Joyfully Thriving

Grace-Filled Frugal Living

When You Can’t See Your Calling Because of the Laundry Pile

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Let's do real life together, shall we? I love being a wife and mom. It was always my heart's desire. Now that I'm several years in (9 years married and 4 years with kids), the reality can be overwhelming. Because, let's be honest? Being a mom is hard. Being a wife is hard. Sometimes you spend the day tackling four loads of laundry...only to do more loads of laundry the next day when accidents happen overnight and the baby has another blow out. (This is the Instagram moment that started these musings.) This laundry? And all the other baskets waiting to get done? This laundry is … Read More...

3 New Christian Books Worth Reading

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I read a lot. Despite having read 94 books in 2017, I haven't shared any book reflections in awhile. It's time to change that because I have 3 new Christian books to share with you - ALL of which are worth reading soon! Whether you like memoirs, devotionals or well-written fiction, there is something here for everyone. Add these new Christian books to your reading list. You will be glad you did! Of the over one dozen books I've already read in 2018, here are 3 of my new favorites. This post may contain affiliate links. You can read more in my disclosure policy.  So Close to Amazing … Read More...

Dear Church Worker Wife, Who Feels Overwhelmed,

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Dear Church Worker Wife Who Feels Overwhelmed and Alone,

To all the church worker wives out there, this is a letter that has long been on my heart and I pray it speaks to yours. This is the letter that I wish someone would send me and that I know other church worker wives need to receive.  Dear Church Worker Wife, Who Feels Overwhelmed and Alone,  I see you. I really do see you. I see you pinching pennies and living on a tight budget that doesn't seem to have any extra room in it. I see you trusting God to provide but still wondering how that will happen. Some days it really seems like the faith and logic of a budget collide, doesn't … Read More...

When You Long to Be More Than Just Making It

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Are you frustrated by your finances? There is hope, especially if you long to be more than just making it. Here's some encouragement just for you!

The longer I live on a budget, the more I realize how difficult it can be. I've had some very open and honest conversations with different friends over the past couple months. It's amazing how quiet we keep about our finances and at first, I was surprised by some of these revelations. But then, these conversations caused me to really think. Please note, I believe there is a lot of good in privacy with our finances. I'm traditional in that regard and believe it is also good stewardship. I don't share a lot of specific numbers on my blog because I don't want to cause others to struggle with … Read More...

When You Feel Alone on Mother’s Day

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Mother's Day can be hard, for so many of us women! I needed to read this reminder that I'm not alone on Mother's Day - or any day!

Mother's Day can be a joyful day but it can also be an emotional one. We, as women, know that fact well. We all carry motherhood baggage, some that is known and other bits that we hide. I've been thinking a lot about those of us who feel alone on Mother's Day - or any day, for that matter. Sometimes our own situation feels so isolating, we focus only on the pain of moment. I know Mother's Day is one of those hard days for many people and many reasons. For me, there were years of singleness when I doubted I would get married. I felt alone on those Mother's Days. Then, when I was married, … Read More...

Choose Joy

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This started out as a serious post and then I had one of those crazy days that all of you moms (especially you moms of little ones) know well. The day started out uneventfully. Sure, the kids didn't sleep great the night before but oh well. I had big plans for our day today. Soon, the day started to unwind before it had barely started. I won't go into lots of detail but there was screaming, whining, fussiness - and sadly, not all of it was from the kids. By nap time, I was worn out. I was tired of asking Nathan to clean up his toys and not push your baby sister. I was tired of holding … Read More...

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