A Joyful Cottage: blogging

Well, Friends, here we are again. It's New Year's Eve, and another year has passed. My co-workers jokingly asked me what bar I would be going to tonight and I replied, "A salad bar." They like to tease me about my straight and narrow lifestyle, and that's just fine with me. It's all in fun, and I know they respect me and my faith.

I can't close out the year without a big thank you to all of you for your visits and kind comments to all my posts. I appreciate you so much. You are my friends.

My plans for 2023 include some (for me) exciting news. For quite some time I've considered starting a Youtube channel for A Joyful Cottage. Last week I posted here on my blog a video Christmas tour of my home. It was uploaded through Youtube and I chose to make it public with the title "Christmas Tour of My Single Wide Mobile Home." I wasn't expecting the kind of response I got to that video. It's had over 15,000 views, and almost 300 people have subscribed to my channel. Eight-four watchers have left comments -- all of them have been complimentary -- and many of them have asked if I will be posting more content. All this has given me the confidence to just go for it.

It's not clear what this will mean for A Joyful Cottage blog. It really depends on what happens with Youtube. For now I will continue to post Monday Morning Encouragement and see how things go.

The goals for A Joyful Cottage have never changed. As I wrote in my "About Me" page:

My passion is God first, and then living the life He has given me in such a way that it blesses others and glorifies Him.

I've learned so much about how to create a beautiful home on a budget, and I want to continue to pass that on to others. Additionally, I want to show people that living in a mobile home can be a joyful experience. For many people like me it's an affordable alternative to a stick built home. I feel I can do all this more effectively through Youtube. Making craft and DIY videos. Inspiring others in their own journey.

For me, that's what it's all about.

May the New Year bring you many blessings.

Hugs,

Before yesterday I had never heard of Ruthie.

I didn't know she was a fellow blogger.

I didn't know we shared the same faith.

I didn't know that leaving a jar of garden flowers
on a hurting friend's porch was her favorite pastime.

Photo "Blue Chair" by Hello-Julie Some Rights Reserved

About the flowers
Ruthie writes,

"I love making a friend feel better. And if I analyze that,
I think it’s because giving of oneself to another
enables us to feel closer to Jesus.
If He had a mason jar,
some ribbon and a few roses,
He would have placed them on his friends’ doorsteps too.

It’s sharing love,

it’s sharing kindness.

It’s sharing Jesus."

Photo "Jar of Flowers" by TheDaddy_Chazz Some Rights Reserved

Simple.

Matthew 22:37-39

First love God.

Photo "Flowers vs Cross" by Isaacpm Some Rights Reserved

Then love others.

Photo" I Love You" by Flo's shots 4 me Some Rights Reserved

I read Jennifer Grey's blog
The Old Painted Cottage
yesterday.

She wrote a beautiful memorial to her friend
who died in December
after a

long

hard

battle with cancer.

Photo "Cross" by Lisa Widerberg Some Rights Reserved

Her friend named
Ruthie.

Young,

beautiful

wife

and

mother of two children.

Photo "Drop of Flowers" by Audrey Some Rights Reserved

Ruthie wrote two blogs:

Ruthie's Gift

and

The Christian Girl's Cottage

Photo "Flower and Keyboard" by Ashleigh290 Some Rights Reserved

I've been reading through them.

Photo "Garden Bouquet" by hello-julie Some Rights Reserved

She launched "Ruthie's Gift" on May 21, 2010.

Explaining the name of the blog, she writes:

"I've always seen my cancer as a gift.
I know it sounds crazy, but so very true.
This gift, entered as an intruder into my body,
but profoundly touched my soul.
It didn't come wrapped
in a box with a pretty bow.
Rather, it came in the form of fear
that made me reach out to God
like I've never done before.
The real gift is the peace and strength He's provided
me on this journey.
I hope the gift to you is knowing He will
do the same for you on yours."

Photo "Bag with Rose" by lifelikeapps Some Rights Reserved

With so much wisdom, sensitivity and humor Ruthie
writes compelling posts about her

journey

through cancer

with God by her side.

Photo "Yellow is the Colour" by Freddie Phillips Some Rights Reserved

She writes a lot on the topic of serving God with
the gifts we're given.

Photo by Hello-Julie Some Rights Reserved

The Christian Girl's Cottage blog
followed in December.

It focuses on her home,
and how she intertwined her faith
with a love for home decorating.

In one post she mentioned how having
her home featured at Jennifer's
Cottage of the Month
brought people to Ruthie's blog
where they discovered she had cancer.

That in turn opened doors
for her to minister to hurting women,
and to receive their ministry in return.

Photo "With Her Own Two Hands" by Robert S. Donovan
Some Rights Reserved

The timing of my finding Ruthie is so amazing.

So God.

Lately I've been wrestling with my purpose
for publishing A Joyful Cottage.

Photo "Sad Flowers (revisited)" by Jimmy Brown Some Rights Reserved

I mean, how does my writing a blog
about cottages
serve God?

It seems so. . .

dare I say it?

Frivilous.

Shouldn't I be writing something. . .

more meaningful?

Photo "Skyward" by Terren in Virginia Some Rights Reserved

Then I read Ruthie's words.

"God can use anything,

even the love of a home,

to unite hearts."

Photo "Table" by Meg Lessard Some Rights Reserved

I read that line again.

Slowly.

Photo "Soft Landing" by Audrey Some Rights Reserved

"God can use

anything,

even the love of a home,

to unite hearts."

Even the love of cottages, Lord?

"Yes," He answered.

"Even that."

Thank You,

Lord,

for showing me this.

And thank You, too, for leading me to Ruthie's blogs.

Please tell her "hello" for me.

And -- if you don't mind --

tell her I'm looking forward to

meeting her

one day.