Gateways to Joy

Yesterday, I forgot to go over the reflections of the days reading with you.  Can you believe I am sick! My children seem to think it's funny because I never, ever get sick.  I'm always caring for them, but now they are having to care for me. Anyway, moving on to day 2 of the greatest gift: Today's reading comes from Genesis 1:1-5, 26-27 Ask yourself: "What could you create today with a gentle heart of love {a letter, a treat, a surprise}?"   Then . . . Create something out of your love. A moment of reflection: 1.  What causes you to pause in wonder? 2.  What does it mean to you that you were made out of the overflow of God's love? 3.  Think of three people who are not easy to love.  What would it look like to love those people with God's love? ****** I would love to know what you all created or even better see pictures of it.  Do me a favor please.  If you are participating in reading the book or following along ...

For the next 24 days my family and I will read, "The Greatest Gift," by Ann Voskamp.  After going through the book, I wasn't sure if my children would be able to understand Ann's poetic writing, so I somewhat broke it down in plain English, just a bit, that way I wouldn't have to keep going back asking them if they understood and rereading certain parts. What I wrote for them, I've decided to post here for those of you who are interested in going through the daily readings, but for whatever reason can't afford to get the book.  I'm also sharing because I want to open the door for other's who are participating in the daily readings to have a place where we can collectively get together and share our stories and pictures.  For that reason I've added a link up.  Also if you are interested there is a private Facebook group which has started for those who are reading the book.  You can go here to their page and request to participate. ...

I have a lot to tell you, but before I get to chatting too much let me go ahead and give you the prayer for day 2 of our 31 Days journey to praying for our husband. Day 2 prayer Pray that your husband's relationship with God and His Word will bear fruit in his life.  Pray that he will be a man of wisdom and understanding, fearing the Lord. Here's the schedule for my Facebook Group {in}couraging you in your pursuit of Proverbs 31: Monday: Discuss praying for our husbands Wednesday: Discuss Ann Voskamp's book, 'One Thousand Gifts: A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are. Friday: Discuss Proverbs 31.  We are reading Proverbs 31:10-31 Tomorrow we will discuss Ann's book on our Facebook Group. I made a little something to capture something that captured my heart and my mindseye.  Something that really tugged at my heart.  Something I had overlooked both times that I read the book.  To me these very words describe the epitome of a worthy woman's hea...

You know what?  We just never, ever know how God will use our life and our life story. Now adays many use blogs and blogging to get "discovered" but not so with author Ann Voskamp.  Like me Voskamp was a journaler from girlhood who did what she did, "journal." God used her journaling—her love for the scrawling of words to move souls. I hope this interview that World Magazine did with Ann Voskamp will do what it is supposed to do! Happy reading! The write way Author Ann Voskamp says reading, list making, and waiting on the Lord are integral to the creative process | Marvin Olasky               Last Nov. 19 WORLD ran excerpts of an interview with Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts , a wonderful book she wrote while homeschooling six children. She continues to live on an Ontario farm and blog at "A Holy Experience" ( aholyexperience.com ). Here's what she said specifically about her writing process. With all the...

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 sl...

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

Humility is a peculiar thing, once we think we have it it's gone. Humility is the absence of pride. For me to write and say that I have it... to count the ways in showing you how I use it— how I submit to it's beckoning would be vanity. Think of this seemingly peculiar act of service, the act that goes against the grain of our natural human tendencies as something not to be grasped with words.   It must be seen in our actions by others. It's our attitude of service toward another.  That is how we practice humility.  Humility always has recipients. Jesus humbled Himself to the death on a cross.  It was His attitude of service for His Father on behalf of a lost world.  He was willing to die so that you and I might live. Just as Jesus didn't let our rejection of Him stop His service toward the Father on our behalf, we shouldn't let our humble acts of service on behalf of other's stop us in our act of service to the Father. Once our intent is fixed ...

Today—Saturday was busy for me.  My husband and I got up and took our oldest daughter {16} to the bank to cash her first ever "pay check."  This was very exciting for me.  You mothers can relate to that I'm sure.  The first anything—a good anything anyway, with our children is a celebration!   So I made a big deal out of that.  After we left the bank we came home for her to get ready for work. When I got back home I had to turn right around and leave again.  My three son's had haircut appointments.  So I rushed and got them over there, late. Once we got back home I was elated to know that I didn't have anything to do for a few hours—finally we could get some cleaning done!  And that's what we did, the kids and we started to clean. I told my oldest son to get the lawn mower and start on the grass.  The girls had to get their room clean.  And the other two boys were in their room cleaning....

