Weekend Reflections: Father's Day Edition

Vision Forum shared this photo, along with a short inspirational message, on their Facebook wall yesterday. I encourage all dads (and moms) to read that post! 

Looking Back...


Here's what we talked about this week:

• My Favorite Bible Study Methods
• Father's Day Ideas
• Sufficient Grace
• 4 Reasons I Love Homeschooling
• What's For Dinner, Mom? (Review and Giveaway)

From the Archives...

• Of Splinters and Scars

Looking Ahead...

Next Week

On Monday, Jennifer will share more tips for Bible study. Jessica will post on Tuesday. There will be a Guest Post on Wednesday, and Joanna will share her heart on Thursday. On Friday, we'll be sharing our family's favorite meals with you, so be ready to copy some yummy, (and most certainly easy, at least in my case, ;) recipes! 

Have a blessed weekend, and...

...Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there!

P.S. Don't forget to enter our current giveaway! 

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...

Here's what we talked about this week:

• How to Listen Better
• Great Easter Resources
• Remembering What Mercy Means at Easter
• Fun Foods for Easter
• Homeschooling Moms' Key to Housework Success

Three Years Ago Today...

• Am I A Critical Wife?

Looking Ahead...
The month of April is exciting and busy for us! Sometime this month Joanna will be adding a new member to their family. She is taking off the month from posting. Imagine her not being willing to write words to us while she is in labor! The rest of us have year-end projects and trips and testing to see to, so we decided to scale back.  I guess you could say we're all taking a bit of a break. During April (at least), there will be no Tuesday or Thursday posts. On the other days, you will be seeing more guest posts than usual.

Next Week
I will tell you what I would do to fall in love again and Jessica will share a devotional with us. All of us will let you know how we celebrate Easter which is coming up next Sunday!

Reminder
In order to keep the sidebar less cluttered, we have listed all our sponsors, affiliates and favorite companies in the Resources section. We added a few this month, so be sure to check it out. If you decide to purchase from some of our affiliate links, we thank you for the small commission that helps us run this site and we thank you on behalf of the family-based companies we support.






Have a blessed week!

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...

Here's what we talked about this week:

• Delicious and Easy Casserole Recipes
• A few thoughts about life and driving
• Easter table decorations
• An alternative magazine for women who love Jesus

We also had a giveaway for the Wholesome Comfort e-book. The winner is:
 Hannah (joyfilledjem@) 
Hannah should have received an e-mail from me already.
If you did not win, you can get your own copy here at a 25% discount by using the following code:

Code: CHERISH25
Expires: 3/26/12

Three Years Ago Today...

• Why Marriage is Worth Fighting For

Looking Ahead...
Next week, you will read posts from Jessica and Joanna and a devotional by Tonya. Guest blogger, Karen Jordan will help us improve our listening skills. We will also share how we involve our kids in household chores.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...

Here's what we talked about this week:

• Why My Children Are My Greatest Literary Work
• Celebrating a Spiritual Milestone with Your Child
• What Are You Eating Spiritually?
• The Art of Listening
• Just for Fun Questions

Three Years Ago Today...

• Never Forget : Why It's Important to Remember How to be a Kid

Looking Ahead...
Next week I will tell you the most frugal practice in my kitchen. Judy will give us some of her homeschooling advice from her experience with 7 children. Jessica will share some devotional thoughts and Joanna will give us her insights as well. Then, we'll all give you a glimpse into our home schools.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...

Here's what we talked about this week:

• How to keep loving when there's no holiday
• How Christ wants to be loved
• Getting the table ready for spring
• Friday's Missing Post (Yep, that should have been me! Oops!)

Our giveaway winners for the two e-books were:
Grandmagene for the Plan It, Don't Panic
Marilyn Parks for the True Christian Motherhood

You should have received an e-mail from me already. Enjoy!

Three Years Ago Today...

• A Mother Prays the Fruit of the Spirit
  

Looking Ahead...

Next week, I will tell you about my latest Gabby Moms product to review. Jessica and Joanna will send along their creative ideas and you can find out if you are a Map Quest Christian. We'll also share some of our favorite date night ideas.

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...

Here's what we talked about this week:

• How to put your husband first
• Tips for running a large family smoothly
• What Valentine's Day should be about
• An inexpensive wreath decoration
• How we prepare for a new baby

Three Years Ago Today...

• Keys to a Loving, Lasting Marriage  (Part One*)
  

*Here is Part Two and Part Three.

Looking Ahead...

Next week, we will celebrate Valentine's Day and introduce our newest contributors. We hope to do some fun things as well, so stay tuned!

Weekend Reflections

Important Reminder:  
If you subscribe to Cherish the Call through RSS or e-mail:

1. Unsubscribe from Joy Ever After. (But please don't forget to go on to step 2!)
2. Subscribe using one of the buttons on the blog itself. They are located in the top right corner of the sidebar.

