uptomytoes

Tag: joy

  • This Place at This Time

    I was shuffling through my bookcase – reorganizing and deciding which books I’d like to keep and which books I’d like to donate – when I found a book that a friend had written and sent to me a few years ago.  It’s called “Walks with Rich” by C.W. Hambleton.  I opened up to the…

  • Can I Say “Really?!?” to God?

    Have you ever felt like the verse you just read, the devotional you just opened, or the thought someone just shared was…well…for lack of a better word…ugh? My sister-in-law Debbie sent me a devotional this morning. She surprises me with really beautiful encouraging texts. Just when I need them. This morning the devotional included this…

  • Are You More than Just Living?

    I’ve been studying 1 John this past week.  There are a lot of verses that grab me in that little book.  And there are a lot of verses I want to grab hold of too.   God has used those words to convict, confirm, and mostly comfort me this past week. My study has brought…

  • Be Encouraged

    Everyone has something. You know that thing. That thing that you feel will never go away. Never be easy. Never be uncomplicated. Never be what you want it to be. Never be overcome. I have a few somethings. Some things I can’t figure out what to do about. Some things that baffle me. Some things…

  • Shake it UP

    I finally did what I’ve wanted to do for a long time.  I didn’t bring work home and I spent some beautiful moments thoroughly enjoying my kids. We spent the evening together without homework, work, or chores. The best, most enjoyable thing was dancing. Seeing my little girls’ faces light up while I danced like…

  • A Strengthening Struggle

    I’m in a season of blog starting. I start them and save them and kind of forget about them.  I think it is because I want so desperately to be encouraging and sometimes I’m just not.  Sometime I’m just an all out mess. And my blogs can reflect that mess quite well. And I have…

  • Advent for the Overwhelmed

    For a little bit longer….today is December 12th – I am officially 12 days behind.  I’m always behind when it comes to Advent.  It’s not like December 1st surprises me or that I haven’t thought about Advent in November.  I just all of sudden get overwhelmed by the days and nights and before I know…

  • A Moment of Still

    A long wooden farm table, enough to seat a quiverful and some friends, tea in the cup my oldest daughter chose for me while at the beach with friends, a highlighted, underlined and well-loved Bible open before me, and quiet…my perfect morning. God has blessed me this morning with this beautiful moment of still. A…

  • It’s In A Box…Somewhere

    My mom’s garage is packed almost to the ceiling with all my belongings.  I thought when we were loading them in that there was some sort of organizational plan. Yeah…nope. There might have been, but I’ve messed it up with all my digging and moving and climbing around the mounds of stuff! And I can’t…

  • Day 3 – Armed and Ready

    I have been so excited to get into God’s word that last night I almost just stayed up past midnight getting started.  I probably should have…might have been divine prompting…because this morning has been one mishap after another.  I’m on outfit number 3.  I apparently have 6 single socks with no partner…I searched with that…