Living Like There is NO Hell

You worked so hard your whole life. You put lots of energy, money, time and faith into your life goals. You helped people, you gave and gave and gave again. 
You sweated, 
you wept, 
you fought, 
you bore life pains 
...because you wanted to succeed. 
Then it was over. 
The verdict. -> It was a waste. All you did was for naught. 

"What?," you say. I worked so hard. I gave so much. I tried so hard. I thought this was the way. I didn't know any different. (or maybe you did and didn't care) 

Could you IMAGINE if this happened to you? 

FRIENDS!!!!! Please! I write this to you because WHAT WE DO WITH OUR LIFE DOES MATTER. 

There is a GOD! 
There is a heaven! -> PRAISE THE LORD
There is a hell!
There is HOPE! ...and His name is Jesus.

Do you know Jesus? Do you know that He is our ticket, our salvation, the WAY, the TRUTH, the LIFE? Do you realize that you are hell bound without Him? 

If you want to know more about HIM, please click on the red links.  If you already know Him, do your friends? 

If there was a hurricane coming through our town, we would be warning each other and helping each other get out of the way of danger. If there was a fire in a building, we would be the first to pull the fire alarm and we would do EVERYTHING possible to help people out of the way of danger. 

So why are we ignoring the biggest danger yet. We live like there is no hell. Our friends know we go to church but do they know what that entails. 

Beth Moore described the Revelations 20:11-15 in one of the saddest yet eye-opening ways yet. 

Revelations 20:11-15 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

She said that when those who don't follow Christ get to Heaven they will realize three powerful things. They will realize that HE IS LORD! They will then realize that THEY ARE LOST and then they will realize that IT's TOO LATE! 

Friends, they will realize that their life is a waste. HOW SAD! Life is a vapor. You are not promised tomorrow. God does not owe you another day. 

Ps. 39:4-7 says"  Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah... my hope is in thee.

MY HOPE ->Rejoice!!!! We have a chance to escape Hell, which was created for only the devil and his angels. Rejoice, we can spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven. Rejoice and live like there is a HELL. Stop your friends from going there. Tell them. Live like there is a Jesus.

Live like your life and your friends life counts on it! DON'T waste your life! Good works won't get you to heaven BUT they could save someone's life. Someone may come to Jesus through your light. Live like there is a HELL - Rejoicing in the Present

Dresser Makeover

When I was in 18 I refinished my first piece of furniture. It was an older dresser. I sanded it down and stained it. Later on, I refinished our dinning room table and do lots of other Do-Over Jobs.  However I don't have any pictures. When I saw this blog post, I had to share because it is really so easy Before you throw out that old piece of furniture, give it a second look. Maybe a coat of paint and a few new handles would be just what it needs. This is from livelovediy. - Rejoicing in the Present


This dresser ended up being one of my easiest makeovers ever because I've learned a few new tricks since my last makeover.
Here's what the dresser looks like today, after just a little bit of work.

But let's back up just a little bit.
To where it all began.
Remember this summer when I carted home a trailer full of old furniture?


Well, I painted the tall dresser right away and it ended up here. Then, I kinda forgot about the other one, and didn't even remember it existed until I caught Jesse sawing pieces of wood on top of it in the spider garage. Remember this?So, this past weekend I finally had Jesse haul it upstairs so that I could paint it. This thing was coated in years of dust and grime and spiders, so it took me a good twenty minutes just to give it a sponge bath. So, this is what it looked like after I cleaned it...still not good.

Somehow one of the handles disappeared in the frenzy. It's still a mystery.After it was clean, I removed the drawers from the frame and removed all of the hardware off the fronts of the drawers.Then, I used 3M Wood Filler to fill all of the holes and scratches so that the paint would apply evenly.I use the white paintable kind, which worked great with my light colored paint.
I applied the wood filler wherever there were holes and scratches.

After the wood filler was dry, I used some fine grit sand paper from 3M Advanced Abrasives to sand away the excess and make it even with the surface of the wood. This makes it look as good as new once it's painted.

Once I finished sanding down the wood filler, I lightly scuffed up the entire surface area with some super fine grit sandpaper and then wiped down all the surfaces again, making sure they were free from dust.
And when I say 'lightly scuff', I mean I spend less than two minutes on it.