Hopefully, I can get everyone's subscription working correctly with the new feed. Thanks!

Looking Back...

Here's what we talked about this week:

• The Most Important Young Lady to Mentor
• How a Child Serves Up Joy on a Breakfast Tray
• Why You Aren't Useless to God
• A Little Laugh for Homeschooling Mothers
• A Giveaway for Child Cold Symptoms

Three Years Ago Today...

• Voices of the World

Looking Ahead...

Next week, we will discuss some ways to prefer one another in marriage. Judy will share some tips on living in a large family. Jessica will give us a devotional thought, and Joanna will tell us what's on her heart as well. We will all discuss how we prepare for a new baby although only one of us is actively doing that right now!

Have a blessed weekend!

Weekend Reflections (and Important Information for Subscribers!)

Looking Back...

Here's what we talked about this week:

• How to Get Food in the Freezer When You Don't Have Extra Time
• Great Ideas for Organization
• No, Devotions Doesn't Have to Be "One Size Fits All"
• A Table Pretty Enough to Eat On
• The Lazy Way to Do Laundry

  From the Archives...

• Hearts at Home...Plate

Looking Ahead...

We'll be finishing out January by focusing on our kids. Find out what it means to be a mentoring mother and enjoy a little homeschooling humor. Jessica will be sharing from her heart, and Joanna will look into the Word of God with us. Been coughing this winter? Stay tuned for a great giveaway to help you and your kids get through the winter cold symptoms.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! O.K. I didn't mean to shout, but I do hope you can do me a BIG favor. My technically challenged self happened to get my feeds all mixed up while switching to the new domain. Judy, one of our great monthly contributors, helped me get the correct feed on the subscribe buttons on the blog page. Here's what I need you to do if you subscribe through RSS or e-mail:

1. Unsubscribe from Joy Ever After. (But please don't forget to go on to step 2!)
2. Subscribe using one of the buttons on the blog itself. They are located in the top right corner of the sidebar.

Hopefully, I can get everyone's subscription working correctly with the new feed. Thanks!

A Freebie for You
After all that work, you need something for free, don't you? I thought so. My friends over at SALT Magazine have asked me to tell you about a free issue offer on their site. This is what they said:

If you're interested in homeschooling, courtship, quiverfull issues, child-raising, politics, and spiritual inspiration, try a free, no obligation issue of SALT Magazine.

This may not apply to all of you readers, but I decided to pass the news on. To get your free issue, go here.

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...


Here's what we talked about this week:

• How to Get Out of Your "Box"
• Homeschool Progress Check
• The Reason Trust is Hard
• A Super Easy Recipe for Hospitality
• A Free Newsletter and E-book For You

  From the Archives...

• Just For Fun: How Frugal Are You?

Looking Ahead...

Although we are in the process of adding some great new contributors, next week we will be back to the core team. You can read some tips on batch cooking for busy moms and how to find the right devotional plan for you. Jessica and Joanna will be sharing some excellent thoughts and tips as always, and we'll all talk laundry on our individual blogs.

We have a few spots left to fill in on our guest posts schedule, and we are also considering one or two more monthly contributors. If you are interested in contributing to Cherish the Call, send me an e-mail at homekeeper31 (at) gmail (dot) com with Contributor in the subject line. Please include a link to your blog and about what topic you are interested in writing (see list on our sidebar).

Link up with us!
Copy a link to your favorite post from your blog (not your home page URL, please!) this week into the comment box below. We'd love to check it out!

Weekend Reflections (and some Announcements!)

Looking Back...

Doreen was not only our entrant for the Best Buy Gift Card, but she was also the winner of the Grand Prize! We're so glad a Joy Ever After reader got to win! Congratulations, Doreen!

The winner of Passionate Housewives will be announced in a separate post by Jessica.

Here's what we talked about this week:

• Why neither you or your husband can sit on the bench in the parenting game
• How to manage all the Christmas gifts your kids receive
• Why we celebrate Christmas
• Are your kids worshiping Santa or the Savior?
• How we celebrate Christmas

 From the Archives...

• How to Make Time to Read This Year

Looking Ahead...
We have a lot of exciting changes coming up in the new year! We are going to spend next week working on them, so there won't be any new posts next week. All posts will stay the same, but we are changing the name of the blog (you'll have to check back after New Year's Day to see what we came up with!). If you go to the Joy Ever After site, you should be redirected to the new one. We'll work out all the bugs, and let you know if you need to change things in your reader or e-mail subscription so you don't miss any post updates.

