Faith

Advent Ideas For All Ages

No Comments
We are just a few days from the beginning of December, and I am thinking of how I’m going to get/keep my heart ready and focused during this Christmas season. I have shared a few different advent ideas over the years and I thought it would be good to collect them all together for y’all! 🙂

 

Continue Reading

Faith

Frazzled Friday – Not This Season Satan

No Comments
I’m sure you’ve all heard the term “Not Today Satan” right? Well, this is my twist on it. “Not This Season Satan”. I remember being a kid and so looking forward to the holiday season. And, then I became an adult, and I realized why my parents weren’t always so happy. There are so many things going on this time of year that, if we let it, can steal our joy. But this year, I’m saying no.

Continue Reading

Organizing

What To Do Next? {Making a Plan}

1 Comment
So yesterday…kids all went back to school, hubby went to work, and I was left alone with my thoughts.  Let me tell you folks, that’s not a good place for me. My thoughts take me to scary places.  I think I was more anxious for my kids first days then they were!!  Lunch with hubby helped a lot.  He gets me.  He knows how to redirect my thoughts and calm my crazies.  I love that man.  Anywho, everyone had a great day!!  

6th grade, Sophomore, 5th grade, Senior – crazy

I’m so thankful and God is so good.  Sweet friends called and texted and facebooked me to check on me and it was wonderful – if that was you – thanks, it helped this momma’s aching heart.  I have been pushing back against time and life as it marches right past me, and I’m done.  I don’t want to miss a second because I’m whining about how fast it is passing me by.  (Don’t get me wrong – I will have a moment (or a day) here and there when I’m whining again;)).  My kids are growing up and things are fun and exciting right now, so I’m jumping on board!  
So, now that the kids are back at school, and I’m not working outside the home anymore I have to make a plan (for those days when I can’t decide what to do).  I decided to revisit my goal list for the year and see how things were coming.  

#1 on my list is De-cluttering – everything!! – working on it and getting there, really only two closets left (oh and the attic…)!!  See progress garage, laundry room, more garage, more

#2 Organizing – everything – working on it and getting there, as I said above only two closets left (and the attic…)!!  See progress kitchen, garage, laundry room, more garage

#3 Kitchen redo – including decluttering, organizing and updating (hopefully)

#4 Redo Craft closet

#5 Finish doors in hall – painting and molding – painting done

#6 Garage redo – clean out, organize, blah, blah, blah – Done!!  – see the completed project here

#7 Kids bathroom update

#8 Backyard landscaping – making it a more usable space – not good – puppy – progress here, and here

#9 Fireplace update

#10 Finish Master bath update

#11 Master closet update


So, there ya go.  Some progress made on the smaller, less costly stuff.  I am working with my budget manager (hubby) to see what big project we can tackle this year.  It’s between the kitchen or a bathroom.  I really want to do the kitchen, but the countertops are really holding me back – that will be the biggest expense and I don’t know if we can swing that amongst the senior year expenses :).

Today I am tackling the craft closet – the decluttering part that is.  I’ve told you that as I have been organizing I have been piling in other areas.  This closet is scary folks – I instructed my husband to NOT open the door.  But, I have to open the door to get started so….here it is


I KNOW RIGHT!!  That’s a little embarrassing, but the best thing about a before picture this bad is that it makes the after picture look phenomenal!!  The worst part is, and my biggest motivator, all of my craft stuff is in there somewhere, which means I can’t do any fun projects until it gets cleared out.  Better get to work!!  
Blessings and love to you all!!  Thanks for reading along 🙂
Continue Reading

Blogging

Happy Birthday frazzled JOY!!

