Boojoyful

December 31 Somewhere in the midst of 20 of us hunkering down here over the holidays and feeling a bit overwhelmed,  I looked at our daughter and said, "Remind me of this moment when I  think this would be fun to do this again."  The majority of the kids have headed back to their homes with their spouses, children and pets.  Most of the towels and sheets are washed and the decorations are beginning to come down and already I miss having them all here.  We even slipped into Target on one airport run and purchased half price wrapping paper should we attempt this feat again and I need to wrap 143 packages! I feel certain at some point in the middle of natural childbirth I told my husband I never wanted to deliver  a baby again, yet I did it six times. So it is with our sin...we are brought to repentance and tell the Lord we don't ever want to stand before him guilty of such a sin again, yet we fall and come before him needing to be cleansed from the same ...

December 29-30 Paul, took God's purpose for his life passionately, passing on to us through the Word, the seriousness of our responsibility to teach, train and instruct! Fathers, do not exasperate your children;  instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4  Teach them to stay in the Word...  Make a joyful noise unto the Lord....  and shower them with love, encouraging them along the way! In Titus chapter 2... 2  Teach the older men to be temperate,worthy of respect, self-controlled,  and sound in faith,in love and in endurance. ..     6  Similarly, encourage the young men   to be self-controlled.                                           7  In everything set them an example   by doing what is good.   3  Likewise, teach t...

December 28 The phone rang and it was our neighbor inquiring about our lights, which appeared to be on and fine. Her's however, kept dimming and she had called the power company to come and investigate the problem. Life brings about physical days which are cloud covered allowing less light to shine in, while also there are days when our spirits seem a little darkened and we long for the light. Praise God for his Word which promises: The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple . Psalm 119:130 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said,  I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"  (John 8:12 NIV) The brightness and joy of the Lord can be snuffed out quickly by the unkind words or rejection of others.  Satan is the father of lies and loves to bring darkness into our heads. Renee Swoop wrote: "We were created to live in the Light by focusing on what God thi...

December 26 Following four days of feasting on Christmas foods, it is great to take a step back from the table and simply feast on the Word of God.  Taking the letters from the word feast  we find some fabulous verses to encourage us as we walk with the Lord. FEAST F aithful Lord, increase our faith.   Luke 17:5 E nthusiastic You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me.   Psalm 92:4 A lways Always be joyful.  Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful for this is                     God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  1 Thes. 5:16-18 S how I have put my trust in You.  Show me the way to go.   Psalm 143:8 T aste Taste and see that the Lord is good.   Psalm 34:8

She gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,  because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7 December 25 There are bodies everywhere!  Our five sons grew up sleeping in a pile half the time and would be comfortable crashing together anywhere still, but their wives aren't feeling the love!  :) Not sure their wives are used to sleeping like a litter of puppies, but we have packed it in here together for Christmas.  If a manger was good enough for Mary, we will wade through the togetherness.  Yesterday morning the power went out before sunrise.  All the "marrieds with children" were in the living room and kitchen area and it went  totally dark.  We had not thought through this scenario and fortunately the power came right back on. May this Christmas find you with plenty of room for Jesus in your heart and living in His light and power.  Still a bed full of...

Ready to feed the masses! Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.   Matthew 3:2 December 24 Ready or not!  Here it comes! About a week ago, the check out girl at Kroger asked me, "Are you ready for Christmas?"  It took me back for a second as I realized she had no clue how many I had coming to get ready for!  My initial thought to myself was, "I will never be ready for this!" One day I read an online devotional which stated the real important question for us is... Are we ready for Jesus? I thought back to the excitement and anticipation of getting ready for a date with my husband. We have an impending date with Jesus.  We shall see Him face to face. Oh, that we might daily repent and be ready for that encounter. I am beginning a study on the book of James (the half brother of Jesus).  In preparation for this study, the author has us looking at who James was.  Being fond of his half brother (Jesus) was not a characteristic fo...

