Boojoyful

August 1 The other night I awakened from a dream that there was going to be a fire. Anxiety quickly set in as I thought about our properties, places of business and children's homes. Next my mind shifted that maybe it was a relational fire (blow up). Often I try to think back to what I may have seen on TV that could influence my dreams. All that had been on was the news and there certainly have been fires brewing on Capitol Hill. I was a bit uneasy with these thoughts. The next day I committed to a getaway with Jesus. Working my way once again through Secrets of the Secret Place the Lord revealed in His Word there was a fire that was NEEDED. I was reminded that if I am anxious and not on fire with my faith than I am a useless witness. Reading this quote.."People are always attracted to a great fire" challenged me to make some changes. No sooner had the lesson begun than a pop quiz was issued. The large umbrella on the dock fell over on me. Distractions! I knew ...

July 30-31 Discernment is a reward of persistent search for wisdom and insight. Discernment is using good judgment in our speech and thoughts. Discernment leads to making wise choices. Discernment is seeing, understanding, and avoiding a potential evil and its consequences. A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless. Proverbs 14:16 Merciful heavenly Father, I ask You to give my dear child discernment and wisdom. In this world full of subtle evils, may he be sensitive and cautious about his decisions and directions in life! Wisdom and good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge and understanding. If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption and deceit of every kind . Proverbs 8:12-13 Loving Father, teach this child ways he can demonstrate "wisdom and good judgement living together" in his life. Please help him to know where to discover knowledge...

July 29 Obedience puts children in proper relation to their parents-God's representative authorities. Obedience puts children in proper relation to the outside authorities in their lives-teachers, church leaders, police, etc. Obedience is a heart attitude that should characterize the spirit of my child; it is not just an outward act. Obedience puts material things into proper perspective, and shields our children from the dangers of peer pressure. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is just and right. Honor your mother and father . Ephesian 6:1-2 "Lord, I ask that my child willingly and eagerly obeys us as his parents. Allow him to recognize and accept joyfully the fact that we are Your representatives to guide and direct him-and Father, please give us as this child's parents, wisdom. We want to be valued as precious by this child. But if you are unwilling to obey the Lord, then decide today whom you will obey...But for me and my family, we will serve the...

July 28 Forgiveness...is God's gift to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It allows us to have new life and eternal fellowship with God. Forgiveness...frees from a judgmental and critical spirit. Forgiveness...is responding to evil by doing good. Forgiveness...is the gift we must receive in order to forgive others. Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through. Don't quarrel with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has siad that he will repay those who deserve it . Romans 12:17-19 "Dear God, I pray that this child will be willing to learn not to repay evil for evil. Help him to learn what true love is-the love that Christ has for us. Teach this child he must not try to get even, but leave that up to You. Lord, help this child see that forgiveness can break the "getting back at others" cycle...

July 27 Young children are easily taught. It has been such a blessing to have our grandchildren here this week and be able to pray these prayers of character directly to them. Teachability...is developing a heart-attitude that seeks God's guidance for living to honor Him each day. Teachability...helps our children prepare their hearts to be faithful to God. Teachability...is having a mind that seeks truth and having ears that are sensitive and willing to hear knowledge and rebuke. Teachability...is allowing ourselves to be instructed by the Lord. "God and Savior, You alone are able to guide my child in the right path. I place this child in Your loving care. I ask that You would instruct him in Your truth and teach him Your way. May this child's hope be in You each and every day of his life." .. .guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:5b "Father, it is Your own Spirit that teaches us throu...

July 26 Humility...is thinking more highly of others than you do of yourself. Humility...is developing spiritual greatness through servitude. Humility...puts our children in a position to receive the refreshing grace of God. Humility...is having a correct evaluation of ourselves. "O Lord, develop in this child a real willingness to become devoted to others in brotherly love. Liberate this child to see the importance of putting others before himself in his life." Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves . Romans 12:10 "Father, thank you that You free us to enjoy people of every status. I ask that You give this child the gift of humility. Supply this child with a correct evaluation of himself regarding those with whom he will work and play. May he not have a "know it all" attitude."

