Joy in the Lord

Andrew's First Birthday!

2012-02-01T14:28:00.002-06:00

My big little man!

Lots of fun with sister in the rocking chairs

My little gifts from God!

Two means twice the fun!

Twice the adventure too!

Andrew loved the "fire" on his cupcake :)

Trying to blow it out...

Enjoying the frosting!

Yummy!

Is Mommy really letting me do this?

My little ones in our backyard

2012-01-26T21:23:00.001-06:00

A day in Esther's life

2011-08-13T13:34:00.002-05:00

Changing her baby

Singing hymns with her baby

Praying with her baby. Oh it melts my heart!

Dressed up just like mommy!

Cooking with Mommy

Playing with Andrew in the cabinets.

Andrew on the MOVE!

2011-08-12T13:25:00.002-05:00

Andrew is certainly mobile now. He is following us from room to room and wants to pull up on everything and I love watching his excitement and determination!

My little man

2011-07-26T09:58:00.001-05:00

Many thanks to my sweet sister Sarah for these picutes of my dear little man!

Andrew loves the Highchair

2011-06-29T13:39:00.003-05:00

Simple Pleasures - Fun with a Box

2011-06-29T13:36:00.002-05:00

Garden girl and little boy in blue

2011-06-29T12:44:00.003-05:00

My garden girl

2010-12-07T11:29:00.002-06:00

Every day my little Esther goes out to visit the garden with me and check on all our veggies. She is trying to learn not to pull up the onions yet and that mommy does let her eat lettuce leaves just not any other kind of leaves. :) We have yummy collards too and sugar snap peas!

Checking out the lettuce and onions

Getting a closer look

I just love this little face!

I love my husband

2010-11-05T12:03:00.001-05:00

A peek into our days

2010-06-08T10:58:00.002-05:00

I have some wonderful news to share with you all! God has once again blessed the seed of my husband and has blessed my womb with fruitfulness! We are expecting another little one sometime in January should the Lord will.

We found out because I have once again been so sick and so I took a pregnancy test and it was positive! Robby ran to tell Esther at 5 am in the morning that she was going to be a big sister! We rejoice and are so happy and thank God for this blessing! Our little ones will be about 15 months apart just like my sister Rachel and I.

Pray that God will give me strength for my days as it is so rough to be sick and have a little one to care for at the same time. I admit that it is hard to trust God as I ought to and just thinking about being sick for another 9 months is enough to send me into tears and depression. What a comfort to lean not on my own understanding and strength.

My happy baby Esther in the sunshine

Sweetheart under the great big blue sky - outside is her favorite place to be!

My dear husband faithfully bringing me the Word in the wee hours of the night

It is so hard to believe that when I am carrying Esther now I am carrying two little ones!

Colonial Reenacting in SC Part 3

2010-05-14T11:14:00.001-05:00

Colonial Reenacting in SC Part 2

2010-05-14T11:09:00.001-05:00

Colonial Reenacting in SC

2010-05-14T11:01:00.002-05:00

Little Apple Sweetheart

2010-04-21T10:31:00.000-05:00

Big blue eyes

2010-03-03T16:42:00.002-06:00

Today I am Thankful for....

2010-03-01T14:12:00.002-06:00

Homemade bread that makes the house smell so yummy

Fresh clean baby diapers drying in the breeze and sunshine

Happy Baby dear in my laundry basket

Giggles and eyes of wonder

Oh the joy of barefoot days!

The Man who makes it possible for me to be at home
and glory in all these delights everyday

The infallible Word of God - Our vital daily Bread

Daddy time...

2010-02-18T11:49:00.003-06:00

Tender Moments: looking into Daddy's eyes and stroking his beard

May I have some tea Momma?

2010-02-18T11:41:00.001-06:00

Esther loves my pretty tea cups and seams to know what to do with them, or could it be that everything goes to her mouth! :) Can you see the joy in her face?

Little beauty in her heirloom dress

2010-01-30T13:06:00.001-06:00

First trip to the park!

2010-01-27T08:56:00.002-06:00

Esther and Mommy at the park

We got to feed the ducks and Esther was fascinated with them!

Mommy is teaching me to climb trees already!

I was having fun and trying to stay warm!