December 23 A dear friend, whom I met a few years ago in an Apple store in Minneapolis,  passed along these two explanations of Christmas decorations we use.  He posted these on his condo door for neighbors and their visitors to read.  He wrote to me sharing that he wanted to share with those looking at his decorations how he feels about the whole Christmas season.  He writes: "It (Christmas season) was the start of my being saved!" Our daughter shared how she heard Billy Graham say that it takes approximately twenty people sharing the love of Christ, slowly chipping away at a hardness of heart, before someone gives their life to the Lord.  When my husband came to Christ at the age of twenty-eight, he recalled a fellow in high school who had shared about Jesus with him and also a man in a stairwell in an athletic club in Alabama who asked him, "God forbid if you die tonight do you know without a doubt you are going to heaven?"  The actual moment of ...

December 22 For He will tell His angels to care for you and keep you in all your ways.   They will hold you up in their hands. So your foot will not hit against a stone. Psalm 91:11-12 The past two weeks have been a roller coaster ride of emotions for us, for many dear friends and for our nation.  (Mostly big dips, then a reprieve comes in ways which are obviously the Lord's doing.) Today's mail held two packages, each brought tears of joy to my eyes.  The "joy" ornament was from a young woman who was in my Sunday School class years ago as a high school student. This remembrance was truly a lift to my spirit. Then I opened a package from a young mother of four whom I've never met personally, but hold close in my heart as we have become prayer partners and life encouragers.  The hand pained "Boojoyful Always" painting will be treasured forever. The title of her "faceless angel" painting is "Held".  On the back of ...

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 December 21 As a child, December 25th could never arrive fast enough.  As a grandmother, preparing for everyone to descend upon our home and be fed, bedded down and gifted for several days the time is slipping away. Somehow I am managing to squeeze a little Jesus time in each day right  now, but that will be more difficult as my "little squeezes" arrive on Saturday. The other night I was studying the name Immanuel,  which means God with us.    We certainly need to be reminded that He is with us, when we face times like last Friday's shooting where He seemed to be so far away. Ann Spangler writes: "When our sins made it impossible for us to come to him, God took the outrageous step of coming to us, of making himself susceptible to sorrow, familiar with temptation, and vulnerable to sin's disruptive power, in order to cancel its claim.  In Jesus we see how...

Jesus said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as them. Matthew 19:14 December 20 God's timing is so perfect! Almost a year ago, I asked a friend if when her little boy outgrew his crib and she wanted to pass it on, to let us know.  Never thought we'd need four cribs in our home, but we sure do this coming week!  A couple days ago she called to say they had moved their son into a big boy bed and the crib and diaper changing table were in the garage, ready for their new home.  I told her my guess was this beautiful crib may make it's way into the homes of several of our grandchildren, as well as here at Shiloh. The seven year old daughter of this family has a precious faith and attends a Christian school, which stresses scripture memory.  I requested that their daughter select a verse to write on a note and put in the changing table drawer.  After moving the furniture into the hous...

December 19 Yesterday morning, my husband bestowed upon me the gracious gift of doing my grocery shopping on "senior citizens' day".  It took him two hours, but he got a blessing on the way, which I have since heard about from others.  In the sky was a double rainbow! One lady told me there must have been thirty cars pulled off the road with people getting out to take a picture. She said she felt like it was a reminder from God that He is still watching over us despite all the heart ache and evil that prevailed this past week.   The cast of The Voice sang a beautiful tribute to the Sandy Hook victims. http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=W77PLLNX&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20-%20Mobile&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12/19/2012 Another friend forwarded this poem which had come to her. GOOD MORNING twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate. their smiles were contagious, their...

Not my mantels, but these are pretty! All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 December 18 Our driveway sensor sounded at 3AM, alerting us that a vehicle had come onto the property. By the time my husband was out of bed, it sounded again. Upon approaching our garage a motion detecting light comes on and it had most likely deterred whomever had driven through Shiloh's gates.  Moses (our bulldog) knows that three beeps on our burglar alarm mean a car is approaching.  He is quick to go to the door in hopes of it being one of his delivery buddies with a treat, so he was out the door to sniff out the middle of the night situation. As we lay back down in bed, my husband's sweet breath blew down upon my face.  Even in the middle of the night his breath smells so pleasant.  Maybe it is because he eats...

December 17 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 Just prior to this verse, we read where the shepherds had had their socks (ok, probably sandals) knocked off due to an angelic encounter, announcing Christ's birth.  They scurried along to Bethlehem to check out this revelation.  Then the Bible says ...they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child and all who heard it where amazed at what the shepherds said to them.   While their jubilation led to "public praise," Mary's approach was more one of private prayer. Her told in this story had been a bit more personal.  My guess is Mary had invested in a time of private prayer daily for the past nine months!  She had been carrying precious cargo on the inside and now had the responsibility of nurturing God in the flesh on the outside!  The One sent to save sinners would be nursed and dressed by a young teenage girl.  I think I wo...

