Wishing you and yours a
Safe and Happy
Memorial Day!

Progress...

One skein down and six more to go...
It is beginning to take shape ...can you see it?

My mom had a doctor appointment this morning...I was her moral support, while visiting after the appointment I noticed the pretty doilies she had hung above her bed. Gifts from her sister and beautiful they are. They look so pretty I decided to try my hand at it. Found a pattern on the internet for a beginner project. I am just the kinda girl that has her hand in more than one project at a time. I think it is a flaw!


Don't mind the coffee stains on my place-mat...it is on my desk for just such a thing...crumb catcher...coffee drips...you know what I mean.

Hope your having a lovely day!
Joyce Marie

Three posts in one day?

Yes, I can't help myself. I was driving home from dropping off our Brittany (aka Miss Brittany as she is known these days) and it dawned on me. We are officially finished with school. Our Lord gave us such a smooth transition that I hardly noticed. He took my girl from our school room to her first job...He brought me along for the ride and woke me up to see all the possibilities that I have in front of me. For this I am truly grateful.

I know that there are many exciting things still ahead for both of us so I will not fret. I love the verse in Proverbs...Proverbs 31:25 She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

You see, I know that our Lord wants us to to live a joy filled life. This verse reminds me to be strong, to keep my wits about me and to just go about my life clinging to the hope I find in Him.

Blessings!
Joyce Marie

Look what greeted me this morning...

How pretty!...this peony closes up like a fist at night...but in the morning she opens up and turns her face to the sun. A true reminder to me that I can curl up in the shelter of my Lord at night but first thing in the morning...I also need to turn my face toward the Son!

This is the second season for this beautiful flower. Only get one bloom so I wanted to record it here...just too pretty to not take a picture.

Wishing you a beautiful day!
Joyce Marie

Life in Spite of Me Blog Tour

About this book

She wanted to die. God had other plans.

Why does my life have to be so painful?
What’s wrong with me?
It’s not going to get better.
It could all be over soon, and then I won’t hurt anymore.

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture-perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook: three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a seemingly bottomless depression.

One January night, the seventeen-year-old decided she no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

But Kristen's story doesn’t end there.

In Life, In Spite of Me this remarkably joyful young woman shares the miracle of her survival, the agonizing aftermath of her failed suicide attempt, and the hope that has completely transformed her life, giving her a powerful purpose for living.

Her gripping story of finding joy against all odds provides a vivid and unforgettable reminder that life is a gift to be treasured.
Includes notes of encouragement Kristen wishes she had received when she was struggling most.

“Life, In Spite of Me is a remarkable story of life beyond despair and hope that triumphs over tragedy.”
—Louie Giglio, pastor, Passion City Church/The Passion Movement

“Suicide is a liar and a thief. It promises peace to those who are escaping but delivers unimaginable pain and rejection to those left behind. Kristen Jane Anderson’s riveting story unmasks the thief and gives hope a face.”
—Dr. Dennis Rainey, president, FamilyLife Ministries

“When I first met Kristen, I was overwhelmed with her smile, and then I saw her wheelchair. It was a defining moment for me. I had not heard her story or why she’d ended up at Moody. But it was her smile—and it is still her smile—that dismantles me. Kristen has something. It is something otherworldly. She had every reason to die, but now she has every reason to live. I hope you’ll read her story, see her smile, and know why she lives.”
—Michael Easley, former president, Moody Bible Institute

My Review

What a book! What a story! What a testimony! I know that is a lot of exclamation points but I picked this book up on a Saturday morning and could not put it down until I finished. I not only read about her struggles, but this book drew me in to feel her struggles. What an amazing young woman. This book kept me thinking long after I read the final pages. I highly recommend this book. We all go through life struggles, sometimes we feel like giving up. I promise, if you pick up this book it will change your thinking. Life is a gift.

I would especially recommend this book to each and every teen out there. A must read.


