Joyfull Living

  As all of our sons are now grown and on their own, I love the adult interactions we now have. On a recent visit with one son, he mentioned his legs were sore from working out. He shared this huge amount of weight he was able to squat and in comparison, I shared that week I used 20 pound weights (much lighter!) for Bulgarian squats.  We discussed the areas we were sore and the benefits of these squats. This exercise can be used to work the quads or the glutes.  I shared a tip my trainer gives to focus on what muscle group we want to work. Look eye level for squats, allow your eyes to travel down when hinging for glute work. "Oh, that makes sense", my son said. "Your body follows your eyes." I'm learning to use this method while working out, but how much powerful to put into practice for life applications. "Every day offers reasons to complain and reasons to give thanks. Your life will follow the one you choose." I saw this graphic and loved how it com...

Today, I'm joining up with Five Minute Friday, a fun writing opportunity to connect and share a quick thought on this week's theme "Path". For many years, when coming across a Scripture about 'paths', it turned into a prayer and desire to be led down God's open paths. Through the years of life which included, marriage, keeping a home, job, raising children and as they began to explore their own paths, seeking God and His paths became a vital part of life and prayer.  As God's Word reveals God's goodness and His ways, I want to be walking - living a lifestyle on the paths that He leads.  Some of my favorite 'path' verses include: Proverbs 4:18 "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day."   Psalm 25:4,  "Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths,"  Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your way...

 Who knew something simple could erupt into something chaotic so quickly? A broken file cabinet forced us to purchase a new one. We found one online, ordered it and it arrived quickly with a do it yourself assembly book, complete with 24 part packages and 18 steps of instructions!  As we unpacked the items and compared with the instruction book, we realized a part was missing. Customer service was called, a replacement part was quickly received. Except, the screws did not fit into the holes on the replacement part. We tried again, received another part, same issue.  Meanwhile, the 24 packages of parts are spread out on my living room floor, customer service does not understand my issue, they asked for photos which were sent and now we are again, waiting for a part.  It seems every project faces the inevitable delay. My work place is undergoing a floor remodel. Upheaval, dust, packing, lots of inconvenience and depending on the work crew's schedule dictate the next fe...

 Friday favorites cause me to pause and look back on the week and pay attention to the blessings God brought. It is so easy to move so quickly from one day to the next oblivious to how good God has been. This week found us on the road to 2 routine doctor visits, each over an hour away. It shuffled our work schedules and several times through week, we had to pause and reflect what day it was! Friday arrived and I attended an early morning fitness class. Mornings are my favorite time of the day and sunrises always bring joy to my heart. When class was over, we observed a beautiful sunrise and took advantage of a fun photo opportunity!  Driving home, the sunrise was spectacular from the different angles. Pondering the beauty, I realized that clouds make a sunrise more glorious. Pure blue sky and bright sun are beautiful, but sprinkle some clouds in and the colors become more vivid and unique. In our lives, every day is not a bright sunshiny day. There are cloudy days, rainy days,...

"But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 The journey to becoming A Woman After God's Own Heart begins with a heart devoted to God. Jesus told a story of 2 sisters - Mary and Martha. Jesus and His disciples arrived at the sister's home for a meal. Martha was consumed by the preparations of the event, the effort it took and the numerous details that this meal would entail. Jesus was coming - it had to be perfect! (I can so relate to her!). But, Martha failed to discern the priority and importance of time with God. Martha was so busy doing things FOR the Lord that she failed to spend time WITH Him.  But Mary chose the one thing needed, she put worship on the top of her to-do list. She chose the one thing needed. She knew nothing could take the place of time in God's presence. Time spent hearing and worshiping God can never be taken away, for it is time spent in eternal pursuits, time that earns perman...

 Today is the first Friday of the New Year. Being on holiday break, I returned to work yesterday, so it actually feels like a Tuesday!  But, a powerful habit to develop is to count our blessings and Friday seems like a great time to share some highlights from our week and some things I am loving.  On a trip over Christmas to visit our son, we enjoyed walking through Dahlonega, Georgia and seeing their beautiful Christmas light display. While browsing through the shops, we noticed an olive oil shop and wandered in. I discovered flavored balsamic vinegars! This was brand new to me and they offered samples of several flavors. We took home 2 bottles - pineapple and strawberry. All week the pineapple was used as a salad dressing and also a ham glaze. I'm excited to try more combinations and recipes with this. I will be sharing more about this soon!  Here's the link to the store:  Alpine Olive Tree and info on the benefits of balsamic vinegar.