Joyfull Living

Let me begin with the bad news….as a child, I never experienced summer camp.  I was a homebody that was too attached to my family to even go on overnight trips, much less a week of summer camp.  I never experienced the closeness of sharing a room with 10 or more other girls, never shared the fun friends have together roaming through the camp, swimming together, playing games or studying God’s Word together.  Never knew what fun it was to giggle in the cabin late into the night, to wake up and know that the fun would continue for a few more days…. Until my boys were old enough to attend church camp and they needed some counselors for the girls cabin!  I volunteered to go a few years ago and have been a faithful, yearly camper for about 4 years now.  Now there were a lot of adjustments to watching over a group of girls when I was used to only boys with my three sons.  But last week these were my constant buddies: They were one fun loving bunch and kept the week…interesting! Along

Rest in God alone, my soul,     for my hope comes from Him. Psalms 62:5 Hope.  It is a powerful source of strength for us at times to keep going, to continue on and it gives us something to hold onto.  But often times, hope deceives and escapes us.  Things we  hope for, fall through.  Sickness, difficult situations, trials are things that can shake our hope.  What a wonderful surge of strength God’s Word is when we remember to rest in Him alone and know that He is our hope.  A hope that endures forever and will not leave us or forsake us.  A steadfast hope knowing that God is and will provide all that we need.  What a comforting and peaceful truth that we can wrap around our heart and truly rest in Him. 

At my house, we go through a lot of salsa!  My boys love tortilla chips with salsa.  Although we use a lot of salsa, that is the only way it is consumed. In a recent article I found some others ways to bring the spice and flavor of salsa to some other foods.   Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas:   All you need is flank steak, ground cumin, lime juice and a jar of salsa.  Combine and cook on low for 6 hours or until fork tender, shred the meat and serve in soft tortillas. Scalloped Potatoes :  Layer sliced potatoes, salsa, sauteed onions and garlic.  Cover and bake until tender.  Top with cheese and bake until melted  For added nutrition, you can add to the layers sliced kale. (they will never know it is there!) Sloppy Joes :  Brown lean ground beef with onion and bell pepper, add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.  Stir in a jar of salsa and a small can of tomato paste and simmer.  Serve on buns and top with cheese.   Zesty Greens :  Salsa makes greens tastier!  Use spinach

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  James 5:16 The challenge for today's Completing Him , is to pray for our husbands daily.  This is an area that the Lord patiently grew me into.  As a young married woman, I would say the basic "God bless him today" prayer for him each day.  Through the years of reading devotional books and magazines etc., the importance of a wife's prayers kept popping up and I knew this was an area that needed improvement.  But...where to start?   What do we pray for every day for our men?  One of the best resources I have found is The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie O'Martian.   This book covers every topic of life, his mind, soul and body, his work, temptations, vision, leadership etc. with a specific chapter and prayer.  This book greatly enhanced my  awareness of the power of my prayers for my husband.   Once I began praying for him diligently, he went through a job change.  This new job was a challenge t

Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church. He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten. That's what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke. The tree went 'boing!' and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - out of sight. The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten.  So he prayed, 'Lord, I just commit this kitten

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 19:14 This week I am away at church summer camp.  Although I’m a mom to three sons, for the next few days I will be living in a cabin full of girls!  This verse seemed to be appropriate for this week since I would be surrounded by children!  Jesus loved children and gave the example to take time with them, to love them, to bless them and do not send them away.   My prayer is for His love to flow through me and love the little children through me. 

This summer I was looking for something to keep my 8 year old stimulated in his learning.  Not a daily grind of school work,  but something fun but challenging to keep his mind sharp.  The opportunity to review a product from The Critical  Thinking Co.   came along and I received a copy of Balance Benders – Logic and Algebraic Reasoning Puzzles.   These books have quick, fun logic problems and can be used as stepping stones for success in algebra. Children develop deductive thinking and pre-algebra skills as they solve balance puzzles.  Children must analyze each balance to identify the clues, and then synthesize the information to solve the puzzle. My son is strong in math but these books gave him an additional edge in reasoning and logic.  There is one puzzle per page so it can be a quick thinking session, or he continues on with others if he desires. The Critical Thinking Co . website offers curriculum for ages pre-school to 12 grade, For more than 50 years, their award-winning p

In today’s session of Completing Him, the theme and challenge is centered around where it all started – the wedding: Like any new bride, I entered this day thinking fairy tale thoughts of a beautiful wedding, flowers, cake, an adoring husband and a new “fun” role as wife!    The newness of marriage is fresh and exciting and as the wedding vows are recited, they are said aloud, but not really fulfilled until they are lived out. I, take you, to be my beloved (husband), to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life . Vows require action.  They gain strength through being tested.  Honor is gained when the choice is made to defer to him instead of demanding our own way.  Standing beside someone in sorrow, joy, good times and bad times is tough.  It takes faithfulness, it takes commitment, it takes dil

As we celebrate Father’s Day this weekend,  I consider myself blessed to see the promises of God fulfilled in my family.   Although the home I was raised in was not under the influence of a godly father, my father loved me and provided the security and bond of a loving protector. God richly blessed me when he hand picked for me a husband, who under the leadership of his father, is a man of integrity and a wonderful father to our three sons.  Through losing my father as a young woman, I found comfort as the Word of God  promised that God would be a Father to the fatherless.  I have felt and clung to Him as my Heavenly Father who continually gives an abundant supply of love, mercy, grace, peace and joy.  This weekend I am thankful for the influences of fathers and godly men in my life and anticipate the fulfillment of the promises of God in the lives of my sons. 