Notes to self as I parent today, 3 lines that have radically changed my parenting– what I call Poetic Parenting : 1. Heart Connect… only then Direct. Instruction can only thrive in the soil of authentic relationship. Before offering instruction, consider how to touch the child gently. Think on how to frame all instructions in the context of a loving, affirming relationship. If instruction bears tensions then check out the soil: perhaps the relationship needs fertilizing. If the relationship has been well cultivated and nourished, and instruction still yields resistance, perhaps offering more opportunities to practice receiving and implementing instruction may nourish the young shoot towards a joyful attitude. Questions to self : Am I making eye contact? Am I touching? Have I nourished this relationship? Am I connecting before directing? 2. Love, what did I say?…And will you obey? Asking the child what was said allows the child to offer feedback to ensure they did indeed hear ...

H er writing grips me still.  Makes me pause long in thought.  Lights the wicker of my soul.  The Farmer's wife. His servant girl...her life.  Her words.  Her book: all grace.  Simple grace. I read her book and discover lessons from Him.  This book is not for skimmers.  I read these words in her book:  "Eucharisteo makes the knee the vantage point of a life and I bend the body, it says it quiet: 'Thy will be done.'  This is the way a body and a mouth say thank you:  Thy will be done.  This is the way self dies, falls into the arms of Love." I put the book down again.  I decipher words.  I am, again, stilled.  Moved stiff.  I, too, bend the knees.  Clasp the hands and bow the head.  I mutter my utterances to Him who sees the heart. He has heard me speak these words before.  Long ago.  Somewhere...somehow...the roots of living and life chocked away the desire to give Him my will tot...

M ay you slow your life down enough today my friend so that you catch a glimpse of your God in the moment.  Be intentional about it.  Look for Him.  Pray for Him to open your eyes—anew.  To bring forth noon light in a new way. Embrace the lifestyle of radical gratitude today, will you do that?

Giving thanks for now...this moment, this time...that's what gratitude looks like to me. I use to think it was about giving a BIG thank you when the extraordinary happened, but I've come to learn that my routine...day-to-day work of: working, writing, schooling my children, cleaning of the house; the cooking of meals, mothering, being his wife and His daughter are all part of my extraordinary work.  And that is where I also find Him...my Father— I AM, in the doing of my calling. It's not just in church where I find Him, or in the reading of His book, or doing "good deeds" ..., no I find Him and the gifts right there in my living out what He has taught me in church, and the reading of His book.  In the midst of me "living" I find Him...I feel Him ... beside me...talking to me...guiding me...teaching me. And that's where I find my joy.  "I find joy in the tarry there." Did you know that gratitude is the key to living a contented (h...

T he practice of habit. Today we're participating with Ann over at A Holy Experience , where our spiritual journey leads us to 'The practice of habit .'  We're looking at spiritual practices that cause us to Walk With Him: Things that cause us to draw closer to His throne. Habit is define according to Dictionary.com as: "An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.  It's customary practice or use; a particular practice", etc. The logical question, for me, becomes: How do we go about Walking With Him using the practice of hait? I would like to echo the words from Elisabeth Elliot that ring truth over and over again in my heart and mind  "Anything if given to God can become our gateway to joy." Those words are worth repeating to yourself over and over again.  Why?  Anything that we give to Him can be a holy work.  Our holy experience.  The "thing" regardless of how treacherous it may ...

C elebrating  Him and His endless gifts of giving .  Learning thankfulness for the endless blessings Christ gives us. Take a look around ...  go ahead.  Somewhere you will find His endless gifts to you .  No matter how bleak things may look today—take a look around.  I bet you'll find something.  Actually, I know you will.  He's the gift giver. The best way for us to see our endless gifts is to celebrate in what we have: What He's given us. Thank Him in heart for the obvious .  Sit back and ponder on the even smaller blessings ...things, t he things you and I have the ability to take for granted ... overlook.  The Bible tells us,  " There is an appointed time for everything/  And there is a time for every event under the heaven— God has made everything appropriate in its time.  He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginnin...