Gateways to Joy

Have you ever felt like you needed to get somewhere and be left alone? Not necessarily leave your house, but just be left alone. Not even left alone meaning total solitude, I mean left alone where maybe the T.V.'s are kept off and the radio isn't glaring and the kids are stilled—playing or doing something quietly.  Husband too. This is the sort of quietness that my soul longs for today. My depths need to be searched, scanned so that decisions can be made wisely and insightfully. He has told the heart on many occasions and reiterated it again this morning: set some boundaries. Boundaries are our life savers.  They are what stops the ocean waves from rushing in carrying us away. God has drawn lines in the sand.  He's set boundaries 'cause He knows their importance. Look at the expanse ... the horizon. Throughout our lives there are things that separate, bound us by various means for various reasons. Take our homes for instance, in our homes are rooms with

We're looking at one of my hometown girls blog today!  Houston's own Beth Moore.   Now y'all must understand something here.  I am not looking at Beth's blog because of popularity or size.  Remember, the blogs featured here are my favorite because of the content of the person's character. Side note for a minute ... the other thing that I just absolutely love is the "Family Affair" of LPM.  It always makes me want to cry, especially when I think back to the girls pre-adult years and think back to when Beth was teaching Sunday school and aerobics.  I betcha she and Keith are just beside themselves with having such beautiful daughters... daughters who have the content in character that God calls us to have as women, character such as that of their mother. It's a beautiful sight seeing parents and children working side by side, and when it's done for the Lord, well... it's priceless. I know for my husband and me we have desired quietly for some

I know that I write and speak an awful lot about Ann Voskamp here at Angela talks ... . What many of you don't realize is what drove me to blogging ... journaling online.  I was dry.  Dry and parched was the state of this soul.  I had once tasted and saw that the Lord was good, but through life experiences I had become solemn and hard within.  My writing in the form of this online journal was just another outlet of my soul's anguish.  The soul that held on for dear life.  The lost soul trying to find the life she had once had.  I was searching for the "me" that I use to be.  The me that I'd once loved. My heart was clenched and closing down! As I began to blog I could feel myself coming alive again, but I was still pretty tight.  Thanks to the reading Ann's blog ... reading it as if it were a book, clinging to it night after night, falling asleep with it on screen even.  In this I'm relearning.  Being  retaught and I'm slowly opening up again.  I

She's upset.  On her way to work she sits on the passenger side, quiet.  I almost didn't spy her sadness ... her needing comfort as I was on the cell phone comforting a friend. "But God spoke to my heart." The first thing He showed me was that I was on the phone while driving—something I try to never make a habit of doing.  Then I heard her awkward silence. "Let me call you back."  I say to my troubled friend. "What's wrong?"  I ask my daughter as I glance down to be sure I'm clicking on the right button to end my phone call. "Nothing." I suspect she's upset 'cause I made her assist with the cleaning of the living room before going to work, but that's not the only reason. I scolded her hard in front of everyone when I saw the "ugly" in her heart.  I scolded in front of all because she displayed "ugly"in front of all ... made her stance very obvious.  I did it, too, so that the others w

I have come to believe that  true mystics of the quotidian  {the ordinary or common place}  are not  those who contemplate holiness in isolation,  reaching godlike illumination in serene silence,  but those who manage  to find God  in a life filled with noise ,  the demands of other people  and relentless daily duties  that can consume self.   If they are wise  they treasure   the rare moments of solitude and silence  that come their way,  and use them  not to escape ,  not to distract   themselves with television and the like.  Instead they listen  for a sign of God’s presence. ~ Kathleen Norris,  “The Quotidian Mysteries, Laundry, Liturgy, and Women’s Work” There are a few things that I ask of the Lord daily, one being that I will serve Him and show Him how much I love and care for Him by the way I serve my family.   My service to my family  day in and day out is nothing more, but a public worship of ritual—a liturgy to Him who has blessed me with family. I believe that how I car

