Because Having a Joyful Family Is a Project

Hi, I’m Jill.

I’m a mom, a widow, a list-maker, a convicted Martha, and apparently according to my kids a bit of a dork. I like order, although you probably wouldn't know that by looking at my life—or sometimes my house.

Life has given me plenty of opportunities to ask the harder questions: Do I really trust God? Do I believe He is good when life doesn't feel good? Do I really believe I'm His daughter when I can't see where He's leading me?

I'm just a mom who loves her kids and wants something good for her family. I know that doesn't mean pretending everything is good. Life can be really hard. But I also believe that if we want joy, we have to be willing to look for it —to see the good in each other, to notice the good still around us, and to ask God to help us see it when we can't. 

At Project Joyful Family, we believe joy isn't about having a perfect life. It's about learning to recognize the blessings in the life we've been given, even when things get messy.

Through faith, family, and a little humor, we hope to remind others to choose joy in the everyday moments and to know they're not alone in life's struggles.

Our shop is simply another way to share that mission. Some of our designs will make you laugh, others might encourage you to pause and turn your heart toward God, but all of them come from the same place: a desire to share a little joy and remind you that we're all figuring this out together.

Same mountains. Same mess. More grace. Real joy.

We’re not here to pretend family life is always joyful, easy, or Instagram-worthy. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it hurts. And sometimes you laugh so hard you can’t breathe.

These are stories from our real life—the hard seasons, the ridiculous moments, the grief, and the little pieces of joy we find along the way. No perfect formula. Just a real family figuring it out as we go.

Because having a joyful family is a project.

Faith isn’t something we save for the easy days. It’s what we lean on when life hurts, when we don’t understand, and when we have no idea what comes next.

Here we share the ways faith has carried us through grief, change, and the everyday challenges of family life—and the times when our faith has been tested, questioned, and strengthened along the way.

Because sometimes finding joy is walking with God through the mess.

Family life can sometimes feel like you’re the only one struggling, wondering if everyone else has it figured out. Spoiler alert: they don’t.

We want this to be a place where we can share the hard stuff, celebrate the little victories, laugh at the ridiculous moments, and remind each other that we’re not alone in this family adventure. 

Because sometimes joy is found in knowing someone else gets it.