3 Comments
Wow, has it really been a year since I started blogging??  I have to say that when I was first introduced to the blogging world, I had no idea what it was all about or how big it was!!  My friend Jennifer was telling me about a project she saw on a blog she liked to read – Thrifty Decor Chick.  It sounded cool, so I thought I would check it out.  I was instantly hooked!!  I soon found a couple of other design blogs that I enjoyed reading, but I didn’t subscribe to any – I know there are many of you out there.  J  Then Jennifer started her own blog.  I loved reading and seeing every project she did online because she is really talented!!  Then came pinterest and I was again sparked to take back up my passion for crafts, home improvement, DIY, and decorating.  After a while I decided that if all these others could do it maybe I could too.  I talked to my hubby about it several times, and he just kept saying, “yes, you should do it!”  Have I mentioned how awesome he is and how supportive?  Well, ya then he decided he wanted to blog too (he really is an excellent writer) – wait, what?  That was gonna be mine thing!!  So, I dove in head first, and started my random blogging, having no idea what I was doing – seriously no idea.  I learned as I went and am still learning!!  I also continued to find blogs through other blogs that I enjoyed reading.  While I love my decorating, DIY blogs, I have found that my taste has changed a little bit.  I am drawn to those who are so brave to share their stories of life – the hard things that we are all dealing with.  I am also drawn to those who aren’t afraid to share their faith – because really what’s faith if you’re not willing to share it. 
You may have noticed that I have a variety of things that I post about here.  I still love sharing my DIY faves, but honestly sometimes there are life things on my mind and my heart.  These posts have two purposes – one is to clear my mind – writing does that for me, the other is to encourage –whoever The Lord might have reading that might need a word of “you’re not the only one” that day.  I know that reading other peoples’ stories makes me feel better some days –  it’s just nice to know that you are not alone in the day to day frazzledness of life, and it makes me feel a little less insane.
As I sat in church on Sunday morning I was challenged about sharing my faith – and God brought this blog to my mind.  I realized that although I have mentioned my faith here there I had never really shared my story, my testimony.  So, I took some time and wrote out my journey to Jesus.  Also, I have created a tab with this story for future reference and a tab for more information about The Man I call Jesus and Savior.  Please feel free to email me any questions you may have.  Thanks for reading along and commenting and following and sharing.  I think the blog world is so interesting – all the cyber friends floating around out there J.  So much fun really!!
So, my story.  I did not grow up going to church with my family.  My only exposure to church was through going to church with friends.  The most frequent being a friend I met in first grade.  Every year she invited me to attend vacation bible school at her church.  I eagerly attended for many reasons.  She was a good friend, I am an only child so summer got boring and monotonous quickly, and I really enjoyed the time spent there.  From there I became involved in Wednesday night youth activities when I got old enough for that.  That too was fun.  That didn’t really last for too long, because in high school our relationship changed – our friend groups changed.  But, the seed was planted.  I knew God, and I believed he was a strong force in my life.  I was a miserable teenager – unhappy a lot.  Whether warranted, that’s how I remember myself.  I had hanging on my bedroom wall two crosses – which I think I found at garage sales – I would often sit in front of them and “pray”.  I didn’t really know who I was praying to, but I knew it made me feel better.  As I look back I know God was taking care of me even then.  Fast forward to college.  I met a boy.  The night we met we talked for hours, I went upstairs and told my roommate “I’m going to marry him” she thought I was crazy.  He was a church going boy, and he asked me to go to church with him, and honestly I jumped at the chance J.  That summer we attended his home church together.  One afternoon we were out driving around and he asked me if I knew Jesus.  I said “no”.  I knew by now who Jesus was but nothing more.  He shared Christ with me right there in his truck.  The next Sunday I walked the aisle at that small town Baptist church and gave my heart and life to Jesus.  I asked him to save me from my sins, and be the boss of my life.  Best decision I ever made!!  Two years later we were married in that church J.  Ha!  Told ya!
Jesus is a present figure in my life every day.  I could share endless stories of how our life events could only make sense because of God’s hand.  Many stories of monetary blessings that came at just the right time.  But I have to say the biggest thing is the peace and joy that he brings me every day.  Really as my blog title eludes, in the midst of my frazzled life I still have joy.  That joy can only come from The Lord.  See, there’s a difference between happiness and joy.  Happiness is dependent on our circumstances.  Joy only comes from The Lord.  Our knowledge that He is in control and that no matter how bad things seem at the time, in the end He has the victory!!  You see when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead He defeated the devil and the hold he has on God’s people.  My trust in God and the big picture allows me to retain my joy each and every day. 

An example – one day we came home from running some errands and there was water pouring down the driveway coming from the garage.  We opened the garage to see water spraying everywhere, coming from the hot water heater.  My hubby and I sat in the car and laughed out loud!!!  We then unloaded the car and proceeded to clean up the mess.  Joy!!  Were we happy that we had to repair the hot water heater, or clean up a water mess?  No, but in the grand scheme of things – joy!! 


I really could go on and on.  But not today.  J  Thanks for letting me tell my story, and if you made it this far – thanks for reading!!

Blessings to you and yours!!

Linking up with Kathy at Cornerstone Confessions here
250 Titus 2 Tuesday
Continue Reading