Boojoyful

I was listening to praise music one morning in the kitchen and the song “Lord I lift my friend to you” came on and I thought of how many of you are lifting up your loved ones for various needs, so I stopped and prayed for people who are carrying their family and friends to the Lord in prayer. I'm so thankful our church has a Tuesday night service called Recovery Church that bring hope to hurting souls. There are so many who long to be set free. Here are some “happy” verses for you to text to, print off, or highlight in a Bible for your loved one!  It’s a privilege to pray for those in need. Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.     Psalm 1:1-3 You make known to me the path of life; you will fi

  The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and the Lord's Spirit sets us free. 2 Corinthians 3:17 Freedom comes at a price, be it national freedom or spiritual freedom.  We are who we are in America because of the men and women who have fought and many died for our freedom.  We have safe passage into heaven, because of Jesus who died for all of our sins. We have the power to overcome the battles that rage within and around us when we acknowledge the gift given to us in the Holy Spirit to guide us and set us free! Do we daily take time to be thank for for these freedoms and call upon the Spirit in all decision making? Hallelujah, we are free indeed.  The Song   (Don't miss this one.) "Amazing Grace" by Pentatonix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obp-9BEZe1c

Several months ago, I started noticing almost every morning when I enter our kitchen one chair is pulled back away from the table.  The first two times it happened we had a house guest and I blamed it upon him, but after he left it continued. Sharing with me husband this unusual occurrence he explained that he was the one doing this. Now I cannot remember his explanation, but whenever I see this I look at the lone chair and say, "Good morning, Jesus" and I envision my Savior sitting there.   On this Memorial Day, where we remember and pay tribute to those killed in or as a result of war for our country, may we also remember Jesus, who gave his life for us as well. Challenge: In some way honor those and the families of  those who gave their lives for our nation. Here are some ideas to make Memorial Day truly a time of remembrance and not just a weekend about us having a good time and getting a day off work. https://www.uso.org/stories/2722-10-socially-distanced-ways-to-honor-t

The tragedy in Texas is beyond our comprehension.  A friend texted Tuesday evening saying "Oh how my heart aches tonight...how horrible that our country has fallen so far that 'it's just another shooting'. The human heart is broken without God as the under pinning.  Precious little children lost...how my heart aches." If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.           2 Chronicles 7:14  Heart wrenching. Tuesday morning before this travesty, I was thanking God for angels who are encamped around us. As I envisioned the multitudes in hospitals, nursing homes, homeless and battered women's shelters, abusive homes, those who are anxious and lonely, those held captive through addictions, and the one right beside me; it was a picture of winged warrior angels spread across our nation. They are actually surro

  Somehow I forgot to post this intro to ABC prayers, that you will see me reference into weeks ahead. In the book A Grandmother's Prayers"  there are ABC guidelines suggesting specific verses to pray for your grandchildren. These are excellent life verse for us all.  I highlighted each of these verses in my Bible for Grandmothers as a reminder to pray these things for our lives and the lives of those who come after us.   The Lord is leading me to take a deeper look at these areas and share on Boojoyful in the days ahead.  I'll start today with Acknowledge. Interruptions will come, but eventually I hope to get through all of these. Acknowledge    Pray we will acknowledge God in all of our ways.   Trust in the  Lord  with all your heart,  and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge him,  and he will make straight your paths .  Proverbs 3:5-6 My husband shared an incredible statement with a Bible Study group at our home Monday. This story refe

  What do you think of when you hear the word everlasting?    For me it's the Energizer Bunny.  Well, I just opened a long neglected gadget which required 6 double A batteries. They had corroded and certainly had not lasted forever.   Forever, the next word trigger, related to everlasting  reminds me of God's Word. It has stood the test of time and will be  everlasting. The word father conjures up a wide variety of emotions for individuals as they think of their earthly fathers or maybe step fathers, their role as a father, maybe a priest they addressed as father, and then their heavenly Father. Googling the definition of father brought about these statements: a man in relationship to his child or children; a priest; and  the cause of a pregnancy. No mention of God our Father. What adjectives come to mind when you hear Father? Provider, protector and one who is present are always first for me.   Mentor, teacher, confidant, strong, loving ...and I guess that last definition abo

