Speak Love

Good morning Joie blog readers! We have a special guest blogging for us today! Pastor DD, from Elevation Chapel in Newton, MA, is going to give us a different perspective on a very important verse in the Bible and how she knows it will strengthen your marriage. Thanks so much for this wonderful post, DD! 

~*~

In my 15 years of ministry, and 7 years of pre-marital and marriage counseling I’ve pretty much seen and heard it all… My husband and I always make it a point to get to know each couple, both as individuals and as a unit. So, this being my first blog post EVER, I thought it would be fitting to open with the best~ what I consider to be the most valuable piece of advice for each and every couple, in any stage of your relationship.

In literally 90% of the weddings I’ve witnessed, this scripture is given as one of the ceremonial readings. Even when a couple isn’t “religious”, this has been the reading of choice for so many. I believe the reason is that this verse is so timeless and widely applicable (also why I’m choosing to focus on this!). I also believe this verse has the power to strengthen and even save relationships.

The verse is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Now, I’m sure half of you probably just skimmed that passage because you’ve heard it so many times! But hear me out… Let’s try something… Read this verse again, except this time, replace the words “love is” with the phrase, “Because I love __________, I will be _________.” Or, “I will not be _________.” as the case may be.

So now for me, the verse reads as follows: “Because I love Max (my husband), I will be patient and kind. Because I love Max, I will not be boastful or proud or rude. I will not demand my own way. Because I love him, I will not be irritable (that’s a tough one for me!), and I will keep no record of being wronged. Because I love Max, I will not rejoice in injustice (or be happy when he is wrong) but will rejoice whenever the truth wins out (I will rejoice when he is right.). Because I love Max, I will never give up on him, never lose faith in him, always be hopeful for him, and my love for him will endure through every circumstance.”

Words are powerful. The Bible says the power of life and death is in the tongue. I truly believe that, because I’ve seen it in so many and experienced it first-hand in my near 18 years of marriage. The words we speak directly affect the circumstances we are in. Regardless of whether you have been together for a week, a year, or twenty years, remind yourself of this verse. Even read it aloud, together… Because when you model your love after this, your relationship will reflect God’s pure and perfect love.

Love & Blessings,

Pastor DD

DIY Thank You Cards

Ever since I was a child, my mother has always instilled a DIY attitude in me, especially when it came to card making. I don’t think I’ve bought a card since I was around nine years old.  Although card making does have an initial start up cost (that does cost more than a single card), it won’t take long until you can actually save money by creating your own cards. Also, can you think of someone who doesn't like receiving a handmade card in their mailbox? One of my favorite methods of generating thank you cards is rubber-stamping. After the start up costs of a few rubber stamps, the only thing that needs to be bought on a routine basis is paper and embellishments.

If I’m creating a mass number of thank you cards, I try to keep it fairly simple, so I can both keep my costs down and also cut down on the time devoted to the cards. However, efficient card making doesn’t have to look cheap.

I recruited my mom for this tutorial to help show that your bridal shower or wedding thank you cards can be both beautiful and cost efficient.

Bicycle Card

The first thank you card we created was most likely the simplest thank you card you could get, but isn’t it spunky and cute? This bicycle and “thank you” were stamped, while we used a mini paper punch to create the tiny hearts. Draw little squiggly lines, attaching the bike to the hearts and wah-lah, you have a thank you card!

Flower Card

This card was a little more in depth. We used a total of four stamps; a flower, background lines, splatter paint, and “A million & one thanks.” We also incorporated one of my favorite stamping accessories… dimensionals! For those that are unaware, a dimensional is a little foam shape that is placed under a piece of paper to add… you guessed it… dimension. On this card we used the dimensionals under the flowers and added a little pearl in the center of each flower to enhance the design.  Because these flowers coordinated with a hand-held punch, this card required very little work and was very simple to put together.

Designer Paper Card

If you find some designer series paper you like, whether it be from a box store or a personal crafting consultant, you can easily coordinate this card using your own designer series paper to guide you in your choice of both color and stamps. In this specific card we layered the designer series paper on some solid colored cardstock and finished it off with a “thank you, you’re the best” stamp and a little bit of ribbon.

Lobster Card

If your wedding or shower has a theme, try incorporating that into your thank you cards. This card in particular would work great for a nautical themed event. We used the bold lobster stamp to create an eye-catching focal point. In this card we used four simple rubber stamps with some bakers twine, which is very popular lately.

As you can see from these four cards, rubber-stamping doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. Each one of these cards took less than five minutes to create. So whether you are making one or one hundred it’s worth both your time and effort.

~Taryn

All stamped images are copyright of Stampin’Up! 

