Hands Full of Blessings!
Sharing Some of My Blessings With You.
Recent Post
End in Sight
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 25, 2026 | Faith | 0 Comments
My husband and I started training for a Spartan... and as we looked for training plans, the obvious became a reality- I had to start running again. When my husband would be like- let's just run, I would get all in my head... I can't do this.... I'm too out of shape......
Nobodies Chosen By God- The Shepherds
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | December 18, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
I recently heard a Christmas message focused on how God uses the unexpected and the overlooked to accomplish His work for His glory. The message centered on the shepherds, who were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus. In biblical times, shepherds were considered...
Eyes on the Road
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | August 27, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
So, we have a new driver in our house… and I have learned that I am really glad my husband is good at teaching and instruction… because you don’t realize all the things a new driver doesn’t know until they get behind a wheel. For example, keep your eyes on where you...
Seasons
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | July 19, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." John 15:6 Fruit grows in season. And look at this Prickly Pear Cactus... the fruit...
If It Were Easy…
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 20, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
“If it were easy, everyone would do it.” I tell my kids this all the time. Especially when they’re learning or perfecting a new skill or hobby- like crocheting, playing music, sewing, running… seriously I cannot count how many times I have said this to all six of them...
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 7, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
I’ve had this thought running through my head. When I read the Armor of God in Ephesians 6, as an evangelist, I really want the Shoes of the Gospel of the Peace to represent going out and sharing the gospel. But every single commentary I read says that is not the...
Creative
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | May 31, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
Have you ever looked at a sunrise and thought, “Wow, God! You did that. You didn’t have to, but you wanted to!” Our God is truly the Master Artist. The Creator of the universe didn’t stop once the creation was set into motion. He continues to be creative and shows His...
Seek First
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 23, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
“But SEEK first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33. As I wrote this verse on our whiteboard today, countless games of Hide and Seek went through my head. I remember being a kid and trying to hide in the hardest spot, so the “seeker” would have to...
Fuel Up
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 21, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
You know how there are two people in every relationship? The one who always has a full tank of gas and the one who isn’t even sure if the car will make it to the gas station? Yeah… well… I’m the second one. Today my van's gas light came on… and I thought, well I...
Seek and Save the Lost
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 5, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
Every time my kids and I go hiking, we end up talking about “the time mom got us lost” on a trail. Now, sadly, this has happened so often that we have to ask—which time? Well, one time we had just started a really good trail that was supposed to be a moderate,...
More on the Blog
God is Faithful!
by reneejoiner | September 3, 2019 | Books, Growing in Faith, Popular Post | 8 Comments
I’m getting published!!! I’m so excited to share this news. However, it doesn’t seem right to share this news without sharing how AMAZING our God is! So, let me tell you the whole story! The Call In April of 2017, I felt this stir in my heart to write a book. It...
Book 2: A Princess Problem with Pride
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | May 14, 2021 | Books, Faith | 0 Comments
Book 2 is on the way!!!! But before I tell you anymore. You HAVE to hear how God brought it all together. Book #1 was released… literally right before the United States went on lock down for COVID-19. Bye bye book signings. Goodbye read-alouds. All my thoughts on...
It’s Launch Day!!!!
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | February 25, 2020 | Books, Popular Post | 0 Comments
Today is the day! Daughters of The King: A Princess Problem with Envy is now available for purchase through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also order through the publisher, Grackle Publishing. Please help me spread the word about this book, the series, but most...
Book Update!!!
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 14, 2020 | Books, Popular Post | 2 Comments
Coming soon! Book 1- Daughters of The King: A Princess Problem with Envy Release date: February 25, 2020 You can pre-order on Amazon now! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1951620003 Please tell all your friends who have daughters in the age range of 2-8! Also, please leave...
A Dream Come True
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 21, 2020 | Books, Popular Post | 0 Comments
This moment… this moment, right here, is something I have been dreaming about for almost three years. But let me tell you a secret… 3 ½ years ago, it wasn’t even on my bucket list. This is 100% a dream God put on my heart, and He gave me the super-human strength to...
Homeschooling with Littles
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | July 18, 2020 | Faith in Parenting, Popular Post | 0 Comments
It was suggested that I write a blog about how to homeschool with littles at home. My immediate response was, “I wish I knew.” However, many people have told me I seem to have a good handle on it, so here it goes. If you are on the fence about homeschooling and are...
Painting with Twigs
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 5, 2020 | Faith, Popular Post | 0 Comments
Well, I’m not sure if I’m an awesome mom or crazy. While playing outside one of my children was collecting twigs. Another said, “Hey we could paint with these! Mom, can we paint with twigs?” “Sure!” I said pulling out the paints and blank papers. Well, guess what? The...
