Joyfull Living

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...

  A trip to the mountains makes fall come alive for me! The area we live in doesn't provide much change of the seasons through weather or scenery. I do my best to bring on the fall atmosphere in my home through scent, sight and taste, but my efforts only go so far. We just returned from a trip where fall was truly experienced! A log cabin on the banks of a river, streets lined with the beauty of brightly colored changing leaves, walks along a lake, mountain drives and fresh, cool air. This is what fall looks like! It brings life to the soul! Today is November 1 - and this month brings a beauty all its own - the beauty of  Gratitude.  Like my fall mountain experience, November truly captures a spirit of gratitude as we turn our minds and plans towards the Thanksgiving holiday. Gratitude is a mind shift that moves us to thankfulness. We are reminded and think on the blessings we have and thank God for all His goodness to us. Here are a few benefits that gratitude brings Gra...

 Fall is my favorite season! In our area, the weather is not yet cool, but fall is in the air, There is an anticipation as we eagerly await the change of seasons.  I love to decorate my home for fall.  My family tells me I begin way too early, but this is my way of bringing on the beauty of fall. All of the stores have beautiful fall displays and items that just beckon you to bring them home!   If you want to fill your home with the feeling of fall, look for ways to engage all of the senses - sight, sounds, smell, taste and touch. Here are some easy ways to fill your home with fall.  I'm also including some of my personal finds. It's not too early to shop, there is a great selection available now! 1. Add a pop of color by replacing everyday pillows with fall themed styles.  *My newest pillow - from Dollar General! 2. Set the mood with the soft glow of lanterns. 3. Add a cozy element with warm, textured throws.  4. Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins. You...

Hello September!!  Although is still feels like summer, autumn days are coming!  Today is Day 1 of the September Daily Word. I hope you will join me each day this month as we look into God's Word and let it wash and quench our soul.  Day 1 - Jeremiah 17:7-8   Blessed is the man who trusts in the  Lord , And whose hope is the  Lord . 8  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Blessed describes the benefits to those devoted to God and His Word.  Planted - One who trusts in God will not be free from trials and adversity, but that God will bring fruit and blessing in and through these difficulties.  Our lives when planted and nourished by God's Word, can not only be fulfilled and fruitful, but we can be sustained in times of ...

When fall is in full swing, you have a little time off from work, the empty nest affords more freedom and the mountains call you name.....you simply GO! A spur of the moment trip to the mountains turned out to be one of the best trips we have taken.  Usually our mountain trips are efficiently planned out, the dates set in advance, a cabin reserved with the location and destinations in mind.  This trip, we saw we had some available time and simply headed north! Our first stop was to visit some dear friends who were vacationing that week. The next day we continued our drive still unclear on where we would land.  Here is our first stop, the quaint town of Helen, Georgia. Through the years we have made many visits to the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. We have visited a variety of locations, hiked many trails, drove many miles simply gazing at the beauty found there.  Cherished memories have been made with our children and family.  This trip we didn't do ...

 It's Fall Y'all!  After a quick trip to the mountains recently, I'm all in the fall feels. In my area, there aren't many signs of fall, no cooler weather, or changing of leaves, no mountain apples or need for cozy blankets.  But a weekend spent in the mountains, riding back roads filled with color, walking in cool weather along creeks and simply gazing at the beauty all around are beautiful things that fill my heart with autumn joy.  A fall tradition I've enjoyed in past years is participating in the "Making Your Home A Haven" challenge. This is a month long focus on creating a cozy home while filling our hearts with biblical truths. Each week a challenge is issued with a specific suggestion to bring warmth to the home and a Scripture focus to reflect and ponder on.  The last time I joined this challenge life was in a busier season. Our 3 sons were at home as I attempted to make the home a haven, we were active trying to juggle school, sports, church. Sim...

Hello November! If there was ever a season I would like to hit the pause button to be able for time to stand still, November would be it! Fall is all around us, early November finds our hearts leaning toward gratitude and anticipating upcoming time with family and friends. From this point on, the rest of the year will be filled with sights and sounds of thankfulness and then will quickly move on to embrace the spirit of Christmas. The first of November is a time to reset our hearts. It is a month that recognizes gratitude and thankfulness. Through the years, I've participated in thankful challenges, made gratitude lists, daily thanksgiving journals, you name it, I probably have done it in the quest to capture a thankful heart and attitude. Over the years while counting my blessings, the list is usually the same...Faith, Family, Friends etc. But a heart of gratitude is more than simply naming a blessing, but digging deeper to get to the heart. Why are we thankful - how can I in turn...

