You're ONE Sweet "T"

Sweet Baby "T", if there was ever a person to live up to their name, it would be you. Your name means a light, and, sweet girl, you are shining so brightly. 

You are a sweet cuddle-bunny and a tender spirit. However, you also have some spitfire to you and "don't put up with nothin." 

You're eyes are the windows to our heart. <3 ...and they shine so brightly. You know what you want and are determined to get it. 

You have already had quite a journey with two ICU stays and a surgery, but you have fought through them and our prayers have been answered.

You have completely stolen all of our hearts. You are Avery's best friend, Daddy's girl and Mommy's girl. You are our baby girl!

We love you so much and don't know how we ever lived without you.

Happy Birthday to the sweetest most precious little girl! We love you! - Rejoicing in the Present

Our Story

5 married-years later...Do you know this all started in 2006? 

This is a very long story, so if you're going to read it all, you may want to grab a cup of coffee and a snack.  :-)

Yes, the our story (the story of my husband and me) started the summer of '06.  We were camp counselors at the WILDs Christian Camp and Conference Center.  I knew his brother from college and one of his good friends, Robert. 

Having known his brother, when I first was introduced to Jer, I was a little taken back, because he was SO different.  From his looks to his personality to his heart, he was night and day different. 

I didn't get to know him well that summer but I found out later that he thought I was loud and crazy-- "keep me away from her."  :-)

He wasn't my style either.  I thought he was nerdy.  :-) ...later on I found out that he was more of a "jock" than a "nerd" but I still wasn't interested. 

One thing that did touch my heart was this--during one of the camp weeks, my brother-counselor was having a hard time getting our group to cheer so Jer got his group together and cheered along with us to support us.  That mattered more than "competition".

The summer ended and I went back to college--who do you think showed up?  Yep, my future hubby.  He had gone to community college for 2 years and then transferred to my college.  So, a bunch of us from the WILDS started hanging out.  We would sit together in classes, at chapel, and at lunch and "terrorize" each other the whole time.  I was the only girl in the group.  I think they forgot that half of the time.  When people would comment on it, they would say "it's just Joy."  I would tease them and they would tease me back.  I remember when Jer would come to lunch from class and would drop a stack of books on my head as a joke.  I never told him that I had back or neck problems; I would just get him back later.  This was my relationship with all these guys.  I was never romantically interested in any of them. Not for more than a second.  I knew that they would all make great husbands, but not mine. 

Most of the guys had girlfriends; most of them came to me at different times asking advice or tips regarding their girls.  I was just like a sister to them.  In fact, when Jer showed up at college, he had just asked a sweet girl to date him; their relationship went on for 3 years.  I remember when they decided that they were ready to get married.  I remember when he showed me the ring and told me the plans of how he was going to ask her.  He held on to that ring for a YEAR.  He never gave it to her.

Meanwhile, during that time, I dated other guys outside the group--and during my college years, I had my heart broken twice.  After the 2nd time, I decided that I was content to be single.  So in 2008, I spent the summer in Africa, fell in love with it, and decided to go back and be a teacher there.

My parents, however, knew that I had always wanted a family; they started praying that I would fall in love with someone who was a friend first. They knew it would be hard for me to trust again. 

Toward the end of that year,  Jer and his girlfriend were starting to see that they were probably not meant for each other.  There were too many things that were not matching up, and since they were long distance, it put a strain on their relationship.

Now, Jer and I had always been friends but that last semester we got really close.  We had always had fun but it was a little different.  We had a blast!  We had planned to go to Gatlinburg with some friends at the end of the semester, but I canceled it because I felt like he needed to work on his relationship with his almost-fiance. 

...and he did.  He called her and talked many of the issues out, but a few days later she came back with "Let's take a month off."  The whole thing was strange but they needed to figure out if they should get married or break up.  There was no in-between.  So they decided to take a break during the month of December. 

During that Christmas break, Jer and I spent a lot of time talking.  I still felt like he was "safe" to talk to because, in my mind, he was still going to marry his fiance' and I was going to go to Africa.

It didn't help that the job I had forced me to travel a lot--so I would talk to him while I was driving.  I remember calling other friends that December and NO ONE answered their phone except for him. 

So we talked and really got to know the core of each other. We shared a lot of our beliefs and ideas but nothing more. We were simply just friends who enjoyed talking to each other.  

