Pray Without Ceasing {Devotional}

These past couple weeks have been a lot of ups and downs for my little family. However, sometimes I think as Christians we forget who offers us the "peace that passes all understanding." It seems like it should be so obvious. The Bible clearly states multiple times to pray without ceasing, but often we get so hammered down with whatever is worrying us, that we forget to pray. Isn’t that ridiculous?!

As followers of Christ we have an amazing God that holds our lives in the palm of His hands. Isn’t it sad to think that sometimes we forget to even acknowledge His presence?  Just think about that for a moment.

It’s funny to me with today’s technology that at the first instinct of a problem, we run to our phone and text a loved one, or look up a meaning or solution on our tablet. Now, I’m not necessarily saying that these are bad reactions, but shouldn’t our first response be to talk to our Savior? 

Not only that, but when we do pray, are we just putting our requests in, or are we recognizing His lordship, divinity, and praising Him for all He has done? We should be continually talking to our Lord and Savior. How can you have a solid relationship when you only talk to Him when times are difficult or for 20 seconds before a meal?

I encourage you to take the Bible to heart, and truly pray without ceasing. Take today as a first step and continue to thank Him for all His blessings and praise Him for His holiness. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray without ceasing." (KJV)

Philippians 4:6-8 –  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)

~Taryn

Quality Time with your Girls ... and a GIVEAWAY!

*This giveaway has ended*

What is one thing you love doing more than a quality coffee date with your best friend at your favorite little shop? Ok, maybe having a cupcake date with your best friend, but that's probably it :) 

We strongly believe in quality time. Game nights with your family, evening walks with your significant other, and especially those long conversations with your best friends. Time with your girls is so important. You NEED that time together. For your mental health and to add a little fun to your week. To encourage each other, to pray for each other and to motivate each other with the things God is teaching you. 

Sometimes life can get "too busy" for this much-needed time with your girls. We want to encourage you to carve out the time to go on a coffee date. A real life, "I can't wait to catch up with you", muffins-included, coffee date.

AND LUCKY YOU! We're giving one of you a Starbucks gift card!! $10 to treat your bestie to a quality afternoon together. We're also going to give you a gorgeous, linen hardcover "Be Filled With Joy" journal to record all the goodness that you'll talk about. 

To enter to win, all you have to do is comment on this blog post telling us a favorite memory with your best friend! Feel free to tell us a few stories if it's too hard to pick one.

Get an additional entry for each of the following:

Follow Joie on Instagram.

Follow on Twitter.

Like on Facebook.

(Also include in your comment if you've followed Joie on any of these social media outlets)

The deadline to enter is April 2nd at midnight and the WINNER will be announced NEXT THURSDAY right here on the blog!

We know you'll enjoy this prize :)

Happy Thursday!

~Joie Mag Team

Your Vows. Your Promises.

Hi friends! Today we have a special guest post for you! Pastor Max Marcoux, lead pastor at Elevation Chapel in Newton, MA, is sharing his perspective on Wedding Vows. Having preformed many, many weddings, he has a few ideas and a great reminder. Read on! 

~*~

Have any of you purchased a home? Well if not, get ready for mountains of paperwork! You will be asked to sign over 20 pages, vowing that you will pay for that house. Not too long ago (in the 1960’s) my grandfather bought a building on a vow and a handshake. He made a promise to pay so much a month until it was paid off. And he followed through. His word probably had more weight than any 20-page contract today. Back then, your word, your vow meant everything. 

To me the most beautiful part of a wedding is not the flowers, the pretty dresses, nice music or decorations. It’s the exchange of vows. I performed a wedding ceremony a few weeks ago and the bride wrote her own vows. They were so powerful and filled with love that everyone was emotional and the groom almost couldn’t hold it together. I think her vows were the most thoughtful and loving words anyone had ever spoken to him. 

Many couples choose traditional wedding vows, and those are beautiful too. “I, (name), take you (name), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do us part.” That still brings tears and deep emotion to couples as they recite them because they truly mean what they are saying.

More and more couples these days are choosing non-traditional vows. I have attended and officiated weddings where the couple chose song lyrics as vows. One couple chose an excerpt from “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Suess! There are so many resources for couples to find non-traditional vows that reflect their personality.

Engaged couples often ask me if it’s better to write their own vows or to use traditional ones. My advice is to them (and you) is this: Your wedding vows are not just an expression of how you feel about your fiancé. The words you choose should be a life-long promise from your heart to theirs; not only a statement of how much you love them now, but a commitment of how you will love them from this point on. 

Value whatever vows you will speak on your wedding day more than any of the other details of the wedding. The food will be eaten, the flowers will be tossed out, dresses packed away, but the vows will live in your hearts forever.

