Expanding My Borders {For Real}

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!" 1 Chronicles 4:10a. (NIV)

This blog originally began sometime in 2008 when I first became a stay-at-home mom with our newborn Addie (pictured as a now almost 6 year old). 

In June 2009 I made the move to Blogger from Yahoo 360 (Yahoo's attempt at hosting a blog service). 

I was very small (and still am when compared to others who make a living off of their blogs), but God has begun growing the blog into something I had never imagined and growing me in ways I never thought possible. 

Do you remember my post on the Prayer of Jabez- Expand My Borders? I prayed and God has expanded.

I used to get between 45-70 views per day. As of late, The Joy of Homemaking has seen between 135-215 views per day with one day even reaching 318! That may not seen like a lot to some, but when I imagine a group of 135-215 women in a room I am humbled that God would allow me to reach them with encouragement to keep going as a woman, wife, and/or mother.

God is also expanding my borders to not only include "The Joy of Homemaking" but other blogs as well. Beginning this month, I will be a monthly contributor to two other blogs (Frugal Homeschooling Family and One Roll at a Time) as well continuing to blog here at my own blog and reviewing three times a month at Christian Children's Book Review.

On those days when I am posting elsewhere, I will give you a link here or on our Facebook page that will redirect you to the place you can find me.

Brian and I have also been talking about possibly changing the "look" of the blog and giving the blog a little upgrade love. Something I am looking forward to very much!

However, as the borders have expanded, I am constantly reminding myself that this is not my blog. It is God's for Him to use as He sees best. Toby Mac's song, "Steal My Show," has become my theme song for this blog.

For those of you who have been with me since my Yahoo days, thank you for your love and support for the last five years. For those who have joined us along the way, thank you for choosing to spend a part of your day here with me and my family. I am truly honored. For those of you who are new, my prayer is that each day when you leave this site, you leave encouraged to be the woman that God wants you to be.

It's a new year here on The Joy of Homemaking..... and I am still praying that He expands our borders!

Be Back Monday!

I am going to take the rest of this week off for some family time. Lord willing I will be back on Monday with a post reminding us that we can be specific in our requests to God and that He does hear and has the ability to answer our specific and unique requests in order to make Himself real to us.

MIA

This week has crept up and left me no spare moments to sit here and blog (in fact, I am typing this at 11:29 pm on Tuesday night). We have had a wonderful week so far, but it has been very busy with at least one visitor and/or place to go each day. Lord willing, I intend to be back by the end of the week, but for my own sanity, I'm going to be MIA tomorrow (Thursday) as well. I hope your summer days are being filled with as much fun and adventure as ours are. See you soon!

Check It Out......

Today's post is actually in the tab that says "About This Blog" (right above this post). It is something that God has been putting on my heart for several weeks now, and I wanted to be sure to get it just right before posting it. Just click on the tab to read.