Change isn’t always easy, but it is a part of life. As the saying goes, “Out with the old, in with the new! As of this week, some old things are passing out of my world, and some new things are entering in!
Continue reading “New Happenings”Category: Refreshment
Vacation on Edisto Island
We were on vacation last week and it was wonderful!! We live in the mountains, so we love to vacation at the ocean. We went to Edisto Island. It’s so quiet and slow-paced! It was just what we needed. I can sum it up in seven words…
Continue reading “Vacation on Edisto Island”
A Shopping Give-Away!
Two weekends ago I had the blessing of speaking at The Wilds ladies’ retreat. Though the weather was CRAZY – (we had sun, wind, clouds, rain and then snow!) our time was like a spring day in my heart. To have the blessing of teaching God’s Word is always a joy! How our hearts need those times away to soak in Scripture, spend time alone with the Lord, and also enjoy encouragement from godly friends.
While teaching on my theme for this year in Colossians 3, I used the analogy of a friend of mine, Tricia Mosier, who owns a consignment shop in our area, Elizabeth Dean Boutique, . She has at her fingertips all kinds of clothing items that belong to her because she is the shop owner. All she has to do is appropriate what is hers to enjoy putting on clothing for each day. Spiritually, if we have trusted Christ, we have the same blessing in a much deeper sense. We can “wear” kindness, forgiveness and peace because it was purchased for us when we were saved. It’s such a beautiful life to live and it’s all because we have Christ living in us. Amazing!
Back to the boutique…It Is Beautiful. The store itself is lovely; the racks are color-coordinated and displayed according to size and type of clothing. There is even a $3 clearance store at the bottom of the parking lot where I’ve found lots of items. I have purchased items from her with prices that varied from $1 (on her occasional Dollar Days!), $3, $5 or a little above $10. She also carries purses, shoes, coats, accessories…well you get the picture!
Each day I spoke at The Wilds, I was sporting clothes from Elizabeth Dean. No one knew, but it was fun to know that I was appropriating what I had found in her boutique! Here’s one example – White House Black Market pants I purchased for $5! Every week she has one color of tag that is half off. These pants happened to be the right color tag!
I like buying high quality clothes at greatly reduced prices. That’s a big part of why I shop at this consignment store, located in Gray, Tennessee. I also love that Tricia is a believer, and desires to honor the Lord with her business. It’s also great to support local businesses! So many reasons to enjoy this boutique!
After the retreat was over, ladies from this area came home and told Tricia that I had used her store as an illustration while speaking, and she graciously reached out to me to say she would be happy to sponsor a give-away! So, because of her kindness, four ladies will win a $25 gift certificate to Elizabeth Dean Boutique! How fun is that?!
Here’s how you can enter to win – Please read carefully.
There will be 4 winners, each winning one $25 gift certificate. This giveaway will be open until midnight on Thursday, April 28 and is only open in the United States. Elizabeth Dean Boutique is a brick and mortar store in Gray, Tennessee. You must be following both RefreshHerblog and Elizabeth Dean Boutique on Instagram to qualify for this giveaway. I will contact the winner via email. Please respond within 24 hours after receiving the email to claim your prize. If you do not respond, I will choose another winner. Thank you for entering this giveaway!
Click here to enter.
Even if you don’t win, I hope you’ll stop in to Tricia’s consignment store at 5025 Bobby Hicks Hwy #107, Gray, TN 37615 and tell her Denise sent you!
Refresh your wardrobe with some good deals, but even better, refresh your spiritual wardrobe by appropriating all that Christ has purchased for you!
Headed to The Wilds!
I’m excited to have the blessing of speaking at The Wilds ladies’ retreat this weekend. There are 19 or 20 of our church ladies attending and I’m so excited to share this weekend with these precious sisters in. Christ.
The van is packed and we’re headed to do some shopping and enjoy lunch out before getting to camp. This will be full, fun day!
I pray your weekend is full of seeing God at work! I’ll be anxious to share all the details of the weekend very soon!
I pray you’re making plans to be in a Bible preaching church on Sunday!
Ten Ways To Refresh a Dreary Winter Day
Did you know that “January Funk” is really a thing people deal with? “Funk” is a state of depression. It can be very mild, with just a feeling of the blah’s. It can feel like a gray day has settled in your heart.
I am a lover of warm, sunny days, so wintertime can often feel dreary to me. However, I have a list of ten things that really do bring the sunshine in and lift the winter weariness!
- Bible Reading – Shortly after rising, I love to get my coffee, a comfy chair and a lovely view, and start the day with my open Bible and my journal! It gives me something to meditate on all day long! Even though my Chronological reading plan has me in Job right now (not exactly a lifter-upper Book) I am seeing so many wonderful character traits of my awesome God! That’s what I’m meditating on each day!
- Light – I let in as much natural light as the temperatures allow. Curtains open, blinds up and when it warms a bit, the front door is swung open! I also have lamps on throughout the house to brighten up dark corners.
3. Plants – Flowers and plants also help to brighten my heart. Sometimes I cut greens from my yard. Sometimes I pick up flowers at the grocery store. I also still love my Wick plants! They are thriving beautifully!
4. Candles – I usually ALWAYS have a candle burning. Right now you can find great deals on candles, so stock up! This three-wick candle smells amazing and cost me $6. It adds light, aroma and warmth to the room!
5. Media. We have an Alexa in three rooms of our home. I have it playing my “Favorites” and I love the variety I hear! I also listen to several podcasts each day. At lunchtime my husband and I also usually always watch Andy Griffith. You just can’t be gloomy when you watch Barney’s antics!
6. Hobbies – It’s no secret that I love to bake. I’ll bake for company coming, or for a friend in need, a neighbor, or even put things in the freezer for later use. I never regret having something baked and stored away! I also work on my watercolor painting hobby, sewing, or scrapbooking. It’s fun to get creative!
7. Productivity – Getting up and getting things done is helpful in improving my outlook. If I get supper in the crockpot early in the day, pop in a load of laundry, work on a radio broadcast, or write a card to stick in the mail, I get energized! It’s great to get things accomplished and even work ahead!
8. Exercise – It was 22 degrees most mornings this week, but also sunny and I decided it was perfect for a walk! I bundled up three days in a row and walked 2.25 miles while I talked to the Lord. It felt good to exercise, talk to the Lord, and get some fresh air!
9. Fellowship = Our small groups are reconvening this week and I think we’re ALL excited about it! Those pies you saw were made for our small group. I usually make something pretty simple, but wanted to kind of celebrate getting back together after a long holiday break. The fellowship with others is so important in encouraging your heart! This is one reason why the Lord wants us to meet together as a Church Body. We need the fellowship and the encouragement, the worship, the corporate prayer and the building up of one another!
10. Ministry to others – It’s easy to get so focused on our own dreariness that we fail to see that others outside our home might need some encouragement, too. Ask the Lord to show you who needs you to reach out to them, and then recognize what their needs might be. As Proverbs 11:25 says, Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
Friends, God cares about your burdens. He created you and He created the seasons. Talk to Him if you’re feeling down. Ask Him to help you have a right perspective about your season, your surroundings and your sadness.
I hope you’ll add one or more of these ten suggestions and watch your heart be encouraged…even in winter!
What do you do to encourage your heart in a funk? Share it in the comments.
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