  As I prepared to dress for Sunday morning I could hear Paul's words to Timothy in my mind... I desire...     likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,   but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.  1 Timothy 2:8-10 We were introducing a candidate to serve in our children's and youth ministry. I would need to sit up on the front row with this couple and then stand for two hours at a reception afterwards. Wearing white pants and a pretty blue top I selected these slip on sandals.  The fact they were at least 15 years old didn't phase me.  I made it though the first hour of greeting and a bit of usual Sunday morning scurrying around before I ventured down the center aisle to the front row.  As I turned into the row the soul of my right shoe totally separated from the insert part of the shoe.  Trying to not show shock in front

  We bought our home here on Smith Mt Lake 24 years ago and moved here full time 22 years ago.  When we return to our home town we are always amazed how people have grown old!  Why is it we rarely see ourselves as aging? We chuckled recently as we entertained a new youth pastor candidate for our church over breakfast at our home.  We had both put on aprons to keep clean in the frying bacon and making french toast process and took this selfie.  We laughed and said he's going to come in the house and think, "These are a couple old ninnies."  I had just cut my husband's hair super short the night before, he's never had a beard, has no tattoos and prefers khakis to jeans. Let's just say this young man was quite the opposite in physical appearance (to the thankfulness of the youth he works with, I'm sure) to my husband.  Grins crossed our faces as we thought about the call he made to his wife as he left our home...Probably something like this..."Well, they

  Saturday's Song One Day Cochren and Co https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So94m-Lp6Pw Today's devotional comes in video form from Cochren and Company.

Steve Irwin the "Crocodile Hunter" When one of our sons was in high school he had a fabulous routine he would put on, with a spot on Australian accent, filled with quotes from the now deceased Steve Irwin. One of those lines was "When I say Believe me...Believe me!" It makes me chuckle remembering those days. When was the last time you said, "You are not going to  believe   this!" Wouldn't that be a great way to start a conversation about what Jesus has done for us? B elieve  -Believe in Jesus even though we have not seen Him-yet we are blessed by believing.    Jesus said, “Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!” John 20:29 The Song "Way Maker" by Leeland   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29IxnsqOkmQ Care-What do you care about and who are you caring for? Another one of our sons called to chat recently and was explaining that their 7 year old

Remember the   Sabbath  day, to keep it holy . Exodus 20:8 The creature distractions in our yard Sunday night had the potential to take me from Sabbath mode to Granny get your BB gun and get these menaces out of here. (My husband's dispersal method is to drive the car through the yard making them scatter.)  The geese and deer were leaving deposits everywhere and eating our grass and plants as the woodpeckers were pecking away on the house and trees. Just as my blood pressure began to rise, our beloved blue heron spread his wings and glided down the cove to rest on our property steadying my heart and urging me to take in how magnificent all these creatures are. Our Sabbath rest can be so easily distracted. Hide the phone or it won't happen.  For a pastor and his family it certainly does not happen on a Sunday, but it needs to happen at some point during each week. Mark Buchanan wrote in his book,  The Rest of God , which I look forward to sharing from more later, "The Sabba

May is the season of graduations, academic awards banquets, championship games and moving onward.  Our niece's life was on hold last week as her daughters worked their way through the school conference soccer playoffs. Every game they won meant having to move forward to the next match and anything else on the family calendar was postponed, but the joy of the championship title seemed to be worth all sacrifices. One of the most powerful displays of emotions is at the end of a championship game.  Have you watched on TV as elation spews out of one team...players twirling, jumping, hugging in disbelief that all their hard work has finally paid off and they don the hat and t-shirt that tells the world they are #1.  Then the camera pans to the body on the field/court face down sobbing or the player on the sidelines with the towel draped over their head hiding the tears that cannot be contained.  Number 2's should not be forgotten.  You've heard me speak of the young man who has b

One of our Liberty University graduates from our church. Three of the five high school graduates from our church recognition service yesterday.  When our youngest two children were in high school our church hired a new youth pastor and the quote he was known for was..."It's all about Jesus".  That puts a positive twist on a not so popular realization..."It's not all about me".  In actuality, there is freedom in that statement for when it is all about us being the center of the universe we set ourselves up for disappointment and failure. Being in high school in the 70's we were always being told "Be what YOU want to be. YOU are #1. It's YOUR choice."  As I was preparing some notes for some high school and college graduates it saddened me how self centered so many quotes are.   "Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got. There is no yesterday, no tomorrow, it's all the same day." Janis Joplin   "The question

A perk to living on a private road is that your children/grands can start driving up and down it at an early age.  (In your lap.) Also, they can stand in the passenger's seat and look out the moonroof.  Yesterday presented us with a mild dilemma...it was raining, but we conquered that obstacle with great delight!   May you find a multitude of reasons to rejoice in the gift called "Today!"  Today's song is a fabulous way to start every day. The steadfast love of the  Lord  never ceases;  his mercies never come to an end; 23  they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.   Lamentations 3:22-23 Saturday's Song    "The Brilliance"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOMF2slp090