~*~

We hope this inspires you if you're stuck on what to say in your wedding vows! And remember, they don't have to be fancy or eloquent. 

Thanks for writing this awesome post, Max! 

{Devotional} Loving Others Well

Writing about love on a wedding blog kinda seems cliche, huh? Well folks, I'ma do it anyway! This Monday morning devo is brought to you exclusively by yours truly, Sarah Elyse.

To quote the great film Moulin Rouge, "love is a many splendid thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love!" The voracity with which Christian (the male lead of the movie) exclaims this, right before launching into a wonderful medley of perfectly blended pop love songs, is quite convincing. I want to believe him. But it seems that the more we talk, discuss, argue, and fight over love in our culture today, the less these sentiments ring true. 

I truly do believe that all we need is love. But not just any ordinary love. We need the love of Christ. Christ's love saves us, redeems us, justifies us, and frees us from the insufficiency of human love. I've been challenged lately to reflect on how this affects my day-to-day existence. Do I live like Jesus' love is real? Unfortunately, the honest answer to that is no a lot more than it is yes. There are times when I truly rest in His love, but more often I am living like I don't have an example of unconditional love to follow. 

I think we are all aware that loving people is hard. People kinda stink sometimes. But the beauty of the gospel is that is doesn't discriminate based on how stinky we are. All people have the opportunity to experience the true love of Christ. If Christ can love everyone, even when we are all so unworthy of him, can't we as humans extend love to one another?

As much as our culture promotes the equality of love, I would be so bold to say that we are more talk than we are action. I, as a Christian, am not willing to settle for that assessment. I want to be revolutionary in the way I love - like Jesus was. We do have a perfect example of what it is like to love everyone without restraint and without prejudice: Jesus. THIS IS CRAZY HARD. But nobody ever said it was easy! God never said following him would be easy, but he did say that it would be worth it. I've been clinging to that truth recently. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. I want to live like this makes a difference in how I love others. Since God first loved us, we can now love others accordingly. I'm not very good at this yet, but I'm counting on God to show me the ways I can improve and give me the strength to do so. 

I hope you are encouraged to reflect on your own life of love, and seek God for ways to love others more! 

<3 sarah elyse

Etsy Shop Roundup!

Today is SO EXCITING! We're sharing some awesome Etsy shops that we believe will be a great asset to your wedding planning, and even your life! Yeah. That's how excited we are. We're sharing custom signage for your home, gorgeous invitations for your wedding and unique jewelry for all the special people in your life. 

Read on to see their awesome work and learn more about how they started!

~*~

Heart Crafted Co.

Heart Crafted Co., based in San Francisco, was born when owner Amanda knew she needed a fun, creative outlet. Using her knowledge and lettering skills from design and calligraphy classes, she creates beautiful pieces of personalized artwork for your home and special events. Amanda uses reclaimed wood in most of her work and loves the rustic look it gives. Wedding signage is also a favorite, and with her unique style, it will be sure to liven up your wedding day! For custom orders, contact her at heartcraftedco[at]gmail.com.

shop / instagram

~*~

Sincerely, Jackie

Sincerely, Jackie is the New York based fine wedding stationery studio behind Jackie Mangiolino. Jackie is passionate about creating heirloom wedding invitations and knows that wedding invitations are destined to become a special part of a couples family history. With a less-is-more eye for design, Jackie's invitations perfectly blend modern trends with timeless sophistication. Jackie works one-on-one with each of her brides to achieve their unique invitation experience. All of Sincerely, Jackie's fine papers are hand sourced from paper mills around the world and brought to a New York based letterpress print shop to be letterpress printed, foil stamped, or engraved. To Jackie, invitations are more than just pieces of paper; they are individual works of art capturing a moment in time and marking the beginning of a family legacy. 

shop / website / instagram

~*~

Modern Momma

Modern Mama Jewelry was created out of desire to marry sentiment to style.  "I purposely incorporate faith, family and love in all my designs.  That's my passion."  Says Lindsey, mother of 3, owner and designer of Modern Mama Jewelry.  "Personalized jewelry can often take on an ordinary look.  Sometimes I incorporate current trends, other times, I step out into the unknown and attempt to create my own trend.  I try to find meaning behind the design for the wearer.  My belief is, jewelry should be valuable... not always in the price, but to the one wearing it." 

shop / facebook

~*~

Thanks so much to Amanda, Jackie and Lindsey for being a part of this post! We hope that you'll check out their shops and websites to see even more goodness from these creative ladies.

Happy Thursday! 
Joie Mag Team

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