 Nothing brings out fall like a baked pumpkin treat and an October Saturday is the perfect time to give this recipe a try!  Pumpkin bars are easy and delicious and a treat for family and friends.  Pumpkin Bars 4 large eggs, room temperature 1-2/3 cups sugar 1 cup canola oil * 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt ICING: 6 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 cups confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk Directions In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool completely. For icing, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla in a sm...

Nothing says cozy like a home filled with the presence of fall. There is just something about fall that makes our homes more inviting, warm and welcoming. In my opinion, fall makes everything feel and look better!  I LOVE the season of fall and one of the highlights in my home is decorating for the season. I've been accused of putting fall decor out too early (never!), but I love what it brings to the home. Granted, this love for fall decor can take one down a trail of excess. For years, I would browse the fall section of every store and grab whatever looked good to me and find a place to put it. Sometimes, you can have too much fall! Through the years, my decorating has changed from buying it all and trying to find a place for it, to pausing and allowing fall to be a beautiful balance. Our fall homes can be experienced through each of our senses. Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste and Touch. Simply filling the home with fall decor may be pretty, but day in and out can become clutter and u...

  I LOVE October!  I think I say that about every month of fall! September is usually a special month due to my husband and I both celebrating birthdays. It is also usually the month the extreme heat of summer begins to fade away.  This September was a little different. Our family faced a month of very difficult and challenging situations. If we chose to keep our focus on the circumstances, like ocean waves, reaching higher and higher they threatened to pull us under. But God...  He goes before us and knows exactly what we need, when we need it.  I had decided to participate in a month long, daily reading challenge - One More Step. Every day brought strength, hope and peace directly from the Word of God. When we choose to focus on the greatness of our God instead of life's situations, God wins every time.  As we close out September and move into October, we call it the Journey Forward. Life often gives us a hard road with twists and turns,...

Hello November!  Welcome cooler weather, cute and cozy sweaters, autumn scented candles, open windows, fall baking and pumpkin everything! I LOVE fall! The beginning of November is an exciting time as the beauty of fall is here but the rush and stress of the holidays are still at a distance.  Of course we know that November means that Thanksgiving is close! It usually means gathering with friends and family to enjoy a meal and fellowship together.  It sounds so cozy and wonderful doesn't it?  But, in real life, families may be a bit more complicated!  Sometimes spending hours on end with family turns cozy into confined. Relaxed gatherings become stressful as conversation lulls and we begin to wonder, what are we going to do now? Age differences, various seasons of life and just a general difference in perspective can cause communication barriers.  How do we prepare for those awkward Thanksgiving home moments?  It can begin with you! The...

September is one of my favorite months of the year. It is my birthday month and usually marks the beginning of fall.  With the intense heat down here in the south, fall may not bring cool weather, but it assures us that fall and cooler weather are coming!   This year, summer has held on and on. The temperature lows are still in the 70's with hot and humid weeks on end of 90+ high temps. But, I know fall, cooler weather and pumpkin everything is coming soon. But the month of September did bring much joy in other areas.  My sweet hubby and I both have September birthdays, just one day a part. We celebrated with a birthday dinner and were surprised by our oldest son who lives away, but came for the weekend to celebrate with us.  Plus this year, I hit the big 5 0.  And it wasn't too bad!! I thought turning 50 would be a good time to experiment with a new hobby and decided to look into and try chalk painting. My project was taking a few wood t...

If you are a mother, you will understand that your heart will travel to wherever your children are. Our oldest son and daughter in law moved early this year to North Georgia. He has always loved the scenery in the area and felt a draw to there for many years. We rejoiced when he found a job and then a house in the area he longed to be in. This is our first child to move away so of course we take to road north to visit often!  Our hearts are so in love with this area. The visits in fall simply reinforced that feeling! Trees that change colors, brisk cool walks outdoors, riding down red clay dirt roads and family all together were some of the things that made our Thanksgiving extra special this year.  Here are a few reasons that Georgia is on our minds and in our hearts!