The Joy of the Lord by Kim Woodhouse

Thank you, Jan, for hosting me on your blog today. My prayer is that each person who reads our story, Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, will see the Joy of the Lord – even in the midst of the most trying of circumstances. Come along with me as we laugh, cry, and rejoice.

When I wrote this blog post, my sweet husband, Jeremy, was busy cooking dinner for me for Mother's Day. He's a gem.

Some of you may know about my “adventures,” and the trials we’ve endured as a family. But my goal in life is to laugh my way through - to find the joy - the joy of the Lord, in it all. Life is hard, but God's joy cannot be taken away. I remind myself of that a lot.

I'm always reminded on the special occasion of Mother’s Day of the miscarriages I had. The reminders come often enough throughout the year, but Mother’s Day always brings back the rush of feelings and emotions. I have several people really close to me who have gone through the same devastating circumstances this past year. There are no words for it, nothing to “do” about the grief, but cling to the Lord.

It's hard. Really hard.

But each time, each remembrance, each friend who goes through a similar loss - I'm reminded of the joy of the Lord. Just like it states in I Peter 1- my home is not of this world, I'm an alien residing here. I'm looking forward to the day when I get to see my Savior face to face. When I will get to see my loved ones that I've lost. When I will finally be mature and complete, not lacking anything -like it says in the book of James.

So, life is not going to be easy, it's not going to be a bowl of cherries. It's going to be hard, really hard. Full of trials, full of heartache, full of tough times.

But God is there. Always. His joy is there - waiting for me to grab onto it.

I have a wonderful family who put up with me and love me in spite of my craziness. I praise the Lord for what He has done in my life, and for the stretching and growing that He has brought me through. I praise Him for the good times, and for the bad. And I thank Him for His joy which is unchanging, and unending, and available constantly.

Kimberley Woodhouse is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 600 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family's story have garnered national media attention for many years, but most recently her family was chosen for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, and Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER. Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, releases from Tyndale House Publishers September first. In addition to her non-fiction, she also writes romantic suspense and children’s books. Kimberley lives, writes, and homeschools in Colorado with her husband and two children in their truly “extreme” home. www.kimberleywoodhouse.com

7 Ways to Help a Friend in Grief

1. Acknowledge their pain. Just say, “I’m so sorry for your loss.” Many people don’t know what to say so they remain silent. All they need is for you to validate their loss.

2. Send a card, fruit or flowers. Seems obvious – but often overlooked.

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Personhood Amendment Petition Drive

Denver, Co August 24/ Tomorrow's press conference will launch the 2010 Personhood Amendment petition drive with a request to re-activate a thousand volunteer petitioners from 2008.

The Colorado Secretary Of State title board has given the unanimous go ahead for the new Personhood effort to begin gathering the 76,047 signatures required to place the amendment on the November 2010 ballot.

The press conference, at a post office, will announce that the campaign will strive to become the first initiative campaign in Colorado to be run completely by volunteers. The campaign will build upon last year's effort, reactivating by mail the 1,000 circulators that gathered the 131,000 signatures in 2008.

The petition drive will launch by addressing head on the hard cases of rape and incest with comments from our campaign spokesperson, Sherri Williams, herself a victim of rape.

What: Press Conference to activate over 1,000 volunteers

When: Tuesday August 25 10:30-11:00

Where: US Post Office 225 S Broadway Denver Colorado

"We are pleased that once again the Colorado Secretary Of State has seen through objections of Planned Parenthood and has allowed the personhood campaign to move forward" Said initiative co-sponsor Gualberto Garcia Jones J.D.

"As we continue to press forward, we are seeing incremental advances for the personhood rights of the preborn." Said Leslie Hanks, initiative co-sponsor.

For Questions Please Call
Personhood Colorado 303-456-2800
Colorado Right To Life 303-753-9394

Personhood Colorado

Personhood USA PO Box 486 Arvada Co 80001

Warfare Prayer

Father God, I love and worship You with every breath that I take. I pray that everything I do and say will be for Your glory. I thank You that I need not fear what man may say because You will fight for me. I thank You that You will condemn every lying tongue which rises against me.
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Stop Human Sex Trafficking

Click HERE to read more on what can you do to stop human sex trafficking?

Sarah Palin's Favorability Numbers

Sarah Palin left her last official state tweet on July 26th:

“Last state twitter. Thank you Alaska! I love you. God bless Alaska. God bless the U.S.A.”

Critics have done all they can to obliterate her, yet she is not going away. Her favorability numbers continue to reflect a strong conservative support base. Don’t they realize that they more they persecute Sarah Palin with their lies and innuendo’s, the more the conservatives rise up? Perhaps they’re doing us a favor with their ridiculous attacks.

This stopped being about politics a long time ago; this is spiritual warfare. Sarah Palin has taken a strong stand against abortion and her opposition is unnerved. In fact, she would do an outstanding job as the head of the pro-life movement. For now, we’ll hold her in our prayers and wait to see where God leads her next.