Joyfull Living

 Blogging during the child raising years was so much fun! There was always a little bit of adventure that peeked through raising 3 boys that made for great stories.  Blogging during the empty nest season is a bit more challenging! These days, routine and peace are the rhythms of our daily life. Daily life looks pretty much the same, day after day. But under the surface there is a change, a heartfelt change. Moments matter more deeply. Time spent with family becomes precious. Prayer time involves praying differently for adult children. Life celebrations are meaningful as they promise a hope and a future for many generations. Life matters at every stage.  The writing bug has hit me again. With a lifestyle that allows more time, it is crazy that I don't write more. Perhaps it is because it seems there is nothing extraordinary to share. But every day unfolds a story. Every moment matters and if paused and reflected on, lessons can be shared and moments captured that can outla...

 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...

 It's been a while! I say that often between blog posts. But the truth is, a lot of changes occur between the spaces of time that I sit down to open up a piece of my life.  This little blog is such a special part of who I am. Although it is seriously neglected, it is fun to look back on posts from years ago and see the place and season of life I was in. Back in the early days of the blog, I was a stay at home mom with much free time and availability to capture life's simple moments.  As the years rush by, motives and intentions change. With the realization of how time flies, purposes and impact become priorities. What can I say or write that will make a difference? Daily life looks different in this season and the passion to encourage others has taken on a new and different look.  Each of us has our own unique set of priorities, values, desires and motives. But as women, we can identify a few connections. Most of us have a home, family and a precious place we can cre...

 During my weekly Tabata class the sound of these words occur several times - 3,2,1 Begin.  Tabata is a fitness routine consisting of 20 second intervals of heart pumping cardio exercise, a 10 second rest and then 20 seconds of a strength exercise. Computer voices countdown to the beginning - 3,2,1 Begin and then count down the ascent -   3, 2,1 Rest. In between the counts, our bodies are pushed to the limit, but we eagerly await that countdown to rest.  Physical fitness is an investment and the purpose of each class is to become stronger. Going in and simply going through the motions will bring very little change or improvement.  Recently, one of the ladies in class encouraged us as we awaited the countdown - keep going till you hear 'rest'. Usually, we would end the specific exercise as the countdown began, but she encouraged us to continue the movement past 3, 2 and even 1, until we heard REST.   It probably amounted to 1 extra second, but the concep...

 "Overflow might look messy when gas is spewing out of a tank, but when God fills us to overflowing, it's beautiful, because we're no longer rationing our energy for ourselves and everyone who needs us. We have plenty to give when we are overflowing." This was from my devotion as I began a new week and the topic was refilling, trust and being still. God wants us to be beyond full, not hovering right above empty, but refilling our souls is a process that requires us to be still and trust.  What was significant about this new week is that I was on forced rest. A scratchy throat, slight cough and then a positive test result had me settled safely at home for the next few days. My first response was "I don't have time for this", but maturity has taught me, when you can't fight against something, lean in, listen and learn what God is trying to say.  So the week began, at home with a stretched out devotion time and words that filled my heart with a desire f...

 It's almost Happy New Year! This week of the year always feels like a week held up in suspension.  It is the last week of the year, Christmas has past, and a new year will begin in a few days. This is a great week for reflection over the past year's accomplishments, memories, situations and/or crisis that were walked through. Pondering the good times, identifying things looking back we may have handled differently. We may have seen choices and consequences, striving and achievements, victories or simply living each day.  While the memories are fresh in our minds, we have new year of opportunity just within our reach. The freshness of the new year calls us to ponder what could be. What are new habits we would like to see in our lives, what opportunities do we want to embrace or what can we focus on to make a difference in our realm of life.  This is a perfect time to evaluate where we are going in life and if are we on the best track. What would it take to improve? W...

We've welcomed November and watched as it moves quickly along! One week from today is Thanksgiving - which switches our lives into holiday mode for the rest of the year. Looking ahead, we know these days will be filled with more activity, more tasks, busyness and a shift from our normal routines. When we look at the holidays from that perspective, it makes my heart rate increase and an anxious feeling begin in stomach! But as a Christian, I know there is a beauty in savoring the season when I remind myself that these days can be filled with peace and joy instead of dread and anxiety. Thanksgiving and the Christmas season are opportunities to sit and ponder the blessings of God. We begin by counting our blessings and thanking Him for them. This often requires us to look past our pain, struggles and situations and look for a spark of hope, a tiny thread of something good we can grasp. When we look, we can always find something good and something to be thankful for. This season offers...