Daddy's Girl

2010-01-19T06:00:00.001-06:00

I blest His grace that gave and took

2010-01-18T10:49:00.005-06:00

My husband and I have been listening to the True Beauty: Cultivating Christ-Centered Father-Daughter Relationships (8 CDs) from Vision Forum, thank you Sarah! . We have really enjoyed it so very much, and I highly recommend it to anyone, not just fathers and daughters. One of the sessions was Geoffry Botkin and he was speaking on several godly women from history and lessons we can learn from their lives. One of the women that he spoke of was Anne Bradstreet and he read part of the poem that I have down below and it moved me to tears and really challenged me to bless the name of the Lord no matter what is His will for my life.

I want to be a woman who can say "I blest his grace that gave and took" along with Anne Bradstreet, instead of a woman who pities herself and looks only to her only comfort and happiness instead of rejoicing in the will of the Lord. I want to be a woman who blooms where she is planted, whether it be in need, sorrow, joy, or plenty. I want to be like many of the women of old, who dared to trust God and follow their husbands with joy no matter what the costs.

I know the poem is long but please take the time to read it and be blessed. It is a good strong poem that shows the heart of a woman of character and godly virtue.

Verses upon the Burning of our House

In silent night when rest I took,
For sorrow near I did not look,
I waken'd was with thund'ring noise
And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.
That fearful sound of "fire" and "fire,"
Let no man know is my Desire.
I starting up, the light did spy,
And to my God my heart did cry
To straighten me in my Distress
And not to leave me succourless.
Then coming out, behold a space
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And when I could no longer look,
I blest his grace that gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust.
Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was his own; it was not mine.
Far be it that I should repine,
He might of all justly bereft
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the Ruins oft I past
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast
And here and there the places spy
Where oft I sate and long did lie.
Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest,
There lay that store I counted best,
My pleasant things in ashes lie
And them behold no more shall I.
Under the roof no guest shall sit,
Nor at thy Table eat a bit.
No pleasant talk shall 'ere be told
Nor things recounted done of old.
No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,
Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.
In silence ever shalt thou lie.
Adieu, Adieu, All's Vanity.
Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide:
And did thy wealth on earth abide,
Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the sky
That dunghill mists away may fly.
Thou hast a house on high erect
Fram'd by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished
Stands permanent, though this be fled.
It's purchased and paid for too
By him who hath enough to do.
A price so vast as is unknown,
Yet by his gift is made thine own.

There's wealth enough; I need no more.
Farewell, my pelf; farewell, my store.
The world no longer let me love;
My hope and Treasure lies above.

Mrs. Anne Bradstreet - July 1666

Sunshine Baby!

2010-01-15T10:08:00.000-06:00

Bathtime Giggles

2010-01-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

Thoughtfulness

2010-01-13T13:59:00.000-06:00

(Esther - taken by SK photography)

Eat From The Pantry Challenge

2010-01-12T16:17:00.000-06:00

My sisters have so inspired me by their Eat From The Pantry posts on their blogs that I decided to sit down and just see how many meals I could come up with from my pantry.

I am also motivated by my husband and I just sitting down recently and looking at what we spent on food last year, how much we averaged a week and month and so on and the desire to do even better in saving in this area. Robby is a huge encourager for me in this area and goes out of his way to always shop with me and help me find great deals.

So here are the meal ideas that I came up with:

1) Jumbo Shells (like Manicotti) - make a second pan for the freezer
2) Lentil Soup - freeze half for later
3) Spaghetti
4) Taco salad, try making Mexican rice with brown rice
5) Lentil Casserole
6) Basil Pesto Pasta
7) Homemade Pizza
8) Baked potatoes and salads
9) Brown Rice, Bean and Veggie Casserole - make extra for the freezer
10) Crispy Mexican Wrap Casserole (add black beans) - make a pan for the freezer
11) Chicken Pot Pie - make one for the freezer
12) Fajitas (with chicken)
13) Hamburgers with homemade buns (freeze some for later), Lettuce/Tomato sandwiches me

Sides: lots of potatoes and salads and veggies

This should last us for the next three weeks or so and all we should have to buy is mainly produce and dairy. This will be a huge help to our budget.

At least four of these meals have brown rice in them as I am trying to find more recipes to make with brown rice as I have a huge 5 gallon bucket to use and it is so much superior in nutrients than white rice.

Also at the end of these three weeks I will have five meals in the freezer as well!