We will be adding new contributors and a few new topics in the new year as well. In the spirit of simplifying my life, I am merging my real food blog with this one. Don't worry, I won't be talking about health all the time! It will just be included in our list of topics and you will be able to access my past posts on health and real food from this blog.

If you are interested in doing a guest post or having us review one of your products in 2012, please send me an e-mail. I'd be happy to consider your post or product!

From all of us here at Joy Ever After, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We will be back January 2 with our new (and hopefully improved!) blog!


Link up with us!
Copy a link to your favorite post from your blog (not your home page URL, please!) this week into the comment box below. We'd love to check it out!

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...

The entrant from Joy Ever After into the Grand Prize Giveaway for the $75 Best Buy Gift Card is Doreen! You should have received an e-mail. We hope you win!


 Here's what we talked about this week:

•  3 freedoms to give to our husbands
• The most convicting post of the Christmas season
• How falling in love with Jesus is like falling in love with your husband
• Tips for decluttering your living space
• What activities we enjoy at Christmas time

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway for a chance to in a life-changing book for women!

 From the Archives...

• A Mom Looks At "Away in a Manger"

Looking Ahead...
Next week is the week of Christmas! Can you believe it is here already? We will be keeping our regular posting schedule and sharing how we celebrate Christmas.

We are hoping to revamp the blog a bit in the coming weeks to prepare for the new year. It might be necessary to change the name of the blog. Unfortunately, though I was the first to publish Joy Ever After, I was not the first to purchase the domain. Therefore, we would love suggestions from you readers that know the purpose and focus of this blog as to a new name. If you have any ideas, leave them in the comments or on our facebook page. We may just have a contest to see which title wins!


Link up with us!
Copy a link to your favorite post from your blog (not your home page URL, please!) this week into the comment box below. We'd love to check it out!

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...
 Here's what we talked about this week:

• Things You'll Never Hear Your Husband Say 
• Crafting with and capturing the perfect photo of your children this season
• How to be kept from evil in a world of evil
• An easy plan for decluttering your home
• How we Christmas shop

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway for a chance to do some last-minute shopping at Best Buy!

 From the Archives...

• Cornerstones of a Peaceful Day

Looking Ahead...
Next week, you can read about the freedom your husband needs, how to fall in love with Jesus, a review (and giveaway!) of one of our favorite books for women and what activities make the Christmas season special for us.

Link up with us!
Copy a link to your favorite post from your blog (not your home page URL, please!) this week into the comment box below. We'd love to check it out!

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...
 Here's what we talked about this week:

• Looking past him to Him 
• How to put down the books and learn from the Source
• How women fit into the family of God
• Saying goodbye to fall with one more pumpkin recipe
• How We Decorate for Christmas blog hop

Don't forget to do some Christmas shopping at Thirty-One and enter this week's giveaway!

 From the Archives...
Forgive me for a little nostalgia. "Little Man" featured in this post is now potty-trained, and I have a new "Little Man" that is just as attached to my hip as his older brother was!

• A Tale of a Typical Day

Looking Ahead...
Next week, you can read about the things you'll never hear your husband say, another book review by an up and coming author and how we Christmas shop--with a giveaway to help you out with your shopping!

Link up with us!
Copy a link to your favorite post from your blog (not your home page URL, please!) this week into the comment box below. We'd love to check it out!

Weekend Reflections

Looking Back...
 Here's what we talked about this week:

• What a blanket and your marriage should have in common
• How to remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving
• One thing God wants to withhold from us
• Fall decorating ideas
• What went on in our homes this week

And the giveaway, of course! How would you feel if you found out your former English teacher was reading your blog? Yep...that's how I feel. (I know she thinks I use too many ellipses)...(and parentheses). And I'm excited to announce her as the winner of my copy of Promise of Deer Run and an entry into the grand prize drawing for the gift basket. Congratulations, Caltory! Thanks to all who entered!

 From the Archives...

• Thanksgiving in Everything

Looking Ahead...
Next week, we'll be talking about thankfulness in our marriages, for our children and for our homes. We are also starting a 6 week holiday blog hop with plenty of giveaways! Stay tuned.

Link up with us!
Copy a link to your favorite post from your blog (not your home page URL, please!) this week into the comment box below. We'd love to check it out!

Weekend Reflections

*This is a new feature we're going to try just to recap the week behind us here on Joy Ever After. Instead of external links, we'll refer you to posts here on the blog.

Looking Back...
 Here's what we talked about this week:

• The beauty of an old romance 
• A cute Thanksgiving tradition for children 
• How to test your trust level 
• Being truly grateful 
• What went on in our homes this week 
• A chance to win a gift basket valued at almost $300! 

From the Archives...

•  Whose House is it Anyway? (marriage post)

Link up with us!
Copy a link to your favorite post from your blog (not your home page URL, please!) this week into the comment box below. We'd love to check it out!