July 25 This week we are blessed to have all of our grandchildren here at Shiloh. Each day on the blog there will be a few short prayers from a book called "While they were sleeping." This book emphasizes the importance of 12 character traits in our children's lives and our role as parents, grandparents, and mentors to pray these for our children. Today's trait is kindness. #1 Kindness...is giving up something for the benefit of another. Kindness...is having a sensitive spirit toward others. Kindness...is treating others the way we would like to be treated. Kindness...is controlling our negative thoughts toward others. "Father, may this child be willing to give of himself to help a person in need. May this child not only see the needs of others but act upon these needs in a sacrificial way. Deliver this child from holding too tightly to his own possessions. Give him a willingness to share what he has with others." This is how w...

July 23-24 Psalm 107:28-30 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea[a] were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Yesterday, I noticed a boat struggling to pull into its slip. The water was rough as a storm was brewing. A beach ball flew from the boat and headed out the cove to the main channel. You could hear the child onboard cry out for his ball. Within minutes thunder, lightening, blinding rain, hail and high winds abounded and this boat driver had to abandon his efforts and just pull up alongside a nearby dock, tie off and run for shelter. The rain was so heavy I could no longer see the boat, but screamed for my husband as I looked up to see the winds swirling the top of our trees in circular motion and large limbs and even halves of trees come crashing down. The dock and patio furniture went flying as well. A large cushi...

July 22 Paul understood the struggle of believing God could love us. Imagine, his passion had been killing Christians. One of the major hindrances to people coming to Christ and actively serving him is being so ashamed of their past and not being able to comprehend how God could possibly love them or want to use them. Think simply of the people who ridicule Christians, calling them names and making fun of them. How hard it would be to make the turn around and humble themselves before this God and accept his love. God is all about the turn around business. Turn arounds are Jesus' specialty! They thrill God's heart. Paul's message to the Ephesians is a good one to print off and put on our bathroom mirrors to read each day. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in y...

July 21 The Lord is fine tuning me and it has been a difficult process. Just yesterday I failed the same test twice. Make it Home Before Dark is the book I am studying right now by Crawford Loritts on God's call to holiness in our walk with him. Repentance is the key ingredient in this process. Whew, thank the Lord, because I seem to miss the mark everyday. Loritts states, "...a Christian's journey to wholeness takes a lifetime to complete." I often feel I will not get the reward of heaven until some major improvements are made here on earth and I pass a couple specific tests. Last night I dreamed I had decided to go back and finish the requirements for my pilot's license which I began working towards in my twenties. (Believe me, that is not on the radar of priorities right now.) Anyway in the dream I am riding with the instructor, who actually was my boss when I worked for hospice, and another student. (For the full picture, Moses was in the plane with...

July 20 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend. Proverbs 22:11 We have a niece who is due to have a baby August 1. She Facebooked the other day that she was not going outside until the baby was born because 95 degree weather is no place for a pregnant woman! :) It is no place for a lot of us, so retreating to an air conditioned movie theatre is a great alternative to outdoor play. The movie The Tree of Life won the Cannes Film festival this year. Intriguing is a good word to describe this film. Two hours and nineteen minutes describes its duration and it certainly leaves you with a lot to talk about as you try to figure it out. I was captivated by some of the early lines on grace (lines were few in this film) by the female character, Mrs. O"Brien, who loses a son. "The nuns taught us there were two ways through life-the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow." "Gr...

July 19 Oliver, the cat (who is much more like a dog), lives next door to me. Yesterday, while visiting with his owner, I missed an opportunity to win America's Funniest Videos. This cat took his paw and pinned my neighbor's little black poodle down and began to clean her face. Black hair usually falls across the face of this dog, but by the time Oliver finished with her she not only had a shiny clean face, but also a wet mohawk sticking straight up in the air and no hair across her eyes. There are times in life when we need a friend who is willing to enter into a sticky situation and help clean us up. Thinking back on my life I give thanks to God for the friends who have come and were willing to "lick" my wounds after the birth of babies, during illness and the deaths of loved ones. Also, there have been times like children's weddings, Sunday church services, and a ministry called "Docksiders" that I needed the hair pulled back away from my eyes to ...

July 18 "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels." Hebrews 13:2 We had the blessing this past weekend of hosting an eight year old from the Ukraine. Dear friends, who are like family, are considering adopting this young lady. I fell in love with her the moment she ran out of the car into my arms. There is a Christian organization out of Georgia, which orchestrates 5 week visits for orphans from this country to expose them to Christian homes. Please pray today for the 300 who are in the US right now!