Before drifting away in sleep last night, my mind scanned a flurry of topics I wanted to write about: home school.  mothering.  marriage, life, God ... I couldn't decide so I quickly prayed, "Lord, what am I really thankful for right now?" "Writing."  The forming of letters.  phrases.  sentences. Ah, this is true.  My soul is soothed by words.  The words that proceed forth ... that are created from within.  The process of thoughts right before the writing takes place.   In this I find great peace, a soulful rest. I am "a bearer of speech."  I bring speech forward through the penning of words.  Writing is the way that I process.  think.  heal.  It is the way that I express love.  grieve.  live.  It is in this very basic act of forming letters, phrases and sentences . . . curves, that I give of myself.  I give away my thoughts, my emotions, my heart.   It is how I share my soul... the very essence of myself. When I think about God, the Crea

I loooove these women and am soooo thankful for their writing ministries.  I've been so blessed by their writings and I hope you are blessed by these conversations! These are real women, with real concerns. Enjoy ladies {and my men followers too!} Renee Swope website: Reneeswope.com Ann Voskamp blog:   Aholyexperience.com

{Please scroll down to the bottom of the blog to pause the music} Yesterday I listened to Nick Vujici  and Ann Voskamp's interviews on CBN Interactive. Both interviews hold valuable nuggets. I highly encourage you to listen. Today I'm sharing the words of Ann Voskamp with you, not only via the video, but through the summation of this post.  I decided to use her words, and her voice because if you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that her words and voice is one that God uses to speak to me.  Angela talks participates weekly in the interaction of community with Ann, blogging about gratitude and spiritual disciplines, not to mention that A Holy Experience is a daily staple of bread for me. In this interview, via Skype, Ann shares three points in Finding God in tragedy.  Tragedy comes in various forms, shapes, and sizes.  When it comes we usually don't care the form, shape or size— we only care about finding relief.  We want relief from the d

I'm not one who likes a lot of gadgets and "stuff" so I was some what  leery  to review this product. Being summer, though, I can't stand going to the pool, sitting on the side and having my swimsuit snagged by the concrete or rocks.  And I really dislike sitting on the side of the pool when it's HOT! So when I was contacted and asked if I wanted to review this product I said, "yes." For the past week I've tried the Kooli and am happy to say that I'm very pleased with my results.  No snagged swimsuit and no hot bottoms! The Kooli is a 16-inch disk made of Neoprene designed to protect one's bottom half from getting uncomfortably hot and it helps bathing suits remain snag-free. It’s the perfect accessory for the pool. Here are a few great ways to use your Kooli: n         Musical Koolis! Who needs chairs? n         An “artist’s stool” for sidewalk-chalk masterpieces n         Markers for kid games, such as Duck, Duck, Goose and relay r

I can't imagine!  I'm shocked that I've been chosen as one of the bloggers to blog at a  Women of Faith Conference event.   Stilled and honored, I am, by such an amazing opportunity.  To share with you my most favorite people amazing stories of ordinary women with extraordinary, electrifying life stories. To see God's work touch ... touch lives through the Internet, through blogging, through Social Media is all pure joy.  Joy mixed with lots of anticipation. It will be the purest of delights for me to see all of us grow and be touched in this new and unique way that God is using to bring His people together. Thank you kindly friends.  Thank you for all your support your continued encouragement and prayers.  Thank you for caring enough to read the words that I tap out here daily. May God truly bless you. Women of Faith is a faith-based women 's organization that encourages women of all ages and stages in their life to grow in spiritual maturity and fait

It's here finally,   My Valley of Visions prayer book.   The book is a collection of Puritan Prayers . My goal with these prayers is to incorporate them into my daily prayer routine. Since reading Ann Voskamp's book, " One Thousand Gifts: A DARE TO LIVE FULLY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE".  I've started setting the alarm on my cell phone to go off in hourly intervals throughout the day.  Whenever the phone chimes, I stop what I'm doing and take on the posture of kneeling{When I'm home} . Of course, you don't have to kneel, I'm purposefully kneeling 'cause I started noticing a pattern with me of not kneeling, as I would always tell myself that I was too busy. Though I've prayed for years, I've always felt that I wasn't as in tuned in prayer as I know God deserves me to be.  Lately I've been feeling like something is missing, like I'm not giving Him total devotion in this area...even though I'm doing it.  It seems that I'