My daily delights

2010-01-04T16:26:00.000-06:00

Smiles

Laughter

Yawns

Sweet sleeping baby

Precious Gift

2009-12-16T17:54:00.000-06:00

Today Esther received a very special package all the way from Costa Rica, from her sweet Aunt Rachel. I opened the package to find the dearest little homemade sweater that my sister lovingly knitted for Esther!! What a priceless gift!

From the smiles on my little girl's face I would say she likes it!! What do you think?

We love being parents!

2009-12-03T14:26:00.000-06:00

May we be found faithful in raising up Esther
in the fear of the LORD.

Proverbs 14:26-27

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.

A season of quiet rejoicing

2009-12-03T14:04:00.000-06:00

resting with baby dear

The past 6 weeks have been so full and rich as I am just quietly rejoicing in the joys of motherhood.

I am learning to slow down and just enjoy these special days of getting to know Esther as continue to heal up from the birth. I thank God for these days.

I do apologize for not blogging more, it has just been too far down on the list of things to do. I am also trying to prioritize my days and realize I can't feel guilty at not being able to get everything done each day. I am trying to get the diaper laundry done, make meals and tidy the house and then see what else I might have time for. My dear husband keeps telling me, " take care of you and the baby first and I don't care if anything else gets done."

With baby dear it does seem at times that I rarely get to finish a project all at once, it feels like I take one step forward and two backwards until I remember that the most important thing I can do is to breastfeed my baby and gaze into her eyes and enjoy her taking care of her needs first and foremost. I don't want these days to speed by and look back and regret that my house was perfectly in order and I didn't spend enough time with Esther.

Mommy's happy baby!

Our baby dear was born!

2009-12-02T13:54:00.000-06:00

Esther Marie Maddox

7 lbs. 4 oz. - 19.75 inches

October 24th, 2009 at 5:38 am

Born at home by the grace of our LORD

Getting ready for baby: Clothes and things!

2009-09-18T15:06:00.000-05:00

Here are some washable nursing pads that I made. They have flannel one side and fleece as a moisture barrier on the other side.

Here are my cloth diapers and burp cloths all washed and ready to go.

The very special handed down diaper basket that makes my room feel sweet and homey - thank you momma!

baby clothes all ready for baby dear!

Getting ready for baby: Nursing Cover

2009-09-18T15:05:00.000-05:00

Here is my nursing cover, all ready to cover a hungry baby! Thanks Sarah for all the tips on making this just right.

the nursing cover

Me - trying to take pictures all by myself while Robby is at work. :)

It fits so well... it just needs a baby dear!

I can't wait to nurse my little one

Getting ready for baby: Changing Pad

2009-09-18T15:03:00.000-05:00

Here is the matching baby changing pad that I made to go with my new diaper bag.

It ties with a pretty ribbon to keep it closed....

And it is lined with soft, creamy fleece!

Getting ready for baby: Diaper Bag

2009-09-18T15:01:00.000-05:00

Here is the diaper bag that I have been working on for the last few weeks! It is dedicated to Aunt Trisha for the wonderful sewing machine that she blessed me with!

The front of the bag.

The inside - with lots of pockets!

I love my new bag!

Beach Trip

2009-08-22T08:16:00.000-05:00

Robby and I had the pleasure of spending a few wonderful days with my sister and her family at the beach. Here are a few pictures for you all to enjoy! What a special blessing this time was, we are so grateful to the Lord for providing it for us all.

Playing with my sweet niece Abigail in the water. She just delighted in the whole experience!

Abigail and I enjoying the ocean!

I love my Man! Can you tell! :)

Robby the baby and I at the beach!

Enjoying some very special sister time.

My beautiful sister and I

The Fullness of Joy

2009-08-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

( a Hydrangea flower in my Daddy's garden)

Psalm 16

¹Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

²O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

³But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

⁵The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

⁶The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

⁷I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

⁸I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

¹⁰For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

¹¹Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

How sweet is the presence of our Lord and the fellowship that we have in Him through the reading of His Word.

Let us be faithful to seek out time with Him daily for the glory of His name and to equip us to walk worthy before Him.

Drink in His Word and let it transform you to be more like Him.

Abide in Him and rest in His presence.

My garden

2009-08-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

This is my flower bed that is a gift from my husband and his dear family who worked for hours to help me put it in.

