Refreshing Day 31 ~ Renovations

Update: Post links now included for shared writers below. oops :-)

Welcome to our newly renovated blog home.
Go ahead and take a look around. 

We saved the blog makeover for this last day of our 31 Days of Refreshing. No worries though. All the Refreshing posts have a home in the tabs above.


God has been renovating us as well...to discover, become, refresh, and continue to dream.

We are being refreshed beyond our fears to step into the new and embrace the gifts He's given us to unwrap.


To celebrate, may we share some of the homes we visit often? They welcome us in with faith-filled conversation to build our dreams. We'll share more homes soon. Some will even be activity fun like photography. But, first...

Faith Barista - Bonnie Gray is serving up fresh shots of faith. On Thursdays, writers of all caliber are invited to join in the Jam.

Feed Your Soul::{Day 10} Look at the Stars takes us faith gazing. All you need are your PJs.
Feed Your Soul:: {Day 16) De-perfect encourages us in our imperfections.


Heart to Heart with Holley - Holley Gerth's life words offer every day encouragement for the hearts of women.


It's Time to Kick the Lies Out of Your Life  short post to remind us that God created us with purpose.

5 Things You Can do While You're Waiting - Keeps us mindful of the now while we pursue our dreams.

My Home Sweet Home - Dawn Camp shares her family, faith, and fun with photoshop. 


31 Days of Real Life: You are More than Your Stats (Day 19)
releases us from needing to perform to be accepted.
31 Days of Real Life: What is the Source of Your Joy? (Day 24) refocuses us on internal joys.

We're looking forward to sharing more of God's dreams for us 

in our everyday. 
We can't wait to hear about yours.

Here's to the adventure of unwrapping our days.

~~Are you being renovated? How can you tell?~~

Becoming...Discovering...being Refreshed

Earlier Days of Refreshing

are here

Other 31 Dayers
and their wonderful topics here.

Refreshing Day 30 ~ Just Because

I'm on the back deck today. Taking a slow Sunday. That means this post is later than usual. 


I had an amazing time pondering where we've all come from, where we are now, and where we're headed to...and how we're not alone anymore. We have God if no human, and if you're here then we have each other.


I'm celebrating Shilo today and wanted to share with you. I bought this card for him about 8 years go and believed that the dark, hard place he was in would bring him true success one day. 

Quote by Booker T. Washington

He is now 27. He's upstairs helping his Dad put in the new bathroom vanity so we can have our front porch back for our get together tomorrow. He called and asked if we needed help. His beautiful wife and 3 month old son sit inside, relaxing. I'll be in there playing and laughing real soon.

He had a hard life. He had been mistreated by so many, abused, stepped on, beaten down. His dreams crushed and forgotten. Over the last two years we watched him change, grow, and become independent. He lost his faith in God then. Slow, he now lets God's love back in.

His dreams came true earlier this year as he married, a few months ago had his firstborn son, and just recently is employed at a company he's finally happy working at. He's a laborer and hardworking. 

Today, I'm giving him this card. Praise God for His grace to bring us from where we were and allow it to be a blessing to so many others. 

I thought of you. 

I knew you needed to be told these very words too. So I recreated it for you. I celebrate where you've come from, where you are now, and cheer you on to where you're headed to.

inside Shilo's hallmark card

Soul Refreshment:

Acts 20:1 ~ Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.

1 Thessalonians 5:13 ~ Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs.

Earlier Days of Refreshing

are here

Other 31 Dayers
and their wonderful topics here.

Refreshing Day 29 ~ God dreams and the Present

Dreams are so forward moving. They sort of whisk you into the future as you ponder all that will become. Ah, dreams. They also require quality investment of your time and energy. 

What about the present?

Okay, time to pause. Feet grounded. The future hasn't happened yet. What about where we're at right now? Spouses, kids, grandkids, dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, jobs...

God dreams live in the present. They are actively creating, growing, and getting ready to bloom here. They are full of passion and wonderful expectation now. Oh the faith it takes to believe and keep at it as you do the daily tasks.

How do we live passionately in the present while we work on at wait for our God dreams to become?

We appreciate being in the right now. We unwrap the joy in each moment. Really see the ones God has placed in our lives, and we express gratitude and love to them today. 

We let the Holy Spirit lead us in the everyday. That's true success. The God dreams ahead will be even sweeter as we remember that His dreams in our today. 

Trust that God ensures our future. 

Soul Refreshment:

Psalm 27:14 ~

 I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness 
      in the exuberant earth. 
   Stay with God! 
      Take heart. Don't quit. 
   I'll say it again: Stay with God.

1 Corinthians 7:29 ~

I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. 
     There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. 
     Even inordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on.

I'd love to hear what you have on your mind?

Earlier Days of Refreshing

are here

Other 31 Dayers
and their wonderful topics here.

Refreshing Day 28 ~ Life of Relevance

Relevant. Now this is one power-packed word.

This prompt took me right to the Thesaurus for some reason. I'm glad it did. 

Right away the words "a life of relevance" flowed into my soul.

