Joyfull Living

I found something too good not to share with you!!  A few years ago, I read a book by Carolyn Mahaney called Feminine Appeal .  This is one of those books that changes your heart, your actions and encourages you to be the woman of God you long to be.  Carolyn Mahaney has also an MP3 set entitled "To Teach What Is Good".  Topics include self-control, purity, kindness, having a love for husbands and a tender affection for children, making your home your center of ministry—and more. Carolyn teaches about how these qualities in women glorify God and draw others to the gospel. You can get this set as a FREE download!! Go to Sovereign Grace Ministries to download your free copy! 

Wow!  Easter has come and gone already!  Our family enjoyed a weekend full of Easter activities at church and with family.  Memories were made and the time celebrating the resurrection of the Lord is cherished in the heart.  Today finds me a little drained, but blessed to spend the day at home recuperating and getting things back into order! I read a Bible verse today that was perfect for a day like this after a harried weekend.  Isaiah 32:17-18 says: The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.  My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, This verse was a prophecy in the Old Testament about what happens when the Holy Spirit comes upon His people.  What a beautiful promise for our homes and families.  It is my prayer that my home will have this center - a center of righteousness, peace, quiet and confidence.  We also know that God's promises are conditional. 

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  Romans 8:11 This is one of my favorite Easter Scriptures.  As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, may we remember that each day His resurrection power is alive in our lives. Only Jesus can take one who is dead in sin and give life and hope through His Spirit.  May we be encouraged to share the power of a new life in Christ to a lost and dying world.  As we celebrate this Easter, may we also remember and be thankful that resurrection power that dwells in us. Easter blessings to you!

We've all heard that beauty is more than skin deep!  We know beauty is more than make up, hair style or our clothes.  Beauty reflects from what we put into our bodies.  For spiritual beauty, we must take in God's Word and live it out.  Reading, praying and practicing righteous living produces the fruit of the Spirit.  Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, self-control, etc. give inner, radiant beauty that attracts others to the Lord.  But in the physical, what we eat, greatly affects how we look!  Here are a few superfoods that nourish our bodies and bring a natural glow and radiance to our skin. Olive Oil:   Olive oil has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidative substances. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease. Because it is less processed, Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains higher levels of antioxidants and vitamin E. Green Tea :  Drinking green tea lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol and improves good (HDL) cholesterol.

Today marks "Holy Week", which is the week before Easter.  The week began with Palm Sunday where Jesus entered Jerusalem and His followers cried out "Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."  They were looking for a King to save them, to rule fairly and righteously over them.  Although He came to save them from their sins through His death on the cross, that is not what they were looking for at first.  We now know the death and resurrection of Jesus is the powerful basis of Christianity.  We serve a Risen Savior, who is victorious and reigns forever.  But this victory over sin and death was only through His loving, submissive, giving of His life.  This week as we 'prepare for Easter', amidst the coloring of eggs, choosing our finest clothes for Easter service, anticipate an Easter lunch and celebration with family, may we be mindful to prepare our hearts and homes also for the true celebration of Easter. Some ideas to prepare the heart

I loved this!!  This is a (suposedly) true account as recorded in the Police Log ofSarasota, Florida... An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle. She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her voice, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!" The four men didn't wait for a second invitation. They got out and ran like mad. The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver's seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. She tried and tried, and then it dawned on her why... For the same reason she did not understand why there was a football, a Frisbee and two 12 packs of beer in the front seat! A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down. She loaded her bags into the car and drove t

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace  which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence…Ephesians 1:7-8 As we prepare for the beauty of Easter, may we always keep the cross in view.  For it was on the cross that we gained redemption only through the shed blood of Jesus.  We received forgiveness of our sins and also His abundant grace.  Thinking of how unworthy I am and how rich in mercy and grace He is, causes a song of thankfulness and praise to rise within my heart.  Will you celebrate with me the power and sacrifice that He made for us?

Today’s weather has been marvelous!  Morning awoke to a soft, light rainfall which was needed and the day has given way to sunshine and pleasant breezes blowing. Since my roses are breaking forth in bloom, it seemed like a perfect day to snap some photos of them!  Then, with it being Texture Tuesday, how could I resist doing a little photo editing!!! Here is my rose picture with Kim’s Golden texture in multiply blend followed by Sweet treat in soft light.  I’m still trying to perfect the eraser tool, so please excuse my sloppiness!!

