Winter in England brings out descriptive words of dark, grey, cold, and damp. Before 25th December, bad weather is tolerated since the anticipation of Christmas festivities outweighs the annoyance of dreary, cold weather. But after Christmas and especially into January and February, I long for signs of spring. It’s not been a particularly cold winter,…
Looking through some of my old writings this week, I came across this little article from July 2007 that made me smile. Even being twelve and a half years later, the words below still have truth and relevance for my life today. Growing up and finding purpose as a young adult can be difficult. I…
My daughter, Anna who is six years old, has been very curious about when her brother Luke, three years old, will officially become a child of God. We actively live out our faith, including with the kids and sharing with them who God is through prayer, Bible stories, and chats about Him. Whenever it has…
At the start of 2019, I felt like God placed on my heart the word community, as in nurturing and growing a sense of community specifically within Charlie's family. In a previous post, Bumps, Bruises, and Scars I shared indirectly about a couple we know who had been hurt by other members of their family…
A few months ago, we met up with Charlie's uncle and aunt at St. Paul's Cathedral in the heart of London. It was a treat for my birthday and we all enjoyed taking in the amazing architecture and history. But despite the multitude of monuments, the one thing I was intent on seeing was a…
As a reader of Rest & Chaos Blog, I was honoured to be nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award, a blogger-to-blogger award. Visit Collene's lovely blog for Christian encouragement and inspiration! She is a wonderfully, thoughtful writer who shares from her heart. I decided to participate because it is great to learn more about the…
The presents have been opened, carol services attended, and probably far too much food has been consumed in many households. Christmas Day has been and passed for this year, but I'm deliberately lingering in the beautiful wonder of the best gift ever. Since childhood, the Nativity scene has intrigued me. I would annually take time…
The kids and I recently baked and decorated sugar cookies. They were not bakery quality but they were absolutely beautiful to me because of the little hands that enjoyed being artistic with icing sugar and sprinkles! I was instantly taken back to my own childhood memories again. Isn't that interesting how deep buried memories can…
It's not always easy to live up to a name but especially when yours is Joy. The inspiration of my name came from my godmother, also named Joy, as well as the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. (Galatians 5:22) I was one of the only Joy's I knew growing up…
This morning I woke up early at 5:30am and was just thinking about the kids. With the holidays approaching, there haven't been many quiet moments for me to think, so being up early or staying up late can be precious in having a few minutes of stillness. I was talking with God, thanking Him for…