At the end of that month, Jer called his girlfriend.  It was mutual--they both knew that it just wasn't meant to be. They ended on a friendly note.

Over break, our families kept asking questions.  My mom was my confidant, so she had known about our friendship.  She told me that, when she heard that Jer and his girlfriend were going through a rocky time, she had started praying that they would break up, if we were supposed to be together. 

When I heard that, I got scared.  I felt that Jer would never be more than an amazing friend.  I was so scared of letting another guy into my heart.  I was scared that he would reject me when he really got to know me.   I was just scared in general. 

I was back at school when I heard that Jer broke things off.  I think I went numb.  I didn't know how to react.  When he came back to school from break, I avoided him like the plague. 

They had a special conference at our school the first week back and it seemed like EVERY speaker was talking about Africa.  It seemed like the Lord was calling me back there.  I had such a desire!  Isn’t it true that desire and God’s will are the same?  Not always.

So I just talked to God.  I told Him I need a verse.  I felt like Jacob when he was wrestling with God.  Oh, did I need Him!  On January 13th, I started reading at the beginning of Matthew.  I was going to read until God spoke to me. 

I came to Matthew 10:5-6 "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Jesus was speaking to his disciples who were Jewish.  I felt him prick my heart when I read that verse. "Joy, I want you to go to your people, America."  I knew then that He was asking me to stay in the United States.  I knew that Africa's door closed for me that day.

I talked to my parents and knew that they had been praying for us.  They didn’t want me to get hurt, but when they saw this all unfold, it seemed like God’s will. My dad encouraged me to give Jer a chance. To at least be open to the idea. 

So the next Saturday, Jer asked me to talk to him. He made it clear that he wanted to pursue a relationship. 

We both felt like God was writing our story. 

I had peace about our relationship, but my heart was still not in it. I  loved Jer as a friend, but I still couldn't see a romantic relationship.  Jer could make me smile and laugh like no one else but I wasn't quite sure it could ever be more than that. 

I knew that if everyone else saw "something" and, if my parents had prayed about it, I should at least give it a try.  I am so glad I did! 

A few days later (Tuesday), I came out to my car and there was a beautiful rose.  My heart stopped.  I couldn’t believe it.  God was already at work on my heart.  I was a little scared because I wasn’t sure I was ready for all this; slowly but surely, he started winning me over.  I started to trust him. 

Over the next month, I talked a lot to God.  Then Jer and I started praying together.  The closer we got to God, the closer we got to each other. 

I had always wanted to be able to turn to my guy for spiritual advice.  I wanted someone like my dad, wise and godly.  Over those next weeks I started falling in love with Jeremy.  It wasn't long before I knew that we had something special. 

On February 14, 2009, Jeremy asked me to be his girlfriend.  I gladly said yes.  He had my heart and there was NO other man that I wanted.  A few months later, he gave me a promise ring and told me that he had peace about marrying me.  Then on July 3, 2009, over a loud speaker he called me to come to the middle of the ballfield at the WILDS...and in front of around 200 people, he got down on his knees with Gerbera daisies and asked me to be his wife.

A year later, on May 28, 2010 we were married in Oak Ridge, TN.  Two years later on May 25, 2012 we welcomed a handsome baby boy and another  two years later, on May 29, 2014,  our sweet baby girl arrived.

It has been a journey!  We have learned a lot of lessons.  We have had some bumps.  We have grown together.  It's been friendship on fire.  I am so blessed that God saw fit to give me such an amazing man.  He is my dream come true!  I love you, JT! - Rejoicing in the Present

Happy Birthday Big Boy

I can't believe that you are three years old! You are getting to be such a little man, or should I say, a little ham. I could listen to you talk all day long. (...and usually I do...non stop) :-) You say the funniest and sometimes the sweetest things. "I like God, Mommy, I Do!" 

I "love" the little lessons I am learning about myself through you. You inspire me to be a better person. I know that your eyes and ears are on me 24/7 and you are going to copy what you see and hear.

My heart overflows when I see the ways that you take care of your sister. You go flying to her side when she cries out. You are her personal body guard and her best friend. She adores you...and so do we!