Lately I have taken a keen interest in  herbs! I went to Lowe's purchased a few varieties of herb plants and planted them in a container. The library had some great books with tips on growing and using them.  I'm doing some experimenting  and Herbal vinegar seemed like something easy to do, so I jumped in and gave it a try! To make Rosemary Garlic Vinegar, you simply place chopped fresh rosemary and peeled and chopped garlic cloves into a glass jar.  Fill this jar with white wine vinegar, cover and store in a dark place (such as a cabinet) for at least 10 days, shaking a few times a week.  Then you strain the vinegar, place a sprig of rosemary in a decorative jar and pour herbal vinegar over it. I gave this a try and it was finished a few days before our county fair.  Feeling inspired and courageous, I entered the vinegar in the fair.  It won a second place ribbon!!!  Trust me, if I can do it.....you can do it! Some uses for herbal vinegar include salad dressings, giving ex

Last week I picked up an old book which filled me with new and fresh inspiration!  Anne Ortland wrote some fantastic books several years ago:  Disciplines Of A Beautiful Woman  and Disciplines Of the Home . They are down to earth, practicial encouragement for the Christian woman and her home. One quote from the book struck me this week  "Simplicity, carried to an extreme, becomes elegance." Somehow or another, I have wrongly equated simplicity with idleness in my mind.  In our culture, one must always rushing around at breakneck speed, to look like as if they are accomplishing anything. A person who is still, moves slowly often is looked upon as one who doesn't work hard.  But in reality, simplicity is not something that is 'done', but rather it is a way of life.  A purposeful, visionary path that leads to a home, family and activities that are surrouned with order and a sense of peace.  Simplicity can be noted as discarding anything that distracts or hinders p

This came through an email recently and was too cute not to share! Bert feared his wife Peg wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he contacted the family Doctor to discuss the problem. The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.  'Here's what you do,' said the Doctor, 'stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.' That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, 'I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.' Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?' No response. So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, 'Peg, what'

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;  and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.  II Corinthians 5:14-15 The love of Christ in us, is what compels us to live righteously.  Without Him, we were lost and undone, slaves to sin with no power to help ourselves. But through the power of His sacrifice, His death on the cross, we are saved from sin and equipped to live a life pleasing to Him.  When the heart recognizes His mercy and grace, our desire should change from living for self to living for Him.  As April is upon us and we will soon celebrate Easter and the resurrection, may our hearts be forever grateful for the power of the cross and His victory over sin.

Today is Texture Tuesday over at Kim Klassen !  This is a photo of my first rose bud of the season.  I used Warm Sun texture from Kim along with Vienna from Shadowhouse Creations.

We have all heard of the many benefits of drinking water.  Some include: Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories. Look Younger with Healthier Skin : You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increase skin elasticity. Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrate. Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. You’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises and water helps to fuel your muscle. Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement. Less Cramps and Sprains:

Hospitality...the word itself sometimes immediately brings a fond memory doesn't it?  It's not just a word, but a feeling.  A feeling of welcome and sharing.  For Christians, it is an act of love, outreach and extension of love and kindness. My earliest attempts at hospitality included huge birthday cook outs or a family Christmas dinner.  They usually turned out pretty well, but consisted of me cleaning until the house was spotless, spending all day in the kitchen, enjoying our guests and then just as much clean up afterward as there was before they arrived.  It was a lot of work and I would add to the pressure by making sure everything was 'perfect'.  After studying hospitality and realizing although I was being hospitable, my attitude needed some adjustments.  True hospitality comes from the heart and welcomes anyone, at anytime when the house is in any condition!  It is an open door to the home, in the midst of it's daily life.  This week found opportunity to

Can you believe we are in APRIL?  This year is flying by!!!  Although it is going way too quickly, spring months are some of my favorite months.  There is newness all around, new leaves, flowers and unfolding beauty everywhere!  Since the beginning of this year, I am attempting to be more intentional in my devotional times.  For me, instead of just reading things and relying on my memory to recall it, this means writing things down and keeping notes of interest to refer back to often.   This helps to reinforce truths that I need to grasp and in prayer time, keeps prayer needs and requests at the forefront of my mind.  Tools like lists, prayer cards and Scripture prayers along with personal prayer from the heart help my prayer time to be effective.  Just a few weeks ago I came across these prayer cards.  They offer 31 Days of Prayer For Your Husband along with ways to enhance your prayers for children and your role as wife and mother. These prayer cards were found over at Organizing