Boojoyful

October 31 This Godtube video was too cute not to pass along.  It made me smile.  This gal gives it all she's got to the very end.  I bet she praises Jesus the same way! http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WY7DKPNX&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20Video&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10/30/2013 On your feet now-applaud God!  Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Psalm 100:1-2 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:19 October 30 A dear, dear friend of twenty-seven years has been through the throws of having to sell their home.  The past four months have been particularly trying.  Thinking you have a buyer, that falling through, then having a buyer but the banks and loan process being like a roller coaster ride. At one point they were told they needed to be out in a week, packed up everything except their bed and a small couch and then the closing didn't happen. Talking to her yesterday, her positive attitude and wise words settled deep within my heart. (Now this is coming from a Martha Stewart type decorator, whose home has always looked ready for a magazine photo shoot, decorated for each season.) "Boo, you really don't need very much in day to day living."  She went on to describe how she's been cooking on the grill, has one pot and a couple pieces of china...

 October 29th  Last week we had the blessing of having a couple of our grandchildren for four days.  Each morning they helped prepare breakfast:  This grandson nailed the art of melon balling!  This little one loves eggs and whipped them up each morning.  Our Mickey Mouse pancakes, with an unbirthday party candle were a hit!  And the caramel, sea salt hot chocolate... was tasty to the last drop. Having breakfast by the fire was the perfect way to start our chilly days and send Papa off to work. This was followed by a good game of hide in seek while still in our pjs! Butterflies flew through the house.  Little ones bounced in the bounce house, wallowed in the ball pit, and fished in the stairwell several times a day. While all of these activities kept us smiling and probably added to the list of memory makers here at Shiloh, they hold very little eternal value. Train up a child in the way...

October 28 We've had grandchildren visiting the past two weeks and the house was in need a good shake down cleaning.  I'm pretty compulsive about trying to put toys/puzzles back in their place with all their parts.   Noah and one hippo were missing from one of our arks, so I set out to look in every nook and cranny for them.  Instead of Noah and hippos surfacing, while searching under the bathroom vanity I found the items pictured above. The mouse must have driven the race car to the bathroom and attempted to set sail in the blue cup.  I didn't even know these things were missing. Bible study can be just like that.  We start searching for a particular verse or sit down to embrace a particular study and God shifts gears to deliver something that we were not looking for, but we need in our lives! Psalm 63:2-4 popped into my life through a random book, which was on a bedside I was dusting last night. It reads: I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld yo...

October 26-27 Before I dove into my Bible Study the other day,  I wanted to sing a praise song and find an appropriate one to send to my Bible Study group to encourage their day.  While scanning iTunes, I received a text from one of the gals in the study. She wrote: "Look up the song Breathe  on YouTube by Michael W. Smith.  It is the song for the week." The topic of our study this week was being desperate  to hear God speak.  The lyrics in this song say, "I'm desperate for you!" Do ya think God rocked my boat and thrilled my heart by speaking to me through my girlfriend!  Yup. Priscilla Shirer writes: "God desires followers desperate for His presence: people who don't necessarily want His blessing but want Him! God wants followers like Moses, people who balk at the idea of going anywhere without His leading. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oad8ov10AjY If you do a Biblegateway search, in The Message translation using the word desperate,...

October 24 There have been some words lately, that have spoken deeply to me.   Acceptance is the one for today! We have seasons in our lives.  Lately, the realization that  the pain people, who are not accepted, experience has settled deep in my heart. In my current Bible Study, we were asked to write the things you like best about yourself.  The next question was, "Why do the traits you just listed not make you acceptable to God."  (See Isaiah 64:6) For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf,  And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.  "We are not made acceptable to God by who we are, but by Whose we are.   Jesus bridges the gap between our imperfections and His holiness." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Jesus chooses us to be in His club! Who needs your acceptance?  Who needs to be noticed and included in some of the simplest t...

 Good listening going on from a grandson. We have a family candle wax competition to see who has the most wax in their ears. Last Christmas Daddy cracked us up by wanting to compete! We have not found that this process makes us hear any better, it's good for a laugh though! October 25 Here come the tears again.  Ya, just never know when there will be a downpour. This week I've been meditating on Jeremiah 33:3 Call to Me and I will answer you, I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know. After a time of praise, I approached the Lord saying, "I'd like to know great and mighty things, Lord." His reply was something my earthly Father used to say to me, "How much time do you have? Can you stay awhile?"  In the last couple years, Daddy's stories were often repetitive, but more often than not I learned something new about his past.  Most of us don't "stay" long enough with others and simply listen and I...