(A Zinnia flower with a beautiful Gulf Fritillary butterfly)

Look Laura! I am growing Sunflowers! :)

An Echinacea flower with a Gulf Fritillary butterfly

Pregnancy Pictures

2009-08-07T11:37:00.000-05:00

Here I am in the backyard by my flower garden! See how my baby grows. :)

I decided to sit down in the shade of a tree for a while. The grass was cool and refreshing.

Humm... I didn't know that Robby took this one. :)

I have been so blessed that I am feeling so much better recently. I even worked outside for a long time this morning. What a sweet joy this is to me, I no longer take my health for granted. Thank you Lord for these happy healthy days!

Fresh Garden Salsa!

2009-08-03T16:46:00.000-05:00

I have been making a lot of fresh salsa from the yummy veggies in my garden. I have been blessed with some juicy ripe tomatoes and crunchy sweet bell peppers which reminded me of home and my daddy's garden and of all the days spent making salsa with my mom and sisters during the summer months. If you have fresh veggies in your garden try making some salsa today!

Fresh Garden Salsa
(My own recipe that changes all the time.)

2 tomatoes - finely chopped
1 sweet bell pepper - finely chopped
1/2 onion - very finely minced
1/4 cup cilantro - minced
1 jalapeno - seeded and finely minced (opt.)
salt, pepper, and lemon/lime juice to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill before serving.

Enjoy the fresh bounty that God blesses us with. This salsa is a feast for the eyes as well as for the tummy!

A Few Pregnancy Pictures

2009-06-13T19:21:00.000-05:00

I am so very thankful to have the joy of carrying this little one as God knits our baby together in my womb!

I am now 22 weeks and love watching my tummy expand with our baby. I am getting to feel the baby move more and more everyday and now Robby can feel it too!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward."
Psalm 127:3

The Blessing of Fruitfulness!

2009-02-16T10:11:00.000-06:00

A BABY!

Robby and I are so happy to announce that the Lord has blessed us and we are now expecting a baby who Lord willing will be born in October!

We are so thrilled and overjoyed at the blessings of God and we are so excited about being parents, we are also a little sobered at all we have to learn and are thankful for family and friends and the abundant grace of God.

Robby is all happy and bouncy and so thrilled to get to be a daddy and my cup is running over with joy. When we found our Robby took me in his arms and we both thanked the Lord together, laughing and crying!

Please pray also that we can locate a good Christian midwife soon, as Robby and I are really wanting a natural home birth. We are so blessed, please pray for our little one that all will go well and I will carry to term and our wee one will be healthy and fear the Lord.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
Psalm 127:3

~ Joyful Wife and Mother! :)

Laying down our lives...

2009-02-10T16:10:00.000-06:00

There is more to Homemaking than Housekeeping!

When I was growing up I had a wonderful godly mother who prepared my to be a good housekeeper and she also taught me that the duty and joys of the wife/mother in home life does not only center around keeping things tidy but also around the spiritual heart of the home. So today as I was reading Passionate Housewives Desperate for God I was so blessed to be exhorted to remember this all over again. I wanted to share some of what I was reading and a passage I was reading from the Word of God.

Ephesians 4:1-2
"I therefor a prisoner of the LORD, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love."

What is our calling? As women of all ages we are called by God to be homemakers and to holy, reverent, godly women who are full of good works and a heart and face of joy. Women who delight in serving God and others. Let us ask God to help us to walk worthy of our high calling. Let us purpose to pick each other up when we fall down or get tired.

Here are the words that so blessed me today as I read from Passionate Housewives Desperate For God:

Jenny Chancey says....

"You see, homemaking isn't about the house itself or the things that it contains, Being keepers at home is about focusing on the Lord in all the everydayness so that our homes become centers of hospitality, forgiveness, training, business, warfare, charity, shared morning and celebration , and -oh, yes-lots of tracked-in mud, crumbs under the chairs,and everything else that goes with human beings. We must not loose sight of the fact that our homes are God-given tools to bless others. They aren't the end goal; they are, simply, one of the means to the end. And what is the end? Dying to self, laying down our lives, serving others that Christ may grow His kingdom and transform the world and ourselves as we do things His way."

