Joyfull Living

Dog Logic I'm not a huge dog lover, but these were so cute and brought a smile to me,  I had to share them! If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. -Anonymous There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. -Ben Williams A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. -Andy Rooney If your dog is...

Here in the deep south, we have experienced a lot of cold weather this year.  I know that it is much worse in other areas, but here, we are just not used to day after day of cold!  It takes some adjustment to learn to layer our clothing and other tricks to keep warm.  Like shoes:  The usual Florida foot wear is flip flop shoes.  But it has been awhile since I have been able to bear my feet!  It has been socks and closed in shoes. Until last weekend, where we had a brief warm up and I was able to shed the winter shoes and put these on: That was a sure spot of joy for my week!

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  Galatians 6:8,9 Close to our home there are some fields where thousands of tomatoes will soon be planted. Right now they are working to get the soil prepared for the planting of the tomatoes.  It has been an interesting  process as they took the hardened soil and plowed it up so it was soft and workable.  Then they prepared the many rows where the tomato plants will go.   God's Word reminds us of the importance of keeping the soil of our heart in good condition.  Every now and again some things can crop up that hinder or harden the soil of our hearts:  Bitterness, anger, jealousy, discontentment, discord etc. Sometimes we need to plow our hearts by seeking the Lord for His grace and forgiveness to reveal ou...

Little league soccer ended last weekend!  This day was filled with joy as the team won their last game, enjoyed an end of season complete with lots of pizza, trophies and had some playground time!  The weather turned out to be perfect!  Here is a look at the day:      

This weekend wrapped up the little league soccer season our youngest son participated in. It was a great experience with lots of fun for the kids and a time of friendship and fellowship among the parents. However, being gone three or four nights a week can reek havoc on a home.  I discovred that instead of singing a happy tune, my home is simply croaking along!! This weekend while searching for some school supplies it became evident that my home although clean on the surface, was in pitiful shape as far as oranization goes.  There is a stockpile of items in various places, excess stuff, so that we don't know what we have and continue to get more of the same items until a vicious cycle is threatening to bury our home with clutter and inefficiency. Yesterday as I looked around in despair at the boys closets, linen closet, school supply chest  and other problem areas I thought...how will this ever get under control?  But in a few short hours I was amazed how quickl...

  I've read this many times and it never ceases to bring a smile to me!! An honest 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 hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection. 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, finger-printed, and photographed, and then placed in a holding ...

  “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”   I love the book of Colossians and the rich wisdom that it shares for our every day life.  As all of our actions are rooted in what is in our heart, this is a reminder to keep our focus on being rooted and grounded in Christ.  We are encouraged to be continually moving forward – as we have received Christ – walk in Him ,with a thankful heart.  By following God’s Word, our lives are rooted in Him and draw strength, peace and hope from the fountain of Him.  As those roots grow deeper, our lives become more fruitful and flourish.  What a beautiful thing to strive for each day.

Prevention Magazine is a leader in health and fitness news and products. They recently came up with the top 10 list of workout DVDs. They have examined the many fitness DVDs out there and narrowed down a list of the best ones. There is a DVD for every fitness level. If you are looking to incorporate some exercise into your day in the convenience of your own home, take a look at this list. Here is an additional money saving tip:  If you see a DVD that you are interested in, check out Amazon or Ebay before ordering.  Many times they have pre-owned DVDs at a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Over the last few weeks, my middle son has turned into a full fledged welcoming committee for our home.  He loves social action and guests and is having a great time having company over.  It started out with having one boy over, and he was hooked!  Since then we've had opportunity to find a group of teenage boys gathered around in the yard or in front of the television! Now I love company and opening our home, but usually fear strikes as I worry and stress over if the house is clean enough, or what will I feed them and what will we do to entertain them.  My son assured me that they did not care what the house looks like and any food will do! If I am prepared for company, that is great, but recently I've received those calls, " Mom, can a few guys come over and play basketball?" , while I'm out of the house and it is a quick answer - " OK, I'll be home soon".   Those are the times anxiety hits and I feel unprepared.  But, a little strategic plan...

