The intent of my blog

I have several pictures to post with shots of different things that we've done over the weekend, but before I post those I just want to post a little something from my heart. Its been on my mind for some time now, and so I thought I'd update my blog with some thoughts.

I want to make it clear on the intent of my blog. I originally started my blog to update out of town family and friends on the Joyner life. All of my family is either in Alabama or another deep south state. Travis has family in North Carolina and we don't see these people very often. So over a year ago, Travis started a blog (never posts anything anymore:) and he helped me start mine. I thought, wow! what a great idea to share our happenings with the ones we love but never get to see. I mean, kids grow so fast and our families don't get to see it happen.

Back to the point that I want to make. I, for no reason at all, want anyone to ever think that my blog is to uplift my family in any way or to make ourselves look better than anyone else. I do think that my kids are wonderful, beautiful beings that God has created and he has created them to uplift Him. I look back and notice that I've made posts on things that we've bought or things that were given to us, but in no way do I ever want anyone to think that I'm bragging about anything that we have. Travis and I are actually very simple people and I want it to stay that way. We are not out to have more than anyone, or to even make it look like we have more than anyone else. For the last couple of months, my heart has been on "how can I bless someone else?" This is my desire and so lately before I buy something for myself, I think of how that money could put food on the table for someone without any means to do so. But I've also added a scripture about this as well.(see below) When we give to the poor, we shouldn't boast about that either:o)

Matthew 6

Giving to the Needy

¹"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

²"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

So I just wanted to make it clear that with my blog, its really not to boast on how much I have, although my God has truly blessed me. But I do feel that God blessed us so that we may bless others and thats what I truly want to do and the person that I truly want to become. There is a dying world out there and we need to reach them. God loves them, just as he loves us that believe in Him. Again, when I post, its not to brag, its just to let our family know whats going on.

Psalm 49

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹ Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,

² both low and high,
rich and poor alike:

³ My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

⁴ I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:

⁵ Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me-

⁶ those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?

⁷ No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him-

⁸ the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough-

⁹ that he should live on forever
and not see decay.

¹⁰ For all can see that wise men die;
the foolish and the senseless alike perish
and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹ Their tombs will remain their houses forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had named lands after themselves.

¹² But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³ This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
Selah

¹⁴ Like sheep they are destined for the grave,
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.

¹⁵ But God will redeem my life from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself.
Selah

¹⁶ Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;

¹⁷ for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with him.

¹⁸ Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—
and men praise you when you prosper-

¹⁹ he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life .

²⁰ A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.