This photo reminds me of the story of the hemorrhaging woman, who reached in from the peripheral and simply touched Jesus' robe and was healed. October 23 There have been phrases that have flown out of mouth over the years that have become keepers  in our family.  "It's not of eternal value," and "Life is a lot," are two favorites.  Just recently, I received a godly instruction that has powerfully stuck with me. "Be aware of what I am doing on the peripheral." This thought came upon me the day my father was dying.  God was telling me not to focus on my grief and the home going of my father, but on what he was doing on the outskirts.  It has become a life lesson. Just the other day my husband and I were sitting in a restaurant and I immediately became aware that the table for two, across from ours appeared to have only one customer.  The meal was a buffet and I had returned to our table before my husband.  The gentleman at the other table...

Created for me by one of our grandsons! October 22 When gloom is getting you down,  there are ways to turn your scene around! Put this link in your pick me up pocket and praise the Lord, asking "What can I do for you today?" http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=01BEMCNU&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20Video&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10/17/2013

Two of our grandsons Below the grandson of a neighbor, who stopped in for a bounce! October 21 There's been a lot of sucking going on around our house lately, from little visitors.  We've seen everything from a normal looking pacifier, to what is known as a Wubbanub.  It's a pacifier with a stuffed animal on the end.  Our thumbsucker baby turned a brick doorstop over on his thumb last year, while visiting and it was too painful to suck the thumb to soothe himself. The new method of pacification became two stuffed bears! My mother came up with the brilliant idea of putting her nightgown in bed with me as a method of pacifying me into thinking she was still with me. I think I slept with that nylon nightgown until I was 16! A good back rub pacifies me these days, but that is temporary. Most likely the young men pictured above will have to come up with alternate methods for finding contentment as they journey forward in life.  For an everlasting peace...

October 19-20 Sitting in Bible Study Thursday morning, a powerful analysis tool related to Deuteronomy 6:5 ( Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength .) was proposed to measure the depth of our "sold outedness" to Jesus.  He is to be on our minds at all times. 1) What/who is the first thought on your mind in the morning? 2) What/who is the last thing on your mind before you fall asleep? 3) What/who are your waking thoughts in the middle of the night? Numbers one and two held the correct answer for me, simply because I awaken giving God praise for a new day, asking him for daily marching orders and the devotional topic. At the end of the day I thank Him for his presence and answers to prayers...and usually I pray for a good night's sleep!  It's the middle of the night, where I need spiritual growth and control of my mind.  Philippians 4:8 ( Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, ...

October 18 Sometimes in the clutter of life we have to sneak off to a prayer closet and call to God. Other times we have to  holler out in the chaos. Wednesday, I was alone in the house for the first time since my father died. I was doing chores and keeping busy. Then the phone rang and it was our vet in Roanoke.  The receptionist said, "We are calling to see how Moses is, he didn't come in for his shots in August."  Grab an umbrella, the flood gates opened right after I said, "He's not with us anymore."  I made the poor receptionist cry! I sensed God saying, "You needed a cleansing cry today my child."  We will be processing this grief. In my own strength I gained my composure, within the hour the phone rang again. It was the local vet's office, here at the Lake, where my husband and sons took Moses to be put to sleep. She said, "Mrs. Andrews, we have Moses ashes ready for you to pick up. I am so sorry for you loss."  Well, ...

October 17 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. 1 John 4:18 My daughter has been staying with me this past week, as a precious support, while I process the transition that comes with the death of a loved one...or multiple ones in our specific case.  Gently probing, she proposed a question related to the reality that the father, who had always been there to help with any problem from how to ride a bike, how to put in a sprinkle system, build a bridge across our creek, or recognize my aching heart, was no longer available. In her wisdom she knew it was a safe question because of my faith.  What it did unearth was the example this man exhibited  perfect love,  which drives out fear. When you have someone like that unconditionally loving you, fear does not exist.  If it tries to creep in, you crawl to your Daddy's lap. The other day a friend expressed, to her husband's shock, that she does not fear death (the ultimate fear ...

This was Moses final photo shoot on the day he died. October 16 Sitting drying my hair, I thought I heard him in my dressing room, opening the door into the house I continue to watch for him to greet me, last night I straddled stepped out of bed thinking he was still by my bedside...I miss Moses. He was the master of ministry here at Shiloh, from the first day when he came to us as a recovery buddy for our critically injured son, to the watchful eye he kept over every grandchild, to total strangers he loved on, that bulldog was a gift from God. Pets are treasured possessions.  They unconditional love and companionship enrich our lives. Hmm, Jesus loves us that way too! This godtube video came in an email and reminded me of how blessed we are to be loved by our pets. http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WWZPZWNX&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20Video&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10/09/2013

October 15 Growing up in Roanoke, VA, there was a church with a neon sign that said, "Jesus Saves".  I don't think I thought much about it, except that I found it strange for a church to have a neon sign.  These last three weeks, the phrase "Jesus Saves" has come to my mind in many forms. I've screamed out several times in near misses on the highway, "Save us Jesus!"   I've cried out over a toilet bowl battling food poisoning, "Jesus save me!" I've cried out for others, "Jesus save them from this pain." Yet, every time I see the cross, the gut wrenching reality of Christ's sacrificial death to save us from our sin leaves me humbled and grateful.  I'm not sure if the Jesus Saves sign in still in my hometown, but I know there is a large wooden cross in our woods here at Shiloh, which is a reminder of Christ's saving grace. While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.  God's angel s...

