Fantastic Friday?

  Usually Fridays are my favorite day of the week.  The days that I designate certain "deep" cleaning duties do not fall on Friday.  Dale gets off work on Friday, and usually goes in late on Friday.  Then I get to get out of the house, every house wife's dream, and go run errands.  I don't mind the errands so much since I am getting to spend time with Dale, BUT this is not one of those Fridays.  Today Dale has a full day of work, and I put off all of my "deep" cleaning duties because I was lazy this week.  (I know no one has ever experienced that right?)  Still for some reason I have had a really good day.  This week has reemphasized my imperfection.  I know I am not perfect, but I am glad of it.  If I was perfect then God wouldn't have to work on me, and if He didn't have to work on me than I wouldn't get to have as close of a relationship with Him.  Just like when you are in a musical group or on a sports team (actually I wouldn't know much about sports since I never played them), if your section in that musical group is not doing well, then the director needs to work with that section.  Everyone else has to wait.  So my philosophy is this.  Being perfect is what I am striving for, but never will be until I see my King in glory.  I am glad of that because it is through my imperfection that God can truly shine, for if I know I am not perfect then everything that is good that comes from is from the Lord.  I can know that it is from the Lord because I could never be good on my own!

To God  be the Glory,

JoyfulJ

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44



The Benefits

I recently saw a cartoon that said, "Parenting: A lot of hours, no pay, but lots of benefits."  There really are a lot of benefits to being a Stay-at-Home mom.   In fact, the benefits are endless, but I would like to share my two biggest benefits:

These are my beautiful babies who I get to play with and nurture every day!  I am so thankful to God that he put these little blessings in my life, and I am thankful to have a husband who knows how important it is to me that I stay-at-home with my beautiful babies!  Now, if only I could make them quit making a dirty house after I have just cleaned it. 

To God be the Glory,

JoyfulJ

For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:.  Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD.

1 Samuel 1: 27, 28

Little Lessons

Since graduating from college three and a half years ago I have found that life doesn't go as planned.  Believe me, I made a lot of plans.  To say that a lot has happened since then would be a gross understatement.  Just like I have found that life happens, I have found that God happens.  I mean that God is always there.  I am not saying life is perfect, watching your mother and mother-in-law battle cancer and losing a baby to miscarriage is heart breaking to say the least, but I am here to say that God is sustaining.  There have been times when things have seemed so hopeless they left a wound in my soul that was open and raw to the elements of life.  God is a band-aid for those wounds.  His word is my neosporin, healing my heart quicker than I would have thought possible. 

My mothers, because am close to both my mother and mother-in-law, are now in remission.  I also have two children I adore and a husband who loves me.  My life is really good right now, but much of it is because I have made a promise to God.  To be joyful in the times of heartache, and praise him even when it is hard to find things in my life to praise.  This blog is my journey of how I struggle with finacial hardship, battle with feelings of injustice, work to raise my children in a Godly home though this world is so ungodly, and persevere to finish this race called life for my King. 

                                                                                                                                  To God Be the Glory,

                                                                                                                                                      JoyfulJ

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  

Jeremiah 29:11