Joyfull Living

Today, I’m linking up with The MOB Society (Mothers of Boys).  As a mom with three boys, I certainly qualify!  In our home, I’m a bit out numbered and try to stand my ground and impart a little bit of the more tender side – kindness, compassion, thoughtfulness etc. in small doses of course!  But often the only thing boys understand is action!  Our area was hit by Tropical Storm Debby and there is a lot of water around here. Many in our town have lost homes and belongings and our prayers are continually with them.  Our area has not seen such devastation for which we are thankful. While a neighbor and I ventured out for a quick walk, our sons came roaring up on four-wheelers and offered to take us for a ride…through the mud to check things out.  Throwing my girly caution to the wind and taking advantage of some quality time with my middle son…off we went!   My neighbor is such a good sport!! How did this happen? By going though this! ...

Have you ever encountered someone who says all the right things, does all the right things, looks the right way, etc., but you sense of lack of something?  That somewhere the words and their meanings, do not connect?  Could it be a lack of genuineness?  Words without meaning, looks without inner beauty, interest without love can be felt even though everything appears right on the outside.  A genuine person puts others first and gives and loves from the heart.  When they say something, they mean it, and you feel it!  They are the ones that put their focus on others find their needs and meet them.  They truly desire to look to the good of others. For a while now, it has been a prayer of mine for the Lord to make me genuine.   By myself, selfishsness prevails. I need love that is beyond what I am capable of. To be genuine, God's love must flow first into my heart and then out into the lives of others.  My prayer has ...

One of the many things I inherited from my father, besides his looks, was a love for the beach.  While growing up, we lived near the beach and visited it and pools often during the summer.  Later on, we moved to an area further away from the beach, but every summer, we took the longer drive to spend some time in the sand and surf. I can still picture dad, myself and my brother in the surf gently bobbing over waves with the sun on our faces totally enjoying the day. Dad began to share how close he was to his father and some of the fun things they did together.  He told my brother and I how much times like this meant to him, having something special we enjoy doing together. He told us that this was the type of things that made lasting memories.  He was right! As we continued to enjoy the waves and sun, he shared how devastated he was when his father passed away.  Even thinking of good memories he had of them together would bring tears and hearta...

Today's topic for Feminine Friday is FRIENDS!! We girls need friends!  We were created to crave that fellowship, understanding and common bonds of friendship. There is nothing sweeter than a true friend, one who we can have fun with, can cry to, who understands us.  A recent sermon I heard -  Designed By the Divine  for a woman brought out some points about girlfriends I had never heard, but have stirred my heart to be intentional about the girlfriends in my life.  Every woman needs friends, but they also need three different kind of friends: 1.  One who they look to 2.  One who they look up to 3.  One that looks up to them One To Look To: This is our "go to girlfriend". She knows us inside and out and we share much together. Good times or bad, she is always there.  " As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."  Proverbs 27:17   This will probably be our favorite type of friendship and is inde...

This free printable is full of the things most dads have said over the years all on one page!  Dad will smile over this one! You can get this free printable over at Tip Junkie and show dad that we do listen and we do love him. Here are a few other tributes to dad! Dads Say the Darnedest Things You better quit crying or I’ll give you something to cry about! You never get a second chance to make a first impression. If your best friend jumps off a bridge, are you going to do it too? Because I said so , that’s why! Thanks, Dad, for saying so. "One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." ~ English Proverb

If we have a home, we have a corner of the world to influence greatly.  To make our mark on, to be in charge of it's comings and goings, it routine, habits and atmosphere. Being a Christian woman a biblical mandate is for us to be a 'keeper at home" - Titus 2:5 KJV.   Other translations offer words such as "homemaker", "taking care of the house", "keeper of their own house" and "to be busy at home".  Many of us work outside the home at jobs.  After the role in the workplace is done, our homes await our attention.  Truly, a woman's work is never done! There are a million systems out there to help us clean, organize and manage our home.  But it simply boils down to what works for us individually.  An area I want to pay special attention to goes beyond just clean, but is holiness. Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord , forever. Psalms 93:5 Holiness is not a product to be sprayed on, painted on,...

