Boojoyful

April 30-May 1 How do we live in a Christlike mode or mindset, being... Compassionate...Forgiving...Humble...Loving...Merciful...Understanding....Unselfish...Eager to obey. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 We have a powerful provision available to us, which we forget to plug into. The Holy Spirit lies dormant in so many believers. Taking on the "I'll just do it myself" attitude is quite often just asking for failure. Let's take the eight characteristics of Christ I listed in yesterday's devotional and write each one on a card or in our journal. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal two avenues to us... #1 Is there anything blocking me from hearing the Lord or being filled with the Spirit? #2 Unfold the "bigger than me" or "obviously heaven sent" proposition in each of these areas, which I can be equipped by the Spirit to carry out and make a difference for the Kingdom this weekend. Example: Compassion - to

April 29 Let me preface today's devo with the fact that I am a bit sleep deprived after 18 wonderful days of the newborn experience and my brain is no where near articulate functioning level. Driving along I81 last night we came upon the town Glade Springs, VA. Actually, I should say, the remains of Glade Springs. Never in my life have I seen first hand the destruction of a tornado. Traffic was backed up 10 miles. Even in the darkness, I was drawn to roll down my window and gazed more closely to try to comprehend what was before me. Prayers immediately poured out of my mouth when we realized what we were seeing. As much as my heart is longing to hold our new grandson, it is also aching with compassion for the people walking around Glade Springs looking for whatever "remains" of their life they can find. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5 ... In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Do our hearts direct our minds or our minds direct ou

April 27-28 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 3:38-39 And likewise, I am convinced that a grandmother's love is full of the same sustenance. Words cannot explain the lump in my throat and the hole in my heart as I am "separating" from our daughter and her first born today. I have never been more proud of her than when I watched her quiet her crying child last night. She is an amazing mother and this babe is truly blessed. I will attempt to download a video we made when a couple Broadway actor friends of our daughter's popped into town for a visit and she asked them to sing for her baby. If it doesn't appear here and you have Facebook it is on my Facebook page. (Never say, never. That is what I said about Facebook, befo

April 26 The show, "Extreme Home Makeover" climaxes each Sunday night with the crowds shouting the phrase, "Move that bus!" Thus, revealing the new home. Late last night, my husband flew into Nashville. I've been here over two weeks and we've been missing one another. There is a ten minute parking area by baggage claim, but you have to stand outside your car with your trunk open. (I supposed signaling that you do not have a bomb in there.) Gazing towards the terminal, you can see an escalator which brings the passengers down to the baggage area. The thrill of anticipation was growing as I watched for my beloved. Then a huge bus, which takes passengers to long term parking, pulled in and blocked my view. "Move that bus," I thought, "I want to be able to see my husband." Standing there watching all the people, I began to wonder how many of them were headed to heaven. Hmmm, had that bus been there to pick up the people who were in

April 25 I knew I was not in Moneta anymore when I pulled into Kroger to find out they have valet parking! Today's entry will be quick as my daughter is very sick with an infection and we are waiting to hear from the doctor, the sink has been clogged since Easter afternoon and I am waiting for the plumber while still in my pajamas and I put that baby down somewhere and need to go find him! :) With my daughter being so sick, we didn't get out to church so I took time when everyone else was down for a nap to dig into J. Oswald Sanders The Incomparable Christ . Over and over again I was thrilled by this writing. Sometimes the tiniest things can bring great comfort. A newborn baby's smiles automatically makes you smile back. Someone reaching out and gently holding your hand or a beautiful bouquet of flowers can hit the senses in a positive matter. Prayer or the written or spoken word can penetrate our souls and fill them with healing. That is what overcame me as Sanders d

