Joyfull Living

Brownies!   Is there anything that can meet the desire for something sweet any better?  Brownies can make an evening at home a cozy event!  Brownies can be the hit for a school event or church pot luck.  Everyone loves brownies! Now, brownies are not that difficult to make, you just mix a few ingredients and bake.  But..Pillsbury has done one even better:  Just bake and serve: With a taste as delicious and authentic as if you baked them at home, Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies are a blend of 3 types of cocoas with real chocolate syrup and milk chocolate chunks to make a delicious fudgy brownie—they’re the perfect solution when you’re pressed for time. Add personal flair to these already-baked brownies with your own decorations, frosting, caramel or powdered sugar! With a straight-out-of-the-oven flavor without the time or clean-up, Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies are a great treat for any occasion! Available at Sam's Club , t...

Last week, my neighbor called me with some great news:  Lowe’s had some of their flowers and plants marked 75% off!  I stopped by (of course) on the way home from work and found some fantastic bargains such as pots of annuals for $.29 and some beautiful hanging baskets for under $3.00!  That was enough to bring a spot of joy to my week, but it got even better: I looked out the window the next day and this beautiful butterfly was hanging around my new flower basket.  Thinking it was a great photo opportunity, I got the camera and shot away as he fluttered around.  I was having so much fun, my son had to call from the porch for me to come in because they needed something and “ all I was doing was taking pictures of a butterfly”!   I couldn’t choose out of these photos, so I’m bombarding you with all of them!!                          ...

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.  Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.  Romans 14:12-13 Recently while on vacation at the beach, a woman who was staying at the same place as my family came up to me to tell me about the place offering free surf lessons.  She knew from simply observing us, where we were staying, who all was in the family and what they enjoyed about the beach. Perhaps she was just an observant mama, but it was a great reminder that people do watch us when we are living out our daily lives.  As Christians, we should strive to live a life of purity and stand out from the world.  Our words, actions and attitudes should be different and our Christian lives should consistently reflect Christ.  As we relate to others around us, may we be mindful not to judge, but resolve to not let our behavior, attitudes, habits or ...

Rose water can be used as a facial toner with the ability to fight redness, calm inflammation and improve circulation in the skin. The gentle astringent qualities of rose water have long been used as a refreshing facial splash.  I've never been one to spend a lot of money on facial treatments and enjoy the simplicity of natural products. Here is a simple recipe for rose water to use in a facial toner:  For every 1 firmly packed cup of rose petals, pour 2 cups boiling water over top. Cover and steep until the liquid is cool. Strain, squeeze out the liquid from the petals, and refrigerate the rose water in a sterilized jar.  Pretty easy huh? My skin is very oily and toners help keep the shine down, pores smaller and keep the skin more toned.  Here is a recipe for oily skin: 3 1/2 cups of witch hazel  1/2 cup dried rose petals 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary. Mix ingredients together making sure it is all blended well. Strain the blend and splash on yo...

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18 The Completing Him Challenge is moving right along!  We've shared over the summer about our beginnings, the importance of wedding vows, prayer, priorities, admiration and food! Today the challenge is "Following His Vision".  The challenge this week is to: Support his vision.  Discuss his vision for your family.  Where does he see your family in 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years.  Share with us how you let your husband lead.  Vision is one of those words that kind of scare me!  I'm more comfortable doing things in the moment.  Planning ahead some is ok, but setting goals and having a vision tend to make me nervous.  Perhaps it is the uncertainty of them, what if I fail in my goal, what if I make the wrong choice, and I can't see in the future and can't be in control of what will happen. But it has been said that "If you aim for nothin...

Jennifer is hosting Friday with Friends where we gather aroundt o share memories and get to know each other a little better.  Today we are sharing about vacations.  Which do you prefer – the beach or the mountains? As a young girl, my family lived within minutes from the beach.  I was a beach girl all the way!  My earliest memories were playing in the sand, riding the waves and enjoying the sun and fun.  When we moved further away from the beach, the highlight of the summer was still a trip to the beach.  My husband’s earliest memories were traveling to the mountains for vacations.  He enjoyed camping, swimming in creeks, visiting the Cherokee reservation (for tourists!), campfires and the great outdoors.  When we married, we did the beach vacations for several years.  I had never been to the mountains.  One year we had a long weekend and planned to go to North Georgia.  There were “hills” there, but no mountain peaks.  The ...

My hope and inspiration for this blog is to encourage women to be all that they can be in the Lord.  It is from experience and a humble heart that I can say…God can change hearts and lives.  If He did it in me..he can do it in you!  I love to share from God’s Word and from what He has taught me.  Most things are shared through everyday, ordinary life.  But probably not often enough do I share FUN!   Recently our fabulous neighbors hosted a surprise party for their 16 year old son.  Our children “live” at each other’s houses and we always feel at home with each other’s families.  As we celebrated with family, friends, kids, teenagers, the church youth group, it was a time to fellowship and enjoy one another in a wholesome celebration full of fun!  Thanks T & K for opening your home and being a great blessing! So…while the “cool” teenage boys sat around…looking cool: The girls had a blast:  At first, we weren’t too sure… ...