 Caught in the action of influencing. My husband was caught on camera randomly praying over some students. One of our sons has his doctorate in creative writing and a passion for teaching English.  He has shared how many high school students come into his classroom unable to write complete sentences.  A by product of growing up texting. We were also discussing the frustration of people not wanting to work. The dream job these days is being an "influencer".  If you can make money taking pictures with your phone of what you are doing throughout your day, why work? Kay Swatkowski has a quote which states that perfection destroys authenticity. Immediately, my mind drifted to a young woman I follow on Instagram and how exhausting it must be to always be dressed up, hair done, and making the guest list to attend the "right parties" where you take more selfies. Discussing this "influencer" generation with a group of church ladies I pray with I exclaimed, "Wa

  My little "crumb bunny" coming in early to cuddle in matching pink striped pajamas. Vacuuming up banana bread crumbs from the floor my mind went to Hansel and Gretel and the thought of what kind of trail am I leaving for others to follow.  A few days later our youngest granddaughter was here and she walked out of our room pulling the end of a ball of yarn and her father said, "That's so she can find her way back." From where do you need to find your way back?  In the past week we've been called to come alongside a young widow and her children as they said farewell to a beloved husband and father.  There will be days ahead where they wonder if they will ever find themselves coming back from the grief that holds them in its' grasp. A text came on my phone from a couple crying out for prayer as their 21 year old nephew lies in critical condition from a fall that has left him with a severe brain injury.  We held them and prayed as they sobbed from shock an

This family punch bowl takes a lot of polishing inside, out and under. It can hold a lot of love though!   I was doing some deep cleaning... polishing silver, cleaning small appliances and the insides of drawers...you know the things you let slide on a weekly basis. Our white fruit compote gets a regular wiping out when fruit goes in and out, but on this particular day I took it to the sink and when I flipped it over the underneath side was grimy. Here comes the thought...there are lots of things/thoughts underneath our skin, hidden deep in our hearts, that are slimy and grimy. Maybe you've never had an unkind thought, but I have! Just yesterday, a conversation with someone triggered the remembrance of a wrong done against my husband and I had "who does things like that" thoughts wanting to come out of my mouth and before they did I said, "Just take it Lord!" Our hearts need to go through a regular "deep cleaning" process.   This is my newest bathroom

  SML GRITS partying and praying in their hats on a sunny day. One of our grandsons celebrated turning four with at least 3 parties! Another birthday celebration with seven joy filled grandchildren! Have you ever encountered people who think loving the Lord is probably a sit still in the pew, with folded hands, dull process?  Share with them how God's Word references parties and celebrations. Where did Jesus' first miracle take place?  John 2:1-11 When the Prodigal Son returned home what did his father do? Luke 15:22-24 When the wall was rebuilt in Jerusalem there was some celebrating going on.  Nehemiah 12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.   Nehemiah 12:27   God seems to enjoy a good celebration.   There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and fin

As we discussed Mother's Day gifts for our church ladies, I considered how a rose is lovely, but most people are heading out to lunch after church and that rose may be wilted by the time it gets home and into a vase with water.  Hebrews 10:24 crossed my mind and I suggested the above gift of a wooden spoon! And  let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works... What/who has been stirring you up lately? The media can certainly do that in a jiffy. What about a stirring up to love and good works?  That is best accomplished in small gatherings centered on God's Word.  Are you part of a church small group that gathers together weekly? The past nine months I've been a part of two types of small groups. One is a grandmother's Bible study where we are stirring one another up towards a deeper prayer life for our grandchildren by meditating and memorizing scripture.  We also share practical ways to be a spiritual influence. The other is a very active monthly gr

                    My maternal grandmother and mother.                                                                       "Without mothers, we would be naked, hungry, and afraid.                                                                                          So, mothers are a visual picture of God’s tangible care for us through the church."  John Piper There are a variety of mothering stories I could write about today. Many women have mothered me over the years. Also, I want to honor the mothers of our grandchildren, but am enjoying the company of one of those women today and we've gotten a very early start, so I will wait until next week when I have more time!  Today, I want to guide our minds to reflect on some memorable mothers in the Bible.  It is amazing how many of these women struggled with infertility, unplanned pregnancies, and giving up their children. "Since Eve experienced fellowship with God before sin and the fall, she probably knew God mor