“You Have Your Hands Full!”
by reneejoiner | January 15, 2018 | Popular Post | 4 Comments
A couple years ago, I was walking into Target with my (then) four kids. I had one kid in the cart, and the other 3 riding along the sides of it. As I started heading into the store, a random man made eye contact with me. … Great… Here we go again… another conversation...
Diet and Exercise
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | July 24, 2020 | Popular Post | 0 Comments
Diet and exercise. I’ve started this blog many times, but I have never been able to actually complete it. I realize now, that is because it will never be complete. This is a rollercoaster of a journey. If someone would have told me when I was 17, my biggest struggle...
Always a Princess
by reneejoiner | January 9, 2018 | Popular Post | 8 Comments
Growing up I was (and still am) the biggest Tom-Boy. I can seriously count the number of times I have painted my nails. You will NOT find me wearing a dress or skirt (unless I am at a formal occasion that calls for it.) And heels? - You can just forget about that~...
The Christmas Puzzle
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | December 13, 2019 | Popular Post | 1 Comment
As I was making dinner, my three-year-old wanted some help with a puzzle. Now, this is a new puzzle of the Baby Jesus. (We are very blessed with people in our lives who help point our children to Jesus during a protentional very secular holiday.) Anyways, she was...
Book Update!!!
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 14, 2020 | Books, Popular Post | 2 Comments
Coming soon! Book 1- Daughters of The King: A Princess Problem with Envy Release date: February 25, 2020 You can pre-order on Amazon now! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1951620003 Please tell all your friends who have daughters in the age range of 2-8! Also, please leave...
Offended
by reneejoiner | April 23, 2019 | Popular Post | 0 Comments
Well, on Good Friday I found myself in need of a shopping trip to Target. It was a for-real need. The baby only had a handful of diapers left. (And Target’s Up and Up diapers are the best value.) So, my six children and I walked into a busy Target. I was able to...
Intentional
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | February 6, 2019 | Popular Post | 1 Comment
A few days ago, my husband called for me to come to the computer. He opened up a video from 2010 of our oldest as a baby. The adorable little baby (that looked strikingly similar to our current baby) rolled back and forth on a jungle floor mat happily playing by...
The End of the Thomas Phase
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | May 21, 2018 | Popular Post | 8 Comments
This morning I sat in awe as my boys gave their little sisters all their Thomas the Tank Engine trains saying they do not play with them anymore. While I watched the interaction occur I felt proud. Proud that they realized they do not need those toys in their...
Jesus Loves the Little Children Book Review
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 19, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Title: Jesus Loves the Little Children; A Chosen Story Author: Dallas and Amanda Jenkins Illustrator: Kristen Hendricks Summary: Abigail talks a lot. A LOT. So when she meets Jesus for the first time, she talks about him to every kid she can find. Together the...
If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | July 30, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Title: If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart Author: Jill Roman Lord Illustrator: Amy Wummer Publisher: Worthy Kids Summary: A new size for this sweet and brightly colored board book that explores the presence of Jesus in our lives. If Jesus lived inside our hearts, would it...
The Pumpkin Patch Parable Review
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 19, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Title: The Pumpkin Patch Parable Author: Liz Curtis Higgs Illustrator: Nancy Munger Disclaimer: I LOVE LIZ CURTIS HIGGS! Moms, if you have not read her Bad Girls of the Bible series, you should… totally not the point of this post though… Summary: Bestselling author...
Veggie Tales Comic Book Reviews
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 30, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Book: Veggie Tales Super Comic Volume 3 (contains the stories of Rack, Shack, and Benny, MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle, and Larry Boy and the Rude Beet.) Author: Rack, Shack, and Benny is adapted from the movie created by Big Idea, adapted by Aaron Linn....
Three Gifts for Abigail Review
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 26, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Title: Three Gifts for Abigail Author: Allison Romero Illustrator: Gloria Elliott Summary: Excited to spend a special day with family, Abigail hurries downstairs where she finds a surprise waiting for her on the living room table. As she uncovers each of the three...
Children Arise Review
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | July 3, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Book: Children Arise Author: Jenny Johnson Illustrator: Jessie Blasdel Summary: Children Arise is a book empowering children to become all God created them to be by teaching them how to partner with Holy Spirit! Children Arise is a sweet storybook that teaches little...
A New Section: Book Reviews
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 11, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
“You don’t know what you don’t know…” In the Spring of 2017, I felt called to write... specifically, a Christian children’s book series. As I was seeking to fill out my submission forms to various agents and publishers, I found the section: competitive titles....
Jesus Storybook Bible
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | July 16, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Title: Jesus Story Book Bible Author: Sally Lloyd-Jones Illustrator: Jago Summary: For over a decade, The Jesus Storybook Bible has been introducing children to God’s wonderful story, and the Savior at the center of that story. Trusted and treasured for over a decade,...
