Gateways to Joy

Y ou might call it ugly.  Unattractive, but to us it's where the laughter, the talks and the love takes place.   The training of the next generation.   Husband and wife lovingly loving.  It's our home.  Once we called it "beautiful," but then my husband hired someone who really wasn't worthy of the work.  The door-to-door salesman understands how hard it is to provide for family on commissions.  Some day's, he knows, you make zero.  Nothing.  So when he met a guy who said he would transform our home —a guy who was out of work, down on his luck, he hired him wanting to help him out. Well, our tile got pulled up before we had new tile to put down.   The door with the oval glass that I loved so much got taken down and replaced.  The glass screen that I'd wanted for so long is put in incorrectly .  The painting of the walls...fireplace was started on, but was never completed....

T hat's what Ann always says.  I don't know about you but sometimes I have questions—all kinds.  I don't necessarily pray about them, I just wonder.  I've always been that way: someone who sits back and "wonders why?"   Most of the things I've never shared.  That's why it was kind of eerie when I started reading Ann's book.   She addresses so many of my "unspoken" wonders—they seem to be hers and probably even some are yours.  She's bold in her writing and gets bare. Today is Monday, which means I am participating in the Gratitude Community started by said author pictured above.  My gratitude list consists of things that I find through the day and list in my journal... things that I'm thankful for .  Are you going to participate?  Have you gotten your journal and started penning your gratitude, your gifts with us?  You should.  It is transforming.  Grace awakening. H...

T his week has brought some surprising developments as it pertains to my husband and my blog.  He's been visiting everyday.  This week he's been a DIHH (do it himself husband).   Get this: not only has he visited, but he's been coming back sharing how MY WRITING is helping him SPIRITUALLY!  This is BIG sisters!  What a blessing!  His praise of my blog and writing has meant so much to me.  It's reeled me in some more y'all. Experiencing that got me to thinking about today's topic post: The practice of marriage.  Praise and interest in what our spouse is doing  seems fitting for discussion today. Taking an interest in the things our spouse is involved in or in things that are important to them sends a message way better than just the proclamation that comes from our mouth.  Doing—putting forth an effort to do says,  "I love you."   Doing is our proclamation in action....