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Psoriases, Puke & Pretty Girls {and Other Bedtime Stories}

Mercy, it’s been a wild week.  Wild and fabulous.

Dish: My hubby and I recorded a little video interview of ourselves for something ridiculously cool that we’re applying for.  It was fun.  And awkward.  And sweet.  I’d tell you about it, but then I’d have to kill you.

Deadly: I poisoned my entire family the day before Easter.  Just doing my part to drive home the magnitude of the Easter theme.  Note to self: to not serve week old roasted squash even if it looks/smells/tastes perfectly fine.  Three of us hurled our guts up – mostly across the beautifully green grass outside – and the other 3 simply slept it off.  It was pitiful.  And I was banned from the kitchen for an entire day.  Sweet!

Date: My hubby and I got to escape for a night away to our favorite little Inn on the west side of the State.  And because we’re boring consistent, we pretty much did our “usual”…we hit up a whole food store, purchased something unusual {this time it was a soy/rice/almond milk maker}, ate at our favorite little Lebanese bistro, rummaged through the racks at Goodwill in search of some killer deals, and plopped our heinies down in the comfy seats of the local theatre.  Among other delightfully fantastic things that married couples do when they get to go away – alone – together for an entire day.  Ahem. 

Dermatologist: Before we ran away together, we stopped by the dermatologist to get the results of my biopsy.  Apparently, since turning 30 – along with a tattoo and a waistline – I have acquired psoriases.  While I’m not thrilled about this, I am so thankful it’s not anything more drastic.  All the more reason to eat coconut oil by the spoonful.

Dinner: We just finished cleaning up after a most delicious dinner {Bobotie, in case you were wondering} with some of the college gals from my mom’s bible study.  My hubby and I had visited the group a couple of times to answer {candidly, of course} some questions about relationships, sex and working through ‘baggage’, and just fell in love with them.  They’re truly lovely – inside and out!

Alma Girls (2 of 1)

Delivery: I was invited to speak to 170+ gals at a women’s event tomorrow morning.  At this point, my topic is ‘Cultivating True Joy Amidst the Storms of Life’.  But God has a whole 10 hours to completely reconfigure my plans, so who knows what I’ll talk about.  Excited!  I love to talk {but you’d never guess that, would you?}

Deadlines: I’ve been busy, busy designing 6 foot banners and logos and wedding invitations and movie tickets, and dreaming of the day I can actually have set ‘office hours’.  Only 16 years to go, folks.  Hang in there.

Dreaming: it would seem Spring is in full swing around here and plans for our vegetable garden are brewing.  To grow potatoes {again}…or not to?  This is the question.  Mad amounts of butternut, acorn, zucchini and summer squash, but of course!  Corn, not so much.  Tomatoes and herbs and peppers galore!  Amen.  Planning and dreaming.  And thankful to have little loin-fruit another year older for weeding assistance.  Score.

Doting: I will leave you with these precious pics I stumbled upon yesterday…would you just look at those eyes!

Aiden as baby (1 of 1)

Bug was just a few months old and still requiring 6 doses of beta blockers daily to keep his little heart in check.  He’s a little rockstar and has been med-free for over 15 months.  Whoot whoot.

My babies (1 of 1)

And sweet Bean, who daily delights the socks off my very feet, is still as edible as ever!

Little Bean (1 of 1)

Done: Ciao bella!

Related posts:

  1. My Girls
  2. Our Girls Ghana Wild
  3. A Rambling Post About Nothing Much
  4. Excuses, Updates and an ATW Guest Post
«
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Complete nonsense, Daily Life

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Simply Bloom exists to empower women to embrace their stories, live out their passion with purpose, and leave a legacy of love.
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Hello there! I'm Joy. Speaker, designer, author & coach, and creator of the #weROARproject. Welcome to Simply Bloom Co., where passion & purpose collide.

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Worship and lament were never meant to cancel each Worship and lament were never meant to cancel each other out.
They can — and often do — live side by side.
And the kind of worship that rises in the midst of pain
is a costly, sacred offering God treasures.

#WorshipInTheWaiting #OhGoodGriefPodcast
Praise isn’t pretending everything is fine, it’s r Praise isn’t pretending everything is fine,
it’s remembering who God is, even when it isn’t.
It rarely changes our circumstances,
but it always changes our perspective.

What could shift in you
if you praised God for even one thing
you’ve been tempted to complain about?

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #WonderOfWorship
Sometimes praise is the most rebellious act of hop Sometimes praise is the most rebellious act of hope we have left.

🎙️ Episode 3 of Oh, Good Grief | The Podcast is live.

In this week’s episode, The Sound of Surrender, we’re talking about what happens when we worship through the wilderness, and the way gratitude reshapes our view of God, of ourselves, and of the desert we’re walking through.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#OhGoodGrief #FaithInTheFire #WondersOfTheWilderness #PraiseThroughPain #FormationOverFame
God is never careless with the pruning knife. If H God is never careless with the pruning knife.
If He allows something to fall away, we can trust His heart,
that it is ultimately for our good,
and for His glory.

#AllisGrace #OhGoodGriefPodcast
Sometimes God prunes what is still alive. Not beca Sometimes God prunes what is still alive.
Not because He is cruel, but because He is kind.

It’s unbelievably hard to walk away from something that was once deeply fruitful. But when a season ends and God lifts His grace from that role, relationship, or project, lingering often hurts far more than leaving.

Trust His heart for you in the pruning. 🌱
He cuts with purpose, and always with love.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
I stumbled across the word I chose and lettered fo I stumbled across the word I chose and lettered for 2023. Held. I thought it might reopen old ache. Instead, it reminded me of the deeper song beneath our hardest seasons: even in the unraveling, we were held.

And as a new year unfolds, that truth feels like a steadying hand.

Here’s to beginnings that hum with mercy...
sunrises, blankets of white snow,
seasons turning quietly toward hope. 

Dream bravely.
Plan loosely.
Take the next small step.
Try again.

Be tender with yourself.
Honor the slow work of becoming.
And step into this year knowing—
you are held.
As we stand on the edge of a new year, remember th As we stand on the edge of a new year, remember this:
God doesn’t prune to prove a point;
He prunes to produce fruit.

Trust the precision and the heart
of the Master Gardener.

What felt like loss this past year
may have been His clearing away of the old
to make room for the new.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
For the person who doesn’t love journaling but doe For the person who doesn’t love journaling but does love growth…the R•EVOLVE Journal was created to make the practice simple, sustainable, and meaningful.

Five lines a day - small enough to fit into real life, yet rich enough to capture the joys, struggles, prayers, answered prayers, and all the quiet in-between spaces.

Some seasons change us so subtly we miss the beauty of what’s unfolding. This little rhythm helps you notice it, and hold it.

All seven cover designs are available on Amazon or in the Simply Bloom Co. shop
📚 simplybloomshop.org/product-page/r-evolve-journals

If you live in Central Michigan, I'm happy to connect with you and get one into your hands so you can start journaling sooner.
Sometimes God prunes what’s still alive. Not becau Sometimes God prunes what’s still alive.
Not because He’s cruel — because He’s kind.

🍃 Episode 003 of OGG is live: Making the Cut | When Love Looks Like Loss.

We’re talking about the difference between punishment and pruning, and how the wilderness can be proof of love.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
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