You're "Gaggy's boy", "big boy", "Daddy-boy", "Babee", "handsome", and "little scruff".  You are the cuddle in my mornings and the talk of my day. Daddy and I could not be more blessed. We know that it will not be an easy journey, as you have your "own ideas" about life, but we are in it with you. We love you more then you will ever understand. 

I am so blessed to be your mommy!

I am so thankful that God, gave me you, to start my journey as a parent. Happy Birthday Big Boy! We love you! - Blessed 

Space Shelves

A lady in our church has worked at Kennedy Space Center for years and will be retiring in the near future. She asked me to design some shelves for her to display some of the memorabilia that she has collected from out there over the years. 

While I was making her shelves, I decided to make a few for "A's" room as well.  


This is what I used:

1. Metal brackets to hold the floating shelf (thrift store $.50)
2. Outdoor wood from Home Depot (8x2)
3. White Primer 2x Cover
4. White Paint
5. Screws

I had Home Depot cut up the wood into 2-ft long pieces. Then I painted the brackets and wood over the next week. After a few coats, I assembled the shelves and scheduled with her a time to install them. 

It was a simple project. I would have made them a bit more decorative but they are displayed in an casual family-style sun-room and thus it felt like less was more.  - Rejoicing in the Present

Peace vs. Entitlement

If you have followed my blog at all, you have to know that I love to minister to woman.  I cry with them, laugh with them, rejoice with them and listen to them.  I try to encourage them and hold them close when life hands them a lemon.  You can read here, to hear my heart more.

I said all that to preface my thoughts on peace. In the book of Job we see a man who had peace in the midst of a storm. Whose heart was broken but whose God was still in control.  Who never once blamed God for the platter that was handed him.  I believe we can learn a lot from this man. 

Read the first chapter of Job (Click the link for the full chapter) If you have time,  read the 2nd chapter as well to get more of the story.

Job, literally, had his family, wealth and health all stripped out from under him in a matter of a short time. Later we even see his wife and friends turn on him.

This is his response....

21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Every time I read this passage, my mouth just wants to drop open at his response. How could he have such peace? ...BLESSED be the name of the Lord. 

Now, PLEASE don't get me wrong. Job was devastated. We see in the next chapters how he proclaimed that he wished he had never been born.  He was SO upset; but in it, he never lashed out at God.  He never turned on God. He never blamed God. 

God had blessed him with good times and God allowed those bad times.  He was going to live life in whatever stage he was in. Yes, he hurt.  Yes, he was devastated, but he accepted what was handed him and kept his peace. 

One thing that we find blatantly obvious about Job's life was that he never felt "entitled". 

I'm sure he enjoyed his family, his wealth and health.  I'm sure he thanked God.  I'm sure that God blessed his faithfulness, but he didn't believe that God owed it to him. 

How do I know that? Read Job. 1:21-22. "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;"

I love fairy tales.  I love happy endings.  I love to rejoice with women over their husbands and their babies.  I love to see women succeed in every area of their lives. 

However, can I be straight with you? We are not entitled to a fairy tale life. 

God doesn't owe us the perfect husband or even a perfect marriage. 

He doesn't owe us children or certain number of children. 

He doesn't owe us a job or a pay raise. 

He doesn't owe us wealth or health. 

He doesn't owe us a stress-free family or a college education. 

I can claim it all I want, but it doesn't mean that is what I'm going to have handed to me. 

He gives us guidelines to help us be successful in our marriage, family, and life, but there is our flesh and the devil fighting us daily.

If you can simple live a life like Job, you will have peace. 

Live a life, trusting in your Creator.  Thank Him, when He gives you blessings.  Enjoy those times.  Praise Him and share the happiness.

However, when hard times hit, keep on blessing Him. Realize that we are not entitled to anything. Life and love are gifts that we get. Those gifts can be taken, as well. 

Our hope is in Eternity, NOT this life.  So when we see this life as "just passing through", those things become extra blessings.  

Let's not have an attitude of entitlement, let's have an attitude of peace. 

As a wise man once said " the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." - Rejoicing in the Present

You are being watched - Part 2

Yesterday, I told you about "Jane."  Today, I want to tell you about how this played out in my own life.  I have a very sweet friend, who has played an important role in my life over the last 4 years. 

The week before Easter she trusted in Jesus as her Savior.  There were so many people that had a huge part in this, so many people who lived out their faith in front of her. 