The beauty bug has bit me!  In the past, my beauty routine has been rather bland.  Quick, natural (no make up),  simple soap and water to wash, no fuss, no extras, no expense.  A recent free facial by a Mary Kay consultant gave me a little jolt!  Skin needs to be taken care of and I"ve been diligent to follow a few new steps and upping the routine!  Preparing for church and looking in the mirror brought that little rush of pleasure of when you feel good, you look good.  Eating right, exercising and caring for skin and body will bring out beauty in anyone. Now, before you write me off as vain, let me share my heart after the mirror moment!  I knew I was spending more time preparing for outer beauty but I also knew that the inside is much more important than the outside.  Am I preparing my heart to be beautiful?  Do I spend time to pamper, nurture and tune it to be it's best? I read this morning in Matthew that puzzling ac...

Summertime is upon us!  Although the weather is not my favorite (it's way too hot!), I do love summer sports and the water!  Now playing in the water means wearing a bathing suit and mixing in with people.  Where does modesty fit into this mix?  The world's view of bathing suits leaves little to the imagination.  In fact, can be downright embarassing! It is often simply underwear, but in a different fabric.  But what does a Christian woman do about this?  Certainly no one will condemn a woman (even a Christian woman) for wearing a bikini.  Everyone else around will have one on with probably considerable less fabric!  But remember, modesty is an attitude of the heart.  Swimming season is a often a make or break decision time in this attitude.  Will you 'go with the flow', or will you make a visible stand with a bathing suit that covers up - but provides comfort and modesty?  My choice usually fa...

Around here it a time of harvest!  Local gardens are coming in and although we didn’t plant one this year, there has been family and friends who have blessed us with lots of fresh produce. Gardens come in full force and all at once!  With the abundance of fresh food, I found something neat to try to get the most out of it. Over at Kojos , I found some great recipes for crock pot freezer cooking.  The plan is to put all the ingredients into a freezer bag and when you’re ready to use it, you simply dump it all into a crock pot, add a few simple ingredients and let it cook in the slow cooker.  I have used up my onions, peppers, zucchini and carrots and have some ready to cook meals in the freezer!  Check out this page for the how to’s and some great recipes.

If the word “ordinary” had a picture, it would be of my husband and I!!  We love peace, contentment and a stable routine.  Perhaps we are a bit a boring at times, but also some traits such as dependability, commitment, steadfast and faithfulness are formed through the ordinary, so it’s a good fit for us.   Last weekend was graduation and this year we have a graduate:     While discussing something special to do for his graduation, a peek into the plans of others included a cruise, family picnics, bbq’s parties etc.  None of these seemed like a good fit for us.  My husband thought of the idea of taking my son and some friends out to eat.  You can’t go wrong with boys if there is food involved!         We gathered up a crew of good looking boys…sat ‘em down and fed ‘em.     The restaurant is out in the country and overlooks a pond:     My...

I'm all about girly things! Ruffles, lace, bows, pink, flowers, nails, hair, skirts, sandals and all the trimmings!  Being the only female in a house of males (husband and three sons), I don't get to express my love of femininity very often. But I recently came across this blog Finding Beauty where Feminine Friday is hosted.  Today's topic on the subject of femininity is " A Woman's Right To Personal Freedom" .  It's a pretty intense topic but one dealt with in line with Scripture.     When I think of being feminine, the first topic to come to mind is "Modesty".  This subject is one I"m passionate about.  Having three sons is what first perked my interest in modesty.  Today's culture and dress options for girls and women to choose from are in direct contrast of modesty.  Somewhere, a Christian perspective needs to be identified and acted upon.  But our churches carry a wide variety of stands on this issue. Some dema...