{Devotional} Delight

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, 
and on his law he meditates day and night." {Psalm 1:2}

What brings you delight? A quick stop into your favorite bakery? Hiking with your loved ones in the spring? Cuddling up with a good book? It could be all of the above!

We read in Psalms that delight is knowing God's words by heart and immersing yourself daily in what He has to say. And when we constantly do this? We become like the trees planted by the river. They are the healthiest, producing the most fruit, and not withering.

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, 
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither." {Psalm 1:3}

Let this be an encouragement to you today, to take a break from your crazy day and drink your water. Let God's word overflow in you!

~*~

If you're at work and don't have a Bible with you, download the Bible app (by YouVersion) for your phone! It's great to have the Bible with you all the time. :)

{love}stephanie

1 Peter 3:15

This verse has been on my heart lately, and so I hope it encourages you today! 

The Lord knows what He is doing.

Currently, we're in the curating+gathering process of this first issue of our little magazine magazine. This process could also be called the waiting process. Waiting for emails to get sent back, waiting for ideas to pop up and waiting for all the little details to come together. Which they definitely are, albeit slowly. 

If you know me, you know I'm not good at waiting. 

For anything, really.

(Which is why I'm prone to using the microwave.)

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart.

The Lord's timing is better than mine will ever be. 

When I think that really cool vendor will never reply to my email, God knows when they will (or knows that they won't, which is fine, too.) When that *perfect* job comes... and goes... gather all your patience and wait on the Lord for something even more amazing. When you've been waiting so long for someone to love forever and it seems impossible to wait a little longer... just wait. 

The Lord knows what He is doing. 

~joie team

Forever Faithful

I was at a coffee shop yesterday evening and started reading Psalm 136, the chapter that reminds us line after line that "His love endures forever".

Line after line. A reminder. A promise. 

That He loves us. And He will love us forever. 

Without fail. 

He loves you. 

Remember that today. 

Super Easy DIY: Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

Have you seen the "Will you be my bridesmaid?" gift trend going around? Well, here's a really easy and meaningful DIY way to make some for your girls!

Supplies:

- Two different colors of washi tape, in your wedding color scheme (can be found at Paper Source)

- An ink pad

- A paper tag (can also be found at Paper Source)

- One small kraft paper box (I got this one at Michael's)

- Some "filler" shreds of paper. Or you could use fabric.

- Small piece of paper to write a note on.

- A small, very special gift (I chose a sterling silver ring)

- A marker

- Scissors

1. Cover all four outside edges of the kraft paper box with one of the colors of washi tape.

2. Open the ink pad and press it firmly onto the top of the box. Careful, it takes a while to dry. 

3. Cut hearts out of the second color of washi tape. Place them in a cluster, anywhere on the top of the box.

4. Also ink the paper tag (the more gold the better!)

5. Add some personal touches! Write a special note on the card inside and your friend's name on the tag. Tape the tag to the box and voila!

There you go! An easy DIY for your future bridesmaids. Definitely add your own twists to it, like using your wedding colors and choosing specialized individual gifts for each girl. 

Send us your DIYs! Tag your photos #joieDIYfun on Instagram! 

~joie mag team

Ten Dates under Ten Dollars

It's a MUST to keep dating even after you are married! Just because you have settled into a daily routine, doesn't mean you can't still have fun! Here are ten easy and inexpensive dates to give you some ideas for how to do just that. I suggest bringing along a disposable camera to capture these new memories! 

Out on the Town

1. Go to the library! Pick out books, or check their schedule and see if anything fun is happening. Sometimes local artists or musicians visit.

2. Take a bike ride. It's always fun to explore your neighborhood in a different way than usual.

3. If you appreciate art and/or want to feel cultured, check out your local museums. Most have one night a week when admission is free.

4. Go on an "adventure drive". Take turns deciding which roads to take, and see where you end up. Don't forget to document it!

5. Check the local paper for any open houses, and then go to them! It's fun to dream together as you walk around.

At Home

5. Bake goodies for each other! Cookies, pies, muffins. Whatever the other person wants.

6. Draw the head and arms of a character on the top half of a sheet of paper. Fold it in half, and give it to your guy to draw the legs and feet. See how silly of a person you can create! 

7. Pop some popcorn, change into your comfies, and watch as many episodes of your favorite show as you can, before you fall asleep.

8. Do something crafty related to the upcoming holiday! Carve pumpkins or make Valentines or Christmas ornaments. 

9. Rearrange your bedroom. Doesn't sound like much, but you'll work on your communication skills, and maybe get a workout! 

10. Write each other a love letter that you won't open for another 5 years. Be detailed, so when you open them in 5 years, you will remember exactly how you felt about each other!