Next, I primed the dresser. Primer makes the paint adhere without having to sand down the wood like a crazy person. Look for a primer that says 'adhesion' on it, like the one I used here.

For both primer and paint, I used an angled paintbrush and a mini foam roller, brushing the paint on with the paintbrush and smoothing it out with the roller if needed.

I applied just one coat of primer. You can apply more if the stain of your wood is bleeding through, but I rarely need to.

Once the primer was dry, it was time to paint. I've tried all sorts of paints, and painted over 10 pieces of furniture, but this time I decided to try something new.


I used a waterbased acrylic alkyd enamel (called the Pro Classic if you get it from Sherwin Williams). It's water based so it cleans up easily with water, but the enamel formula gives it a harder finish like an oil based paint. It applies so smoothly that I didn't need to use my beloved Floetrol, and barely even needed my foam roller. Plus, I used a semi-gloss finish and didn't even have to use a pesky topcoat because it dried so hard and durable. Seriously, it was crazy how great this paint was.

And it was so thick that I barely even needed a second coat.

The paint color I chose was Sedate Gray. It has green undertones, and can sometimes even look blue in the right light.

And the gray pairs so well with my gold and silver accents, like that mirror that I got at my last thrift store shopping trip (details about that adventure here).
I'm pretty sure that picture of me and Jesse is sideways, but whatev, A for effort.

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to use this dresser for yet. I might use it as a buffet in our dining room (if it fits after we get a table and chairs back in there...one day). Or I might use it underneath our TV in the living room.
I'm so sick of youknowwho.
For now, it's just in the empty dining room, all dressed up with nowhere to go.
We've all been there, girl.

And since I lost that piece of hardware somewhere deep in the pits of the spider garage, I replaced ALL of the hardware with some fabulous antique restoration hardware from my favorite place. I used a little gold lion pull on the center drawer...

and some sassy Victorian bail pulls on the rest of the drawers

And it all just came together!

FOR PICTURES OF HER PROJECT GO TO livelovediy

Marriage Life Ministries: Do We Talk Nicer to Strangers?

I definitely find myself struggling with this. It's easier to "relax" at home but as this author said "We need to give our families our best. Not our leftovers." Thanks to Alecia from  marriagelifeministries - Rejoicing in the Present

I was talking sweetly to a neighbor child the other day and my husband said “Why are you talking like that?” I said, “This is how I talk” and he said, “Uh…no its not.” It’s not that I don’t talk nice and sweet to my family but obviously my tone was so different with this child then it have previously been with my husband that he noticed the difference.

The truth is, I really don’t talk like that all the time at home. I definitely have a “mom” voice and “teacher” voice. They can be very different. And my lovely hubby called me out. But he was right.

We’ve noticed this with our daughter too who has sensory integration difficulties. We’ve been told by multiple therapists that its perfectly normal for a child to act more reserved in a social setting like school and then when at home sort of let loose and every thing that bothers them will be met with typical trigger reactions – screaming, twitching, grunting, etc. They would never do this at school for any number of reasons – embarrassment, social structure, etc. But what it comes down to is that home is where we can let all our warts show. Because we are comfortable there. Sometimes too comfortable.

Why is that? Why do we feel comfortable to talk to our family (or not talk to them) in ways that we would never talk to our co-workers, neighbors and community workers? Why do we allow ourselves to treat our families any less than we would treat anyone else?

I think the reason behind that is two fold.

One, we have the tendency to take our family for granted. We don’t extend as much grace to them as others. We don’t offer as much patience. We aren’t nearly as tolerant of our family’s weaknesses and failures as we are of other people’s.

Two, we live day in and day out with our spouse and family. We’re bound to get on each other’s nerves. When we have an annoying customer come in every once in a while to our workplace we handle them with care and treat them with the “the customer is always right” mentality, right? I’m willing to bet that if we had that customer come in on a daily basis and berate us or hound us or annoy us we would eventually not treat them as nice as the customers who only stop in occasionally.

The old saying is true: familiarity breeds contempt. We can easily allow ourselves to drift from positive and optimistic to complacent to completely negative and spiteful.

We need to give our families our best. Not our leftovers.

We need to be conscious of the way we speak with them and how we treat them.