One of the things that she told me was that she would have clients, like my husband and I, who were Christians, and she would think "I want what they have." 

I shared the gospel over the last couple years, and at one point in our relationship, I wrote a letter to her sharing Jesus with her.  Mostly, I just talked to her about it when she asked questions. 

Then, about 3 months ago, I got a text message asking if I knew of a ladies Bible study.  I immediately offered to meet with her one-on-one. I t wasn't long after that she trusted Christ.

Several of her clients and their families had been praying that she would come to Jesus and she did.  Her story is a beautiful one! 

I asked her about her experience with Christians and she shared the good and the bad.  She had a very interesting statement about those ones who talked the talk but didn't walk it. 

She made this statement "I was a better Christian then them and I wasn't even a Christian."  WOW!!!

Thankfully, the real Christians out-shined them, but what if they hadn't?

You see the world knows how we are supposed to act.  They are watching us.  We can either be a shining light in the darkness or we can muddy the name of Christ.  It's up to us.  People are watching; what are we going to do? - Rejoicing in the Present

You are being watched - Part 1

I will admit it.  I am a people watcher.  I could probably grab a cup of coffee and sit for hours in a busy area of town and just watch people.  I want to know everything about them, their dreams, their history, the reason that they are the people they are today.  So, I often catch myself watching and wondering about people. 

Recently I was at Wal-Mart.
 
I had just spent too much time shopping and my kids were hungry.  So I buckled them up and grabbed a bottle for my daughter.  I was standing by the open car door feeding "T", when I noticed "Jane."  (probably not her real name)

I noticed "Jane" because she was nicely, modestly dressed with a huge smile on her face.  She pushed her cart past another lady and made a friendly comment and then she came up to my car. 

"Jane's" car was next to mine; she started to unload her cart.  My cart was in her way and I tried to move it but she told me it was no problem as she understood that I was feeding my baby.  Then she took her cart and put it back in the cart holder.

When she came back to her car, she then offered to take mine and put it away as well.  All this time, I thought, "WOW, she MUST be a Christian."  I almost asked her if she was one, but I didn't.

Then she got into her car and pulled away; once my daughter was done with her bottle, I got into mine and drove away.  When I was pulling out, I noticed a fender-bender. 

"Jane" had been rear-ended by another lady.  I'm not quite sure what happened or who was at fault, but she and "Jane" were in a heated discussion.  It looked like "Jane" was yelling at her.  I was saddened to see her beautiful countenance twisted with anger. 

Then it hit me.  Is this how people see me?  I had been drawn to "Jane".  She seemed so lovely, but this side of her....was ugly and not at all Christ-like. 

I don't know "Jane".  I don't know if she was a Christian. ...but if she was and if I wasn't, she would have lost me immediately. 

Non-Christians KNOW how we are supposed to act.  We need to think about that. 

Tomorrow, I will follow up with another thought on this subject. - Rejoicing in the Present

To "that woman"

Dear precious lady,

I might know your name or I might not, but you are on my heart today. I know Mother's Day is hard for you and so I wanted to take the time to acknowledge you and send you my love.  If I could write you a card or draw a sweet picture for each of you, I would. 

... for that sweet lady whose precious baby was taken to heaven before you got to meet her/him, Happy Mother's Day!  You are a mother and you always will be.  Sadly, you don't get to carry that bundle around, just the burden/pain. One day, you will meet that sweet baby.  Oh, how precious that will be! Until then, I pray you have a blessed Mother's Day.

...for that sweet lady who soooo desires to become pregnant: every month is filled with pain and a reminder that you are still not pregnant. I am so sorry!  I pray that God will give you peace soon and that today will be a day filled with love and joy for you.

...for that sweet lady whose grown child/children have walked away from her life.  Her children have disrespected her,  ignored her,  used her or abused her.  Happy Mother's Day! You are to be honored and cherished and my heart breaks for you.  Keep on loving them with God's love.  You are a STAR in my book. 

...for that sweet lady whose child has died. ...you have held that baby. You began to rear that child and now this. This is so hard. ... I am so sorry! I pray that the good memories will keep your day filled with joy.  I celebrate you as a mom! Happy Mother's Day.

...for that sweet lady who is overwhelmed with raising her children on her own due the military, a broken heart, or whatever the circumstance, Happy Mother's Day. I know if your children had money or the ability to go to the store, they would buy one of everything for you. Keep on, keeping on. You are doing an amazing job!

