Critty Joy

Why, Hello There!

My goodness.  It's been a while!  For months my heart has longed for words here but I just didn't make the time.  As we come to the end of 2016 (also known as the most awful year ever.) I realized I needed this space.  Much has happened over the last few years.  Beautiful things.  Ugly things.  A whole lot of messy.  A whole lot of glorious hope.

In the end I needed to start putting my words out there again.  So with a brand new look Critty Joy is ready to step into 2017!  Did you know I started writing this blog in 2007?  So 2017 will mark my 10th year.  What better time to re-enter one of my favorite hobbies and enjoy all that it has to offer!

I will be participating in a few things to help me to keep coming to this space and to also share parts of me here...the fun stuff and the messy stuff on the days when I don't feel like writing.

I am going to participate in Modern Mrs. Darcy's reading challenge!

I also want to participate in Leigh Kramer's What I'm Into link up.

It's also time for me to chose my OneWord365 word for 2017.  I've been pondering on it but don't have a solid one yet.

I am going to look into some other things to participate in around bloggy land.  So if you know any good ones please let me know!

There will also be stories about my life... some fun such as my marriage and being a fur mom...and the not so fun stuff as I have decided to document about my struggle with anxiety and depression.  

And lastly... I am feeling the creative bug again so I will be creating wallpapers and other digital art fun here!  I am so excited to start creating...as you can tell I had fun with my new blog look.  :)

 

How are you my friends?  I have missed you so!  

<3

Snapshots of Summer 2012.

Jen had this fun idea for sharing snapshots of our summer for SDG and my small group is sharing theirs this week.

So be prepared for a long photo filled post as I am doing project 365 and have tons of photos from this summer.  :)  I also adore instagram so my photos are from there.  

Critty's summer included....

This girl turning 2.  We had a fun day at the mall followed by her birthday party that evening.  She had a blast!  I must admit this photo makes my Auntie heart hurt a little.  She is growing so fast.  :)

 

The day she was born and her second birthday.

The following day we left for a week at the beach.  It was just my immediate family (minus my dad) and my sister in law's Mom.  My cousin lives in St Augustine so he joined us a few days.

 

Coa's first evening on the beach.

Sunrise on the beach.

 

 

On my last night in St Augustine I was able to have dinner with a sweet friend. I adore that we connected on the interwebs but now... we have met face to face twice! So glad Alison is in my life.

 

I did a lot of job searching this summer so I followed that up with reading some great books...

 

There is nothing quite like a beautiful evening and a great book.

A day of Nora Roberts and Christmas movies in July!

Love Does by Bob Goff...one of the BEST books I have ever read.

 

I was able to enjoy some of the most wonderful things nature has to offer. 

 

Amazing rainstorms. One of my favorite things about summer is the afternoon storms.

 

 

Deliciousness from the garden!

Gorgeous nights that have cooled off and are perfect for sitting and being quiet.

Quiet foggy mornings on the patio with tea and scones.

The delightfulness of found beauty.

 

I was able to look through some old photos of my family and found two photos of my grandparents I had not seen.  

 

I adore this one of my Memaw (she's the one being silly!) it just shows where I get my silly sassy from.

My Memaw and Pappy.

 

I spent some amazing time with this girl.  Being her Aunt Christy is the best thing EVER.

 

I love this face.

 

I received some of the most wonderful tangible encouragement from sweet friends. Mail is really one of my favorite things!

One of the highlights of my summer was seeing a Braves game.  I am a huge fan so it was amazing to cheer and watch my team win...and for the amazing Chipper to hit not one but two home runs.  I got to share it with favorite people.  The four of us are actually going back September 28th!  I can't wait!

 

GO BRAVES!!

 

You know...before I did this post I would have told you summer was difficult...but as I have gone back and looked at the photos and thought of those moments...I realize it was a beautiful summer full of little wonders and love.

And just this weekend a little owl told me....

Coa is adoring her Halloween costume!

Autumn is on it's way!

 

What is a favorite moment(s) from your summer?

A Reminder....

Source: icanread.tumblr.com via Christy on Pinterest

 

 

I found this on pinterest a few days ago and have been thinking of the truth of it... it's a reminder I needed. 

So I thought I would share it here today...in case YOU needed the reminder too.

 

 

❤,

Hope Laughs.

This year was suppose to be different.

Oh how I set myself up.

I get my plans in mind and forget His.

Then to have a year of dare?

Daring to live differently, on purpose, freely, courageously.

At the same time my heart struggles daily with one simple thing....hope.

This year has also been about daring to hope.

Hope for more.  Hope for bigger dreams.  Hope for things my heart wants but is afraid to admit.

Hope for dreams and prayers to come true.  

Hope is a good thing.

A beautiful thing.

I think at times that is why I am so scared to hold on to it.

When life beats you up you have a tendency to be a pessimist.  

Which means I am letting circumstances determine how I think and feel.

I am working on all of it and He is constantly sending reminders and lessons.

Like the book for book club, Beautiful Outlaw has shown me Jesus in a new way...and now re-discovering Him in the Word?  It makes my heart happy.