You may view a short video of Kristen Jane Anderson here


This book was graciously provided by review by the Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Picture of my project...

My project...may not be difficult for some...but have have restarted it 4 times and I made a mistake this morning...and am hoping that I can just fudge it because I don't want to start it over again or I may just throw the whole thing in the trash...just kidding (but the thought has crossed my mind)...and up and to this point...it was going much better.

I chose a paprika color wool and I am hoping that I can finish it over the summer to wear it into the fall...we will see!

Home organizing!

So...I have been doing some thinking and about to put together a plan for myself. After all of these years of homeschooling...I am in such a mindset to get up...get ready, eat our breakfast, hit the books and then do all the other things I need to do after that now that our school has ended...I find myself just wondering around like a boat without a paddle. A week and a half of this and I have had it with myself.

I find myself up and about and just procrastinating at everything. I haven't even baked bread in two weeks...well, I did, finally last night. Sure tasted good this morning. My laundry is beginning to pile up again...what in the world is wrong with me?

Today...I woke up with a plan...my home ran so smoothly when we were schooling...so I have no excuse now and this constant wondering has to stop. I will be dropping Brittany off soon for her evening and then I am off to buy myself a little binder with some tabs and I will then create for myself a home organizer. I am going to organize myself so that I tackle various jobs first thing in the morning...instead of late at night...that way...I can do some of the other things that I have my eye on. Like knitting, quilting, gardening, canning...just to name a few.

So off I go...up to clean up for my day...yeah, I know, it is 3:00...but I have scrubbed my bathroom today...folded and put away my laundry and cleaned my bedroom. I just haven't gotten dressed yet. See, I told you I was wondering...

Have a blessed day!
Joyce Marie

Graduation announcement...

With praise to God. We are blessed to announce the
Home School Graduation of our daughter

Brittany Lucille Nofsinger

from Hillside Christian Academy
Saturday, June 26, 2010

And don't let anyone put you down because you're
young. Teach believers with your life by word,
by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity
1 Timothy 1:12

Great Graduation announcement sites that we liked...


Pear Tree Greetings (our choice)

Tiny Prints

Kodak Gallery


Be Blessed!
Joyce Marie

Graduation preparations...

A week ago Saturday we picked up Brittany from dance teaching and there on our back porch was a package with her name on it...several weeks early we weren't expecting it just yet. Opening the package...we all realized that this was truly it...the moment that we have been waiting for. The arrival of her cap and gown. Of course we had to snap a picture...

I promised her that all of you wouldn't mind that she was all sweaty and her hair was frizzy from practicing her little students that morning. And...there it is the official one and only cap and gown that I will ever have to buy. The CHEO (Christian Home Educator's of Ohio) group's colors...how cool is that? I have to admit that I did shed a tear...so did her daddy...well, we have to get it out of our system before the big day...

My husband had to leave on Mother's Day of all things...so I was able to spend some beautiful time with my mama...I visited with my brother and my sweet niece and nephews whom I am crazy about...then they went home and mom and Brittany and I went out for a pizza. We hardly ever do that with her so it was special and fun...my family bought me my most favorite gifts of all...real living plants and last weekend Brittany and I made a new bed and planted them together...I'll post pictures as soon as the rain stops and the sun comes back out.

Then, last Monday, Brittany and I awoke early, got ready and decided that we were going to find the perfect graduation dress...the dress code requirements are..."modest dresses with sleeves and modest neckline, minimum knee length, no slits". I have no problem with following that at all...but, have you ever tried to shop for a new dress in this day and age with those requirements? First we went to a store that a friend of hers told us about...well, nothing in there had even a sleeve on it...and as far as to the knee...maybe five inches above the knee. Off to another store...nothing again...not even a skirt. I was beginning to think that I would have to pull my sewing machine out of storage...and invite my mom over to make her dress. We stopped, got a sandwich and said a prayer before entering the next store.

