Joyfull Living

Welcome February!  I love this month!  Although with a husband and three sons, Valentine's Day is not their favorite holiday, I enjoy the colors, the flowers all around and the cute little things that pop up in the stores and in my home to remind us of the beauty and power of love.  From now until Valentine's Day, to celebrate in a practical way, I'm going to particiapte in The Love Dare to exhitbit the characteristics of love found in God's Word and express them in my home, especially to my husband.  I'm going to share a quick assignment each day to remind myself and hopefully encourage you to not just 'act more loving', but to embrace God's gift of His love for you and let that overflow into the lives of the special someone in your life.  Can we turn around the love atmoshpere in our homes and marriages in just 14 days?  Let's give it a try!   Today: "Love is patient" Eph. 4:2 Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be hum...

Apparently, I am very special in my home!  It seems there are several tasks that I must do so well, no one else will even attempt to try them.  Things like...putting a new roll of toilet paper on the roll, putting clean towels out, putting salt in the salt shaker or coffee in the jar we use every morning, emptying the ice trays (yes, we still use ice trays, the ice maker broke about 8 years ago and we've  been debating a new refrigerator and didn't want to get it fixed if we were getting a new one!!).   I used to let it bother me that I was the ONLY one who could do so many of these little tasks.  Sometimes I would brew and stew and let bitterness come into my heart.  Sometimes I would just refuse to do it...but then it just didn't get done!   These things don't ever empty at a convenient time.  Realizing the salt shaker is empty as your sitting down to eat, or fumbling in the morning to make coff...

Although I'm not yet "back" to blogging until Monday, I had committed to do a post for Yoplait a while back and am facing a deadline date!!  Yoplait recently offered a generous gift pack which included a *VIP Coupon for a free sample of Yoplait Original yogurt, as well as a duffel bag, speed rope, water bottle and sport towel.  This was a fantastic gift pack and great inspiration to give Yoplait a try!  They also are providing an additional prize pack to offer as a giveaway.  Thanks Yoplait!!  The purpose is of this promotion is to share how Yoplait is committed to making it easier for women to add more calcium to their diet every day with the newly reformulated Yoplait Original style yogurt. Now with two times the amount of calcium of the leading yogurt, that’s 50 percent of the Daily Value in one convenient 6-ounce cup, Yoplait Original yogurt provides women with an easy and delicious way to get the calcium they need. Yoplait Original also contain...

Although we are moving fast into the New Year, I am still excited about the fresh starts, new beginnings and inspired to set new priorities for the next 12 months. I'm wading through new notebooks, prayerfully deciding on a new Bible Study and praying for new opportunities.  Proverbs 3:5,6 is an excellent guideline and reminder to seek the Lord FIRST!  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."  Another powerful spiritual practice is fasting.  God's Word talks much about fasting and prayer.  One of my favorite verses is found in Isaiah:  Isaiah 58 - "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?" All through the New and Old Testament are examples of godly saints fasting.  Fasting may be defined as sacrificing or going without so...

Home, Home, Home!!   The place we can let go, relax and just be ourselves.  I love my home and enjoy just being here.  Last week my heart was cut, stirred and then encouraged by one of my teenager's remarks.  It was his night off work and he was lining up to go somewhere.  I needed him to stay home for about an hour before he went.  He moaned and groaned and finally said "It's my only night off, I don't want to spend it sitting around the house."   OUCH that hurt!  My first thought was to pray for the Lord to change  HIS heart and that he will want to be home.  But don't you just love it when God does answer the prayer, but changes YOUR heart? Since our family includes 2 teenagers, I know it that we are on the brink of major household changes.  They will be leaving our home soon as they begin the journey as adults.  No matter how much I long for them to be near me, it is the divine plan for "man to leave his mothe...

Right before Christmas, I found this recipe for Cranberry Butter over at The Pioneer Woman.   It would have made a Christmas perfect gift, but since it was so late in the season, I made myself a batch.  Cranberries are available now at a reasonable price and this recipe was so easy to make and so delcious, I just had to share it.  This butter is perfect on an English Muffin for breakfast or would compliment any other bread.  You may just want to try this over the weekend!! •1 pound Butter, Softened To Room Temperature •½ cups Chopped Fresh Cranberries •½ cups Honey •1 whole Orange (just The Zest) Combine softened butter, chopped fresh cranberries, honey to taste (about 1/2 cup) and the ZEST ONLY of one orange. Mix with hand blender until well blended. It is easy to adjust the ingredients to your personal taste. Want more orange flavor? Zest another orange! Want it less sweet? Reduce the amount of honey. Make it your own! You’ll need to store this i...

 "The heart of her husband safely trusts her;" Proverbs 31:11 How important is it to gain and keep a husband's trust?  I'm writing about that over At the Well today! 

Create in me a clean heart, O God,          And renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Psalms 50:10 Doesn’t the New Year bring a feeling of freshness?   Fresh starts, new chances to do things better, making plans, goals and refined purposes all inspire me.  It’s all new and an exciting beginning in 2011!  As Christians, we know the importance of holiness and godly living.  We know that without God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness these are un-attainable.  But when we recognize our shortcomings and cry out to God as David did in this verse, “Make me clean, pure and give me a new attitude or desire to do right”, He does.  He makes our heart clean with His forgiveness, He changes our spirit, thoughts, attitudes and actions.  What a fantastic way to being the New Year – with a clean heart.

January is National Soup Month!    There's no better way to take the chill out of winter days than sitting down to a steaming bowl of soup. This is the perfect time to discover how simple it can be to make sensational homemade soups.  For even the most novice cook, soup can be mastered!  (Trust me, I know!) They can be made of simple ingredients or a more complex array.  By simply adding a salad and some bread you have a complete, filling and satisfying meal.  Here are a few tips to get a great soup started:  The best soups are made with a base of homemade stock and fresh ingredients. Obviously this can be a time-consuming endeavor. You can reduce your time in the kitchen by using canned or frozen broths or bouillon bases. Even so, plan on taking your time with a good soup or stew.  Fresh ingredients are best, but some canned or frozen vegetables will work well, such as peas, green beans and corn. To reduce the fat content, make ...

Have you heard or read some of the New Year resolutions last week?  I admire those who can sum up in a word their plan and purpose for the coming year.  "Simplicity", "Soar", "Connecting " etc. are some great ones.  Since I know myself too well to make resolutions, it is easier to identify some characteristics that I would like to see more of in my life.  To keep it simple, I"ve picked 4 G's.  Now, I'm definitely not a big techie, don't even have a smart phone and 4G is only a term heard on a commercial, but to keep things in a similar line...4 G works for me! Beginning in my home and life I want to be more: Gracious - "A gracious woman retains honor".   Grace comes from God alone, but it what enables His love to be manifested in outward actions, words and attitudes.  Being gracious is not something that is done at will or can be put on and off, but it is infused into the heart and is the reminder to do the right thing and e...