Kristen's series Storm has been so challenging and encouraging.  I have yet to listen to last week...partly because of being sick and partly because I am still pondering session 3.  Kristen said one thing that is constantly been on my heart that has helped me hold on to hope....

 

As always feel free to use this image as your desktop background. Just click on the photo and it will open in a different window at full size.

 

This has helped me so much on the hard days... our Hope has already come.  He is here.  When I think I can't do it any more or when it just seems to hard...or when I just want to give in to fear.... this phrase comes to mind.  Hope has come.

And then....there was Monday morning.

After little sleep I woke up still not feeling well and just plain grumpy.  I looked outside and it was cloudy and all I could think of was my bed.

I left for work and as I turned off our road...the sun was breaking through the clouds and I was struck with the gorgeousness of the morning.

Before I knew it I was laughing.

My heart was full of joy and hope in just that simple moment.

He had surprised me with beauty.

I realized...hope laughs.

The thing is...sometimes hope is simple.

It's the sun bursting through the clouds on a grumpy day that brings laughter.

It's the photo of my niece in her sunglasses saying the word ocean as we talk about our trip.

It's the smell of rain right before the first drop falls.

It's the smell of honeysuckle...and taking a trip down memory lane with trying to taste it.

It's a simple gift from a friend.

It's laughing until you are crying with a friend over something you discover and find well...odd.

It's thinking of you texts.

It's family.

So many simple things.

So much of our life is simply...hope. 

And sometimes hope is laughter.

 

P.S.  I promise I will be back to blog visiting and emailing soon.  Still on the mend from this cold/flu.  <3

 

Hold. On.

I have had the lyrics of a song in my head for a week.

Just one short sentence.

Hold on to hope, love.

Today I am making a choice. I am choosing hope.

To choose hope means to trust.

I have been working on trusting Him but with everything going on I just lost my way. Trust is so very hard for me.

Yet I know I must trust Him. Even when things are hard, frustrating, painful, scary, and oh so confusing.

As I journaled this evening I realized I had to hope.

I have been giving in and letting the confusion and fear control me.

No. More.

I am going to hold into hope.

To hope is to trust. To trust is to know Him.

To know He understands.
To know He cares.
To know His timing is perfect.
To know this hard situation will be redeemed.
To know He has the best for me.
To know He loves me.

He loves me.

There is beautiful, wonderful hope in that.
And I am going to hold on to it.

 

The Lion that is Doubt.

Last year I took a step of faith and quit my job.

While I was going through with my notice I was excited and so certain this was the right move.

Then 2012 came and I have a very part time job.... and over the last few months have put in more than 75 job applications.

No phone calls.  No interest.

Money is very tight.

I am still trying to figure out what I am suppose to do.  What I want to do.  What do I dream of?  What is my passion?  What am I meant to do?

It's weird to be 33 and have no clue what you want to do with your life.

As the months have progressed I began doubting myself.  Questions have plagued me.  Frustration and confusion have overwhelmed me at times.

Did I hear Him right?  Did I take the right step of faith?

My shouted yearnings became just regular words and then whispers as doubts assailed.

I have also doubted Him.  I have felt so very lost.

I have spent weeks trying to figure things out.

Lost is not something I do well. 

When doubts overcome... lost is where I find myself.

As we prepare to start reading Beautiful Outlaw...and as I have been challenged by the book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.... I am being reminded He always comes through.  At times it may be right in the nick of time... way past when I think it should be.  

I am reminded He does understand my confusion and frustration and hurt.  

I am reminded even when I feel lost there is direction and it points toward Him.

I am reminded He loves me.  Deeply.  

I am reminded even with how very hard things are....I love Him.

I am reminded He is the God of impossible.  He can do immeasurably more than I am even able to think of.

That there is a purpose in all of this.  When those doubts come and are overwhelming I keep telling myself... there is a purpose.  There is a a plan.

And it is going to rock my socks off when He reveals it to me.

I just have to remember the doubts are not as big as He is.

I cling to two verses above right now.  

On the days hope is severely lacking I think of those two verses and I know His version of my story is even bigger and better than I imagine.  For a while those doubts fade.  

In the end I must also remember to chase my lions... to dare to live this adventure of a life.  My doubts?  They are one of my lions and I am going to chase them...and with His help...defeat them.

So if you are overcome with doubts today... know you are not alone... I understand and so does He.  Yes doubt is big...but He is bigger...and so are we.

Joining in with the SDG sisterhood at Jen's place.

If you would like to read Beautiful Outlaw with Kristen and me don't forget to sign up!  We are so excited to get started next week!

I am also having a giveaway until Friday so just leave a comment on this post to enter!

 

 

Pink Flowers.

On Sunday I took some photos for my Aunt and her family at a local park.  It was a lovely Spring afternoon with the breeze blowing and the sun shining.  

At the park there were three trees covered in beautiful pink flowers.

I could not resist taking a few photos of them because they made me happy.

