Faith Lift Friday

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Traditional Gaelic Blessing

On the road this weekend. Visit Sheryl at Taking the Challenge for more uplifting thoughts for your weekend.

Thursday Thirteen--Flowers

A long time ago I had a beau who thought it very proper to send red roses. For every thing. Every. Thing. Let me tell you...it IS possible to get bored with red roses.

So with Valentine's Day is drawing near there are other flowers that exist and are possible to send. If you send something other than a rose, what are you saying with the flowers you send?

Thirteen flowers and their symbolism:

1. Gardenia--joy (a favorite sentiment here!)

2. Black-Eyed--Susan encouragement

3. Daisy--innocence

4. Lilac--first love

5. Sunflower--adoration

6. Carnation--pink gratitude

7. White Chrysanthemum--truth

8. Hydrangea--perseverance

9. Orchid--delicate beauty

10. Baby's Breath--festivity

11. Lavender--distrust

12. Statice--success

13. Ivy--fidelity

Say that you've decided roses are a must for sending--what does the color you are sending say?

1. Red Rose--deep love, romance and passion

2. Light Pink Rose--admiration, joy and sweetness

3. Dark Pink Rose--gratitude or appreciation

4. Yellow Rose--happiness and warmth

5. Lavender Rose--love at first sight

6. White Rose--purity and innocence

7. Orange Rose--enthusiasm and energy

8. Coral Rose--desire, passion

9. Cream roses--richness, perfection

10. Peach Rose--friendship or admiration

11. Burgundy roses--Unconscious Beauty

12. Red and White roses sent together--Unity

And then there's the Finale Bouquet:

13. Dead Roses--well...this kind of speaks for itself...When you care enough...to say it's through.

Here's hoping your flowers are well received or that you receive well...


Visit the TT Hub for more Thursday Thirteen.

Technorati tags: Thursdat Thirteen, flowers, symbolism

Ash Wednesday

Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.

Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19

And saying, The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news (the Gospel). Mark 1:15 (AMP)

Repent, and believe in the good news. Mark 1:15 (NIV)

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Joel 2:12-14

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1 (KJV)

Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That's why the prophet said,

The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers droop,
God's Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. 1 Peter 22-25 (The Message)

Wordless Wednesday

Statue at Notre Dame de Montreal, taken over 25 years ago. Someplace I would love to see again.

Visit the Wordless Wednesday Home for more WW!

Technorati tags: Wordless Wednesday, photograph, Montreal, Notre Dame de Montreal

Children’s Book Monday

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary.

She gave us Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins and so many other wonderful children’s books and Beverly Cleary presents a touching story with Dear Mr. Henshaw.

Leigh Botts begins an inauspicious correspondence with author Boyd Henshaw when he is in second grade. The letter includes a salutation, a mere three sentences, and a closing. But it is only the first of many. The story is told solely through Leigh’s letters and his journal over four years. Through it we see Leigh’s spelling and punctuation improve and we see more. We see a young boy growing and maturing and becoming a writer himself.

Beverly Cleary’s poignant story, a 1984 Newbery Award winner, is humorous and human, a story for young people to identify with. It is deftly illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky’s black and white drawings.

This was a favorite of Roo’s a while back and sure to be a favorite of Boo’s soon. This is a great reader for second to fourth graders.

Visit Elise at A Path Made Straight for more ideas for wonderful children’s books.

Technorati tags: children's books, books, reading, book review, homeschool, Beverly Cleary, Dear Mr. Henshaw

Bless My Heart and Soul

Wendy at The Button Factory passe on this award to me. She was nice enough to say: "Julie at Joyful Days. Whether she's writing about their homeschool adventures or her spiritual journey, I feel a kinship with her." Awwww...Wendy! You made me blush. That was really unexpected. Thank you!


I am supposed to share this award with ten other bloggers who I feel deserve an "E" for Excellent. So I will be passing this one on to:

Annie at My Life as Annie --Annie is such a thoughtful person, she's a good mom & from the recipes she shares, a good cook I'll wager.

Maria at Free to Fly--Maria is focused on spreading happiness and kindness throughout the blog-o-sphere. You cannot leave her blog without a smile.

Leslie at Do You Weary Like I Do?--Leslie is not afraid to tackle the tough subjects. She is honest and open and you always feel she sees the heart of the matter.

Donna at Just Me --What can I say. Donna makes me happy when I visit. She makes me feel like I've stopped by for a chat about daily life; she shares about her husband and horses.

Renee at 2 Peas in Pod--Renee is fun to visit to learn about books and recipes and kindness an hospitality. She's always there with a kind word.

Kim at mom-musings--Kim is all about family and making life sweeter. She does a great book review and is a good cook!

Heidi at God's Grace in Practice--I started visiting Heidi a short while back and I am so glad I did. Heidi is truly practicing living in God's grace.

Sheryl at Taking the Challenge --Sheryl is the hostess of Faith Lift Fridays, she is a reader and just an all around sweet blogger. Visit her for faith, family and fun!

Mrs. Pear--Who is more organized and thrifty? Who has such good menus and recipes? Mrs. Pear is a wealth of information that she generously shares. I leave her blog hungry, though...and I am NOT as good a cook--but learning!

DeeDee at It Could've Been Worse--Well...DeeDee has the best outlook on life. She makes me (and how many others) laugh until we either spew coffee on our keyboards or run for the bathroom. I think she is the Erma Bombeck of our generation. I'm waiting for the book, "Life with the FiddleFamily." DeeDee, I'd like to have mine autographed please.

