Thought for the Day

After wondering in the dessert for forty years, the walls of Jericho {stronghold of sin} came tumbling down just by carrying God's presence.  The arch of the covenant is here.  Carry His presence and watch walls tumble.

21 Fun Summer Activities for Kids

Never, I repeat, never start summer vacation without some kind of a plan.  If you do, you are headed for disaster.  And by disaster, I mean, messy rooms, a cluttered yard and the absolute worst part is listening to the dreaded words, "Mom, I'm bored."  If you ask me, and I'm assuming you are asking, you absolutely must have two life-saving tools in your mother's tool box to survive summer vacation.  Without them, you might be bald by the time school starts next year due to "pulling your hair out".  Here's what you'll need:  #1 A simple daily routine that brings some kind of structure to the day.  #2 A list of fun summer ideas to pull from whenever you sense the wino's coming on.  These two tools can make all the difference.  Get them here ...

Total Home Makeover {Book Cover Design Begins}

I did tell you about my book, Total Home Makeover, right?  It looks like it will be in book stores May/June of this year.  Pretty exciting.  So, this week, the art director, from Ambassador International sent me a beginning concept of the cover design.  I knew the email was in my inbox before I even saw it.  I felt my heart skip a beat or two with anticipation.  The main colors are darker pink, white and gray ... so far.  At the top, in large print is "Total Home Makeover" with smaller words, "Renew your space and spirit".  In the middle is an artist's rendition of a woman holding a checklist looking toward a marquee that says, "a 20 Day Plan".  Behind her, are boxes that have pictures of home items.  At the botton is my name.  That's the general beginning concept.  I'm feeling like, overall, it looks too boxy.  I want it to be more feminine.  Ladies, I want it to appeal to you ... women everywhere.  So, can I ask ... what would appeal to you?  Have you ever seen a book cover that was so beautiful, you wanted to buy it ... just becuase of that?  What elements make you think ... that book cover is gorgeous?  I'd absolutely love to hear your thoughs!  

The Art of {FOOD}, Part 1

 

We are living in a time, when “the art of {Cooking}” is in a renaissance.  Women have started to re-embrace the joy of home keeping, and with it, comes a new love for cooking - with new flavors, better techniques and beautiful presentations...

Thoughts on Community {Five Minute Friday}

Community.  I'm taking the challenge to write, unedited for 5 Minutes by Gypsy Mama.  Go.

Community is a word that is tangled up in pain and mess.  I wish I could say that I love communities, but often what I see is hardship, lies, control, manipulation, power struggles and pain.  Wow.  That's a downer.

I like to carefully choose my community.  I hate clicks.  I love Jesus.  I love truth.  I like to speak my mind and therefore, I'm not always popular.  Either I am loved or not so much.

I hate when community is elevated as an idol.  We are people.  We do need each other.  But we need God more.  Community will not meet our need for a deep intimacy with the living God.

When we choose to entangle our hearts with another, we will choose to encourage, laugh, say hard things, and bring a smile.  We also choose to work through hurt, say, "sorry" or "that hurt".

Choose well, who you want to "get real" with.  God's been showing me a lot about connection.  We need connection with our own hearts, God's heart ... and, as hard as it can be, the heart of others.  I hope God will grow and guide me in the area of community.  Stop. What are your thoughts?

Help Moms get-on-track with The {Mommy Makeover} Project


Fall in Love with God, My Way {Guest Post}

I , {Latasha from StoryBook Sciece} come from a long line of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers; I guess you could call us a “five fold ministry” type of bunch. My great grandmother would dress in all white and go to the areas of the city were you could find the homeless and the destitute equipped with just a bible and tambourine to minister through prayer and song. My mother held prayer groups and bible studies out of our home so I learned to pray and have reverence for the things of God at an early age, but I am just starting to fall in love with God MY WAY. It took years for me to understand that God has a unique plan and a unique purpose for my life. So I have to love and serve Him my way, the way that God is leading me. ...

Apple Pie Turnovers {Quick Fix}

Here's what I'm thinking about today.  Pie.  I grew up on a farm eating pie.  My Dad is known in our community as a "Pie Expert."  You never tried pie until you've had an Earl Martin Blueberry Pie, Apple Cranberry Pie or Pineapple Cream Cheese Pie, to name only a few.  Once, at a charity auction, someone paid $1,000 for my Dad's pie.  No kidding.  So, pie and coffee run in my blood.


Today, I wanted apple pie, but I wanted it without all the flying flour and dirty pots.  So, I whipped this apple pie turnover up in about 5 minutes.  The agony was waiting the thirty minutes until it baked.  Here's my painless solution to apple pie craving.  Grab the recipe and gory details ...

Leave a Legacy {Daphne}

I'm so proud of Daphne {my daughter}.  She was selected to help at her school's Legacy breakfast today.  She was picked because she's deemed responsible by her teacher.  See her all dressed up and looking responsible this morning?

I'm reminded that being a mother means leaving a legacy.  Raising up a tender blossom is the highest calling and effects generations to come.  You will make an imprint on your child's life.  Make it great. 

Starting May 1st, kick-off your own Mommy Makeover Project and help moms leave a legacy.

A Girl's Guide to DIY Jewelry {Guest Post}

Hello Joyful readers!  My name is Carly and I'm the one-woman-band behind Createliveblog.com, where I pretty much spill my guts about living creatively though food, fitness, DIY, and health. I'm commandeering Renee's blog for a moment here and could not be more thrilled to contribute to the woman whose emails are just about the only thing that can inspire me to organize my closet (really, she should get a medal for that)!

One of my new favorite creative endeavors is creating my own jewelry out of natural materials (because, hey, it doesn't get much cheaper than grabbing a stick from your backyard, does it?!). You can find me singing, Sticks and stones may break my bones; instead, I'll just make jewelry! Okay, I've never sung that. But it is quite catchy!

Between the few pieces of jewelry I've made and kept for myself, I'm always surprised by how many compliments I receive - and I'm also always happy to be able to respond and say, "Thanks! I made it!"  Here are some basic guidelines for making your own jewelry!

A Girl's Guide to DIY Jewelry ...

The art of {FOOD}

I'm hanging out at Jessica's blog today and sharing about "the art of {food}."  Stop on over and learn about atmosphere, plate presentation and balance.  Jessica is that amazing author of Cajunlicious so be sure to check out her mouth watering recipes!  Yum.  I can't wait to try some out this month.  Be sure to leave a comment and say hello to her.