Good Good Father Book Review
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 15, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Title: Good Good Father Authors: Chris Tomlin and Pat Barrett Illustrator: Lorna Hussey Publisher: Tommy Nelson Summary: Grammy Award-winning music artist, Chris Tomlin, and Pat Barrett (Housefires) team up to tell the story of a little bear named Tucker whose life is...
The Princess Parables Book Review
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 12, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 Comments
Title: Princess Grace and the Little Lost Kitten (The Princess Parables) Authors: Jeanna Young, Jacqueline Kinney Johnson Illustrator: Omar Aranda Summary: In Princess Grace and the Little Lost Kitten, Princess Grace promises her father she will care for the...
Christian Parallels Post
Christian Parallels in The Lion King
by reneejoiner | November 5, 2019 | Christian Parallels | 1 Comment
Last week I had the opportunity to share some Christian parallels of the movie “Aladdin” in my blog. It was honestly really neat to see how the messages of the movie fit perfectly into the blog I was currently writing. So, I decided to try this again with another...
King Triton
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | November 6, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 2 Comments
Ever notice how King Triton slightly resembles Jesus. No, no, not the controlling father who won't let his daughter go to the surface. (Though as a parent I see he had good reason to make that rule.) How about the father who takes His daughter's punishment that she...
Frozen- The Quest for True Love
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | December 4, 2019 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments
Next up on Christian parallels in the movies is Frozen. So, if you are a parent or grandparent from this decade, you probably have this movie memorized. Let me start by saying, up until this year I was proud of the fact that I hadn’t seen it. My boys were young when...
A Poison Ivy Wreath
by reneejoiner | October 29, 2019 | Christian Parallels, Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments
This week we have seen the beautiful colors of fall in St. Louis! As my kids were playing outside, they kept showing me the colorful leaves that they would find. So, I decided we should make an autumn wreath for our front door. Oh, they had a blast finding all the...
Would Cinderella Return to her Stepmother’s Home?
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | November 3, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments
We all love a happily ever after story. Look at Cinderella. The poor girl lost her parents and ends up serving her stepmother and stepsisters like a slave. The movie even says they abused her. However, she had a hope that could not be explained, despite that abuse....
Underdog Movies and the Gospel
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 4, 2021 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments
I had this really cool idea to show how a classic underdog/Cinderella story actually shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was all excited to start. So I went to the first Gospel, Matthew. (Warning the idea didn't quite work out.) Cue the opening scene… Genealogy… you...
Thoughts on The Little Mermaid
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 26, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments
Next up on Christian Parallels in the Movies is The Little Mermaid. Now, I hadn’t seen this movie since I was a kid. My little sister loved this movie, so in good big sister fashion- I did not. I actually promised myself that I would never let my daughters watch this...
Sleeping Beauty
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | February 24, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments
I recently read that fairy tales are a literary form of apologetics because they illuminate the Gospel. After reflecting on this, I noted that most of our basic princess fairy tales follow a similar format: 1) They start with a happy world where we meet our princess....
The Ants Go Marching
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | October 12, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 1 Comment
The next Nursery Rhyme on the blog is actually more of a well-known kid’s song- The Ants Go Marching. What’s interesting about ants is that they are small, and alone they seem weak. But they don’t live alone. They live in colonies…with thousands of other ants. In that...
Little Red Riding Hood
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | October 4, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments
My kids love watching a YouTube channel called “Pancake Manor.” The creators are a couple in Canada who remake/remix nursery rhymes making them upbeat, creative, and fun. They do an awesome job, really! But with my kids of all ages 10-1 loving these music videos, the...
Accepting Advice
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 1, 2020 | Faith, Faith in Parenting | 1 Comment
The only thing worse than being sick on Christmas, is your kids being sick the days following. My husband came down with an awful sickness the week before Christmas. He explained it as feeling like death. Well, then I also came down with the same sickness. His...
Cleaning Out the Closet
by reneejoiner | September 17, 2019 | Faith in Marriage, Growing in Faith | 0 Comments
So, I’m not exactly a perfectionist. I’m the kind of girl who will purposely hang something up crooked so that I don’t have to worry about it looking level. My husband…Not that way at all. He’s the type of person who will bring out the level and pencils while...
Growing Seeds
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 18, 2020 | Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments
A few weeks ago, my children came home from church with a plastic cup, soil, and a planted seed. Let me just be honest, I do not have a green thumb. When it comes to keeping plants alive… I am not so good at that… like… at all… So we put the plants on the windowsill,...
Potty Training
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 23, 2021 | Faith in Parenting, Fellowship | 0 Comments
The decade of diapers is almost behind me… My oldest is 10 and my last child is now 2. He also seems to think he is ready to potty train. This morning I stood by him and said good job as he peed all over the floor. My oldest smiled at me and said, “I’ll go get...