April 23-24 There is something oh, so, precious about a child holding onto your finger and finding comfort. Likewise, there is something very magical in how we can hold onto our faith in the Father and find peace and purpose in our place in life. The words "hold on" were playing over and over in my mind as I was praying, so I looked up verses on the topic. The story of Hagar, getting the boot out of Sarah's presence and having to hike to the wilderness with Ishmael, was among them. Read below as their wine skins are empty and Hagar cries out to the Lord in fear that her child will starve. Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand , for I will make him into

April 22 It makes perfect sense that this new grandson of ours loves classical music, as his mother is a professional harpist. He also likes hymns and made up scripture songs...makes sense because this woman hanging around helping his mom is a nut for the Lord. :) So far his favorite song is This is the Day the Lord has Mad e...I will rejoice and be glad in it. I know it's Good Friday and our reflections go to the heart wrenching reality that we are sinful people in need of a Savior, but we have one, so even on Good Friday we can rejoice. May these verses today put a spark in your step! I am praising the Lord because I got 9 hours of sleep last night and my daughter did almost as well! We are feeling so great we are going shopping for bras and panties, which can sometimes be a chore, before her doctor's appointment. Love to each of you this Easter weekend. Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Proverbs 23:25 Let your fath

April 21 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Hebrews 5:8-9 I remember each time, in the situations of natural childbirth and food poisoning, surviving the pain by recognizing neither situation could compare to Christ's painful scourging and crucifixion on the cross. Seldom, when reflecting on being Christlike, do we concentrate on the task of learning obedience through suffering. Giving to the poor, helping the orphan and the widow, praying for the sick, loving our neighbor, even dying to self are more palatable characteristics to willing consider applying to our lives than suffering. Billy Graham writes, in Unto These Hills , "Christ has left us an example . The Greek word used for example is derived from school life and refers to a pattern of writing to be copied by the children learning to write. Christ is our copybook. We look at Him and learn how

Singing praise to the Lord April 20 Our new grandson loves having scripture read to him. I've even been singing it over him. Yesterday, I took the photograph of his precious, long skinny feet, This morning, while his mommy is sleeping, we decided to check out some scriptures related to where his feet may take him. I came upon Psalm 17 and was blessed by this verse which I am going to write in my Bible. "I'm not trying to get my way in the world's way. I'm trying to get your way, your Word's way." Nibble on that one a bit today. What are we doing today that will help God's Word come to fruition? I will go with training up a child in the way he should go! (Easy cop out, praying and rocking a newborn!) Below are two translations from this Psalm. Psalm 17:4-7 The Message I'm not trying to get my way in the world's way. I'm trying to get your way, your Word' s way. I'm staying on your trail; I'm putting one foot in front of

April 19 Psalm 121:4 says this of our God. ...indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Can't say that about our new grandson! He loves to slumber.

April 18 Walking along the water's edge by the willow tree, I noticed lots of branches which did not have new life sprouting out of them. Reaching up to touch them, they were so brittle they fell right to the ground. Getting rid of this dead wood left the tree with a much more pleasant appearance. I thought about how much "dead wooding" or "pruning" needs to be done in our own lives to make us look more like Christ. We need people, parents, passages, sermons, songs, a Savior and Bible studies in our lives, which expose the dead wood so we can remove it and shine brighter. John 15: 1-3 (The Message) I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. PT Here we are Lord, prune us so that our inside appearance is more appropriate for Your purposes. In Jesus Name

April 16-17 Back in the mid-seventies my husband romanced me through the music of a group called Tavares. They had a hit song called Heaven Must Be Missin' an Angel The lyrics began this way: Heaven must be missin' an angel Missin' one angel, child, 'cause you're here with me right now Your love is heavenly, baby. Heavenly to me, baby While this is exactly the way we are all feeling about Baby Harrison right now, the truth is he is not an angel, but I believe with all my crazy, loving Jesus heart this child sees angels. As my husband would say..."That's just my personal option." There is going to be so much happening in heaven that is beyond our earthly comprehension right now and while we will want for nothing, I do hope we get to meet the angels who ministered to us here on earth. Billy Graham has some wonderful writings about angels, which he confirms scripturally. "Angels minister to us personally....We may not always be aware of the prese

