SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Friends, I am so excited to share some big news with you! I have been working hard on a new project and it is finally time to share!

I have a brand new devotional, Gratitude: Mom Devotional!

Motherhood is amazing, yet so very busy. Often in the busyness, we forget to recognize the blessings around us. Gratitude: Mom Devotional helps moms recognize the blessings, big and small. We talk about finding gratitude in the everyday mundane and even in the hard times.

Every day you will find a Scripture verse, short devotion, thought provoking question or activity for the day, and a prayer. This devotion is for moms in all seasons of motherhood and from all walks of life.

In Gratitude: Mom Devotional I share why I am so passionate about this topic and what helps me to live a life of gratitude. I also share personal stories of my own motherhood journey. My prayer is that you will learn to live a life of gratitude and find joy even in every day life.

Gratitude: Mom Devotional comes out September 21st, but you can preorder now! To order, click HERE.

ONE WORD 2018 - JOY UPDATE

My One Word for 2018 is joy. I had been praying for my son to have true joy and felt God telling me that I needed to find it too. I was excited to begin to focus on where real joy comes from: the Lord. Happiness is circumstantial but joy comes from knowing the Lord and having salvation.

January 1st, I begin to look up Scriptures that talk about joy with the intention of memorizing them. I was determined to keep my joy no matter what circumstance came my way. Not even a month into the new year and my study of my One Word, we received a call that my mother-in-law unexpectedly passed away. Losing my mother-in-law and the pain it brought was a punch in the gut that tried so hard to steal my joy.

Fast-forward to this summer when news spread of the sudden passing of Wynter Pitts. While I didn't know Wynter personally, I had worked on her book launch teams and followed her ministry and family for quite awhile. I ached for her family. Wynter was my exact age and knowing she passed away from a massive heart attack scared me and threatened to steal my joy.

Just weeks after Wynter's passing, a local church van crashed killing three teens and injuring many more. We know the pastors and some of the families and seeing their pain was heartbreaking. My joy was once again threatened.

About six weeks ago my grandfather was rushed to the hospital with a massive headache and high blood pressure. We found out he would need open heart triple, possible quadruple, bypass surgery. The family was terrified. I remember kissing his cheek before surgery praying it wouldn't be the last time I ever saw him. My joy was threatened. My grandfather came through surgery and was doing well. His heart strong and blood pressure normal. But while in the hospital his leg stopped working, making him unstable on his feet. Because of this he wasn't able to go home, but had to go to a nursing home for rehab. After finally going back home, he was rushed to the hospital again only three days later due to bleeding and low blood pressure and spent another week in the hospital. Seeing him hurt physically and emotionally and seeing him in these facilities crushed me and threatened my joy.

A month ago a dear friend called to say her husband was in a car accident and life-flighted to a hospital in another state. Both hips broken, leg broken, ribs broken, and mangled foot which ended in a leg amputation. Knowing all this family has already been through and the long road that lies ahead, my joy was threatened.

Each time a crisis arose and I felt my joy being threatened, felt the enemy coming in to steal it, I turned to God. I said words that hurt to say in the moment, but were more true than ever: God, please work a miracle, but even if, I will still praise You and keep my joy.

Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10

Things will happen in life that feel like they are going to crush us. We will grieve. We will face trials. But we can keep our joy through it all because we have a hope and a future with God. Even if He chooses not to move the mountain we are facing, He is still good and we can trust He is doing what is best. We can have faith that through it all, He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. This is how we keep our joy. This is how we can praise Him in all circumstances.

Friends, whatever you are facing today, whatever is threatening to steal your joy, turn the Lord for your strength. Let Him be your joy.

My One Word, joy, was such a struggle this year but I know beyond everything that God was beside me every step of the way as He whispered, "My child, just rest in me."

Through all of the pain and heartache, I am grateful for a year to learn about true joy. I am still praying on my One Word for 2019 and look forward to sharing it with you soon.

FINDING JOY {ONE WORD UPDATE}

My One Word for 2018 is joy. I want to cultivate joy in my life. I want to remember the joy of salvation and find true joy in Jesus.

Now that we are halfway through 2018, I thought it was the perfect time to revisit our One Words or goals and see how we are doing.

Here is what I have been doing to focus on joy right now:

• memorizing Scriptures on joy

• doing the Write the Word Cultivate Joy journal every Wednesday

• pausing to remembering that through it all, God is my joy

• pausing to notice the things in life that God has blessed me with

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

Philippians 4:4-5

Remembering that the Lord is near helps me to rejoice in Him. He is near. He is near in the good times, near in the stressful times, near in the bad times, and near in the tired times. He is always near to me. That brings me joy.

How are you doing with your 2018 word or goals? Share in the comments!

