HOUSE OF JOY!

This is my new door hanger! I love it! 

When we moved into our home, one of our friends wanted us to order a door hanging (they are made by one of the ladies in out church... amazing) and that would be our gift from her.  Well... I took this very seriously because I wanted it to me perfect.  I love the cutsie holiday decorations, but I didn't want it for our home. I wanted this hanger to be something that spoke TRUTH over our home.  I thought about getting a WORD... because I LOVE words.  So I thought and thought about the perfect WORD for our home. The word that was spoken over and over again to me was JOY!  

That was to be the word for our home... a house of JOY! God has called me and our family to be a JOY-GIVER... and our house should be filled with it!!! :) 

That doesn't always mean we will be happy... but it means that we will always point to the SOURCE of joy! It's a great thing we aren't responsible for creating JOY... we just rest in His! 

In our marriage... we have had some difficult conversations (as I'm sure is true with all marriages). The conversations, confessions, and things that have brought the most hurt and tears have also brought the most JOY... because God is faithful. JOY comes in prayerfulness. He gives VICTORY! 

After one of those conversations with Jacob, God showed me Psalm 20! I fell in love!  It's all about David crying out to the Lord for VICTORY... JOYFUL VICTORY! That is my hearts cry too. Here's what I want written on our home (not literally... i know that sounds like something I would do but... no, that's a bit tacky)

⁴ May he grant your heart’s desires       

and make all your plans succeed.  

⁵ May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory       

and raise a victory banner in the name of our Lord.

 May the LORD answer all your prayers. 

Psalm 20:4-5

I want the words JOY and VICTORY constantly raised over our house!!! We will continue to wave our banners and fight for both in this house of JOY! We are believing. We are fighting. We are rejoicing. We are dancing. We are singing. We are lifting Him high! 

Oh Christmas...

It's Christmas time!!! 

Some of you are probably like... no, it's not. It's just December 2nd.  Well... it's been Christmas time for me since about... oh... November 1st!! I love this time of year! It's just wonderful. It's joyous and it just makes my heart happy.  If I'm listening to Christmas music, I don't care that I'm at work or that it's cold and my checks are freezing off or that my hair didn't do what I wanted it to do or that my belly is hungry... I'm just jolly because it's Christmas!! I can't explain it.  It's just the facts. 

This year especially, our house is filled with Christmas joy. Jacob and I have both fought for and with JOY all year!! We will celebrate!! We will decorate with JOY. We will give with JOY. We will pay bills with JOY. We will remember and treasure our Savior's birth with JOY!

Please note the Christmas plates on the shelves and the JOY decorations - these were Jacob's decorating ideas. He's my regular little Martin Stewart! :) 

This is our Christmas tree

It's actually pretty and funny. Jacob was SO upset.  We were decorating and listening to Christmas music because that equals PERFECTION.  Suddenly, Jacob cries out, "ANNA, COME HERE!" So I run in the living room thinking is horribly wrong.  His face is so distraught and troubled. He has the pieces of our fake Christmas tree in his hands. He looks up at me and says, so sadly, "our Christmas tree is... black." I doubt him, but with a closer look it most certainly is black.  We had this same tree last year, but we suspect that the green carpet in the trailer made the Christmas tree look more green.  We even looked on the box.  Sure enough, it's called "Colorado Black Pine Tree." HA! Who knew?  Jacob is upset about this blunder.  But, with lights on it and the light not on... it looks like a normal guy! Jacob said he wouldn't tell anyone that our tree is gothic, but EVERY person that has come to our house... he has told. Ha! 

I like our tree. It has our special ornaments from our wedding with notes from our closet friends and family on it. It has ornaments we've been given as a couple. And, of course, my favorite Disney character ornaments - those cannot be left out!!! :) 

In this Advent time of waiting and preparing and cherishing the most amazing story of humility - the birth of our Savior - I will choose to WAIT with patience and joy.  I am waiting on many things in my life right now... and I'm learning to do so with patience, with hope, with joy, with passion, with PRAYER! As the world waited so long for a Savior so many years ago, remember and CHERISH Him this holiday season. TALK ABOUT HIM. Worship Him. Seek Him. Rejoice in Him. 

I'll leave you with my favorite Christmas video of ALL times!!! :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TIME!!!