April 15 Late Tuesday night, sitting alone in the very sterile setting of a hospital hallway, there was no movement or activity around as I awaiting word of our grandson's delivery and our daughter's well being. A friend texted..."Is there anyone there with you?" "Jesus and a man around the corner waxing floors," I replied. As the expected time of notification tripled, I begin to brace myself f or the worst as tears dripped down my cheeks. There was no one to offer a tissue or a word of encouragement. "Lord, I am scared," my heart rung out in silent honesty. "I am all you need," the Truth answered. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 Praying in the Spirit, as I was beyond the point of knowing what to pray, the peace that passes understanding came over me and I remained there in contentment, trusting in the Lord's plans. Today our daughter is f

April 14 Standing in the grocery store, picking up some items for my daughter, I said to the woman in front of me, "Excuse me, I am from out of town where there is no Harris Teeter. Would you let me use your VIC card?" She stared at me like I was a nut, as did the man at the register. I was holding a Kroger credit card in my hand. Embarrassingly I muttered, "This is not Harris Teeter is it? Is this Kroger?" They both shook their heads in an affirmative manner. I moaned, "I've been up for over 24 hours with a daughter who has had a very traumatic delivery. I am so sorry." They were very kind, but probably concerned that I was driving a car from that parking lot! The night before was even worse, as I went in the bathroom at the hospital and took out Neosporin from my tote bag, thinking it was tooth paste and brushed my teeth. "Gross," I exclaimed. You know how I always say my faith is as crazy as it is because of how personal God is

Belly to Belly the Day Before Harrison Ward Mayo April 13 April 12th, 2011 will go down as one of the longest days of my life. What started at 5AM with my daughter in exciting labor with her first child, turned chaotic 13 hours later as teams of doctors rushed in to try to save her baby. Needles were being shot in her leg to stop contractions, anesthesiologist were loaded with enormous syringes and clips boards were flying with releases to be signed. Doctors and nurses were conferring about who knows what all. And there was absolutely nothing I could do to change any of this. If I could have changed places with my daughter I would have done it in a minute. Picking up the phone I begged my husband to get prayer chains started and then in the midst of all the chaos I dropped to my knees by a chair and prayed. The baby's heart rate seemed to be recovering and eventually they allowed labor to start back up, but due to several complications a C-section was finally decided upon. I

April 12 I heard a message on the radio yesterday where the speaker was explaining why we are valued by God, yet not valuable to him. Valuable is defined as worth a good price or of great use or service. Valued, on the other hand, relating to how God sees us, has to do with desirability and importance . The point being made was, that while God doesn't need us to do anything for Him, he values us beyond our comprehension.

April 11 Attending a college alumni dinner with my father last week, who is from the VA Tech class of 1942, he was visibly disappointed none of his classmates, nor professors were in attendance. The man closest in age was a Dutchman from the class of 1956. His first question for my father was where did you serve in THE war. "Under Patton," my father humbly replied. "My liberator!" the man exclaimed as he hugged my father. Continuing on he said, "I am from Holland. Thank you! How many of those Nazis did you kill?" Lowering his head, my father lost eye contact with this gentleman as he said, "It wasn't like that." Clearly, a discussion on WWII and how many lives were lost was not where he wanted to linger that evening. Ask him to tell you about the grand college dances, with bands like Tony Dorsey's, and he would be able to recall every detail from dance cards to decorations! My father-in- law was in the Pacific during the war and now in