Control-Top or Hidding the Problem
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | February 20, 2019 | Faith in Marriage | 0 Comments
Confession time! I love my babies! But I do not love what pregnancy has done to my body. I just had baby #6 three months ago… and I reached the biggest I have ever been! Slowly the pounds are coming off, but that means I am now in the awkward in between stage… You...
Like Arrows
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | August 25, 2021 | Book Reviews, Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments
When I started the review section of my blog, I never really intended on doing anything outside of Christian children’s book… but last night I watched a movie on Amazon Prime that I think would benefit parents (young and old alike) to watch- Like Arrows. Movie Title:...
Tearing Down the Awning
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | April 17, 2018 | Faith in Marriage | 0 Comments
One of my favorite hobbies is crocheting. I enjoy crocheting for many reasons. First, it’s a creative outlet. I have no idea how to read a pattern, but I love finding ideas on Pinterest and seeing if I can recreate it. Second, it helps me feel productive. As a mom of...
It’s More Than Dishes
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | August 14, 2018 | Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments
Recently our dishwasher decided to stop draining water properly. As a result, I needed to start hand-washing all our dishes. I do not love dishes. When I realized this, I may have given a little huff and reluctantly agreed to hand wash the dishes until the dishwasher...
Unless
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | September 24, 2020 | Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments
As a family with six kids, people are always making comments about our large family. I used to get frustrated about it. But as I have shared before, I have learned that my attitude and response completely direct the conversation. “Yep, my hands are full of blessings.”...
Don’t Stop Growing
by reneejoiner | October 15, 2019 | Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments
It’s finally autumn! I love fall. It’s seriously one of my favorite seasons. Hoodie and jeans weather! Fire-pits and hot apple cider! Pumpkin pie versus apple pie! Seriously, I love this season! But…Nothing tells you that your children are growing like the start of a...
Super Faith- Origin Story
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 15, 2024 | Faith | 0 Comments
There’s something about a superhero story that grips straight at my heart. Maybe it’s the sad origin story. Maybe it’s that every day person stepping up and doing what’s right even when it’s not easy. Maybe it’s that complex relationship between the hero and villain....
Seek and Save the Lost
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 5, 2025 | Faith | 0 Comments
Every time my kids and I go hiking, we end up talking about “the time mom got us lost” on a trail. Now, sadly, this has happened so often that we have to ask—which time? Well, one time we had just started a really good trail that was supposed to be a moderate,...
Wait! I’m Still Preparing Lunch
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | November 24, 2019 | Faith | 0 Comments
I was making my kids peanut butter sandwiches while the girls played at the table on Friday. I was taking my time, since I knew the boys still needed to wrap up their schoolwork. I had six pieces of bread laid out with a peanut butter spread over them… and out of...
Mary, Did You Know?
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | December 12, 2018 | Faith | 1 Comment
Maybe it’s because I have a newborn so close to Christmas, but for the last couple of days “Mary, Did You Know” has really been resonating with me. Mary, did you know That your baby boy will one day walk on water? Mary, did you know That your baby boy will save...
Fishing
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 23, 2022 | Faith | 0 Comments
For those of you who don’t know- I have 6 kids… the oldest and youngest are just over eight years apart. Yes, they are very close in age. When our older two boys were younger, my husband and I loved taking them fishing with us. At least once or twice a week, once my...
Family Vacation- Thank you, Jesus!
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | August 5, 2020 | Faith | 0 Comments
I just got back from our family vacation! Let me tell you- I needed it! 2020 has been quite a year for the record books, but not in a good way. I recently saw a post talking about all the bad things that have already happened in 2020… I honestly read it and thought,...
Disconnected from the Season
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | December 19, 2019 | Faith | 0 Comments
Earlier this week, I walked into my kitchen to catch the sunrise hitting the snow. It was beautiful. I stopped, soaked it in, and thanked God for His beauty. Then I sat down and thought, “I am just so disconnected from this season.” We are having a literal white...
Embrace Change
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | October 16, 2018 | Faith | 0 Comments
Well, I think it’s officially fall in Missouri! One day it was over 70 degrees, then a cold front came through, and now it’s 40. The cool crisp temperatures have been anticipated, but when they finally arrived it shocked us all. This morning my kids wanted to go...
A Lesson from Hagar
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 9, 2021 | Faith | 0 Comments
My Bible reading today aligned so perfectly today with the state of my heart over that I HAD to SHARE! Join me in Genesis 16. Background: God told Abram (his name has not bee changed yet) that he will be the Father of a great nation. Interesting enough in this same...
Part of the Story
by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | December 3, 2018 | Faith | 0 Comments
My boys have gone a kick where they enjoy making books. They draw sequential pictures to their stories and occasionally add some words. Then they will assemble their books with a three-hole punch and three pieces of yarn. Earlier today my son was sharing one of his...