July 15-17 Sometimes a picture says it all. Hopefully you can get away with God and enjoy his presence in his beautiful creation. Free slideshow design customized with Smilebox

July 14 I try to never tell names and tales. Since the presence of the individual I want to reference gives off a sweet aroma we will call her "Bouquet". Bouquet has battled cancer for eight years and trudged the halls of the Duke cancer center for treatments and scans more than most of us could ever imagine. While so many of us have prayed and prayed for a miracle, desiring complete healing for Bouquet, I think we forget the fact that she is still here strutting her stuff is a miracle. She is such a joy to be around that I often forget she is sick. The other day we went to a movie and I was pulling into a space a few rows back in the parking lot and she shook her cane at me (just kidding)...she politely said, "Ya know I have this handicap thingy we could use and park a little closer." Most of the time I don't see her as a person with cancer....I just see her as a blessing in my life. Tuesday she tromped off to Duke for her scan and praise the Lord, not on...

July 13 Midnight in Paris is o ne of this summer's films. Escaping the heat, several of us ventured into town and took in this delightful show. Owen Wilson plays a writer who longs to live in the past, preferably the 1920's. The message, within this work of art, challenges the viewer to evaluate whether or not they are satisfied with living in the present. While I confess there have been periods where I wished for simpler times and having family reside in closer proximity, I realized my actual discontent is God given and is instilled in each of us with the hopeful purpose of an escalation which results in the formation of a longing for our heavenly home. We should be discontent here. It is not where we were created to ultimately reside! But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glo...

July 12 The other day my husband brought up the topic of all the isms in the world. As we talked we wondered what the suffix ism means. Searching online brought up not only the definition from the Greek of : doctrine, condition, or characteristic, but also quite a long list of words ending in ism. Wondering if the Lord had a message for me in this random word hunt, I began to laugh as I came across the word " boo"sterism . Boosterism describes a person who is an enthusiastic supporter. Contemplating who exhibited the greatest quality of boosterism in the Bible, I was leaning towards Paul. Typing the word encouraging into the search engine the first category which appeared was "encouraging Bible verses". I was amazed. The first site on the list Google List was titled Christian Personal Finance and on the page were listed 10 encouraging Bible verses. http://christianpf.com/encouraging-bible-verses/ (I know nothing about this site, but it appears scripturally s...

July 11 Yesterday, at church, we sang Chris Tomlin's song "How Can I Keep From Singing". It is still in my head and such an upbeat tune! Day 79 in "Solo" which is based on Psalm 34:1-9, goes right along with the theme of Celebrating God. The author says, "In his book Prayer , Richard Foster speaks of stepping-stones along the path of learning to adore God. Ultimately, adoring God involves gratitude, magnifying him and "foot-stomping celebration," but these must be grown into, and our hearts must be taught." Of all the things we can teach someone else, the acts of prayer and praising God should be way up there. Let's try it as we sing along: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEzEbtA9ba8&feature=related Print off these lyrics and read them tonight before you go to sleep. There is an endless song Echoes in my soul I hear the music ring And though the storms may come I am holding on To the rock I cling How can I keep from singing Your praise H...

July 10 We had torrential rains the other night and the following morning on our walk the trees were still laden with water. When a breeze blew it was as if it was raining again. Looking at my husband I said, "Let a smile be your umbrella." He gave me a dumb founded look as to say, "Where in the world did you come up with that one?" "It's a song, right?" I replied to the look. "No, I don't think so," he confirmed. Arriving home, I was not convinced of my error, so I Googled and by golly, it is a song from my past! Further proof that what we put into our minds stays with us, so lets be sure to apply the Word in some way each day. "I am with you, says the Lord." Haggai 1:13 LET A SMILE BE YOUR UMBRELLA (Lyrics) Perry Como Just let a smile be your umbrella, On a rainy, rainy day . . . And if your sweetie cries, just tell her, That a smile will always pay . . . Whenever skies are gray, Don`t you worry or fret, A smile w...