The Right Choice My 16-year-old brother, Steve, nearly forgot Father's Day was approaching. Suddenly on Saturday night he realized it was Father's Day and he had neglected to buy a card for our dad. After much searching, Steve located an open store, but was disappointed tofind only two cards left on a picked-over rack. Selecting one, he brought it home and, somewhat sheepishly, presented it to our father. Upon opening it, Dad read this message: "You've been like a father to me." He looked at Steve, puzzled. "Well, Dad," Steve tried to explain, "it was either that or the card that said, 'Now that I'm a father too!'"

My spot of joy for this week is today which is my 21st wedding anniversary!  Almost makes me sound old, but along with that age, came alot of maturity, gaining of wisdom, many joys and good times and also growth through not so good times.  Wow!  Seems like yesterday: Then married life begat the joys of children: And then the years just flew by: Now our family is complete: And I can say with a thankful heart: God has been good to me, and blessed me with a wonderful husband who brings me a lot of joy!

As a woman living with a husband and three sons, sometimes my beauty routine lacks that extravagant, pampering, feminine touch that all ladies crave!  My beauty supply shopping usually consists of getting my guys their "stuff" and a quick browse at the local Wal Mart for my beauty supplies.  There isn't time to investigate for natural ingredients or what is the most nourishing for my skin.  So, when the opportunity arose for my to review some beauty products made by Whish , I jumped at it! My first product to try was the Whish Pomegranate Three Whishes Sugar Scrub .  This was only the second time I have used a sugar scrub.  The first time was with a generic brand and as I slathered it all over, it made a huge mess of my skin and the shower!  It was gritty, greasy and left a film in the shower.  I was a bit apprehensive to use a sugar scrub again!  Using a small amount and rubbing it into rough skin areas such as elbows, knees and heels, I found a delightful product w

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  Colossians 1:17 Do you ever have those days or weeks when it seems you can’t hold everything together?  Perhaps it is from being busy with an overload of tasks.  It may be an emotional overload, problems, trials, issues that seem to overwhelm at times. Sometimes we experience heartache and pain that may make us feel like we are falling apart.  This verse is a powerful reminder that Jesus is before all things and through Him and in Him all things consist.  He is in control and He can hold our situation and us together.  There is nothing too hard for Him, He knows where we are and He already knows the outcome.  We can rest easy…we are in “God’s hands”. 

As a young girl growing up, my mother liked to do the laundry herself, so I wasn't afforded very much time to leanr the proper processes and perfect laundry!  It turns out that laundry is one of my favorite ( or the one I don't mind doing!) household tasks.  Through lots of trial and error, I have found a few solutions, but recently came across some fantastic tips from Robbies Kitchen.   Here are a few tips to handle challenges most moms will face at some point! Bleeding of Colors: Your red shirt got mixed in with other clothes and ruined them? First off, DON'T DRY THEM! Wash again with regular detergent and color-safe bleach. If that didn't work, Rit®, the makers of clothes dye, makes a color remover that works wonders and doesn't cost much. To prevent bleeding in the first place, wash in cold water; I also use a cup of salt OR a scoop of Oxi Clean® with every load. Blood on Clothes: Pour hydrogen peroxide on blood and rinse with cold water. If some blood remai

Today is the beginning of a weekly summer marriage enrichment challenge "Completing Him".    Today's session provides the opportunity to share about the early dating days of each couple. When I reflect about our dating days, I can see the redemptive and redeeming hand print of God in my life.  There is no doubt that it was His grace that brought my husband and I together.  I was a 14 year old girl that came from a dysfunctional family, seeking to find her own way, but somehow caught up with the wrong crowd and involved in things that would take me down a wrong and painful path of life if continued.   My husband was a country boy through and through, raised by a wonderful family and trained with integrity, hard work, responsibility.   Only the Lord could have brought us together, we ran in different circles, had different friends and lifestyles.  But one day on the school bus, we seemed to "click".  Then he called my home and came over for a visit. Since I

This week while I was visiting a nearby relative, I noticed some beautiful flowers blooming in her yard. Sensing a photo opportunity, I later asked my husband to take me back up there on the four wheeler.  As any busy wife and mother knows, finding time alone with the husband can be a rare treat.  He obliged my request and off we went on the four wheeler, me holding onto his back, the wind in our face, sun to our back for a few minutes of together time! Then he patiently waited while I snapped some pictures: Then we came back home and captured the moment with a few photos, courtesy of our youngest: Spontaneous rides and capturing nature’s beauty brought me much joy this week!

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. I Thessalonians 5:23-24  A power-packed verse such as this gives me the hope and encouragment to continue on in the Christian walk.  So many times, my attitude, motives, speech and actions are not what I would like them to be.  This verse is a reminder that God is my Sanctifier, He can santify (set apart and make holy) my whole spirit, soul and body and keep them pure until the day when He returns.  The last line of this verse is awesome "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it".  What a promise and blessing!

Titus 2:3-5 "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. " "Becoming Titus 2 in 2010" is a journey through the biblical mandate for women found in Titus 2. As Christian women grow in the Lord and in their roles of wife and mother, the daily lifestyle should develop into a teaching pattern for younger women.  As we seek to "Become Titus 2" , this study breaks down this verse into sizable applications that we can read, evaluate and that can grow into our daily lives. Today's portion is "to love their husbands".    Several years ago I read a powerful quote from Elisabeth Elliott on loving our husband.  " You married him because you loved him, Now you must l

It appears this week will be Marriage Week here!!  I participated in Marriage Monday today and then found out about a great summer marriage enrichment challenge "Completing Him". Completing Him is an opportunity to link up and share about and be inspired to be a greater blessing to your husband.  Each week will feature a different topic and suggested action to enhance the marriage.  What a way to be a blessing to our husbands and grow continually into a wife truly above rubies!