New season. New Blog.

I love this sweet blog so much but think it's time for a change! You can now follow me on www.simplyjoyanne@wordpress.com

I lub (love) it!

I haven't blogged in so long that I'm pretty sure everyone has given up on me! Maybe Blair checks in every so often! :) I want to be more intentional because I do miss it bas an outlet. I'm even thinking about a new blog so I can talk about life & golf at the same time. Any name suggestions are greatly appreciated! :) If you know me well you know that I love kids & do a lot of babysitting! Friday night I got to hang out with some sweet kiddos for the first time & we had so much fun. Sprinklers, trampolines, fort building, & traveling to the moon is just a glimpse of what we did! When bedtime came around they each picked out a book to read. Anna Beth went the girly route while her brother's was all little boy. A chapter book on all things bugs! I'm talking spiders, roaches, fleas, ticks, & many, more creepy crawly things! As each page turned to a new insect my immediate reaction would be ewwww, yuck, or something along those lines. Of course Jackson was loving all of it! However, I was so surprised by his sweet sisters reaction with each page turn. I assumed it would be the same as mine since the entire evening she was singing "Cinderelle" & when it was her turn to pick where the rocket was going we landed on the "pink planet!" I'm telling y'all a 3 year old after my own heart, but her reaction was the complete opposite. With each page turn, with every new bug or spider she would point & say with such excitement..."I lobe it! It's my favorite!" I realize she is only three but it was real & it was genuine! On my drive home I remembered that I had forgotten to tell her Mom & Dad that story when The Lord started to tug on my heart. He does that a lot with kids in my life. Just like Anna Beth loved each roach, each spider, the very same things that I saw as ugly & ewww is how my sweet Jesus looks at me. Like AB looked past the ugliness & the yuck of the bugs The Lord does the same with my heart & still chooses to love me anyway. He looks beyond my flaws & sees the potential, the good, & extends to me grace & love that I am so unworthy of.

Fun Survey...The A, B, C's of Me!

Here are the random A, B, C's of me. Feel free to laugh along.... especially with the X question!! Oh, and Happy Fall y'all!!!

A. Age: 29. Turning 30 in two weeks....gasp!

B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore that you hate: Putting clean laundry away. Despise.
D. Dogs: None. Will own an all white golden retriever again one day. Yes they do exist. I grew up with one until I was 15.
E. Essential start to your day: The snooze button!
F. Favorite color: Pink!
G. Gold or Silver: White gold! The perfect mix of both! :)
H. Height: 5' 2" and a half. Yes, the half is important!
I. Instruments you play: None. Does my voice count though?! It is an instrument after all!
J. Job title: I work at Golfsmith come and visit me!
K. Kids: None. Can't wait to have some of my own one day. But now I will settle for "Aunt" to my sister and friends babies/kiddos!
L. Live: Proud to be a Texan
M. Mother’s name: Emily Lou
N. Nicknames: joyful, joyous, joy-joy, shorty, Miss GiGL (yes, it sticks)

O. Overnight hospital stays: twice when I was little. Once for climbing on the counter and eating a bottle of children's Tylenol because I thought it was candy. (whoops!) and for running a 105 fever for four days straight. I was in quarantine because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I still have such vivid memories of that hospital stay and I was only 5 years old. Including that the Doctor would give me a shot every. single. day. & that the nurse read me my rainbow bright book.
P. Pet peeves: smacking!
Q. Quote from a movie: Not real sure.
R. Right or left handed: right. Only person in my immediate family--the rest are lefties!
S. Siblings: Twin sister Jan (2 min. older) Big sis Kim, Bro-in-law Brennon
T. Truth or Dare: truth. A little bit of a chicken
U. Ultimate Vacation: This is a hard one so I'll keep it in the good 'ole USA: I really want to go to Charleston, & Sea Island.
V. Vegetable you hate: Brussel Sprouts
W. What makes you run late: My snooze button
X. X-Rays you’ve had: A lot. Let's see. Wrist in college, hip in college. (flew into the wave runner. Oh. My.) Shoulder (multiple times) Ankle for a split tendon. (It's an ongoing thing prob at least 6 times--no lie!) Ankle again. Yes, I missed a step because I was texting and walking. You can just all me grace.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Pioneer Woman's best chocolate sheet cake ever!
Z. Zoo animal: Giraffe!

Interruptions...

So I haven't really blogged in what seems like forever. Most likely because it has been. I've tried to but I just wasn't ready to share my thoughts for everyone to read. Yes, I've been learning a lot about pride lately! You see, this past year has been one of the hardest I've ever been through. I've been in the desert for what seems like forever. And I'm going to be honest. I would love to say I've been using the majority of this time for my good by asking The Lord to show me what it is in my heart that He has wanted to change but sadly I've spent most of it throwing a fit like a Preschooler. Wanting to figure out "the why" Why did The Lord allow the past events in my life to take place and why did they have to end the way they did. Looking back now I realize that I really was being as stubborn as the people in my life who love me were telling me I was being. Until I got slapped up side the head by a sermon I heard on Sunday.

