Joyfull Living

I love a fragrant home!  Especially during this time of the year, the warm scents of fall and winter in the home make the atmosphere a little more cozy.  There are products all around to help enhance the scent of the home - I've tried most of them!!  But this article shared some simple ingredients to simmer on the stove to fill the home with fabulous scents! Fragrant Home: 15 Simmering Pot Recipes Directions: Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer all day. Top up water as needed. Caution : Set your timer for 30 minutes so you remember to top up with water. You don’t want the pot burning dry. Do not leave the house with this left heating on the stove. Recipe #1 Cinnamon sticks Apple peels Orange rinds Whole cloves #2 Apple juice Cinnamon sticks Whole cloves #3 Vanilla (a few drops) Orange peels #4 – Christmas Potpourri Simmering Po...

From our family to yours, may God’s richest blessings be upon you as you give thanks to Him!

Cranberry sauce is a staple at Thanksgiving!  Seems like it has been around forever. I can remember as a child the unappealing round, can lined, red  blob on a plate next to the turkey. Although I never touched it back then, the older I get, the more it has grown on me.  Now, turkey doesn't taste the same without it.    Being older and wiser, I've learned that unappealing look of canned cranberry sauce can be replaced with a rich, beautiful, homemade sauce and it can be easily prepared!  Here are three different cranberry sauce recipes to practice on before Thanksgiving! Easy:  Cranberry Celebration Salad 1 can jellied cranberry sauce 1 can whole cranberries 1 small can crushed pineapple 1/4 c chopped walnuts Mix together, chill, and serve! Found at Raising Arrows Medium: Pioneer Woman's Homemade Cranberry Sauce If you have ever tried a Pioneer Woman recipe, you know it will be good! Ingredients 1 bag (12 Oz. Ba...

"To have a good friend, you must be one."   For years I've fallen into the trap that I don't have time to invest in close friendships.  Great friendships take lots of time, patience and doing things together.  Between family, home, church and community commitments, I just don't have the time to put in for a friendship, so I learned to 'wing it' with only a few close friends.   Lately, I've learned about 'connections".  It started with my friend Pam.  When I was considering homeschooling my son, I visited Pam's home to see how she set up her home school.  " You can do this", she assured me.  I began it and found out that I can do it!   Through the years, our home school connection brought about a wonderful friendship.  Her continual " You can do this", has stretched me and encouraged me in so many areas I never would have ventured without her encouragement.    There are many other 'connections' I'v...

    It's week 3 of the Living and Active Challenge and due to some motivation, I have a good report this week!  My goal was to eat well and stretch my running endurance in order to run my first 5K  Through the week, my running was built up to 3 miles non-stop and my diet was good, even through eating out one time.  I did yield to the temptation of a bowl of warm peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream! Race day arrived with a small surprise.  My youngest son had ran with me during the week, wanted to do the 5K. Here we are before the race: Then after the race: My son had a friend who was also running and they ran together, doing a great job.  My goal for the race was simply to finish, hoping to run the entire time.  I did and even got an award for best time in my age category!!   This week's challenge is "Craving Conquerors".  In our diets, cravings can quickly undo the hard work we've done. ...

  This week's Revive Your Marriage topic is "Praise".  The essence of 'revive' is change - if we're ready to put a new spark in our marriage, we will have to change.  But, change doesn't have to be an overwhelming thing, small things such as our attitude, words, kindness can bring about big changes. Praise is a powerful thing - for the giver and the receiver.  Who doesn't like and is spurred on by words of praise?  When we are the giver of genuine praise, a heart and mind change usually come first.  If we purposefully look for good, we will find it (goes also for not so good!), but as our choice is to build up, we find good things and share them.    In day to day life with our husbands, it is easy to take  him for granted.  Does he do little things that get overlooked?  Take out the trash, fill up your car with gas, pick up after himself?  This week, let's take notice of the things he does and the traits he has ...

Do any of your days seem to fly by in a blur?  Do you race around in a frantic pace and feel like you’re accomplishing nothing?  Are you looking for the ‘perfect system’ to organize and help make the day more productive?  Me too!   This morning’s devotion shared this passage of Scripture: And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalms 90:17 The best way to begin the day is to seek the Lord and His plans.  He cares about our life, our future and our day to day activities. When we seek Him first, things fall into the rightful place and He establishes the work of our hands.  This picture is the theme verse over at Home Sanctuary where this was shared ”Yes, I want the work of my hands to be established by Him. And more than anything, I want His beauty to permeate my life and home with a sweetness that is palpable. I want to see his glory in...