I must admit that things are not quite beautiful for me right now... so to glimpse that beauty...my heart needed it.  The reminder that there will be pink flowers for me at some point and the waiting, the winter, is worth it.  Sometimes your life, the blooming, takes time.  

I was thinking, maybe someone... YOU... might need a glimpse of beauty in your life today.

So I am sharing those beautiful pink flowers with you.

 

May the pink flowers remind you, even on the ugly days, beauty can be found.

 

 

Embracing the Messy.

I like control.

I like a schedule.

Messy is not my favorite thing.  (Contrary to the state of my room right now....ha!)

Chaos can make me withdraw faster than anything I know.

Give me a quiet, scheduled life and I would be one happy girl.

However.

Faith is messy.

Belief in God is messy.

Freedom, daring, adventure, life...is messy.

That's what I have been learning this year.

The idea for this post came weeks ago but it did not come together for me until today.

You see... when my niece wants to hand something messy/gross to someone...it's me she chooses.

One day she had put a cookie in her mouth but then decided she didn't like it so she headed straight for me ready to spit it in my hand.  Sighing...I held out my hand and there she spit it.  My stomach rolled with nausea and my family laughed.  I am the one that does not do messy/gross well.

Of all of us (my Mum, brother, and sister-in-law) she chose me to handle the mess.

She trust me to put my hand up, catch the mess, and deal with it.

It sounds simple but that night as I lay in bed...it occurred to me that maybe there is a purpose to her choosing me.  

There is beauty to be found in the messy.

For Sass and I...it's about knowing I will be there to help.  She trust me to open my hand and help her.

It's a beautiful basis for our relationship as Aunt and Niece. 

Mess.

It's a beautiful basis for our relationship with Christ.

When you think of brokenness... it's messy.

For me... embracing my brokenness has helped me experience freedom in ways I never thought possible.

Jesus uses our brokenness in profound ways.

It boggles my mind that my brokenness brings Him glory.  Brings Him delight...because it's a part of me.  

Right now...the waiting, the frustration, the confusion, the direction-less, the emotions that are all over the place... my life...is messy.

The freedom is wonderful... the mess is not.

It's been overwhelming the last few weeks.

The messy.

I am realizing though at a certain point you just have to embrace it.

To let it be what it is.

To see Him in the middle of it.

Knowing He is there.

Knowing He is control.

Knowing He is trustworthy.

Knowing He has a plan.

Knowing He cares.

Knowing this will not last forever.

Knowing this will become a beautiful basis for my relationship with Him.

So now...I learn to embrace the messy.

It's scares me. But knowing Him it will be worth it.

 

Do you deal well with messy?  Or is control more your thing?

Breakfast on the Beach :: Talk21's Launch!

Y'all.

I am over the moon excited.

Some of you met my delightful and dear friend Kristen last week when she shared part of her story and some of you already knew her.  She is special...no doubt! 

Today she launches her new ministry podcast!

The first series is called Breakfast on the Beach.

I must tell you I have already listened once and she made me cry...in a good way of course.  Tears of joy that my dear friend is encouraging others and teaching in her unique and beautiful way about our God and tears of wonder that the God we have is SO MUCH MORE that what we think.

 

So I encourage you to go listen!   You will hear her plans for the new ministry and the introduction to the series which is going to be excellent.

 

So scoot on over there... just click HERE and be blessed.

 

:)

 

My Heart Overflows.

with gratitude.  I suppose it's normal to count your blessings in the days before Thanksgiving...but this year I have spent a great deal of time in a reflective mood.  Pondering all the gifts He has given me.  My heart?  It is filled to overflowing when I think of the gifts.  Little things.  Big things.  Gifts for the journey.

 

A fabulous family and a sassy niece who brightens every day of my life.

Friends who are authentic and real and who ask hard questions and encourage my heart.  

Heart friends.  The deepest of friends who are like sisters.

The painful days.

The beautiful days.

Rainy nights full of favorite things.

A new perspective.

Random thinking of you and praying for you emails and texts.

Love.  

Grace.

Serving others.

Captured moments.

Memories of those loved and lost.

Butterflies and becoming.

New opportunities.

Freedom.

Courage and doing it afraid.

Laughter.

A faithful furry companion... and her talkative meows.

Creativity.

Composition notebooks and pencils.

Books...and my kindle.  Great stories.

The fun of baking and cooking.

Adventure.

Yoga.

Walks on autumn mornings.

His Word and the freshness that is always there....just waiting for you to find something new and heart changing.

Comfy and cozy chairs and beds.

Social media and the fun of connecting with others.

Forgiveness.

Words.

Simplifying.

Redemption.

An old stuffed bear.

Prayers.

New things.

Flowers.

Boots and sweaters.

Fuzzy socks.

Pajama pants.

Stove popped popcorn and Christmas movies.

Encouragement.

YOU.

Yes.  YOU.

My little home on the internet is made all the more wonderful and cozy because of you.  Thank you for reading and commenting and emailing... you bless and encourage my heart so.  Thank you for journeying with me and being a part of my journey.  ♥

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.  ~Jean Baptiste Massieu