July 9 Every time we go on our dock a spider has built a web across the swim ladder. How something so tiny works so fast is amazing. Sin is rather sneaky like that. We confess it and regret getting tangled in it, but it keeps trying to weave its way into our life. Just as I have to do a daily sweep of the dock area, we need to ask the Lord daily to examine our hearts and clean up our acts. If we confess our sins , he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

July 8 For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. Dt. 7:8 John Trent wrote a wonderful children's book called I Choose You. He addresses the importance of the Old Testament tradition of saying a blessing over your children. The main character, an elephant, experiences the emotional devastation that can occur from the rejections children encounter in school life. (No one to sit with on the bus or in the lunch room, not being chosen for play ground games, etc.) Those painful experiences don't stop when high school graduation occurs. College and/or job rejections, non-acceptance into sororities and fraternities, dating life and later on divorce can really rip the rug out from under you. I've even seen exclusive Bible study groups cause hurt and confusion. We all want to be wanted and we are! Nobody can take the love of the Lord away fro...

July 7 Quickly sticking my head in the library the other day, I hoped for a good read to just escape with for awhile. On the "new books' shelf was a book by author Patricia Sprinkle. Knowing nothing about her I just took a chance. Ends up she is a Christian author and quite delightful. Yesterday, I finished my second novel by her... Hold Up the Sky. One character sounds off to another stating that her prayers sound like a "laundry list" of all she wants God to give her. Later, this character launches into a prayer which is filled mostly with praise, adoration and thanksgiving to God for all he has done and an attitude of trust as she lays her heartaches and troubles down to Him. If prayer is conversation with God, how nice it would be for him to hear some happy sounds. David and Solomon have left us wonderful examples of powerful prayers. God answered one of Solomon's prayers with this great instruction for prayer, explaining the process of humbling ourselv...

July 6 Lord, where do these words come from? Redefined? Who do we say we are? Some one's child, parent, spouse or employee? Maybe we need to redefine ourselves and remember we are heirs to the King and have a heavenly home awaiting our arrival. When we see ourselves through the eyes of a loving Christ who was willing to die for us, more than likely we will see ourselves a lot differently than the world does. Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Hallelujah...I am one with The One! A child of the King!

July 5 Huddled outside our on screen porch last night, with a lazy bulldog beside me, I crawled into the Psalms and longed to be as familiar to God as David was. The ran was pouring all around me and I looked over to a wicker rocker and imagined Jesus in this setting with me. Lightning shot across the sky and thunder rumbled with a magnitude, which caused one to believe God could explode our entire planet in a second if He so desired. Psalm 27 from The Message packs a powerful punch as David leaves us with an important recommendation..."Stay with God". Verse 4 is the one that penetrated my heart though. Out of all my prayers, petitions and desires, none should be more passionate a plea than the one thing David asks for. Psalm 27 1 Light, space, zest— that's God ! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. 2 When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. 3 When besieged, I'm ...

July 4 Happy Independence Day Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. Psalm 33:12 While we celebrate our freedom as Americans, when we look at the word independent in relationship to our role as brothers and sisters in Christ, we realize we were not created to be independent of one another, but to work together as a body, offering support, encouragement and guidance. Looking at the wooden figures in the picture above we get a visualization of "holding one another up". Independent-" not requiring or relying on something else; not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct, or care ." Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:10-12 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Again Jes...

July 2-3 Before my eyes opened I asked the Lord, "What do you want of me today?" The quick reply was..."To love me with all your heart." The second inquiry..."Do You have a word for me today?" "Bazooka." You've got to be kidding me. Clicking into the dictionary the definition popped up... a light portable shoulder weapon that consists of an open tube and shoots an explosive rocket. Fourth of July's gone by passed across my mind. Some included accidents involving fireworks shot out of hollow tubes! Be cautious and wise this weekend my friends. Proverbs 8:33 Listen to my instruction and be wise ; do not disregard it.

July 1 Ok, three pop ups in my face and I know what I am to write about today. It was not the way I was going at all, but I learned long ago the Lord's way is better. All morning there have been distractions, which have kept me from my quiet time. Stained clothing, a wasps' nest, thirsty flowers, a mess on the floor, the door bell, the temptation of Facebook and emails and more. I awakened early, but instead of heading off with the Lord, I thought..."I've just get some chores out of the way", but one thing led to another...not the Lord. Cleaning out a kitchen drawer I came across a scrap of paper where I had written the names of a couple songs. One song was "Remember Me," by Mark Schultz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSo7M4e0jZk Then I opened an email from a friend entitled, "Remember Me" about our soldiers. Finally, getting around to reading Jesus Calling I got the message. "Be willing to fight for this precious time with Me. Op...