And then Maria at Free to Fly and Leslie at Do You Wearly Like I Do? shared this award that originated with Karen. It says "You encourage me to follow in His FootSteps. These bloggers do this:

Maria & Leslie--back at you!

Kelli--at Living In Grace, what can I say, other than one peek at Kelli's life is enough to point me toward God's great love and grace.

Liza at Liza's Eye View--Liza has a fantastic view and it isn't just Hawaii. Visit her and see her heart for God.

Barbara at Stray Thoughts--faithful and constant, a true lady, I love the sense of peacefulness and serenety at Barbara's blog. It's obvious where she places her trust.

"Joy shared is joy doubled"--Johann Von Goethe

Faith Lift Friday

Visit Sheryl at Taking the Challenge for Faith Lift Fridays thoughts & devotionals with links to other participants.




He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

Commit Thou All Thy Griefs

Commit thou all thy griefs
And ways into His hands,
To His sure truth and tender care,
Who heaven and earth commands.

Who points the clouds their course,
Whom winds and seas obey,
He shall direct thy wandering feet,
He shall prepare thy way.

Thou on the Lord rely,
So safe shalt thou go on;
Fix on His work thy steadfast eye
So shall thy work be done.

No profit canst thou gain
By self consuming care;
To Him commend thy cause, His ear
Attends the softest prayer.

Thy everlasting truth,
Father, Thy ceaseless love,
Sees all Thy children’s wants, and knows
What best for each will prove.

Thou everywhere hast sway,
And all things serve Thy might;
Thy every act pure blessing is,
Thy path unsullied light.

When Thou arisest, Lord,
What shall Thy work withstand?
Whate’er Thy children want, Thou giv’st;
And who shall stay Thy hand?

German by Paul Gerhardt/English translation Wesley

Technorati tags: Faith Lift Fridays, Scripture, song, Faith, Joy

A Little Fun...

Don't think I've posted one of these before and I thought it might be a bit more cheerful than the QUARANTINE sign. Our joyful cup still runneth over with kleenex and cough drops but we are resurfacing finally. Sooooo...

What Gemstone Are You?

Your Gemstone is Amethyst

Dignified, impressive, and wise. You have a deeply spiritual soul

What Gemstone Are You?

Let me know if you find out, even if you don't post.

Technorati tags: Just for Fun, Blogthings

Really, It's Just a Minor Setback--

...or would I want some cheese and crackers with my w(h)ine? A totally, self-involved pity party. Enter at your own risk.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting today. Really you want to come in? Don't look at the mess around the Joyful Duplex. You need to be warned if you want to come in you should first don the safety-gear.

Then you can have some tea, there's a lot of tea today.

Ignore my bathrobe and stylish attire. My goal is to have a complimenting Lone Ranger mask to add to the ensemble soon.

Sometime shortly after hitting the "Publish" button for the Miss Bishop review and checking a few blogs the world came to a crashing halt yesterday.

Wordless Wednesday went out the window. So if you stopped by to see one of my photos feel free to browse the archives.

Thursday Thirteen is likely to fall by the wayside to, seeing as my brain has just recently found a modicum of coherency. But I've only managed to maintain function for less than a half hour at a time. And then I make my way back to my dark bedroom and heating pad.

In other words, life went from 60 to 0 in nothing flat. I have not felt that bad in years. The boys had (thankfully) gotten most of their school done before I collapsed. I had an inkling the night before I might be getting "a little something." When it started, I thought, "Well I can watch those movies, I've been wanting to." But that involved light and noise. And those became my enemies.

What was worse is that the boys decided to follow in my footsteps shortly after. Them I feel sorry for. Me--I probably deserved it.

We are grateful that Daddy has been working from home and took over the handing out of the medicines, warm compresses, tea and soup. He also ventured out to the Walmart wilderness and brought home a humidifier, more pharmacuticals and Listerine. Oh and being the pushover Daddy that he is, he brought the boys home a new video game.

So the house is trashed, the blinds are closed. Every blanket in the house is being used. Maybe life will return to our normal chaos tomorrow. I'll try to respond to my e-mails and some comments tonight, maybe. But for now thanks for checking up on us.





Be sure to slather you keyboard in hand sanitizer as you leave.

Miss Bishop—A Review

Miss Bishop by Bess Streeter Aldrich

January isn’t over and yet I can tell you what will be one of my Top 10 Favorite Books of 2008. Miss Bishop.

Oak River, a town in 1876, offers nothing but promise to 16 year old Ella Bishop. She enters Midwestern College with a vision for her life. A plan she is sure will work out. She is positive, engaging, a delightful young woman full of vigor and joy.

The story travels from September of 1876 to June of 1933. Fifty-seven years of Ella Bishop’s life, 57 years of change for Oak River and Midwestern College. Fifty-seven years in which Ella Bishop’s plans are continually disrupted.

Published in 1933 this book is not as active as many novels are today; it moves at a pace from a past time. But it is full of it's own tension, challenges, pains and joys of a full life, lived well. Miss Bishop is a character study of a life lived in service to others, denial of selfish desires. Proof that one life can change so many others.

I'm sure I'm not doing the story justice.

There is a movie called Cheers for Miss Bishop that I discovered today. I've placed it on hold at the library. If it's worth watching I'll add a reveiw for that.
For now go and find Miss Bishop at your library!

Technorati tags: books, reading, book review, Miss Bishop, Bess Streeter Aldrich