Lifestyle

Lose Excuses and Gain Results

March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

I love to make excuses for myself.

When it comes to making excuses, I am often my own worst enemy. But when I stop with the excuses and just do what I know I need to be doing it is amazing how much of a difference it makes. I’m not even talking about weight loss and exercising, I’m talking about everything: mental, physical and spiritual health.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” My weaknesses are simply opportunities for Jesus to reveal His grace in my life.

My weaknesses are simply opportunities for Jesus to reveal His grace in my life.

The Bible tells us that in Romans 8:37 that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ, that doesn’t really leave much room for my excuses…

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Lifestyle

There Is A Time for Resting and A Time for Blooming

February 24, 2019February 23, 2019 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long. So don’t expect yourself to do so either.

I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I like to do everything I can the absolute best I can. Sometimes I need a break! Recently I have allowed myself to be in a time of winter. A time to reflect and plan and grow roots instead of flowers. It hasn’t been a fun time for me. I haven’t enjoyed it, I hate winter, I prefer spring and summer, but it’s been a necessary time. Winter will end soon and it’ll be spring again and then the warm days of summer.

The lows of winter are necessary in order to truly enjoy the highs of spring and summer. ❄️🌷☀️🍃

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

²A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

³A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

⁵A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

⁶A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

⁷A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

⁸A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

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Lifestyle

I Choose Happiness

January 27, 2019January 21, 2019 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

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Lifestyle

A Seemingly Perfect Life

September 19, 2018September 1, 2018 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood3 Comments

I say it all the time, social media is only the very best snapshots of the life we want to show the world. Don’t wish for someone else’s seemingly perfect life. We all have fears and tears and struggles. Be an encouragement to someone today, you never know what might be happening behind the filter.

I read this post on Facebook by a page I follow called Encouragement from Women Who Have Been There.

I have been encouraged by several of the posts that I have read there. This one in particular from Becki Rogers founder of Not Quite SuperMoms was especially interesting to me.

Biblical Abigail in a Modern-Day Setting

“If you read 1 Samuel 25, you’ll meet a lady who seems like a superwoman.
Humor me while I describe Abigail in a modern setting: she’s got a college education. Her hair is perfectly styled and her roots never show. She’s fit, hitting the home gym every morning without fail. Her Bible is well-worn, and her prayer journal is opened daily. Her home is decorated like the pages of a magazine, and her weekly shopping trips include stops at all the best boutiques. Her personal cook and housekeeper adore her, and her Instagram account has 450k followers. You might know her. Or, you might follow her Instagram account. You might secretly wish you could be her. I can’t blame you. I would want to be her too! But beyond those pristine photo filters, her marriage is a mess. Her husband is a drunken, incorrigible man, and she silently wipes tears as she fixes his messes. She is a peacemaker on his behalf, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders day after day.

I know, I know. The Bible doesn’t say all that about Abigail, but it DOES say that she was wise, and peacekeeping, and wealthy (at least, her husband was). It also mentions that she was pretty. In today’s world, she could have been everything described above.

However, her home life was miserable, to put it mildly. The Bible describes Nabal, her husband, as a cruel and brutal man in all his dealings. And yet, despite being married to such a man, she didn’t waver in her faithfulness to her loathsome husband.

The story takes an unexpected turn when the future king, David, came along. Her husband was rude to David and his men, and David planned retaliation. Abigail secretly defied her husband and humbly approached David with food and an offer of peace, taking the blame for her husband. Sadly, she’d probably had to do this many times before.

Instagram filters can hide a host of heartache. Don’t assume another mom isn’t struggling just because her social media looks good.

I love how Abigail wisely approaches David —first with food, and then with reason. There’s very little that a good meal can’t pacify! In addition to the food offering, she humbly suggested to David that to avenge himself by killing her husband (as well as their entire household—including Abigail herself) would not be in his best interests. She de-escalated the situation by appealing to his conscience: she reminded him of who he was—the Lord’s soldier, fighting His battles. She gently suggested that he would later regret having this bloodshed on his hands, and she prophesied that all of his enemies would be as cursed as her husband was. Talk about a crisis negotiator! I need some of that wisdom in refereeing my kids’ bickering!

***(Challenge)
The bottom line is, I don’t have a clue what struggles you’re facing based on your social media posts. I can imagine that those pretty filters hide a lot of tears. You don’t know what another mom is facing either. Don’t wish for her life, no matter how good it looks. Instead, we need to pray for each other. Call a friend today and ask if there’s anything you can pray about. It may look like she’s got it all together, but she may be silently begging God for a friend. Be that one. And if you’re the one struggling behind closed doors, reach out. Ask your Father to bring you a trusted confidant who may be able to give you wise, godly counsel.”

