Hands Full of Blessings!

Sharing Some of My Blessings With You.

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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,...

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...

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...

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...

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 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...

Identity

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 3, 2020 | Christian Parallels, Faith, Popular Post | 0 Comments

I just recently watched The Incredibles with my children. We love this movie. It never gets old. If you haven’t seen this movie, you should. It is about a family of Supers trying to get along in a world where they have to try to pretend to be something they are not...

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...

Coffee and Jesus

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 25, 2020 | Popular Post | 0 Comments

This morning I made my coffee, I smiled at my coffee mug that was given to me this Christmas. “All I need today is a little bit of Coffee & a whole lot of Jesus.” So true. But is it backwards? I mean really. I’m a mom of six. I teach kids in China online starting...

God is Faithful!

by reneejoiner | September 3, 2019 | Books, Growing in Faith, Popular Post | 8 Comments

God Report

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | April 23, 2021 | Popular Post | 2 Comments

As you may have noticed, I have not been posting nearly as often as I have in the past. Our family is going through some big changes in which all the credit goes to God! Let me back up a few years… to right before my husband took a job as a pastor. Previously he...

A Dream Come True

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 21, 2020 | Books, Popular Post | 0 Comments

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...

Love Song from China

by reneejoiner | September 9, 2019 | Popular Post | 0 Comments

Every morning at 5 am, I wake up to teach kids in China online. I love my job! I really do! It honestly amazes me the relationships you can build with kids across the world using a pre-planned 25-minute lesson. That’s not the point of this post, though. Yesterday...

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 Splinter

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 23, 2019 | Popular Post | 0 Comments

One of my children recently had a splinter in his foot. Now this child is extremely sensitive to touch and pretty much all sensory inputs. He showed me the splinter. I pushed the skin slightly around it and he started crying, “Owwey Owww.” I took a look at him and...

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...

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 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...

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...

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,...

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:...

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...

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...

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...

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....

Christian Parallels Post

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...

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | October 9, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments

Goldilocks and the Three Bears The next story on the blog is Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Everyone knows the story of the curious little girl taking a walk in the woods when she comes upon a house… When no one answers the door, Goldilocks walks straight in. On the...

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...

What if…

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | October 10, 2021 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments

Warning: This post does have spoilers for the Disney+ series What If. As I started watching the Disney+ series What If… I had very mixed feelings. The stories I knew but were slightly altered were just alright. It seemed like a reach of a television show. Then episode...

Humpty Dumpty

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | October 8, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments

Up next on Christian Parallels in Nursery Rhymes is Humpty Dumpty. Now before we begin, let’s all say the nursery rhyme together… Ok, maybe not… that’s the teacher in me coming out… But here is the rhyme for those of you who were on board and still reading. Humpty...

Signing Away Your Freedom

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | November 7, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments

This image right here... Ariel is signing away her freedom for a chance at romantic love. She was the daughter of the King. The King had the power to grant her request. Yet, she made a deal with Sea Witch. In Ariel’s defense, she was hurt. She had this...

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...

The Hope in Cinderella

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 3, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments

Up next on the blog is Cinderella! Now, Cinderella is a classic written on the hearts of every young girl. The chances are most ladies have probably seen this movie in at least three different versions. But it never gets old. For the purposes of this blog, my kids and...

Snow White

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 2, 2020 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments

My kids and I just watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. And once again, I’m thinking, “How have I never seen this movie before?” I knew the story line. I knew most of the details. I even knew the Hi-Ho song, but I’ve never watched the movie from start to finish....

Jingle All The Way

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | December 20, 2019 | Christian Parallels | 0 Comments

Next up on Christian Parallels in the Movies is “Jingle All the Way!” Every 90s child knows this movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a workaholic dad who forgets to get his son, Jamie, a Turbo-Man doll. Let’s be honest, watching this movie as an adult was very different...

Just Like Dad

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 17, 2018 | Faith in Parenting | 2 Comments

Every morning I wake my kids up, we eat breakfast, and then I remind them of their morning tasks. “Get dressed, brush your teeth, brush your hair, read your Bibles…” Wednesday morning as I was reading one of my younger kids her Bible, my boys came running to me. “Mom...

It is Worth It!

