Joyfull Living

A daily blessing that comes through my email everyday is Today's Marriage Prayer . It is an invitation to draw closer to each other through marriage and closer to God. It's a dare to fight for your marriage. It's a challenge to pray with, and for each other every day.  I have a passion for our home, for making it a haven.  This prayer brought out those beautiful things stored up in my heart as a powerful prayer to God who is able to bring it to pass. Marriage Prayer – Making Our House a Home Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for this home and everything in it. It’s comfortable. It’s unique. It’s a place that reflects our personality, unlike any other place on this earth. There’s something about our own bed, our own kitchen, our own couch… that brings comfort to us. It’s a gift that keeps giving day after day. Thank you for the talents and the strengths we each bring to our home. Help us to use them together to wisely take care of our thin...

We don't choose our family, God places in the one where we need to be!  I'm thankful to have been raised in a family that loved me and did their best for me.  My parents have passed on, but leave wonderful memories of their love to hold on to.  The family I was raised in is small in number, but big in love. The family I married into, was also ordained by God and I am so thankful!!  Much bigger and more traditional, but a true blessing.  AAHHH, family...and I'm so thankful for them!

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Of course one of my blessings is that of 3 sons.  God's gift and each one is unique and cherished.   After all those years of 'boy life', action packed days, God blessed our family with a sweet girl...a daughter in law - love.  Love these people!!  Makes my heart smile!!

For a Christian wife, the highest human relationship (under God) is her husband.  God showed me extra grace, because He gave me one better than I deserve.  25 years of marriage and each day I still thank God.

Here we are at the week of Thanksgiving!  All those plans to stop and give thanks daily through the month of November....began strong and then life happened!  Most days, I've tried to notice and be thankful for the abundant blessings God has given me.   But this week, I want to focus each day on the biggies!   Day 1 - Salvation   I didn't come from a Christian family.  By following the natural road of life familiar to me, many wrong choices were mad along with many wrong actions and the path to destruction was wide and I was heading full force down it.    God graciously reached into my heart and shined His light to help me realize, there is something better and it is called grace. Grace given in spite of my sin to bring about a lasting change in my life. Christ died on the cross to forgive all of our sin and shame. His Word promised a new life when we accept His forgiveness.    Some of my favourite verses are Psalms...

    Recently our church celebrated its 164th Homecoming.  This is always a great day where we thank God for His blessings and enjoy fellowship with former church family and spent time getting to know new families. For many of these Church Homecoming years, I've admired those ladies who arrived at the back door, dressed beautifully, carrying their dishes of delicious food, walking leisurely into church, greeting others all with a smile that radiated true joy and contentment. On the other hand, I usually arrived after a morning spent cooking up something that I hoped was presentable and taste worthy of church homecoming, dressing children, losing track of time, and arriving breathless (blowing through the kitchen door to drop the food off) to find a seat and usually late! This year's Homecoming Sunday found me with a food dish baking in the oven while at the ironing board with plenty of time to spare and a heart full of thankfulness.  The though...