This past Sunday I visited a new church that was opening it's doors for the first time. It's name is Bayou City Fellowship. When Curtis the pastor started preaching I was absolutely floured! You know those sermons? The kind that you feel as if the pastor had been reading your journal? That the message was for you and you alone? That was me Sunday. Seriously y'all! When he started with the word Interruption I knew I had better buckle up and hold on. He said some very specific points that really struck a chord with my heart and that The Lord really used to speak directly to me. That lead me to the conclusion that this past year I have been fighting my interruptions instead of living open to and embracing them. I haven't been asking Jesus to show me the impossible in it but have been closing my heart off to what He was trying to do in my life. Oh my stars I can't imagine how frustrated He was with me & I've spent some time seeking some major forgiveness. I don't know why but on Sunday it clicked. I've been looking at my interruption with wrong eyes. The eyes of a person that veiwed it as a bad thing. That I wasn't good enough. Struggling to figure out what I could have done differently. How I could have changed things. Wanting all of the answers right then and now. And so many more lies straight from the pit of hell. Sunday I found myself throwing up my hands in surrender. Surrendering all that I had been holding onto and had been trying to figure out. Sunday was the first time I was thankful for my interruptions. Thankful it brought me to Bayou City Fellowship to hear the word The Lord had for me that day. It was the first time in a long time I had had a thankful heart & that in itself is something to be thankful for!

Versatile Blog Award...

My sweet friend Blair awarded me with the Versatile Blog award to try to coax me out of my Blog slump! To be honest, I have missed blogging but every time I've tried to jump back on the bandwagon something has stopped me from doing it. Blair and I met in a Bible Study that was had in my opinion some of the greatest girls you can find in Houston, Texas! We had an amazing time digging into the word each week and growing sweet friendships that will always have a special place in my heart. You will love reading all about Blair's perspecitve of being a wife of a profesional Baseball player! She is an incredible writter so start following her!

The rules that come with getting the award:

1. Thank and link to the person who awarded you

2. Share 7 facts about yourself

3. Pass on the award to 7 new-found blog friends

4. Let your friends know they were awarded!

Most of my friends have received this award so I'm just going to stick with seven random facts about me--hope y'all enjoy!

1. I am obsessed with Twitter. I love to keep up to date with friends, Pastors, sports, entertainment, & so much more. I mean hello! This gives me a quick glimpse into the lives of people I will never meet. Yes, I am a social media junkie!

2. I just finished reading Something Borrowed and can not wait to see the movie when it comes out tomorrow!

3. My Dad's pub inside of The Dunvegan Hotel was just named one of the best 19Th Holes in all of golf by golf.com! I am so proud of him and that it ranks up there with Pebble Beach!

4. Ever since I first saw Annie at the age of four in London I have dreamed of performing on this stage!

5. However, I have had the privilege to perform on the world famous stage of Carnegie Hall three times in my life!

6. After a pretty comical blind date I was urged by a friend to start 27 Dresses in Texas. It's supposed to be a way for y'all to laugh with me through the experience of finding "Mr. Right" Although, like this blog it has been majorly neglected. I plan on writing more so stay tuned for lots of laughs!

7. I dream of owning a pair of these one day. However, I think I'd be too afraid to scuff the red bottom of the shoe!

Don't Quit

I read this devotional this morning and just wanted to share. It also reminded me of a blog I wrote a few years back so I thought that was neat! This really encouraged me and I hope it does you too!

Don’t Quit

Tags: Courage, Everyday Faith, Making a Difference

The sweat. The fall. The doubt. The belief. The sunrise. The trail. The pain. The end.

The sun was calling over the mountains like a siren to sailor’s death. The mountain called. I responded. Step by step, minute by minute, mile by mile, I endured the hill. Half way up the trail, I lost my footing and slipped down onto jagged rocks, cutting my hand and shin. I debated quitting. I mean, I had already completed a good amount of trail. What would it matter if I continued? Who would know? Who would care?

But I couldn’t quit.

I was surrounded by trees; their limbs were like semaphores swaying encouragement. I had to get to the top. I limped my way to the crest of the peak and my breath was taken away. I saw the entire trail, the sunrise, the doubtful cliffs, the believing trees, and I rested in the beauty.

I had a moment with the Creator and saw Life. Sometimes I’ve asked myself, What would it matter if I continued my walk of faith in a Divine Creator? Would would know if I quit? Who would care? But as I stood at the peak of the hill I endured and saw the difficult path I emerged from, I realized the end is worth the fall, the doubt, the pain. Press on, fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), for He shows loving kindness to those who walk before Him with all their heart (2 Chronicles 6:14).

Have you asked if it would matter if you quit? It does. Don’t give up. The view is beautiful from the top.

By Bianca, In The Name of Love and Compassion’s Team San Diego [for more info on joining a running revolution, click here]

Really, Really Big Christmas Show!!

I got to be apart of the cast of the Really, Really Big Christmas Show at Second Baptist Church Houston! It was so much fun & I had an absolute blast! The best part was that I got to do it with some of my best friends! This was such a neat way to share the birth of our precious savior Jesus Christ with the thousands of people who walked into the doors of the church! Here are some fun pictures from the weekend!