Joyfull Living

  Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can be only forgiven, not forgotten.”  Unknown The words we use have tremendous power. We can choose words that speak life or words that speak death. When our words are infused with God's grace, the potency of godly words can revive, heal, and change our lives. Ungodly words have the power to bind, imprison, and destroy.   Countless times a day, when it comes to what you hear and say, you have choices to make. When you hear the words of others, you can choose to receive them as truth or reject them as lies. And every time you open your mouth to utter a word, you have the opportunity to speak life or the temptation to take it. The Bible is God's Word and has a lot to say about our words. Beginning October 1, will  you join me in a daily Bible reading focusing solely on the power of words?  Click HERE for a printable copy and let's dig into the power our words hold.  If you want to change anyth...

 This weekend, my social media feed was filled with beautiful pictures of my friends and their daughters. Sweet smiles, gushing words full of emotion and love and an overload of sweetness. Turns out it was National Daughters Day.   Our family was blessed with 3 sons and we don't have a clue about a home filled with ruffles, frills or dainty things. Our home was loud, fast and active!  So today is National Son's Day, and I was ready to share a post of my boys!  Each of our boys are now adults, living away from home and making a life for themselves. We couldn't be more proud of the men they have become. National Son's Day gave an opportunity to reflect back on the days when they were young and the wonderful memories I cherish. The sweet baby boy years where they loved to snuggle. The childhood years where we cheered them on at the ball field, the teenage years where they kept a mama on her knees in prayer. Now as men they are responsible, self reliant and making t...

 Fall is my favorite season! In our area, the weather is not yet cool, but fall is in the air, There is an anticipation as we eagerly await the change of seasons.  I love to decorate my home for fall.  My family tells me I begin way too early, but this is my way of bringing on the beauty of fall. All of the stores have beautiful fall displays and items that just beckon you to bring them home!   If you want to fill your home with the feeling of fall, look for ways to engage all of the senses - sight, sounds, smell, taste and touch. Here are some easy ways to fill your home with fall.  I'm also including some of my personal finds. It's not too early to shop, there is a great selection available now! 1. Add a pop of color by replacing everyday pillows with fall themed styles.  *My newest pillow - from Dollar General! 2. Set the mood with the soft glow of lanterns. 3. Add a cozy element with warm, textured throws.  4. Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins. You...

Today is Friday and I am participating in Five Minute Friday which is a writing exercise based on a particular word prompt. Today's word is RESCUE. Here in the south, the word "rescue" is mostly used in reference to an ambulance. " We need to call rescue " is the way we communicate how to get an ambulance and some help. When I was a young girl, I had a deep but unwarranted fear of ambulances. Looking back, it was probably based on the sound of the siren. My parents told me I could hear an ambulance siren and come running to them asking "is it coming here? " before they even heard the first wail of the siren. I was terrified the ambulance would arrive at our house. This fear continued through my childhood and early adult years. As a young bride in my 20's I was hanging clothes on the clothesline one day and heard a siren. This was very unusual as we lived in a rural area. Closer and closer the sound came and I began to panic. Seeing red lights and t...

Happy Labor Day! While we enjoy a day off and hopefully filled with time spent with family and relaxation, it is also a good time to refresh our hearts and minds on the value of work. Labor Day is set aside to celebrate the value and dignity of work. The Bible has some concrete things to teach us about work. Work is not a curse, but part of our created purpose so that we can serve God. By design, work brings various benefits to others and us. 1. Work is a gift from God. Since the beginning, work has been part of God’s plan for humanity. He created it. That means you can view the act of working as a gift, even if you don’t love your job. It is not only the working of our hands, but the attitude of our heart. 2. Those who are able to work should do so. Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible speak highly of work and condemn laziness. *Billy Graham commented on this subject by adding “Please note that this wasn’t spoken to people who couldn’t find jobs. This was instead directed a...

Hello September!!  Although is still feels like summer, autumn days are coming!  Today is Day 1 of the September Daily Word. I hope you will join me each day this month as we look into God's Word and let it wash and quench our soul.  Day 1 - Jeremiah 17:7-8   Blessed is the man who trusts in the  Lord , And whose hope is the  Lord . 8  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Blessed describes the benefits to those devoted to God and His Word.  Planted - One who trusts in God will not be free from trials and adversity, but that God will bring fruit and blessing in and through these difficulties.  Our lives when planted and nourished by God's Word, can not only be fulfilled and fruitful, but we can be sustained in times of ...