This particular store is one of our favorites...you have to look really good at everything because they have seconds and overstocks...but right there in front of us was a whole rack of dresses that could work...we loaded up our shopping cart and off we went to the dressing room. We found the perfect dress...so pretty but it is sleeveless so we decided that we could possibly find her a cardigan...so off we went to look for that...into Target we went and there on the shelf was one lone summer weight pink cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves that matched the dress perfectly. We were so thankful...then off to buy shoes...out of her size, but the guy offered to check other stores or ship it to us from their warehouse for free...AMAZING! Cute little flats with a pointed flower on the toe in white...couldn't have fit her dress more perfect. So...as we drove through town on the way back home we truly gave thanks to God who put this whole outfit together so perfectly.

Isn't it pretty...I am afraid that the light isn't very good and we snapped this picture with my cell phone so that her dad could see it last week while he was away...again...excuse the hair and lack of make-up as we hadn't gotten fixed up for that day yet. As you can see the dress fits the code perfectly...the picture doesn't do it justice...but...take my world for it...it is so pretty.

More grad preps to come as next post will be about her announcements!

Blessings!
Joyce Marie

Taking a bloggy break...

A week ago, Brittany had gone to the dance studio...I asked Dennis if he wanted a treat...of course he did! Anyway...off I went to Dairy Queen...pulled up to the drive thru and completely forgot what I went there to order (I opened my mouth to speak and couldn't for the life of me remember...I actually had to find the picture to jar my memory)...scary!

So...with all this graduation stuff swirling around in my brain I decided to take this past week to set things in order. I haven't had anymore memory lapses...so I know I am on the right track.

I have tons of things to share next week...so stay tuned!

Happy Tuesday!

It's the 4th of May already. Can you believe it? It is a beautiful day here as the birds are sweetly singing in the woodland that surrounds our home. I had some very ripe banana's on my counter this morning...they are now baking in my oven in the form of banana bread. Yum!

Life is sweet today as the breeze is blowing through my windows, the air smells lovely. We are formally in our last month of school. I am sad to see it go...but excited for what is ahead. Even though my little student is graduating, she has much to learn about life and so...I will continue to teach in new ways. I am happily looking forward to summer. I am creating a list of all that I want to do to my home in the next months. I am thankful that with some of these things I'll finally have time to work on them.

Brittany received her teaching schedule for summer classes. Only one day a week which we knew was likely. Monday evenings will be busy for her but this will still allow us to have those lazy summer days. I am so looking forward to them this year.

I asked her what she wanted to do this summer...we decided that we would go hiking...and she said maybe we should try something new like fishing...then I started telling her all that we would need for fishing...and about the live bait that we would be using (a memory of fishing with my dad) which doesn't bother me...but the cleaning of the fish is where I put my foot down. She looked at me and we both laughed then...she said..."well, I was just thinking of fishing and then throwing them back in."...LOL. Laughing again we decided to sweep that idea under the rug for now...maybe our something new could be a little less messy as we are girlie girls.

Today...I am hard at work on my laundry . It is so easy to fall behind in that task. Tonight for dinner I am making meatloaf with roasted red potatoes, and a salad if I still have lettuce(I have to check). How about you? What are you doing today?


Counting my blessings!
Joyce Marie

My thankful list...

1. Thank you Lord Jesus for leading my Brittany to a place where she can dance again for fun.

2. Thank you Lord Jesus for the way the teachers and parents are accepting her with warm arms.

3. Thank you for the new Jazz shoes for Brittany that were freely given to her.

4. Thank You that my faith is growing in you as I learn to depend more and more upon You Lord Jesus.

5. Thank you for meeting a financial need during this time when our pay has been lowered.

6. Thank you that you that you know better for me than I know for myself.

7. Thank you for giving us the change of seasons...for the beauty of Spring, the warmth of Summer, the crispness of Fall and the frost of Winter.

8. Thank you for all that you have been teaching me Lord.

Wishing you a blessed Sunday!
Joyce Marie