Full of Joy

Today marks the 11th day in a row of a viral apocalypse in our house. (Blast that church nursery.) It started with Basye, then moved to Jase, then they both got new symptoms, then it hit me- hard. Chuck ended up having to take time off work to care for all of us, then my Mom came down to lend a much-needed hand. Thank God for both of them, or I'm convinced I would not be surviving. I still feel completely lousy, and the kids continue to deal with lingering symptoms, as well. It feels like we will never be healthy again. ELEVEN STRAIGHT DAYS! Moving on. Chuck took Basye to several appointments on Friday. We are thrilled, and over-joyed to announce our Pweshy is officially graduated out of her helmet! That was a VERY unexpected surprise. Thank you Jesus! He gives the greatest gifts just when we need them! Her beautiful, ROUND little head! She's pretty excited to finally be FREE!  The day after Basye was freed from her helmet, Chuck took her ...

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Billie Kahler, our guest blogger for today! Chuck and I first met Billie and her husband at church in the hallway picking up our kids. Then later Billie and I were apart of the same writing group! It is always a joy to connect with a fellow writer, and my privilege to share her post with you today! Thank you for sharing your beautiful heart, Billie! Billie and her husband, Mark *** In the quietness of the morning, I sit with my coffee in hand while anticipating my day.   It is my favorite time of the day.   Not because I have a special affection for mornings, but because it is the one time that I am able to savor 3 things I love: coffee, quietness, and Jesus.     To be honest, there are times that I am weary and spiritually apprehensive during these quiet moments with God.   I know my heart’s true desire .   However, I also know that somewhere in my day the connection between my desire to radiate Christ ...

Sunday morning brought shocking news. I found out through a friend about the passing of a guy from our youth group back when we lived and worked in Virginia. Joseph was a Sophomore when we first started working with the youth group, and we had the privilege of watching him graduate. Joseph was nothing short of a stand up guy. If I had to pick a teenager I'd want my son to be like, Joseph would be at the top of a very tiny list. He was a gentleman through and through. He was a leader. He worked really hard, and could be counted on. He was respectful- the kind that opened doors, picked up trash off the floor, and reached out to younger students. His actions showed his love for Jesus. I remember Joseph volunteering in the Awana program- serving the little kids with a smile on his face. He was admirable. I'd have been honored to have him work with my children. He was genuinely kind to even me- a lowly youth volunteer! He took the time to notice things about me, and was quick t...

Welcome to Full of Joy ! I’m so happy you stopped by. In all my ten years of blogging, I have yet to actually introduce myself. I’ve noticed other bloggers have intro posts, and love the idea.     So, Hey ALL! My name is Abigail. Yes, I like to be called Abigail . Since Joy is my middle name, and Abigail means, “Father’s source of joy”, the blog is aptly named Full of Joy . The irony being joy is not a natural component of my heart. My tendency is to worry and be afraid. As a kid I was scared of anything you can imagine! Since becoming an adult, I’ve learned to mask my fears, but they’re usually there scratching at the surface. For the last several months I’ve been intensely working on overcoming anxiety. I believe as a follower of Christ I have the ability, through the power that raised Christ from the dead , to overcome ANYthing. It may take a lot of hard work, discipline, tireless effort, and outside help- but the victory is already mine through ...

  Dear Priscilla,   If I could, I would invite you to my home for coffee and cake (a German tradition I’ve adopted from my hubs) midafternoon while my babies are (hopefully) napping sometime very soon. I would share with you how very important your Bible study, “The Armor of God” has been deep down in my soul these last several months. You have taught that my mind, will, emptions, and conscience are the sum of my soul (Pg. 71). Each of these levels have desperately needed protection from the enemy’s schemes, and you have taught me how to fight. If you came over and sat at my table, I would tell you this. Thank you, Priscilla. Thank you for writing The Armor of God, and using it to teach me how to fight for freedom in my walk with Jesus on a very practical level. The book started out with readers being instructed to write out the most difficult people, problems, and circumstances being faced. It was eye-opening, to say the least, to find out these dire situations ...

Congratulations to my college Roomie- Amanda! We chose the winner the good 'ol fashion way- Jase picked her name out of the "hat" (bowl)! Thank you so much to ALL who participated- it means a whole lot. Roomie, a package will be coming your way!