 I was the first person to arrive at the early morning group fitness class. The trainer greeted me with a smile and comment "you smell good" and asked what I had on. She probably didn't realize that was one of the greatest compliments I could receive! Scent is my love language! Growing up, due to my mother's severe allergies, we lived truly unscented lives. We used unscented soap, shampoo, laundry soap etc. Anything with the slightest amount of fragrance gave her a severe headache.  When I got married and began keeping my own home, scent truly exploded! I deliberately look for the strongest scented personal and home products. There are scented plugs in the walls, candles, wax melts and diffusers always providing home fragrance. My laundry is clean and freshened with scent boosters.  What was funny about the comment from my trainer, was that I didn't have any scent on. The fragrance simply lingered from my clothes and self.  My scent fascination is biblical!!  I ...

Happy Labor Day! While we enjoy a day off and hopefully filled with time spent with family and relaxation, it is also a good time to refresh our hearts and minds on the value of work. Labor Day is set aside to celebrate the value and dignity of work. The Bible has some concrete things to teach us about work. Work is not a curse, but part of our created purpose so that we can serve God. By design, work brings various benefits to others and us. 1. Work is a gift from God. Since the beginning, work has been part of God’s plan for humanity. He created it. That means you can view the act of working as a gift, even if you don’t love your job. It is not only the working of our hands, but the attitude of our heart. 2. Those who are able to work should do so. Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible speak highly of work and condemn laziness. *Billy Graham commented on this subject by adding “Please note that this wasn’t spoken to people who couldn’t find jobs. This was instead directed a...

 Today's word prompt for Five Minute Friday i s DESPERATE. This brought to mind an example from years ago. When our boys were younger, they were involved in 4H clubs and one of their projects was to raise a pig to show in the county fair. The purpose of this project was to learn responsibility in caring for the pig through meeting its daily needs such as food, water and shelter. One of our boys was doing some work on the pen which housed the pig and unhooked the automatic waterer. This water system was perfect, as the it connected to a source of continual flowing water and when thirsty, the pig went to the spigot and the pressure of its mouth opened the flow of water.  On this day, once the work was completed on the pen, my son forgot to reconnect the hose to the automatic waterer. Later in the day, my husband went to look at the pig. You could tell the signs of the pigs desire then desperation for water. It began to push much harder on the spigot, trying to get water, then ...

 Over at Five Minute Friday - which is a fun writing exercise, the weekly word to write about is ACCOUNTABILITY.  This is one of those words depending on your personality that you may view as either safe or intrusive. Accountability is an action that requires us to share, trust deeply and step into some action of transparency. It may mean exposing our weaknesses, confessing our faults and asking for help to become better. The end result, if we align ourselves wisely, brings us to a better place. I have always loved fitness and exercise. Evening walks were a source of relaxation when I was younger. Once pregnancy and babies arrived, exercise helped me lose the baby weight. But, I was always a 'fitness loner', staying home and exercising with videos or a routine. I thought my routine was great for so many years, but the routines were not challenging, done with the same intensity, simply being something to check off my daily schedule. They helped maintain a level of health, but ...

 There is something so pure and beautiful about a wedding. Everything is new, crisp, clean and at its best. The bride's dress has been purposefully chosen, correctly sized and finally able to be revealed in all its glory. The groom looks dashing in his tux, the attendants coordinate and everyone has hair and make up applied so they look their absolute best.  Once the wedding ceremony has passed, true life begins. There is beauty in newness, a new home, new priorities, the freshness of the newlywed season. Eventually, all the newness rubs off and who we are and who we married becomes our reality! During this critical point, our vows and covenant to love one another hold us accountable to continue to build a life together.  But as the newness wears off and the commitment takes hold, something beautiful happens. Our lives are now well merged into one, our daily plans and schedule are made with consideration of our mate. We have a soul mate who knows us better than anyone els...

Happy Friday! Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, a writing exercise where a word prompt is given, followed by five minutes of sharing your thoughts on the word. This week the word is DRIVE. As a mom to three sons, the word DRIVE at first evoked fear in my heart. Becoming of age to drive for a teenager is a marker and vivid reminder that a young boy is well on his way to becoming a man. Being able to drive opens up a whole new realm of freedom, responsibility and risk.  In our state, teenagers must first receive a 'restricted license' which means all driving must be with an adult present and only during certain hours. After a year of following these guidelines, you are eligible for a regular drivers license. When our first son received his restricted license, my husband easily embraced the opportunity to give him driving experience and let him drive our family around. I usually sat nervously in the back seat, thinking if we wrecked due to inexperience, it would w...

 Happy Friday! I'm joining in a writing link up over at Five Minute Friday. The word for this week is  DISAGREE. At first, this sounds like an ugly word to me, I much prefer kind, soothing words such as peace, harmony, love and kindness. But the fact is, we all will face disagreements sometimes. Disagreement is not always bad, it usually begins with a difference in opinion with another person. There actually can be some opportunities to grow when we find ourselves facing a different perspective. As we face disagreements, it gives us a peek into the heart of another person. The heart of a person is the seat of thoughts, emotions and reasoning.   Opinions begin in the heart as do our responses. Often the immediate thoughts that occur when one has a differing opinion can be harsh and condemning. When someone is not thinking as we do, we label them different and probably wrong!!  But listening and seeking to understand doesn't necessarily mean we will change our min...

