two girls to get his schedule. But since we have known these two sisters all of their lives and they belong to a great family, Mom and Dad smiled, waved (took pictures) and told them to have fun!

The lazy days of summer vacation are rapidly coming to an end. A new school year begins next week. There is a big change this year at our home where our oldest son will be attending college. Although we are supporting and providing for him what he needs, much of the responsibility to succeed lies in his hands. Proverbs is a book in the Bible filled with rich wisdom to carry us through life. The older (more mature!) I get, the clearer I understand these lessons in wisdom and desire to pass them along. This is my prayer for the beginning a new school year, for the lives of my sons to always pursue mercy and truth and in every area of their lives trust the Lord and follow Him. May you be blessed today through WFW and may God's Word enrich and encourage you in all your ways!

It's almost time for fall and when the cooler weather comes, it is a perfect time to do some baking. Easy Bakewar e has a line of "Burnless Bakeware" and they are offering a free trial piece! You get to choose your favorite bakeware - muffin pans, cake pans, loaf pan and many others. Click at Burnless Bakeware for your free sample!

"Making Your Home Sing" is a collection of ideas, attitudes, actions or motivation to inspire and learn from others ways to make the home run efficiently with a dash of love, creativity and fun. Being the mom many times means lots of control over many things in the home. That is ok , it takes someone in charge to manage the home so that it runs smoothly. I rather enjoy having this area under my control and enjoy keeping my bunch organized and scheduled. I like control over the meals, shopping, activities and responsibilities of the home. And since I have been doing it for so long, it has become almost automatic. Meaning...I can easily turn into a control freak!!! As a parent, one of the goals is to train the dependent child to become an independent, responsible, self-supporting, good decision making adult. This does not occur by doing all of their planning and making their decisions for them! They must learn through trial and error what works and what doesn't work....

"What have I gotten myself into?" Probably thought this gopher turtle when he wandered up into our yard: Into a yard of curious boys: And a camera happy Mom... Say "CHEESE"... No wonder he scampered away so quickly!!! Come again, my friend!!

The term " Superfoods " has been floating around for a while now. I did some research on this and found that although most foods have some nutritional value, there are a handful of foods that are so beneficial to your health, they are called " Superfoods ". Superfoods are far more than just "supplements" like vitamins and minerals. They are foods that provide health benefits far beyond their recognised nutritional value. Increasing consumption of superfoods gives protection from diseases, but also gives nutritional wholeness to your diet. Here is a list of some superfoods and their benefits: Apples They are packed full of antioxidants, especially vitamin C for healthy skin and gums - one apple provides a quarter of your daily requirement of vitamin C. Apples are also a good source of fiber which can help lower blood cholesterol and promote healthy digestive systems. Broccoli ( other good choice; brussel sprout, cabbage, kale, turnips, cauliflower, col...

Last week I enjoyed one of those days with boundless energy was used up in a cleaning frenzy! I tackled two closets and sorted through 20 years of "stuff". It is a great feeling to clear out, give away and keep an inventory of what I have. Every year when school gets ready to begin, I go through this phase. I want to organize, create a notebook to keep track of things, write out things for my quiet time, plan menus, etc., etc., etc. Then if I look hard enough a few months later, I can find unfinished lists, notebooks and things put not where they need to be! During cleaning siege this year, I found no less than 15 spiral notebooks, 7 binders I had bought "to organize myself" and a ton of school supplies, bought on sale, but never used. Pairing down is difficult, but necessary. Some key questions and organization tips are: Will I use it? Can I easily find it? If it is a keepsake, keep it separate from regularly used items. Arrange things that need to be easily...

Today for Word Filled Wednesday, this verse reminded me that God is in control and all powerful. He is The Mighty One, The Lord who alone speaks and summons each day - from sunrise to sunset. The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. ( NIV ) What a mighty God we serve! Happy WFW !

Quiet Times: How do you spend moments with Jesus? Do you have a set quiet time? If you have children, how has your time changed from when you didn't or over the years as they have grown? "Having A Quiet Time" is a common phrase used in Christian circles. The importance of a quiet time is often stressed, but what is not so widespread is the how or why of a quiet time. To grasp the importance of a quiet time is to understand that what we are on the inside reflects on the outside. What we take in our hearts, comes out in our words, actions and attitudes. I love the verse Jeremiah 17:8 that says , "For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit." What a beautiful parallel this gives to our spiritual lives. Our quiet times which are simply times focused on Jesus, wheth...

Last year during the Christmas season, I heard an announcement for Scripture Stickies on our local radio station. Scripture Stickies are sticky Bible verses. They work like a post-it note so you can stick them anywhere and see God's Word. They are great tools for memorizing Scripture and can bring encouragement anytime. I ordered several packs to give as gifts and kept some for myself. The company recently contacted me to see if I would share about Scripture Stickies and they offered a special deal for anyone who purchases some. If you use the code JOYCE10 at checkout, you will receive 10% off the total order! I don't usually promote products on my blog, but these are a fantastic tool to keep the Bible fresh in our mind and heart. They make great gifts also and are very reasonably priced. Go check them out at Scripture Stickies. You will be blessed!

Fridays are fun! Friday Funnies is a way to relax and share some smiles. I found the following story through an email and loved it! Of course I cannot relate to such behavior (!!!), while driving, it is a humorous story to read: A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours,...

Joyful, Patient and Faithful. These are powerful words, but when linked together in Romans 12:12, they give us encouragement and strength in affliction, a glad and sure hope and a call to be faithful in prayer. This verse is always a power packed reminder and a great attitude adjuster for me! Blessings to you today, may your Wednesday be filled with God's Word.

Has your heart found it's way home? The ministry of At the Well centers around the verses found in Titus 2: 4, & 5: "... that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." It is biblical for women to love their husbands, their children and to keep their attention, interests, efforts and abilities focused on the home. It is God's design for a woman to care for and love her home. To do that, the heart must be in it. Matthew 6:21 tells us" For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." There is a fulfillment and joy and contentment in following this biblical mandate. In my life this fulfilment came about through a journey and a much needed transformation. For many years, I was a stay at home mom. What that really meant was that I did not work an outside job, because I was rarely at h...