December 15-16 Our hearts and prayers go out to, not only the family and friends of the victims of yesterday's shooting, but to all children whose innocence has been displaced by the realization of evil in this world.  Also, our prayers should be with the family members of the shooter.   I pray that this video below will lift your hearts today. If you have children around, please show it to them to get their minds on Jesus. Here's the plan!   http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=09900MNU&utm_source=GodTube%20Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12/14/2012

 I love these photos I caught of my great niece peeking under her Christmas tree.  She was quick to point out a little tear in the paper of one gift where she couldn't help but see what the gift was.  I remember doing the very same thing! The WONDER???? of Christmas. Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you-majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Exodus 15:11 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. Job 9:10 December 14 The word wonder  can be used as both a noun and a verb. Yes, the English language is a confusing.  As a verb the definitions are... :to be in a state of wonder, to feel surprise, to feel curiosity, or a cause of astonishment or marvel. In noun form it means... : the quality of exciting amazed admiration, : the rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience : a feeling of doubt or uncertainty Sittin...

December 13 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Luke 2:16 Personally, when I think of shepherds, I don't think of a hurrying, scurrying bunch, but an angel would most likely like a fire under anyone's behind!  If I take time to think of how Jesus would want us to celebrate his birthday Psalm 46:10 comes to mind:  Be still and know that I am God .  But that is difficult to fulfill with all that society impresses upon us during this season. Saturday night, we were driving home from spending the day with our parents.  As I passed a side street, before our turn off, I thought of a precious sister in Christ who has been a wonderful example to me.  She has lung cancer and is scheduled for surgery December 13th.  I knew I'd be leaving the 10th to be with my father, so I asked my husband if we could have a prayer party the next day to pray for the upcoming surgeries.  He's so accommodat...

An Andrews Christmas long, long ago! December 12 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  1 Peter 4:9 Emailing with my sister in law recently, I reflected on my favorite part of Christmas being when she and my oldest brother (who died in 1987) would come home to Virginia, from Florida, with their two children.  I was only ten years old when they made me an aunt!  Having those babies around was so much fun.  I attended Rollins College, near their home outside Orlando and eventually had the privilege of teaching at the school my niece and nephew attending! Family can be a joy or at times a job to stay joyful around. There will be twenty-one of us bunking it in here for the holidays and I can't wait.  I love to see our children/grandchildren together and the opportunities are becoming slimmer and slimmer as they plug into their own lives and schedules. God gave us to one another for a reason, it is not by accident you hold the tit...

Here is a real treat...be sure to watch this video. http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=W7DZL7NX&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20-%20Mobile&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12/10/2012 December 11 Moments after I emailed my friends about the "Holy Spirit came upon her" epiphany I was having my quiet time reading some daily devotionals online.  There in my email was a confirmation from God.  I love how He does this...in addition to reminding me that I needed to call upon the Holy Spirit to come upon me and equip me, He used this devotional to have me read the words.... The Lord is with  you.   While I have not questioned that for a moment, it was so sweet to read it in print.  God's love is such warmth! I wrote again to the small group praying for me: "As I typed in each of your names again to email you, I began to pray for what God has ahead for you today. ( I don't believe in coincidences and felt strongly God wanted each of these people to reme...

These vultures were atop a tree in our neighborhood and their erie presence gave us the creeps. They were a reminder that darkness does lurk around us. Below is an email I wrote to some close friends last week upon learning my father has cancer. Two hours before this news came, we received a troubling call concerning my in laws.  My father in law is in a nursing home recovering from hip replacement and my mother in law is struggling with an  exasperating flu.  (Fortunately, all these loved ones live in the same town about 40 minutes from our home.) December 10 When was the last time you wandered in the dark?  Not wanting to disturb Deke (my husband) or Moses (our dog) in the middle of the night on a water or bathroom run, I sometimes wander in the darkness with out stretched  arms feeling my way along hoping to not walk into a wall, door, or cabinet. As I go I pray that ole LOL (Lump of Lard) bulldog is not in my path. A prayer request came last wee...