Take a look at its amazing synonyms:

• Appropriate
• Admissible
• Applicable
• Becoming - now this is my favorite. This one implies "grace". Oh, I love becoming.
• Fitting
• Pertinent
• Important
• Relative 
• Significant

Now, let's personalize those beautiful words:

• Jeri's life is appropriate to God's purposes for her
• Jeri's life is admissible in God's presence
• Jeri's life is applicable to God's calling over her
• Jeri's life is becoming all God has created her to be
• Jeri's life is fitting in this season of her walk with God
• Jeri's life is pertinent in situations that God's places her
• Jeri's life is important in God's heart
• Jeri's life is very relative to today's generation
• Jeri's life is significant to God's heart.

Your turn. Go ahead. Place your name in front of those synonyms. 

Every word is true of you whether you believe it right now or not. Let it's truth take root in your soul.

Yours is a life of beautiful and powerful relevance. 

Soul Refreshment:

1 Peter 2:9-10 ~ 

But you are the ones chosen by God, 

     chosen for the high calling of priestly work, 

chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments 

     to do his work and speak out for him, 

to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—   

     from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

Woohoo!!!

Come join us over at Lisa-Jo's

for more on Relevant

Earlier Days of Refreshing

are here

Other 31 Dayers
and their wonderful topics here.

Refreshing Day 27 ~ They Shower Me with Grace

Isaiah 38:16-19 ~ 

     O Master, these are the conditions in which people live,

and yes, in these very conditions my spirit is still alive—

     fully recovered with a fresh infusion of life!

God has shown so much patience with me as I embark on this amazing new adventure with Him. I step forward despite the critic within. I ask the old questions that reveal my fears, doubts, and worries. I know I'm doing what He's called me to do. I self-talk the words that remind me I don't deserve this. 


I quiet myself in His presence. He sings over me. His song about how He showers me with His grace to do what He's asking of me. Another verse He sings about covering me with mercy for my fears, doubts, and worries. I ask and He forgives me.


He sets my mind at ease. "Okay, Lord. Let your symphony of dreams continue." I can't believe the words even form. "Your grace. Your dreams. I'm just the vessel." 


Ah, encouraged yet again. 


My family has shown patience and grace as well. I get excited. Another time, I'm overwhelmed. I'm dancing for joy and then, I'm grouch and grump.


I quiet myself again. I apologize. They hug me and speak words that soothe my soul. "Guys, thank you for taking on more so I can focus on my God dreams." All their grace toward me has allowed me to walk through my negative thinking. Their love gives me strength to let God take me through. 

Goodbye hiding under the covers. Hello Holy Spirit leading me. 

Indeed, they do shower me with grace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your turn:

I'd love to hear how have you been showered with grace?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soul Refreshment:

1 Corinthians 15:58 ~

     With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, 

stand your ground. And don't hold back.
     Throw yourselves into the work of the Master,
confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. 

Psalm 20:4 ~ 


     May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
and fulfill all your purpose.

I'm at Bonnie's place today.

Come on over

Earlier Days of Refreshing

are here

Other 31 Dayers
and their wonderful topics here.

Refreshing Day 26 ~ Uncomfortable Motivation

"People who walk with a leading from the Lord have a sense of purpose, which clearly marks the boundaries of their lives and makes their choices easy." ~ Stormie Omartian, Just Enough Light For the Step I'm on

Taking risks:

Last week, I stepped out in faith and took the first steps toward living my dreams. After a year of praying and talking with David I made that life-changing phone call. I did it! 

Fear was at its loudest. It was like being at a concert smack dab in front near that speaker. But, I knew my purpose. I hadn't been more sure of anything than what took place over those 4 days last week.

Blooming:

God, in his compassion of my fears timed the planting of each detail in my heart. He slowly harrows at my rough surface of inadequacy. Gently, He smooths it. He ploughs deep into the the scars left by my critics. He removes the weeds of doubt. Just enough weeding to allow seeds of His Truth to begin growing. Truth that reveals which dreams are mine and which dreams are His gifts to me. I realize my dreams were just toys and trinkets compared to the treasures He has in store.

• Assurance of who I am in His eyes
• Confidence that what He says about me is truth
• Compassion to move from inward living to welcoming others in
• Mindfulness of the present and all His gifts to unwrap daily
• My distracting dreams uprooted, and His invigorating dreams blossoming

Motivating fear:

She told me that my fear would grow louder now that I've stepped forward. She also assured me that meant I was going the right direction. It's uncomfortable, and yet motivating. 

In the past fear would've wilted me. Since I made that call, her counsel has refreshed me. The fear is now encouraging me to move ahead as He lights the next step.

My everyday:

God's dream actually unfolding excites me to no end. My everyday ins and outs keep me grounded. That's the biggest gift in all of this. The mundane chores seem more enjoyable. He had already planted that last year, but this week I love doing it even more. 

I'm praying for your dreams. I pray that God would align your dreams with His. His dreams for you are so satisfying and fulfilling. His dreams for you are amazing. His dreams for you heal and restore.

I'm cheering for you to find the gift of His true dreams.

Can you let Him uproot your dreams and plant His instead?

Will you let those uncomfortable fears motivate you?

Soul Refreshment:

Psalm 119:33-40 ~ 

Divert my eyes away from toys and trinkets,

  invigorate me on the pilgrim way.

Affirm your promises to me -

  promises made to all who fear you.

Deflect the harsh words of my critics -

  but what you say is always good.

Earlier Days of Refreshing

are here

Other 31 Dayers
and their wonderful topics here.