 Hello June and Welcome Summer! As the summer season begins, our lives begin to embrace fun, relaxed activities such as swimming, cook outs and lots of outside time. June also holds some dates that are very emotional for our family - ones that represent the passing of one life and embracing of a new life. This June will find sweet hubby and I celebrating 32 years of marriage!  What a divine gift of God that came in His perfect timing. In the same year, 8 days before the wedding, my father was tragically killed. Our family gathered for a funeral and a wedding in the same week. Life can be like that, holding pain and joy in the same hand, but always being balanced with the gift of God's grace. As a Christian, I believe pain and grief comes from the result of living in an evil world. God does not cause the events that bring pain, but through the process of grief, we can find hope, wholeness and healing. And our stories from the other side of grief can be used to walk with others ...

 SLOW - is the word prompt for a writing link up I enjoy over at Five Minute Friday. The word SLOW   ranks near the bottom of the priority list in my life. I enjoy living out action words like - productive, high energy, quick, busy, active, words that allow and encourage me to do something. I am one who enjoys 'doing', a quick re-acter, often drawn to serve others quickly, not wanting them to wait for me. I answer emails and texts quickly, can be easily interrupted and thrive on seeing how many activities I can put into a day ...or hour!! My season of life has slowed down as our children have grown and are now living independent lives and do not need me to do the things for them as in the past. My mornings are not spent preparing breakfast, packing lunches and rushing children out the door. Everything in this season of life is slower.  After a time of transition and attempting to fill in those slow times, I've learned the value of slow. It provides something greater tha...

This weekend is Mother's Day and you have probably noticed an abundance of beautiful items that grace the entrance to the stores we visit. Cards, mugs, flowers, beautiful signs, all gifts that express to moms the special role they play in our lives.  Today's Five Minute Friday writing prompt is "She".   A very simple, yet appropriate topic for this Friday! Christians moms during this time of the year often reflect on the biblical passage of Proverbs 31. In its context, it is a mother writing to her son - a king - about the virtues of a wife that he should be seeking for. Every mother with sons has that same desire, for him to find a wife filled with virtue and honor.  As the Bible often does, it reflects a question or pondering that reflects back to ourselves. In the Proverbs 31 passage, we tend to examine our life based on these qualities and may find we come up lacking! This is not the description of an unattainable, perfect woman, but qualities that all women shou...

Happy Friday! Today I am participating in "Five Minute Friday" an opportunity to write thoughts about a given work prompt. Today's word is "Broken".   Broken —what a sad word. When I hear the word broken, in my mind a picture comes of something fragile that was once beautiful but now lays shattered in pieces on the floor. When something is 'broken', it is easily discarded, or no longer useful to us. Broken applies to more than items that take a fall or become damaged, it is a heartbreaking word when applied to relationships, attitudes or people.  But for every broken thing, a cry comes out—fix it. Put it back together, take the pieces and bind them up. From plates on the floor to hearts in anguish, if someone could just come and put the pieces back together again.  If we were never broken, we would never know the wholeness of God. That’s the beauty of brokenness. When our hearts are broken, when we’ve just made a mess of things, that is the space when Go...

 This week, on my day off from work, the weather was picture perfect! Spring is in the air and as I did my errands, I made a stop at the Lowe's garden shop. They had beautiful flowers in abundance, so much time was spent soaking in all the beauty and deciding which ones were going home with me.  While checking out at the cash register with my cart full of flower buddies, a lady came behind me looking for a shopping cart. There was not one close by, so she decided to follow me out to my car and take my cart. (sounds kinda creepy, but that is just how fellow gardeners roll)!  As I checked out and walked with her in the parking lot, my mind was on the next stop and getting home to spend time planting the flowers. After a short distance, she exclaimed "Boy, those short legs move really fast!" . I naturally walk fast and with my mind racing ahead to the next thing on the agenda, I didn't pay attention to her trying to keep up.  After her comment, I slowed down and tried ...

  The sense of smell has to be my favorite of all the senses. I jokingly share I am in scent overdrive because growing up as a child, my mother was severly allergic to fragrances and our family had a strict no scent lifestyle. EVERYTHNG we purchased and used was labeled "unscented' - what a sad and lonely word! Memories of passing people in the store with a lingering fragrance still make me smile.  When I got married and had my own home, scents became my love language. I wanted to smell good and wanted an aroma all through my home, laundry, car etc. Candles, plug ins, fabric softener are frequently used and the stronger fragrance is always chosen.  There is even a Bible verse that speaks of the beauty of an aroma -  II Corinthians 2:15  "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life." But everyone takes scent differently. ...