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I would love for you to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Lifestyle

Hope Through Disappointment

April 18, 2018April 18, 2018 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood3 Comments

Have you ever set a goal for yourself then worked incredibly hard doing everything right to make it happen, only to be disappointed with a slip-up? Yup, that was me the other day.

I got upset at my failure and started to feel disappointed in my myself. I found myself at that juncture of two choices…. I could either let the disappointment derail me, ignore all the previous progress that I had made and forget about the whole thing, or realize that I made a mistake, learn from it, and move forward.

To be honest, I wanted to give up and slip back into old habits. Change is so hard! Making the right choice is not usually easy!

I woke up this morning with these verses from Lamentations 3:18-25 on my mind…

18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord:

19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood, and the gall.

20 My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me.

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Today is a new day. Each morning is a new start.

I had to realize I had been putting my hope in something that disappoints…myself. God has a better plan for me than I could ever imagine for myself. I had to repent of my pride and remind myself that God is my portion and hope.

Are you like me? Are you also having a hard time struggling with a disappointment? Maybe like me even a bit of pride too? (Ouch!) Life is hard and change is inevitable. So let’s encourage each other and help one another out!

I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Lifestyle

Focusing on Gratitude

February 11, 2018 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

At the beginning of 2018 I mentioned in a previous post that in lieu of a New Year’s resolution, I have claimed the word “gratitude” for the year.

I was recently reading a devotional focusing on Job’s gratitude despite having seemingly lost everything important to him. Having what seemed like nothing left, he still said: “the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!” Job 1:20-21

Blessed be the name of the Lord | lookingjoligood.blog

Having lost everything, Job still thanked and blessed God! I was so convicted by this! How do I personally react when simple things don’t go my way… Never mind losing everything important to me?! Do I still have a grateful heart?! It’s easy to be thankful when the sun is shining…but what about when the sky is gray, there’s icy snow on the roads, the kids are up during the night coughing with fevers, the car won’t start, and the pipes burst?

The difficult circumstances of life can make it hard to be grateful! It is not easy to say “Thank you, Lord.” when it is a terrible horrible no good very bad day! Whether or not we see God’s purpose, we can be thankful to our Heavenly Father? In every situation, God sees an opportunity for us to trust Him and glorify Him.

Both in trials and blessings, a grateful heart returns praise to God. I have been praying for God to give me a grateful heart, not just for the people I love, the things I have, and good times, but also for the hard experiences and people that aren’t always pleasant to be around.

Whether in trials or blessings God is good! With God’s help I need to set my mind and heart towards gratitude during the summery sunshine or wintery gloom.

Gratitude: warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful

Job 1:21

And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Lifestyle

What’s the Word for 2018?

January 1, 2018January 1, 2018 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood7 Comments

Happy New Year, 2018!

I’m not really one for New Year’s Resolutions, what about you?

I am more of a resolve to make a change when it is needed whether it is January 1st, April 18th, or November 24th. That being said, this year I am going to try something a little different. This is something that has been on my mind for a few weeks now…

I have been thinking about claiming a word for the year.

I feel as if claiming a word has a much more positive spin to it than a new years resolution. Most New Year’s Resolutions are tossed aside or forgotten by the end of February… Whereas, a word of the year is something that can be focused on, and meditated on, in little spurts rather than an everyday task or one big thing.

Here are a few of my potential words:

Contentment: satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else. ease of mind.
Joy: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation:
Health: the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor
Kindness: of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, sympathetic attitude toward others, and a willingness to do good or give pleasure.
Organization: to form as a whole consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts, especially for united action:

One of the words in the top running for this year is actually something that I have already been trying to focus on: Gratitude!

Gratitude: warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful

During the month of November, I blogged daily about what I am thankful for. I really enjoyed intentionally focusing on being grateful. After taking the time every day to list out all the things I have to be thankful for I realized just how true it is that gratitude turns what we have into enough!

What about you? Do you make resolutions or do you claim a word to focus on for the year? I’d love to hear what you are looking forward to in 2018!

I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Looking Joli Good

Kindness is beautiful!

Tag: focus

Lose Excuses and Gain Results

I love to make excuses for myself.

My weaknesses are simply opportunities for Jesus to reveal His grace in my life.

There Is A Time for Resting and A Time for Blooming

There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long. So don’t expect yourself to do so either.

I Choose Happiness

Hope Through Disappointment

Today is a new day. Each morning is a new start.

Focusing on Gratitude

Job 1:21

What’s the Word for 2018?

I’m not really one for New Year’s Resolutions, what about you?

I love to make excuses for myself.

My weaknesses are simply opportunities for Jesus to reveal His grace in my life.

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There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long. So don’t expect yourself to do so either.

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Today is a new day. Each morning is a new start.

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Job 1:21

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I’m not really one for New Year’s Resolutions, what about you?

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