April 9-10 The way Merriman Webster defines fluctuate , makes it sound slightly less dramatic than the ten pound fluctuation of my weight lately. Fluctuate- to shift back and forth uncertainly. Performing the summer closet switch can always be a bit depressing after those extra pounds of winter have been ladled on (necessary to keep us warm...right?) Instead of the obsessive closet and drawer sorting and arranging I do by color, it should be done by body stage... semi-firm, tolerable, and down right fluffy. Praise God, his faithfulness his love for us does not fluctuate. Hebrews 13:8 says: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! ( Unlike my waistline!) PT Lord, you are the constant we can all count upon. Forgive us when we waiver in our faith, not believing in who You are and the wonders of Your ways. Forgive us when we pray without expectation, but act surprised when answers come. May the fluctuation in our spiritual lives shift us closer to You, as we continually

April 8 Warning, it is dangerous to clean and weed without praise music. Whew, I had myself a little pity party, yesterday, about an hour and half into house cleaning. My back was aching from baby sitting for a young mother, whose 10 week old was out of sorts, and then I helped move a queen size bed in order to paint a bedroom. As I pushed the vacuum along, pushing and pulling furniture out of the way, I began to resent having to do this process. The laundry had been backed up and the day before was spent scrubbing stains set into my summer whites and working on ten pieces of "hand wash only" items, which had piled high. The more I worked, the more people I thought of people who had house keepers or cleaning services...jealousy, envy, and bitterness were beginning to be my mind set. Then I took my thoughts captive...remembered who the enemy is, how he loves to rob our joy and I put on praise music and brushed my blues away, thanking God I had a house to clean and a yard

April 7 It is time to seek the Lord. Hosea 10:12 Aperio is the Latin word for April and it means to open. Charles Spurgeon writes: "This is the month of April...All the buds and blossoms are now opening, and we have arrived at the gates of the flowery season. Reader, if you are yet unsaved, may your heart, in accord with the universal blossoming flower warn you that it is time to seek the Lord. Do not be out of tune with nature, but let your heart bud and bloom with holy desires." Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 PT Lord, spring is amazing! You are always up to something new! The redbuds out race the dogwoods and the daffodils dance before the tulips! Thank You for the exhilaration of spring! Thank You also for your Word and how it thrills our hearts. We can be mumbly, we can be grumbly, but when we "open" Your Word, love spews out. We all long to be loved, but often are just look

April 6 My bags are packed, I'm ready to go....but probably not on a jet plane like the John Denver song. I am just waiting for the phone call that labor has begun in our daughter's belly and praying I can make the eight plus hour drive before the baby gets here! Anticipation is defined as: the act of looking forward; pleasurable expectation. While I am joyfully anticipating the arrival of two new grandchildren (one of our son's wives is due in May), I am also anticipating the return of Christ and eternity in heaven. If He wants to beam me up before His return, I am good to go or if I am to remain here until he comes and has a gaggle of us go up like geese together that is fine too! What are you anticipating today? Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the command

April 5 You know I seldom tell names and tales too, so just enjoy the story of this mystery couple. My husband and I have known the bride for many years and it has been a blessing to walk along side her during this engagement period and to be a part of her wedding weekend. Through this process we have fallen in love with her husband and are elated by the way he loves her so well. My husband was the officiant and the location was the historical UVA Chapel in Charlottesville, VA. I can't imagine that there has been a wedding rehearsal and ceremony held there which was centered more on Christ. Their excitement for their faith and their desire for the people they love to know the Lord in the very personal way which they do was evident to all. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 from The Message describes them so well... It's no light thing to know that we'll all one day stand in that place of Judgement. That's why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God.

April 4 Standing on my husband's elliptical machine I began to pass the time by praying (I prayed first that I could survive 20 minutes on this machine). After I went through praying for all of our children, I looked up to the ceiling where there were three canister lights and said, "God, I am here to listen. What do You want to work on?" He was quick to respond, "Your mouth, your mind and your motives." Whew, He put the spotlight right on me and three areas that always seem to be up for a make-over. The Bible is chocked full of godly advice to keep all three of these areas of our lives fine tuned. Ephesians 4:29 advises: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Philippians 2:1-3 speaks well to how like-mindedness and godly motives equate to joy. Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from