He has shown you, O man, what is good;       And what does the LORD require of you                But to do justly, To love mercy,       And to walk humbly with your God?    Micah 6:8 Sometimes we struggle so hard with the question “What does God want us to do and be?”  This verse is a simple yet powerful reminder of some simple things that God requires of us.  Act and do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God.  There are numerous opportunities each day to do justly, to do the right thing or to make the right choice.  We love mercy when we show kindness or mercy oftentimes to those who do not deserve it.  Walking humbly before God is acknowledging He alone is God.  He is the I AM – no one else is.  When we give Him the glory He is worthy of, it will humble our heart before Him....

One of the values that intrigues me when I see it in others is when people do more than what's expected. An extra-ordinary attitude draws attention! People take notice and love to be around others with this attitude. Traits like seeing what needs to be done and doing it (without being told) are things I want to instill in my children and also grow in and practice myself.. Someone recently shared their "house rules": If it’s broken, fix it. If it’s empty, fill it up. If it’s open, shut it. If it’s out, put it away. If it’s messy, clean it up. If you can’t, then report it. Those are some simple, but great guidelines for families to practice day in and day out. This type of training helps children to learn that they don't have to be asked in order to do a job, hopefully it is a habit that is ingrained and will be practiced at home, school, church and work. Practicing things like this will help children think outside of their little box and discover that they ...

Make your husband a priority. Ask him what his favorite dinner, dessert and drink are. Be sure to serve him all three one night this week. Bonus: cook his favorite dishes all week long! That is the Completing Him challenge for this week!  Doesn't sound too hard does it?  Or does it bring to mind that nagging thought "why do I have to wait on him hand and foot?"  As Christians, God's Word tells us to "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." Philippians 2:4.   Since marriage consists of a whole lot of give and take and there is not much room for selfishness, our love can be shown through the small tasks as well as the larger ones.  By training our heart to love through acts of service, these selfless acts get easier and our mindset can be that to "look to the needs of others".  So....his favorite dinner, washing his favorite shirt, packing his lunch...all these are tasks that must be do...

Making Sundays special is a very important task that doesn't "just happen". Although it may take a lot of planning, preparation and effort, the goal is to establish a mind and heart attitude of making Sunday special along with the habit of attending worship which in turn may be a lifestyle for generations to come.  This is a big thing!! Through other posts on this subject,  we talked about the importance of attending church and the attitude of worship.  Making Sunday special doesn't just happen Saturday night or early Sunday morning.  It may take time through the week to prepare our hearts as we seek to prepare our family for a special day. Here are a few tips to work on through the week. Mediate on How Great Is Our God: Seek out Bible verses that speak of God's greatness and majesty. I Chronicles 16:27-29 " Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LOR...

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”  Isaiah 40:8 We hear so often about the power of reading, meditating, hearing and acting upon God’s Word.  Why is it so important?  This verse gives a powerful reminder that although things as basic as grass and as beautiful as flowers wither and fade, the Word of God will stand forever.  We can depend upon it’s truth and securely follow the path it leads.  During the summer it is sometimes easy to neglect daily reading the Bible.  May we be encouraged to continue on, making a devotion a part of our daily schedule. There is nothing more important or powerful!

It seems lately that things I've participated in are mostly marriage related!  Perhaps I need a lot of help to be  a better wife!! When I saw the topic for this month's Marriage Monday, I knew I needed to jump in on this one.  "The Wisdom of Our Elders is Welcome ( in Small Doses )" is an opportunity to share about joining families together and how we entwined our lives not only with the husband, but also with his family.  I have freely shared in the past how blessed I am that God placed me into this family. As a mother to teenage boys presently, I have an even greater appreciation for my in laws and the grace and kindness they extended to me years ago.   My husband came from a wholesome, simple country living family.  I was a city girl who was running with the wrong crowd and came from a very dysfunctional family.  Only God's grace could have matched my husband and I!  I"m sure my mother in law must have cringed when her son brought me o...

The weekly challenge from Completing Him is to make a list of 5 things you currently do and ask your husband to prioritize them for you of what is important to him. Things like this always make me squirm a little!  But communication is so important and every now again we may need a reminder as to what is important to one another.  Several years ago I worked myself so hard tryng to please my husband.  I kept the house spotless, kept up with the laundry, was always busy "doing" something for him.  That was how I showed him that I loved him. But instead of being grateful for all that I was doing, he would become agitated that I wouldn't sit down and relax. How could I?  I was too busy showing my love for him!!  Somehow I got a hold of the book "The Five Love Languages".   This book does a wonderful job of showing how different people express love in different ways. Some people are verbal, expressing their love in words. Others...

Today is my favorite kind of Saturday.  There is the perfect balance of activity and leisure time.  There is time to clean and do the needed chores around the house without rush and then a fun activity for the family tonight.  I love days like this because they allow me to "prepare for Sunday".  Sundays should be the most special day of the week, but to make them special, it takes some planning.  Sunday is to modern day Christians known as the Sabbath.  The Sabbath day was ordained by God to cease from labor and put God above all things and worship Him.  In our busy lives today, a day set aside to rest is vital not only to our health, but also to our spiritual lives.  As Christians, we need a day to set aside the cares of the world and reflect with our minds and hearts how great our God is.  Often times we work around obstacles such as jobs, family, friends and activities that intrude upon a spacious day of rest.  But if w...

I love church cartoons!  It seems at times if we let ourselves, we can get a bit stoic and rigid in our church lives.  But God’s Word tells us several things about JOY, being cheerful and that there is abundant life in Jesus.  Sometimes a good chuckle and smile loosens us up from the inside and lets His joy radiate to the outside!  Here are a few church cartoons that will hopefully bring a bubble of joy from your heart! Have a great weekend!