ONE WORD 2018

I have never, ever stuck to New Year's Resolutions. I don't even make it past the first full week of January before I just give up. It's ridiculous really. In 2011 I heard of the One Word movement. This is where instead of making a long list of resolutions, you pick just one word and focus on that. I thought it seemed like a great idea so I chose a word. I don't even remember what the word was. In 2012, I decided to get serious and really do this One Word challenge. To help me, my word that year was intentional. Since then, I've had some really great words to focus on.

Back in early November, I was praying over one of my children. Our child had a talk with us one night and revealed that they were really struggling. I began to pray joy over my child. That God would restore joy into their life, heart, mind, attitude, words, every single part. I intentionally prayed this on a daily basis. One day, as I was praying joy over my child, I felt God nudge me and say that my child wasn't the only one who needed more joy. I needed more joy.

My first reaction was to disagree. The reason I disagreed is because joy and happiness are two very different thing. Joy is from God. It's in knowing that He is in control, that He holds us in the palm of His hands, and that we have a hope and a future with Him. Happiness is circumstantial. I wanted to tell God that I needed to be happier, yes, but that I had joy because I know Him. Then He reminded me of a verse.

Restore the joy of Your salvation to me,

and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:12

Yes, I know the Father and have joy of the promises He gives. But I wasn't walking in that joy. When we are first saved, we are full of the joy of our newfound salvation. We are excited and on fire. After time, sadly, that fire and excitement diminish some. We need to regularly do a heart check. Go back to that time of salvation and grab a hold of that fire again. We need to stir up that excitement. We need to walk in the joy of the Lord.

That brings me to my One Word for 2018. Joy.

This year, I want to focus on restoring the joy of His salvation.

My action plan:

1. Memorize Scriptures about joy.
2. Pause and focus on the joy of the Lord in all times; good, bad, tired, frustrated, stressed, every possible emotion that comes.
3. Regularly think back to the time of my salvation and the joy I felt. Grab a hold of that joy.
4. Get into the Word more. When we are in the Word and praying, how can we not feel His joy!?
5. Walk in His joy. Let the joy be seen on my face, in my attitude, and in my words.

I am really excited about my word for this year.

So friends, what is your word for the year? What are you going to focus on? Please share in the comments!

*Thank you to Michelle at Displaying Grace for my beautiful One Word graphic!

God's Blessings

The other day my husband was in the bathroom shaving. I walked in and for a few moments I just stood and watched him. Watched each careful swipe of the razor. It took me back... To read more, join me at Woman to Woman. Click HERE.




Continuing to count God's sweet blessings...

2025. Hubby washing my truck.

2026. Sunday nap.

2027. New class at church.

2028. Church kickball tournament.

2029. Health insurance for upcoming doctor and eye doctor appointments with the kids.


What are you praising God for? I love rejoicing with you. Please comment below.

Joy Through It All

The other night as we sat down to dinner, laughter filled the kitchen.  I loved looking around the table at my husband and children as they smile, laugh and joke.  This is a beautiful time.  A special time.  When our family can connect with one another.

The problems of this world weigh us down.  

You or your husband come home from work with the hard day weighing on your shoulders.  

Bills pile up with no end in sight and the stress builds up until you feel buried.

Health issues take a toll on your physically, mentally and spiritually.  You would love nothing more than to hide your head under the covers and cry yourself to sleep.

This world is hard.  Many things hurt.

As I watched my family laugh and smile I was reminded that even through those difficult times we need to find joy and laughter.  And the truth is, that even in those difficult times, we can find the joy and laughter through Jesus.  When the struggles of the world have you feel like you are sinking, put your eyes on Jesus.  Remember His promise of a hope and a future, a promise of an eternity of no more tears.

Enjoy laughter.  Enjoy smiles and jokes.  Let your home be filled with joy, the joy of Jesus.

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter 

and your lips with shouts of joy.  

Job 8:21

Sweet Blessings~

Linking with:

Legacy Leaver Thursday

Thought Provoking Thursday 

Proverbs 31 Thursday

Thriving Thursday

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Faithful in Prayer

Join me at Woman to Woman Ministries for a dangerous dare!

This short and to the point verse hold much power.

Be joyful in hope.  When we live for Christ, we have a joy and a hope that the world or another human cannot offer us.  The joy and hope of Christ are eternal, not temporal.

Be patient in affliction.  Trials will pass.  We are made stronger in affliction.  And we have peace in knowing God is there throughout the difficulties.

Be faithful in prayer.  The Lord desires to converse with us each and every day.  He delights in time spent with us through prayer and worship.


Winners of the How To Be A Best Friend Forever books are Sunny, Melissa from Live~Laugh~Love, and Tammy from Tammy's Simple Daybook.  Congrats!  Please email me with your address so the book can be mailed to you.


Sweet Blessings~



Linking with:

Living Well Wednesday  

Word Filled Wednesday  

Works For Me Wednesday  

Winsome Wednesday 


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