...for that sweet lady who is raising her grandchildren. Wow, this is the time you are supposed to begin relaxing and now this. You don't always get applauded because you're not the birth mother; however, I celebrate you and ALL your hard work. Happy MOTHER's Day. You are a blessing. That child could not do without you!

...for that sweet lady who adopted older children who don't appreciate her.  They might not say this, but I will, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! You are amazing and you inspire me to be a better mom to my kids.  You love, even when you are cursed at. What an example to us all! God will bless you for this.

...for that sweet lady whose mother is not with her anymore. I know you would give anything to talk to her again. I'm so sorry! I hope that you can enjoy all the good memories you had with her. I hope you will be inspired to be a better mom and grandma because of her.

...for that sweet lady whose celebrating her mother's day in the hospital, whether for herself or her child, Happy Mother's Day! Hang in there, momma! This too shall pass! I pray that your day will be full of rest and peace. 

...for that sweet lady who is waiting for a husband but so desiring a family.  I hope you have a blessed day.  I would encourage you to "adopt" a mother whose hands are full. Adopt a child who seems unloved by his/her family.  You can still "mother". We need your help!

...for that sweet lady whose battle maybe I have not mentioned; I pray that your journey will grow you. I pray that you will be blessed. I pray that you will know the peace of God which passeth all understanding. 

To "THAT WOMAN":  I celebrate you!!!! Have a joyful-in-the-Lord,  peace-filled DAY - Rejoicing in the Present

Mother's Day 2015

It's Mother's Day this weekend, a day to celebrate mothers. But let's just be honest, there are days when I feel like anything BUT a good mother. 

When I look around me and see what my mom-friends' kids are doing and what mine aren't, I get discouraged.

When I get on Pinterest and see all the great ideas that I have pinned and never accomplished, I get depressed again.

When I'm proactive with my family's health but yet I'm in and out of the doctor's office and hospital, I doubt myself.

When my kids say the wrong things at the wrong times, it shames me and I chalk it up to "Worst Mom of the Year".

When I fail, I take it hard.  Let's admit it, moms, we all have these days. ...but I can tell you something.  I am NOT a failure and Mommy-friend, YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE.

God gave us these precious babies for a reason--to grow US and to help them learn to love Him. 

Our kids are NOT always going to make the right decisions for they have a free will.

We as moms are not always going to make the right decisions, but we can confess it to the Lord, ask Him to help us learn, and move on.

Don't look to the world for your praise.  Their standards are not Biblical nor attainable. Look to God first and then your family. 

Proverbs 31 "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her..." 

When my babies give me love and smiles, it's encouraging to know that I am must be doing something right.  When my husband tells me I'm doing a good job, it  fires me up to keep on going.   That is ALL I really need.  That is ALL I should look for.  I do this first and foremost because I love God and, then, because I love my family. 

"...Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

Mommyhood is not impossible-- it's simply fearing the Lord and letting Him lead you in decisions regarding your family.   It is attainable and we were made to do this. Don't give up, mommy! - From one mommy heart to another. xoxo

Rejoicing in Trials

I wouldn't say that my life has been easy, but I would definitely say that my life has been good!  If you take the last word in that sentence and take away an "O," you will see why.

For me, the trials in my life have been some of the best as well as the worst times that I have gone through. You can't explain peace until you have been through a terrible storm and you can't know "the peace that passeth all understanding" until you feel that peace WHILE you are going through a storm. Here are some things that have helped me:

1. TRUST

There have been times when I thought I would "do" a certain trial on my own and that NEVER resulted in anything good.  I can say that, in the midst of every trial that I have gone through with God, I have had incredible peace, almost numbness to my surroundings.  Afterwards, I've thought, wow, I should have freaked out, but God has just taken care of me.  It's hard to put into words but I've known that "He's got it."

2. LOOK OUTSIDE YOURSELF

A few months ago I was speaking to a dear friend who was having a rough time at life. She was going to be transferred into a nursing home for rehab and was scared about her near future. She was young but had some major health problems. She had been serving faithfully in ministry and I think she thought her life was over.

