Joy: overflowing with thankfulness for gifted blessings and daily lessons – in those seemingly simple everyday moments and even in stormy seasons. It doesn’t have to be loud and bubbly to exist; joy can also be a calm sense of contentment – not complacency…more like a steady river of gratitude that flows within and beyond ever-changing circumstances of life.

If you have ever been through any kind of challenge that brought you to your knees or tried to snuff you out, you understand how precious peace of mind, redeemed time and loving encouragement are.

I hope this blog is a refreshing and resourceful place you to visit, sweet sister. Guys are welcome here too. We’re made differently yet loved equally, so you being here is a blessing still.

You ever realized that when we make room in our life for joy it shows and shines through into our walk and work?

The journey here

It was a big challenge at the time, but I was called to get purposefully quiet and start this blog in March 2013. For a while it had an audience of 1. Since then, it has reached readers in 100 countries and is noted as one of the leading Caribbean lifestyle blogs and websites to follow by FeedSpot.

When Yah plants a seed, water it, trust Him and watch it grow – all for His glory. Press in, pace yourself well and remember the purpose in it all. When you love what you do, it can be hard to press pause sometimes. Life can become a blur instead of a journey. ‘Free spirit’ and “nature girl’ were words I heard a lot, until the speed of life changed and one day it was clear the pace wasn’t healthy.

So life went from spending a lot of time in the studio, on the road, on planes and tour-guiding to living on a farm in the countryside of Barbados writing, gardening, cooking, hiking, working in libraries, growing my faith and launching this blog.

During that time, I volunteered on a farm growing food with The Sojourner Foundation for a year. It was so refreshing, peaceful, muscle-building, meaningful and therapeutic after the high pace and volume I had started to get accustomed to…and it reminded me of how I was purposefully designed to be.

Life looks different now but the lessons from that refining time remain and shaped healthier habits, more understanding and better endurance.

Remember your beautiful design

Time freedom is beautiful, but how we use that time matters.

A healthy life rhythm. Working steady can be energizing but without purposeful pockets of rest, we would miss out on the refreshment. When everything is scheduled according to our limited understanding of time, we tend not to recognize some interruptions and encounters as heaven-sent opportunities to encourage, receive or give thanks for.

A healthier pace and better quality of life free up more gifted time.

Purpose and Pace:

There’s a purpose for your life beyond what you have, know and do…but sometimes we forget or get offtrack. Pace yourself well, sweet sister. You are not an ox, workhorse or robot and life doesn’t need to look impressive to others to be a gift. You are a living, breathing, perfectly-loved creation with a purpose. Because of that, there are distractions strategically placed along your path to try steal your joy, press a panic button, get on your last nerve, challenge your faith, and derail you from walking well, which none of us can do without daily help and gifted breath by the Most High. Keep on shining by grace every blessed day.

NEWS: The official release of “Shine On You” – the first single from my upcoming “Kingdom Call” album is here.

Check out the ‘music’ page and subscribe to find out first when a new song, music video or album is released.

Want to help support this blog and beyond? itsjoywithin@gmail.com on PayPal – thanks in advance.

‘Joy within‘ is on The ‘Top 45 Caribbean Lifestyle Blogs & News Websites To Follow in 2022‘ by FeedSpot.