Joyfull Living

Taking the High Road can be defined as  "The most positive, diplomatic, or ethical course." Some other ideas mean doing the right thing even if its not popular or easy.  To "take the high road" is to maintain impeccable integrity, honesty and decorum. To take "the low road" is less than that. On our journey of life we work, we go, we do and can sometimes we can get lost in the shuffle of life around us.  We see those we come in contact with and can fall into the same mode almost automatically.  Take a look at the women you see around. Most conversations consist of how busy we are, what we have going on and where we are going to next.  Christian women are stressed, harried, trying to do the right thing, but often fall short of meeting the expectations of everyone around them.  Decisions are based on what needs to be done right now because time does not wait and all too soon it is time to move on to something else.  "The High Road" looks nice,

Many New Year Resolutions run along the same lines.  We strive to eat better, lose weight, form better habits and use our time more wisely.  Here are a few funny accounts of those New Year resolutions: Starting the Diet :  My friend Kimberly announced that she had started a diet to lose some pounds she had put on recently.  "Good!" I exclaimed. "I’m ready to start a diet too. We can be dieting buddies and help each other out. When I feel the urge to drive out and get a burger and fries, I’ll call you first."  "Great!" she replied. "I’ll ride with you." Eating Healthier: The teacher in our Bible class asked a woman to read from the Book of Numbers about the Israelites wandering in the desert. "The Lord heard you when you wailed, ‘If only we had meat to eat!’ " she began. "Now the Lord will give you meat. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, or ten or twenty days, but for a month—until you loathe it."

This week, the week after Christmas and before New Years is one of my favorite weeks of the year.  The busyness of preparing for Christmas is done, things have slowed down and I try to stay at home as much as possible.  Our schedules seem to stop this week and there is much leftover from Christmas – memories, joy and….food! After indulging in delicious Christmas food through the month from get togethers, banquets and family dinners, it is time to get back on track with healthier eating.  Here are a few things NOT to do: Replace your fruit bowl with candy kisses: Store all the other Christmas candy in a bucket for easy access: Snack on items such as… My father in law’s delicious pound cake: My aunt’s Christmas cookie assortment: So, this morning finds me purposing to eat better , exercise more and have a healthier home.  Some interesting articles that will help guide me can be found: 9 Healthy New Year Resolutions 14 Walking Workouts To Burn Fat and Boost E

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! II Corinthians 9:14 I’m a bargain shopper!  But through the years (after bringing in way too much ‘junk’), I’ve learned to seek after quality items – at  a great price! This nativity set was found at a yard sale a few years ago.  It is just gorgeous and a prominent display in our home during Christmas time.  The lettering on the wall says “Everyday Is A Gift” and came from the Dollar Tree for $1.00!  It is a little way to remember the blessings we receive every day.  As Christmas is fading into our memories, may we keep alive in our hearts the reminder that Jesus is an indescribable gift. He came to earth as a baby, lived a sinless life and willingly laid down His life as a sacrifice for our sins and made the way for us to be reconciled to God.  What a gift – truly indescribable.  But, He lives today and the lyrics of this song remind us of His glory and power: Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You k

Through last week, things were busy making last minute Christmas preparations and then enjoying special times with family and friends.  Christmas came and went in the blink of an eye!  But the treasured memories will forever stay in our heart. This week often finds us looking toward the New Year.  What will it bring, what are some things we want to do differently, what good habits do we want to incorporate into our lives?  In 2011, one of my goals was to "Grow In 4 G".  Increasing in: Grace Genuine Generosity Greatness This outline gave me some things to work toward and I see the Lord do some great things in my heart.  But one more thing impacted my year even greater. Having a general plan is good, but for me to be diligent, I needed some day by day activities to keep me on track.  Over at A Holy Experience ,  there was a challenge to find 1000 Gifts.  Monthly sheets were available for free download to mark at least one gift a day.  This may have been the first time e

Although creativity is not my strongpoint, I've learned that presentation can be very important. What our eyes perceive at first glance is where much of our opinions are formed and whether we like what is presented or not! In food, gifts and how we carry ourselves, presentation can enhance and bring beauty to the ordinary. For Christmas presents, I like to make baskets filled with many  little things.  This year, homemade beauty items were given.  My closet is my holding place for the gifts and a place for chaos.  I couldn’t even put up my shoes! But, there came a time when some order had to come.  Here is the ‘stuff’ to fill the baskets: Now the hard part – putting it all together.  The goodies were divided up, placed in a basket and thanks to some advice and suggestions from a neighbor who is creative, and wrapped up. The finished products: Now, these are not Better Homes and Garden worthy, but if was fun putting them together and I learned a valuable lesson f

It's Christmas week!! The week before Christmas when the countdown of mere days to Christmas Day begins.  I can vividly remember as a child Christmas week.  The excitement of knowing Christmas was almost here, doing last minute shopping with my mother and the atmosphere of joy all around.  Now that I'm the mom, anxiety is competing against that childhood excitement.  Did I get all the presents, is the menu ready for Christmas dinner, is the house clean enough for company?  On and on the list goes and it seems like I"m running out of time.  It's almost enough to put me in panic mode! I've allowed this attitude in years past to get the best of me.  The day after Christmas has come with me wondering "what happened to Christmas?"  With the busyness of things to do, I missed the magic of the moment.  Years ago on the first Christmas, others 'missed it' too.  The city of Bethlehem slept, King Herod was jealous and fearful of being uprooted as king and