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | August 27, 2021 | Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments

Sometimes I wonder if chasing this dream of being an established Christian Children’s Book author is worth it. The insane amount of rejection, critiques, and let downs can really wear on someone… especially one who just realized she tends to run to the well of...

Stain

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 26, 2020 | Faith, Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments

My husband is the type of man who will not do anything half-way. If he is going to commit to it, it will be done, and it will be done well. Last week, he was working on making a table/counter-top desk for church. He had two pieces of plywood. After making some...

Brave?

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 5, 2021 | Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments

Today I had not one… not two... but three other moms tell me that I was brave while walking around the zoo and Turtle Park with my six kids. Honestly, I was taken back by this. I’m not brave. This is what we do. We run errands together. We go out together. We have fun...

Guess Who

by reneejoiner | July 9, 2019 | Faith in Marriage | 0 Comments

Yesterday I had the opportunity to observe a rather comical game of “Guess Who?” My 7-year-old was trying to play with my 2-year-old. My 7-year-old son actually did a good job of teaching as they played, but his sister…well, she’s still only 2. My daughter...

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...

Like Arrows

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | August 25, 2021 | Book Reviews, Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments

Be Angry, But Do Not Sin

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | March 9, 2020 | Faith in Parenting | 0 Comments

I really don’t think my older kids realize how influential they are to their younger siblings. This morning, my oldest wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of doing schoolwork. So, I sent them all outside to play. Of course, my oldest- who was not in a great mood, huffed...

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...

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.”...

Fuel

by reneejoiner | May 15, 2019 | Faith | 0 Comments

So, we have officially started trying to feed the baby solid foods. He’s not the best eater, but he’s only six months old. Generally, he eats the first couple of bites just fine. But then he’s a drooling mess and not much more is actually consumed. But he’s just...

Eraser? What is a Disciple Anyways?

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | August 27, 2020 | Faith | 0 Comments

As my daughter began school yesterday, I noticed she picked up a pencil without an eraser. So, I grabbed a pencil with an eraser. She asked why. I told her so she would have an eraser. Then she said, “I’m not going to mess up, mom. I don’t need an eraser.” I still...

Addicted

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | October 24, 2020 | Faith | 0 Comments

I’ve got a confession to make- I’m addicted to my phone. Seriously. The last two days I have tried to use it for its original designed purpose, talking and texting (well, and camera)… but it has really shown me how much I have been programed to use a device that was...

Obedience

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | January 5, 2021 | Faith | 0 Comments

Obedience. This has been a theme on my heart. After finishing my Christmas Bible reading plan, I prayed about where I should go next in my morning time with God. He directed me to the beginning. So, to Genesis I went. As I have been reading these stories that I...

Warning Labels

by reneejoiner | October 22, 2019 | Growing in Faith | 0 Comments

I stood at the kitchen counter making my children Ramen Noodles for lunch. Normally I make the ones that come in the packages, but I accidentally picked up the cups when shopping. As I was waiting for the cup in the microwave to finish, I picked up another...

Learning to Lose

by reneejoiner | March 25, 2019 | Faith | 0 Comments

My kids have started learning how to play Chess at the library. They’ve gotten pretty good at playing too. It’s almost hard to believe that 3 months ago they didn’t know how to play. Their Chess teacher sent them home with a board and pieces about a month ago. My...

God is Faithful!

by reneejoiner | September 3, 2019 | Books, Growing in Faith, Popular Post | 8 Comments

My Comforter

by reneejoiner | August 14, 2019 | Growing in Faith | 0 Comments

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take my youngest two children to the park without older siblings. After my 2-year-old ran all over the playground equipment, she settled into the swings. She asked me to push her high. So, I obliged. Then she told me, “I...

Good Guys VS Bad Guys

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | June 11, 2018 | Faith | 0 Comments

My kids really like the show “Wild Kratts” right now. As a parent, I like it too. They get to learn about wild life in an entertaining way. Since my kids are into the super hero thing, the good guys verse bad guys approach while applying science couldn’t be more...

Here Comes Santa?

by reneejoiner_jhkz15 | December 1, 2022 | Faith | 0 Comments

It’s December! So that means it is time for Christmas music! Last week during my older two boys’ guitar lessons, their teacher asked which song they wanted to learn this year. My oldest son quickly chose, “Here Comes Santa Claus.” After his lessons, he was attempting...

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