Joyfull Living

I recently went to church summer camp and captured some shots of a beautiful sunrise.  My timing and lighting were off I guess, but thanks to a little bit of editing with Photoshop Elements, I think they could be keepers! Before – Nice, but the color is drab: After – with some color and brightening: Before – not too bad, but kind of dark… After – used some sunlight edits to add some brightness and sunshiny feel! Before:  This one was fun to play with: After with some sharpening and brightening Then with a sepia look

One of the joys of summer in our area is being able to pick fresh blueberries.  These are nutritious, delicious and one of my summer traditions it to pick fresh blueberries. I especially like it when the bushes are loaded: And they are easy to pick Look at these beauties: And before long, there is an abundance of berries for the freezer: Some great things to do with blueberries are: Put them in cereal. Layer vanilla yogurt, berries, nuts or granola for a nutritious parfait. Sprinkle them on salads. Cook them with a little sugar for toppings for pancakes or waffles. Try these delicious summer recipes: Blueberry Crumb Pie Blueberry Crunch Cake Blueberry Yum Yum Blueberry Muffins Blueberries brought me a bit of joy this summer!

Show me Your ways, O LORD;   Teach me Your paths.   Lead me in Your truth and teach me,          For You are the God of my salvation;          On You I wait all the day.  Psalms 25:4,5         This path in this picture was traveled down during a fall vacation in the mountains.  It was beautiful and the way was clearly marked.  But oftentimes in the paths of life there are many choices and directions we can take.  Some paths may lead to blessings, some paths may lead us astray and end up causing pain or sorrow.  The Psalms give us a prayer that cries out for God's direction and leadership in our lives.  If we follow His ways and paths, He will never lead us astray.  These verses also asserts our faith and trust in Him and settles in our heart that we will wait for Him to lead us, knowing His ways are alway...

I recently came across a fantastic article with some great tips on "Being A Great Parent."    It has some great reminders and encouragement for many areas of parenting.  I love quick, straight to the point ideas that help me strive to be a better parent.  Here are some of the tips: 1. Express love and show affection . Sometimes parents just assume their kids know they love them but kids need to hear and see this from you directly. This doesn’t end when they start to grow up, either. Show your kids you love them on a regular basis. 2. Keep your child safe . Make sure that the child’s basic needs are met and that you take all steps to keep them as safe as possible at all times. You also need to teach your growing child proper safety steps. 3. Make them feel safe . It’s not enough just to be safe; you also want them to feel safe. Avoid threatening or menacing behavior or putting your child in situations where they will be fearful. 4 . Listen to them. You are the...

Today's session of Completing Him is focused on the question "Do I Admire Him?"   Of course we all admire our men, but as we share our lives together in marriage, we tend to notice the good and also pick up on the bad!  Those little quirks that may get under our skin can grow if left unchecked.  Whatever we tend to put our focus on, that is the area that grows.  I needed a reminder and some encouragement to "grow" in my admiration of my husband.  Men thrive on admiration (who doesn't?) and in God's Word, women are told to respect and honor our men.  Admiration multiplies when it is expressed.  Admiration makes a woman's heart beautiful to a man. There is nothing so beautiful as knowing you are loved for simply who you are.  What a powerful challenge to communicate to our men specifically the things we admire about them. I am a blessed woman and here are a few things that I admire about my husband: He is the spiritual leader of our home.  H...

On July 4th, America celebrates its independence and its core principle of religious freedom.  But the birth of religious liberty was a long and difficult struggle.  On Beliefnet  they have made available the Founding Faith Archive , where you can find a collection of documents and personal letters from the Founding Fathers about their religious lives and religious liberty. It is a fantastic walk through history and a reminder of the Christian principles our nation was founded on. There is also a quiz about the Founding Fathers of our country.  Check out: Faith of Our Founding Fathers This quiz asks some great questions such as: The phrase "separation of church and state" state appears in:   Which group supported separation of church and state most?   Which Founding Father attended church but refused to take communion?  May our heart remember with thankfulness the freedom and liberty our country is based on.   

I have read this a few times and it always brings a smile to my face!       Acts 2:38 A woman had just returned to her home from an evening of church services, when she was startled by an intruder.  She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables and yelled:  'Stop! Acts 2:38!'  (Repent and be Baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ , so that your sins may be forgiven.) The burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.  As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar: 'Why did you just stand there?  All the old lady did was yell a scripture at you.' 'Scripture?' replied the burglar.. 'She said she had an Ax and Two 38s! '