Seek the old paths and walk ye in them, for there you shall find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16

"At its heart homemaking is about accepting God's Word and laying down our lives for the brotheren. It is about keeping our eyes firmly fixed on Christ, Who call us to serve Him in the seemingly insifnificant tasks of evereyday living, training the next generation, reaching out to the needy, demonstrating hospitality to saints and stragers, and living for Christ's "well done" rather thant for the praise and recognition of others.

And that's the secret to a happy and blessed life. Die to live. Go last to be first. Give to receive. Make yourself least to be greatest. Homemakers? God created women to fulfil this uniquie role. That's all we need to know to rest in our callings. We can trust Him to conquer the world, one heart at a time, as we live sacrificially and rejoice in His narrow way."

Lets pray that God will help us to lay down our lives and open our hearts and home to others in need. We want our homes to be centers for Christ and places of spritual growth and rest and places of building up a biblical culture and places of feasting and celebreation, joy and laughter. Places of traing up the next generation to love and fear the Lord. Robby and I want our home to be a plcae where others can taste and see that God is good!

~ Joyful Wife

Cilantro Cubes

2009-02-09T13:50:00.000-06:00

Lettuce, onions, and cilantro from my family's garden in South Carolina! I can't wait until Robby and I get our garden going!

Have you ever had a fresh herb that you have lots of go bad in your fridge because you can't use it all up by the time is has wilted? This past weekend I was going to attend the Crossroads 09 conference http://www.crossroads09.com/schedule/ and I had a bunch of unused cilantro in the refrigerator that I didn't want to loose! So I decided to freeze it in the ice cube trays to save for seasoning later meals! I sure did have a lot of fun doing this and was so happy at the thought that I was saving on the grocery bill and having the luxury of fresh herbs.

Maybe you have a bunch from the store and want to use it wisely or maybe you have an abundence in your garden that you need to harvest and store for the coming days. Here is how to do it:

Cilantro Cubes

1. Thoroughly wash all the cilantro that you plan on freezing and then pat dry with a towel.

2. Finely chop all your cilantro leaves and small steams into about 1/2 -1/4 inch bits. You can use a food processor if you would like.

3. Place in ice tray packing down until the "cubes" are halfway full.

4. Cover with water partway and then place in the freezer. After they have frozen then you will add more water to the top of the tray and refreeze. This step helps to cover any pieces that tried to float to the top.

5. After all the cilantro cubes have frozen you can pop them out and store them in a Ziploc bag.

There you have it "fresh" cilantro to use at any time!

To Use: simply pull out your cube(s) and add to your soups and other meals. If you don't want the little extra water then put into a screen colander and run water over the cube until it has melted, drain and add your cilantro to your recipe. It may not be quite as fresh as the before but is still better that using the dried herb.

You can use this method with other herbs as well like rosemary and parsley. Try and see what works for you!

"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred."
Proverbs 15:17

Lets commit to make all our families meals as full of love and uplifting conversation as they are tasty!

~ Joyful Wife

Commiting our ways to the Lord

2009-01-16T10:58:00.000-06:00

"Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and he shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him."
~ Psalm37:5-7

"The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be lived - not looked forward to as though the "real" living were around the next corner. It is today for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow."

~ Elizabeth Elliot from Let Me Be a Woman

Let us be faithful in committing our ways unto the Lord in all that we do everyday. Even in the often invisible things that we do around the home to keep it running and cozy we can purpose in our hearts to do all for the glory of our Lord. Let us live life to the fullest resting in Him.

~ Joyful Wife

Rejoicing in the Lord!

2009-01-15T11:46:00.000-06:00

"Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You: let them every shout for joy, because you defend them; let those who love your name be joyful in You." Psalm 5:11

Welcome to my blog Joy In The Lord! I am Shannon the joyful wife to my dear husband and best friend Robby Maddox who became my husband on September 13, 2008. I am a stay at home wife whose chief delights are loving God and my husband, homemaking, simple living, gardening, cooking, sewing, reading, violin, and spending time with my family and Robby's family.

My mission with this blog as in all things is to glorify and honor and exult the name of the Lord. Without God in my life it would be meaningless and in Him I find great joy and purpose for all my days as He leads me. My call in life is to serve the Lord with gladness and to lay down my life in service for my family as I embrace all that He has for me in my calling as a woman of God. I believe that life with God is full of abundant joy and that is what I plan to blog about. :)

~ Joyful Wife