In celebration of Valentine's Day, here are a few love sweetheart giggles: Perfectly Paired Puns As Valentine's Day approached, I tried to think of an unusual gift for my husband. When I discovered that his favorite red-plaid pants had a broken zipper, I thought I had the "perfect Valentine." I had the pants repaired, and gift-wrapped them. On the package I put a huge red heart on which I printed: "My Heart Pants for You." I was the surprised one, however, when I saw the same heart taped to our formerly empty, but now overflowing, wood box. On it he had written: "Wood You Be My Valentine?" -- Contributed by Mary Lou Pittman Devoted and Determined During World War II my parents had planned a romantic Valentine's Day wedding. Suddenly my father, then stationed at Camp Edwards in Massachusetts, received orders to prepare to ship out, and all leaves were canceled. Being a young man in love, he went AWOL. He and my mother were married four days e...

Something I did last week that was pure joy for me, was finding a quality yard sale!  I like to yard sale on occasion, but am not a professional, and many times it is hit or miss in finding bargains.  This yard sale had quality items, many brand new for a dollar or so! Here are some of my finds: A Blessing Jar!     These beautiful brand new candle holders from Yankee Candle: These adorable decorations, perfect for Valentine's Day! Also for Valentine's Day, a matching heart plate and pail: I loved these jars, they have "peace" and "joy" on them with Scripture verses on the bottom: And the cutest dried flower wreath - brand new with tags! It was a fun time of shopping and then coming home to decorate my home with my bargains!

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;  that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;  Colossians 1:9,10   This is a verse I am working on memorizing this week.  It is a beautiful reminder that there is an abundance of wisdom and understanding from the Lord that He will freely give us.  It is also an encouragement to walk in a manner that pleases the Lord, and through our words and actions, be fruitful.   Putting God’s Word in our hearts increases our knowledge of God and enables us to live out a closer walk with Him through our daily lives, while ever increasing in the abundance in His love. 

Over at Extravagant Grace, eLisa has started a series Becoming Titus 2 in 2010.  Today the discussion centers around "What Does It Mean To Be Reverent?"  The Scripture the Titus 2 woman is based on is a familiar one: "the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 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." Today our focus verse is Titus 2:3  Here are a few translations of the verse: Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, (NASB) Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God (NLT) In the same way, teach older women to be holy in their behavior (New Century Version) Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness.  (The Messa...

This week my home will be humming along briskly with a full week planned.  There are taxes to finish, soccer practices, a doctor appointment and hair cuts in addition to the regular homework and housework routine.  This is also a busy week for my hard working husband who will be working some long days. Since I thrive on organization, weeks like this sharpen and challenge my homemaking skills.  Keeping everyone scheduled and on task is a challenge I enjoy.  But the danger of plowing through the week is sometimes missing opportunities to stop and show extra special attention to details. This month I am challenging myself to memorize a few verses of Scripture.  The one I am beginning with is Colossians 1:10 "that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;"    It was the part " being fruitful in every good work" that stirred my heart.  Does anyone else find it e...

DaySpring is a Christian based company that specalizes in Christian gifts.  They are offering some beautiful Valentine's Gifts such as inspirational cards, inspirational jewelry, creative decor and special tokens to show love to someone special. HERE is a peek at their Valentine gift ideas.  Right now they are offering a 20% discount with the coupon code: VALNTN20  now through February 14.  Go take a peek at some beautiful, affordable gifts for this Valentine's Day!

The ministry of At the Well is growing and expanding their ministry.  One of the new ministries to encourage women is "Woman to Woman" which is a time for woman to ask questions and seek godly encouragement.  Tomorrow (Saturday) will be the first featured question/answer session and I have been asked to share about teenagers and independence!  Come on over At the Well tomorrow and let's share and encourage one another!

You May Be Too Technical If: You try to enter your password on the microwave. You haven't played solitaire with a real deck of cards in years. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3. You e-mail your son in his room to tell him that dinner is ready, and he e-mails you back "What's for dinner?" Your daughter sells Girl Scout Cookies via her web site. You chat several times a day with a stranger from South Africa, but you haven't spoken to your next door neighbor yet this year. Every commercial on television has a web site address at the bottom of the screen. You buy a computer and a week later it is out of date and now sells for half the price you paid. Your reason for not staying in touch with family is that they do not have e-mail addresses. You consider 2nd day air delivery painfully slow. Your idea of being organized is multiple colored post-it notes. You hear most of your jokes via email instead of in person....

Although I don’t claim a green thumb, I have a few nice looking plants that I enjoy playing around with. Except for when the cold gets them: Here is one that was saved, but most were killed by the cold: But today, I decided to stop by Lowe's and see what kind of plants they had.  They had these (and many more!), on clearance for 50% off! So I got them and made a few new plants: There was a lot of joy in getting to do something I enjoy, inexpensively!