As we talked, I spoke to her about turning her misery into ministry.  We spoke about how she could be a light in that nursing home and reach out and love those people there.  I remember how excited she became.  She suddenly had a goal, and when she decided to look outside of her problem, her life got brighter.

I Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

3. REJOICE

The sun will come out tomorrow.  Psalm 30:5 "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." You may come to know a dark moment when...

...you are in the hospital, 

...just diagnosed, 

...the phone rings and you are told that...

...you run out of money

...your child turns against you or God

..._________________________ (fill in the blank)

Can I tell you something? Tomorrow is a brand new day. An hour from now is a brand new hour.  The sun WILL come up again.  Better times will come. You can make friends through trials and, even better, see who your real friends are. 

God will continue to shape us and grow us if we let him. 

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. - James 1:2-4

So rejoice.  Rejoice in God. Rejoice in those moments of relief.  Rejoice in the memory of days that you have had with that loved one. Rejoice.  Make the decision that you will rejoice. Your cup can be half full or even a quarter full. 

It's all a matter of perspective. Some of the "richest people" are some of the most unhappy people while some of the most trial-ridden people are some of the most joy-filled.  It's up to us.  Will we trust? Will we look outside of ourselves and help others?  Will we rejoice in the midst of our trial? It's up to us. - Rejoicing in the Present

MOLD ALERT

Last year during the holiday, you may remember that we had a lot of sickness. During that time, we bought a cool-mist humidifier to help with my daughter's breathing. We had not used it long before "horror of horrors" happened...

One afternoon, I noticed something fuzzy on the table cloth covering the stand next to the rocking chair. I looked a little closer and there was mold growing on it. In horror, I ripped that cloth off and, to my greater horror, the whole particle board table underneath was covered in mold. The whole top of it was black and green and white. My mind couldn't even wrap around the situation. I didn't even know that things could happen like that. 

I threw everything away and then went online to see what was up. Here are some of the things I read...

The biggest drawback to cool-mist humidifiers is that the cool water can be an excellent breeding ground for mold and bacteria..... In addition, these machines are quite efficient at dispersing the minerals within tap water which can cause health problems themselves. So, distilled water should be used in cool-mist humidifiers. ... the humidity in the air can allow for mold growth within the carpeting or other areas of the house. For children with asthma, this increased exposure to mold can often actually make matters worse" - ivillage

A humidifier may help you breathe easier, but too much moisture isn't healthy either. Mold, dust mites, mildew and bacteria thrive in moist environments. - foxnews

So, I would encourage you to be careful. Check the room carefully through out the usage, if you even plan to use it. Also, it is VERY important to keep the purifier, itself, cleaned. 

Here are instructions for cleaning it:

 
Cleaning instructions from:air-n-water

1. Unplug your cool mist humidifier and carefully begin taking it apart. Make sure the water tank is separate from the filter and base. Also, be sure to carefully remove the motor housing and set aside 
2. Fill the tank with water and add the tablespoon of bleach. Replace the lid on the water tank and let sit approximately 30 minutes. 
3. Fill the large sauce pan with water and 2 cups of white vinegar. Place the filter in the saucepan with the vinegar/water combination and let sit for approximately 30 minutes 
4. Pour a generous amount of undiluted white vinegar in to the base of your cool mist humidifier and let sit for 30 minutes. Then remove any residue or build-up by gently scrubbing with the soft bristle brush. Rinse thoroughly. 
5. Disinfect the base by pouring a mixture of 1 teaspoon of bleach for every gallon of water that you use into the base of the cool mist humidifier. Let sit for 30 minutes 
6. Gently spot clean any remaining pieces and thoroughly rinse the tank, filter, and base. 
7. Put the cool mist humidifier back together, fill the tank with cool water and resume regular use.

Finally here are a few"quick" tips from - foxnews"

1. Clean your humidifier every three days. Empty the water, completely dry the humidifier, and then refill. 
2. Use distilled or demineralized water, instead of tap water. Mist created from tap water leaves behind a white residue, because of its high mineral content.
3. Change the filters as your humidifier's instructions suggest, or more often if need be.
4. Clean humidifiers before and after storage. Don't give mold, dust and other bacteria a chance to grow.

If you don't plan to put a lot of care and effort into using the humidifier, I would recommend you not use it at all. The added danger is not worth the help it provides. This of course is my personal opinion; you can take it, leave it or share it. - Rejoicing in the Present