HI,
I hope this blog is a refreshing and resourceful place for you, sweet sister. Guys are welcome here too. We are made differently yet loved equally, so you being here is a blessing too.
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Life can become a blur instead of a journey sometimes if we’re not conscious about it. When you truly enjoy what you do it can be hard to press pause with purpose, but if your quality and pace of life comprise your essence, health or joy and stop you from serving well, well…that’s something else. ‘Free spirit’ and ‘nature girl’ were words I heard a lot until the speed of life changed awhile back for a lil bit and one day it was clear the pace wasn’t healthy. It was a challenge at the time, but I was called to get purposefully quiet and start this blog in March 2013.
Life went from spending a lot of time on the road, on planes, in vocal booths, coaching and tour-guiding to living on a farm in St. John, Barbados songwriting, gardening, cooking, hiking, managing 2 libraries, recording in my little home studio, cooking, growing my faith and launching this blog.
I volunteered on another farm growing food with The Sojourner Foundation charity for a year. It was refreshing, peaceful, muscle-building, educational and therapeutic, after the high pace and volume I had started to get accustomed to…and it reminded me of how the most High intentionally designed me to be. The lessons from that time plus the reminder from the season as a volunteer farmer and years living in the countryside remain and shaped healthier habits, more understanding, better endurance, a fresh sense of purpose and a more thankful heart that’s still being refined. Saving up for recording gear freed up so many hours spent on the road going from one studio to the next and that one decision (and move) to work at home seemed to ‘multiply’ time that made room to take care of the home and garden, ride the tides of songwriting and work on projects without a frantic countdown. Our lives may look very different but hopefully this blog shares some inspiration to remember you were made with love on purpose.
Beautiful views along nature walks
Before this stay-home season, were you always on-the-go, and was the tv, radio, a podcast episode or playlist always on rotation?
Not a quiz; just a gentle prompt asked by a former hot-footer. Your answers to those questions aren’t my business but your health is my concern.
Sometimes it seems like we in the west are competing to see who is more busy. Being productive is healthy and there are times when you gotta pump the gas pedal to get moving and gain momentum, but being overwhelmed with work can affect our quality of life…read post
What’s your beautiful design?
What are some activities that harmonize with whom you’re made to be? Not necessarily who you aspire to be (because that can change with seasons) but who you’re uniquely moulded to be. They don’t have to be glamorous or high-volume at all. In fact, they’re more likely to be things you can do without feeling the need to idly check your phone, look at the time constantly or measure its value by money.
Is there purpose in the pace you’ve set? Read post
Nature walks – especially ones lasting at least an hour, can be so therapeutic; nourishing to the soul and our state of mind.
You don’t need to save up to do it, and the benefits outweigh the small effort it takes to put on a pair or sandals or trainers.
Stress is a real threat, so being proactive about our wellness and state of mind is essential…read post
Did you know that the quality of the air in a forest can help build the immune system? From the enhanced and purified quality of the oxygen we’re breathing in while walking, to the distinct visuals and aromas in the woods, it’s like a complete calibration – a refreshing reset. Our eyes get a rest from screen time and olfactory systems take in fragrances that uplift our mood and relieve any residue stress…read post
homecooking moments
forest flower bouquets
a quad bike ride
target practice
nature walks
all in a forest in east Germany where I’ve been visiting friends…read post
“You’re welcome. Hope you have a bright rest of the day,” and hung up with a cold smirk. Though each revised word seemed sweet enough, she was glaring across the office at me with a sour look the whole time.
Has anyone ever borrowed an aspect of your personality they otherwise react negatively to when no-one else is around?
Abrasive: showing little concern for the feelings of others; harsh.
Gentle: having or showing a mild, kind, or tender temperament or character…read post
All of us have been through something – a challenge, encounter or storm of some kind and measure. Coming out of that season can cause us to tip-toe our way around certain people and similar environments, become defensive, turn into workaholic fanatics, pump up the volume on our introvert nature, develop unhealthy habits or worse yet – plant a seed of bitterness (which we don’t want to encourage at all.) Overcoming tough times can also help refine our character, build a stronger sense of patience, cultivate compassion, apply new healthy boundaries, strengthen faith and usher us into a life of prayer. Some rough seasons end with a near-instant breakthrough to brilliance while growing beyond others is a journey made up of a series of steps…read post
But check it – years and care after, without any conscious effort, both sides of my curls are even. Sweet sis, what have you lost? What’s been stolen from you?
Listen up. You can get it all back. Everything you lost can be restored – an’ get dis – like it was never lost in the first place! read post
i walked over, handed him something and said, “God loves you” before crossing over to head to pay a bill. He looked at me surprised as said – kinda harsh in a way, “I KNOW!” Instead of responding piggily, i smiled..then thought about it. He sounded surprised – probably because i’d assumed he didn’t think or know so – but why? – cause he was sitting on a brek-up chair doing seemingly nothing in town? – cause his clothes were raggedy? – cause he was homeless?
That convicted me, but also made me joyful for him. He knew God cares about him. And so, the day went on. The next morning, the same man was on the front cover of the online local paper. He’d been given (get this) – A HOUSE! A house y’all! Yeah, i saw him sitting on the broken chair one time since then, but the point – the lesson (for me too) was and still is – sometimes you have to declare a thing to see a thing…read post
Waved, smiled and was gonna pass by since my mingling-days have been left behind (lovin’ it.) Then recognized something like sadness in her perfectly-lined eyes.S topped to speak for a bit. She opened up and said she was on her way home to take pills and say goodbye to everything. A mother of many…broken by disappointment from…read post
You know how I keep sharing reminders that you are meant for more than your career? I say that not to be poetic, but to gently nudge all of us out of the tendency to define ourselves and our worth by what we do, know, or have. Putting up appearances is essentially acting, but even pro actors have work hours and off days…read post
Whether we’re friends, polite acquaintances, former amigas, barely on waving terms or otherwise…whether your bank account is temporarily bald, pockets are packed or wall is stacked with awards…whatever your skin-tone, accent, native language, social status, ambitions or address…
We’re all works in progress…read post
Being comfortable in purposeful moments of quiet can overflow graciously into areas of life where others may lean more towards restlessness. Proactivity is important but patience is still a beautiful fruit. What compels you to ‘be still’ while taking in something? Read post
It’s not that I don’t have thoughts or express them (there’s this blog and 100+ songs after all)…it’s that words matter and using a filter brings the best results. We’re also extremely prone to having and harbouring negative, ungrateful thoughts so refreshing the mind is a daily thing. Also, if you’ve ever been around anyone who says every single thing that comes to mind regardless of what temperature, flavour or volume their mind, mood or mouth is set to or what time of day it is, you know just how valuable guarding your mind and checking your heart posture is. Read post
Encouragement from Guest Writers. We are made in plural for a reason; to love, encourage and kindly correct one another.
Thanks for coming by and reading today’s post. Your visit to itsjoywithin.com means a lot. In this 9-year journey of blogging, there have been over 300 articles with online writing steps, work at home tips, creative career talks, recipes, encouragement and multimedia refreshment content. Joyful Life | On Purpose is listed on the ‘Top 45 Caribbean Lifestyle Blogs & Websites To Follow‘ by FeedSpot (for two years now) and is a labour of love. There is no behind the scenes interference, secret billionaire shareholders or message influencers so the posts that reach you are shared with love using whatever resources and access I have. If you’re inspired to support this blog whether with a $1. today or more monthly, the PayPal email address is itsjoywithin@gmail.com – thanks very much and hope to see you in the next post.
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