Joyfull Living

There is this thing I have for good smells...the aroma of food cooking, freshly washed clothes, a vase of flowers, a favorite blanket and of course clean sheets before bed...can you say "aaww"!!  These scents represent more than a simple smell, they often connect to a memory, or a feeling, something of comfort or delight. As Christians, we are told in the Bible that we are 'the aroma of Christ".  "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." II Corinthians 2:14 A recent Sunday morning at church, I ran into an old friend. It had been over 20 years since we had seen one another.  Many things happen and change in the span of 20 years!! God's grace had changed me from a  rebellious teenager making many wrong choices.  My friend had come to church, searching for something.  We greeted one another and hugged.   She must have had a drink before she came and as I sat down, some of...

Sometimes keeping up with our friends and family can bring great joy.  Sometimes, it can leave us heartbroken at some circumstances they are facing.  The loss of a father, a family murdered, a son who committed suicide, a mother facing a diagnosis of an aggressive tumor that is threatening to take her life. These were a few of the things just this week that I became aware of in the lives of some of my friends, acquaintances and in our community.  When we come face to face with tragedy or suffering, it’s very difficult to know what to say and how to act. It can be pretty awkward sometimes. We want to say something that will offer them hope, bring comfort, but these overwhelming situations can paralyze us.  Often in our zeal to bring comfort, we speak careless words we have heard before without thought of if they will truly bring comfort. A recent article shared some great, practical advice on how to be a blessing when we face others in the midst of a tria...

There is nothing like a good challenge to stir things up in our life!  Usually the challenge is to make us stronger, better, more efficient, things that benefit us. My son is getting married in July.  While doing some dress shopping for the wedding, I realized that the weather will be extremely hot, emotions will be high and being in my mid 40's, a dress with minimal sleeves would be a must!  Of course there is some vanity involved, but I found a 30 Day Upper Body Challenge which promised to strengthen, tone and firm up biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest and back!  Oh yeah!!!  Those are the results I was looking for!! I'm in week three now and have been doing this challenge diligently. It takes some time set aside each day, a purpose to be consistent, do a complete job and follow the directions.  But the results have been great so far!! There is a noticeable difference in toning, firming and my arms are stronger in doing daily tasks.   ...

Friday is here!!  Amiss the anticipation for the weekend, I am loving the opportunity to reflect on the blessings of the past week.  As the weeks seem to fly by, it is easy to go through them without stopping to remember the good times and to thank God for the smallest blessings. Here are a few of my favorite things about this week: Boot Shopping: I"m blessed to have three boys and they are truly country boys!  My two older ones wear boots regularly and the youngest one loves to follow in their footsteps...literally!!! We took the youngest son boot shopping this weekend.  While he and his dad shopped in the boys section, I wandered over to see what they had that had a more feminine look.  YEP!  Pink, flowers and girly!!  That is all me!!  I had fun trying them on, but didn't get them.  The son found the perfect pair, so the trip was a success! My New Daily Planner Becoming organized is one of my desires, but gettin...

The Proverbs 31 passage is well known by Christian woman but it can also be a bit intimidating!  The characteristics and habits that make up this woman are truly a thing of beauty, but who can do all those things???? The more I mature as a Christian, I have learned it is not all about the doing .  When Christ's love grows in our hearts, bit by bit, He replaces our old with His new.  Our focus on 'doing' slowly becomes a part of our 'being'.   Instead of mentally checking off a spiritual to do list, we become in action the love God puts in our hearts. It isn't a chore to do,  but a desire to share with others what God has given us.   This passage of Proverbs 31 usually speaks to me in short bursts of words.  These few powerful phrases work deep in my heart to reveal what the Lord wants to do and create me to become.  Some of these phrases are: She does him good - our husbands willingly works with her hands. - our work ethic ...

Here we are, the Monday after Mother's Day!  Moms, I hope you began today still feeling the affect of lavish love and appreciation!  Isn't is a wonderful feeling for your love and service to be acknowledged and appreciated?  Even if your table is full of gifts from Mother's Day, there is one more still to come and it is the greatest one yet!  Are you ready?  The gift is that you get to turn around and do it again!  Don't groan, don't leave, stay with me for a moment!!  Hear my heart here, not any sarcasm.  We are blessed to have the opportunity to serve as mom again.  To express love, to build them up, to shoulder their sorrows, to be the greatest influence in their lives. To give them lasting gifts all year long - love, joy, hope, encouragement and courage. Do you know that as moms, we are "life - givers".  We give out life through these acts of service and love. It has been said "Life is not measured by the number of b...

Here we are again at Mother's Day weekend!  This is a special time as we honor our moms and remember their selfless love for us.  Moms hold a spot in the very depths of our hearts.  If your mom is still with you, Mother's Day is a wonderful opportunity to express your love and thankfulness to her. If she has passed on, it can be a bittersweet time, a time to remember her love and devotion but also a time where her absence is vividly felt. In my life, this Mother's Day is a bit more bittersweet as my oldest son is in the midst of wedding plans.  I have often been reflecting on my own wedding and the joy of my mom being a part of it. It will be 25 years this June since my wedding, but I clearly remember eating breakfast at our favorite restaurant with her best friend and my mom declaring, "bring the coffee, we have a wedding to plan!"   She would have surely loved to be right in the middle of her first grandchild's wedding preparations.  The...

Although I'm a sporadic blogger, it is the concept of cherishing memories of daily life and blessings that keeps me coming back here to my blog to post!  Many bloggers share about their week as they express their "Friday Favorites".  I love taking the time to reflect on the moments and blessings that otherwise may be forgotten.  Some bloggers share the pictures taken on their cell phones to capture these special moments. Here is my list of Friday Favorites: 1.  Movie time with my son.   I have a 20 year old who lives with us, but we rarely see!!  He works evenings and I am usually in bed by the time he gets home.  One night this week, I was still up reading and he found the movie Facing the Giants on TV.  Although we've seen in many times, it's timeless message of courage and faith again inspires us.  During one of the emotional scenes, I cried (like always!).  My son says', "You've seen this over and over, why are crying ...

If you are a woman who has hit 40 or above....you will know without a doubt that things are changing.  The way we think, how we view the things of life, our families and our bodies!  The foods we love to eat sometimes seem to affect us differently - inside and out!!  Weight loss isn't as easy as it used to be.  Our concept of diet has changed, we understand that 'diets' are a temporary fix and only a change in our health habits offer lasting changes. We also know that to regain our vitality and energy, we must be purposeful in devloping a healthy lifestyle.  I remember reading Prevention magazine as a child!  My dad used to love it and preach healthy advice to the family from it. I listened - some, rolled my teenage eyes some, but now, years later, I still remember those tidbits of advice!  Now I subscribe to the Prevention email, it allows me to customize the articles I'm interested in.  Here is some advice in one of those articles whi...

AAAHH - Monday!  If my house could talk on Monday it would scream " CLEAN ME"!!  Weekends are a time usually when family is home and cleaning ranks low on the priority list.   This morning, I was at my sink at looked down...yuck!  Dingy, stained and ugly!  We recently moved after 25 years and although I never thought much about the subject of 'sinks', it now demands attention. My old sink was stainless steel - durable, low maintenance and forgiving.  My new sink is white and porcelain.  It is absolutely beautiful!  I fell in love with it immediately.  Then after a few weeks, realized that its beauty must be mainlined.  I did my best by wiping, scrubbing and even bleaching it.  A dull gray color emerged and no amount of cleaning would rid it.  I thought it was ruined!  Doing some online research, I found the secret - Bar Keepers Friend.  This product is a powdered cleaning has been produced since 1882.  Unli...