I love using seasonings for cooking!  Those little McCormick packets have saved many of my meals through the years!!   The Hidden Valley Ranch mix always brings out some great flavor to any food. But, if you have noticed in the store, these little packets have gone way up in price.  If you use one for each meal, it adds up...fast!  Here are two recipes made with spices usually found in your pantry for Taco Seasoning and Ranch. Ranch Flavored Dip 2 tablespoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon dried dill 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon dried basil ½ teaspoon pepper Sour cream, for serving Directions Add each of the dried spices to a bowl and gently stir. Store in a resealable plastic baggie or small ball canning jar with tight fitting lid in your spice cabinet. To make the ranch dressing, whisk together 1/3 cup mayonnaise with 1/4 cup milk(more or less depending on the consistency you want) with 1 Tbsp of the homemade ranch dressing seasoning mix. S

He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” This is the perfect time of the year to re-read the biblical account of the first Christmas.  God’s Word amazes me in the way that even though the passage may be familiar, the Holy Spirit can always show us something fresh and new if we read with an open heart. In the above passage, the Angel is speaking to John the Baptist’s father about the birth of John. We know that John prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus.  The words “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” jumped out at me.  Those words are surely something to ponder on in today’s times.  Are we a people prepared for the Lord?  Are our hearts eagerly seeking the Messiah, our Savior?  As we are in the midst of the Christmas season, may we be sensitive to hear the Lord and be people moved by grace and mercy

I LOVE winter!!  Well….maybe it is because I experience Florida winters!  Our area gets to experience a nice shot of cold air and then is warms up for a few days.  I probably wouldn’t like to live in the cold day after day.  But, one of my favorite things is winter mornings.  Especially the ones where I don’t have to get up and go right out, but can sit in front of a warm fireplace, in my cozy robe with a cup of coffee.  This caught my eye one recent morning as I was coming to sit down to read my Bible, a ray of morning light shining on my chair. As I pulled the Bible to my lap to read, that same bright ray of sunshine illuminated the pages.  What was once ‘normal’, was now bathed in brightness and beauty.  Illumination makes things shiny and beautiful.  It adds special sparkle to what was ordinary.  In our homes, us as wives and mothers are usually the one to bring the brightness around the holidays.  We decorate, bake, play music and add special festive touches to the home.  In

We recently took a trip to Tennessee and were in awe of the natural beauty that abounded there!  Here are a few pictures of what we saw. It was a little chilly and I loved seeing the ice on the leaves:   Here is the creek that ran behind our cabin.  What a beautiful sound – the sound of gentle flowing waters.                 Just around the bend was a row of brightly colored trees.  Look at this gorgeous color! Then there were waterfalls and walking paths. Breathtaking beauty that stirs the heart to praise our Creator! 

I'm digging through some old Christmas blog archives and found this cute, but true "Tale of Two Christmases".   Our attitude at Christmas determines our actions.  Will we fall into the mold of the world and be caught up in the buying and busyness of the season, or will we purposefully choose to remember and cherish Christ, the true meaning and the true Gift?  A TALE OF TWO CHRISTMASES By Jim Smith. It is the worst of times. It is the best of times. The Christmas you have depends upon you. May you be blessed to follow the Light and choose the right A Christmas Poem C is for Credit Cards that make buying a breeze. H is for your Headache when your cards are seized. R is for Remembering everyone on your list. I is for feeling Insulted when your gifts are dissed. S is for feeling Stressed when you're on the fly. T is for the Truckloads of presents that you buy. M is for your Massive debt that soars into the sky. A is for the Awful feel

The holiday season has arrived!  I love this time of the year.  The decorations are up at our home, our calendars are filling up with opportunities to share fellowship with family and friends and there is excitement and anticipation in the air.  Cool evenings are here and often spent by the fireplace and a good book. This is such a wonderful season for families as they connect through cards, letters, visits and enjoying time together.  Activities such as shopping, cooking, creating cards involve families working and sharing together and create wonderful memories. However, in the midst of all the joy, fun, parties and added festive activities, a couple may struggle to find that 'special time' together.  A time for just the two of them.  Quality, uninterrupted time is vital for a marriage and when stresses are high and our to do list grows, our mates may get neglected or tossed to the side in the midst of all the activities.  Some time alone can soothe, relax and rekindle the sp

On our recent trip to Tennessee, my in laws looked up an old friend who lived in the area.  We met up at The Old Mill where the man worked.  During the visit he gave us a tour which I found fascinating!! The Old Mill sells fresh products from corn meal ground on site including biscuits, corn bread, pancakes, hush puppies, muffins and grits. They also use their own grains for the homemade artisan style breads that are prepared each day. Weighing one ton each, the massive flint granite stones, called French Buhrs, are only the second set ever used in The Old Mill's 175-year history. When they're in action, the stones convert grain into about 1000 pounds of product each day, six days a week. Resident millers then hand-fill, weigh and tie each bag of stone ground grain.  For some interesting history see The Old Mill. Here is the mill in action: Grinding Corn: Ground Into Fine Corn Meal: Then bagged to be used and sold: I’m so glad we took the time for a quick vis