Do we cut them off? Do we dismiss their ideas? Are we short with them? Do we ignore them? Do we put other things and people before them?

Or…

Do we make room for mistakes? Do we give multiple chances and offer up forgiveness willingly? 

Do we give kisses and smiles instead of glares and frowns? Do we support them in all their endeavors?

I have to say, I appreciate family and marriage for its ability to allow a relationship to grow to the point where you can just be YOU. You can be real. You can feel free to show all your warts. There is definitely something to be said for that. That place where you are comfortable enough to be crabby when you’re crabby and sad when you’re down and distant when you need space.

BUT…those are the little valleys that come along in the ebb and flow that comes with relationships. When we stay in those places, when ALL we show is our warts, it can really make our relationships ugly.

So make room for grace. Give more flexibility. Show more patience then you think is possible. Wake up each morning willing to give your best to your spouse and your family.

Your marriage needs it. Your family deserves it.

- See more at marriagelifeministries

10 Kid-Friendly Summer Ideas

It's the summer! Wooooohoooo! It's time to put away those electronics and go explore the outdoors. Go make some memories!  I had the best childhood with lots of fun and creativity. You can give that to your kids as well. Here are 10 ideas for this summer for your little tykes. Thanks to apartmenttherapy - Rejoicing in the Present

Sandbox: Even if you can't get to the beach this summer, you can still have the sun and the sand. Buy one or build one to your specifications. Show here is a terrific shaded sandbox. Angela calls this her son's backyard beach. See how she made it at Better Together.

Swing: If a big playset isn't realistic for your yard, how about just a swing? It's always been my favorite part anyway. There are dozens of ways to diy a swing including this version made from an old skateboard. Get the tutorial at Little Bit Funky.

Play Kitchen: If you have a roofed outdoor area like a large porch, consider moving your play kitchen outside for the summer. Or, create a simple outdoor kitchen that they can get really messy in. There's no need for play food as nature is their kitchen. Shown above is one by Garden Mama. We also rounded up 10 more here.

Water Table: These are favorites with toddlers and preschoolers and can even work in tiny outdoor spaces. It can be as simple as filling a large plastic container and brining it outside or you can go another step and buy or build something more permanent (like this terrific one at The Inspiration Thief).

Zip Line: You need the space and an incline for a Zip Line, but it's one of those enviable features that will keep the neighborhood kids knocking at your door. See how this family at Green Change made theirs.

Outdoor movies: Taking the whole family to the movies is expensive and there are usually only a few kids' movies out every summer. Set up your own outdoor screen and pop your own popcorn. Here are 7 tips for setting up your backyard movie theater.

Sprinkler: Kids graduate from the baby pool pretty quickly and the next logical step is a sprinkler. Buy a traditional one or get creative and make something like this "kid wash".

Playhouse or Fort: This is the most ambitious project on the list but everyone I know who has built one has told me their kids played in it every day of the summer for years. If a roofed house is too much to bite off, how about a fort made from fencing posts? Find the tutorial at This Old House.

Lawn games: Lawn games are a great way to get the whole family playing together and even the whole neighborhood. Growing up, we had croquet and badminton. Others to consider are bocce, horseshoes, and lawn darts. These are great things to pick up at yard sales if you don't want to buy them new.

Hammock: Summer isn't just about playing - it's also about rest. A hammock in a shady spot will be the new family hangout for reading, napping and literally hanging out.

Originally posted May 28, 2012

(Images: 1. Better Together 2. Little Bit Funky 3. The Inspiration Thief 4. Garden Mama 5. Green Change 6. Flickr user plural licensed for use under Creative Commons 7. J. Good Photography via Instructables 8. Wendell T. Webber for This Old House 9.Shutterstock 10. Flickr user popofatticus licensed for use under Creative Commons)

A Praise on our Journey

As I mentioned in the last post, we started a new journey with our princess.  One that will entail some trials, some blessings and God in the midst of it all. 

I must admit that I have been an emotional basket case.  I'm sure just birthing a baby and getting less then the usual amount of sleep has not helped. To add to that I can only imagine what my baby girl will have to go through. (This is not me complaining, just being transparent with you.)

To top that off, I know that while we are blessed to have all our bills paid, the financial burden of a surgery can be overwhelming. I recently called my insurance company and, well, the news was not exciting.  As I'm wrestling with this all, my mother just keeps reminding me, "Joy, God will provide." Again and again "Joy, God will provide." I, of course, know this to be true but I don't always have the patience to wait to see to HIM work.

My husband came home with our checks the other day and there was an extra check. A large check, in fact. The memo said "love offering." Someone felt led to give us a gift. 

When my husband told me about it, I could barely contain my emotions. He went downstairs to eat lunch and I lost it. The tears flowed. It wasn't the money that blessed me as much as the message from God saying "Joy, I WILL provide for your needs." I don't know who the generous giver was but the message that they delivered that day was one I will never forget. 

So, as our journey continues I just want to say PRAISE THE LORD! He is already providing and caring for our Sweet T and her sometimes impatient mother. :-) 

- Thank you Lord for Your FAITHFUL love and care. - Rejoicing in the Present

Beginning A New Journey

My baby had just been placed in my arms.  She was a tiny beautiful little mess.  I was exhausted but yet excited to start this new journey.  Then, my midwife said "look,  she has 6 fingers."  I was thinking "What? can that happen?" Then we counted and, yes, she did have 6 fingers. 

Polydactyly. This is the name of the extra blessing that my baby received. Polydactyly literally means “extra digits.” There may be an extra thumb, small finger, or, less commonly, an extra digit in the central part of the hand. Polydactyly is one of the most common congenital hand anomalies. When the hands and feet are developing in the womb, they start out as flat “paddles” that then normally separate into five digits. Polydactyly occurs when this separation process is excessive, and an extra “segment” is created. -smilesforkids

What is REALLY cool is that T's case is very unique. Polydactyly is 10xs more likely to be seen in an African American than a Caucasian  and also more common in a male.  Most people born with Polydactyly are usually born with just one extra finger or toe.  T is a female Caucasian with one extra finger and toe on each hand and foot.  She has four extra and they all match perfectly.  Wow!  So T was born with an unusual case of Polydactyly.  What a blessing to have been picked to go on this journey!

When I was first wrapping my mind around this, a thought that came to mind was this.  We are taught that we should be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Well, T just has one more finger and toe with which to do that.

We want to do the best thing for T.  If that means leaving it, then that's what we will do. We will encourage her to serve God with those extra fingers and toes and I know she will do it beautifully. Unfortunately, though, it looks like T will have surgery.  Due to the way her one foot is, she probably won't be able to walk without surgery. 

You may have questions (I have questions :-) ) BUT we really do not know more then what I have posted here. We will, however, give you updates as we know more but I would ask that you pray for wisdom for us and the doctors.

We thank God for this blessing and ask for His strength and wisdom as we go forward.  May God get the glory and honor! --Rejoicing in the Present

4th of July Craft

Here is a quick, easy and adorable 4th of July craft! Enjoy! This is from Melissa on Home Talk - Rejoicing

I always hate throwing out glass jars and we don't have anywhere to take them for recycling in my county. I have quite the collection saved and wanted to do something with them. I love decorating for all of the holidays and wanted to create something patriotic for the 4th of July without spending a lot of money. I had three pickle jars that were the perfect size for making these luminaries.

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Here are the pickle jars I started out with. To remove the labels I soaked them in some dish soap and warm water. The labels peeled right off.

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I found a 3 pack of the small American flags in the dollar spot at Target. I put the jars on top of the flags to flatten them out. They were a little curled up from being in the package.

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I removed the wooden sticks from the flag and was careful to not rip the flag when taking out the staples. I then used roll on adhesive tape (it can be found just about anywhere that sells crafts) to the back of flag. I lined up the flag with the jar. You can't really mess this part up because the flag fit perfectly on to the jar.

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After I taped the flag onto the jar I used a few coats of Mod Podge to make it stick to the jar better.

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I added a little twine to the top of the jar to make it look less like a pickle jar. I used gorilla glue and a clothespin to keep the twine in place until the glue dried.

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I added some tea lights to the jars and instant outdoor lighting was created. They look so pretty at night! Um, somebody should really paint those steps. Although, I kind of dig the chippy white paint look. ;) It's amazing what you can make with the stuff you already have on hand.