October 14 A double whammy came yesterday!  The sermon title at church was "Doubt".  An online Bible Study I received an email about was titled: "How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Live in the Security of God's Promises." This morning I began searching my heart for "doubts" by looking up the word in Merriam-Webster. "Doubt- to be uncertain about (something): to believe that (something) may not be true or is unlikely: to have no confidence in (someone or something)" I realized there are some things I doubt God will ever do.  Prayers that may not be answered the way I want.  Then I recalled a recent devotional I read on God's unlimited power.  With God all things are possible! Renee Swope in her book A Confident Heart  says: "We'll do the most important thing first; spend time digging deep into the heart and character of God so we can learn to depend on His heart toward us." Check out this verse: Those who hope in me ...

October 12-13 If you are not part of a Bible Study group, find one!  Many thanks to these ladies and several others who stepped in, fed us and cared for us these past two and a half weeks! (The Fellowship of the Believers) They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.   Acts 2:42

October 11 The wind was knocked out of me as two phone calls came piggy back on one another.  The first was a dear friend letting me know she was facing very unexpected surgery.  The devil knows I'm not very fond of him messing with the health of those I love. The second was related to an unexpected financial expense.  I felt as if I was buckling like a fighter in a ring, who had just received a severe blow to the abdomen.  I choked back tears as I called another friend to establish a pick up time to go run an errand together, then I had to decide where to turn. I wandered through the house considering doing some laundry or putting away items still in my suitcase from a week ago. NO, I knew better and picked up a book our nephew had given us by Mark Batterson called The Circle Maker . Chapter 7 is where I had stopped a few days ago and the question staring me in the face was: "Is there any limit to my power?"  "God is omnipotent, which means by definition, t...

October 10 It had been less than two hours since we watched my father's body be taken away from his home by the funeral home hearse.  The news of my sister in law and father's deaths had reached a friend and she stood at our screen door attempting to discern where we might be.  Beach music was blasting from the indoor and outdoor stereo speakers, yet it appeared no one was inside. While standing there she heard rapid gunfire coming from our shooting range in the woods. Walking around the side of the house she saw me hanging out of our inflatable bounce house and ball pit and my husband standing on the deck taking in the music. With a look of curiosity she approached me as I said, "We all grieve differently."  Our son who had just spent a taxing fourteen hours watching my father actively dying was blasting his gun away at a target in the woods. Our daughter in law who had taken on the task of hospice nurse is a marathon runner and she was gone with th...

October 9 For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.   1 Corinthians 16:7 Boyd Baily wrote: " Loyalty lasts in the hard times and grows in the good times. Deep relationships affirm our worth and confirm our sense of security. When we say, “Good to see you,” we peer into the eyes of the soul. Love invests time." So that I may come to you with joy, by God's will, and in your company be refreshed.  Romans 15:32 This past week I've experienced some amazing visits from caring friends. They've crossed the spectrum from individuals offering wise counsel on grieving, unexpected "pick ups" on a Seadoo (the luxury of lake life), surprise visits with subway sandwiches and even one surprise spend the night buddy! Investing in one another's lives is a treasured gift that lasts forever.  We have to choose to slow life's pace down, eliminate some activities and experience ...

October 8 Several friends have emailed, texted, or written Psalm 35:18 to me... God is near to you when your heart is broken, and saves you when your spirit is crushed. One friend emailed me that she had heard God speak to her saying he was going to set me on a "new path."  The comforts from the Lord are coming in so many ways right now, but this verse confirms the fact that God has me covered and is pondering my path! For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. Proverbs 5:21

Daddy listening to me read to the grandchildren Christmas day. October 7  Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that coms from faith for his name's sake.   Romans 1:5 Whew, I was called to obedience last week.  Driving over the mountain to my home town there is a mile stretch where the speed limit decreases from 55 to 45 to 35 to 25.  If you blink you miss the changes.  I must have blinked a lot (actually had my mind elsewhere) for as I watched the police car do a U-turn on this two lane road, I glanced at my speedometer and I was doing 45 in the 25 zone!  I cried out, "Lord, I need grace!"   I do not recall where this devotional came from, but it popped up in my emails that same day. When We Cry Out to God Read |  Psalm 57:1-3 "Crying out to God is the spontaneous response to an urgent need. It differs from typical prayer, which involves periods of worship, petitioning, and interce...

Wishing Daddy was sitting out by the lake on the gorgeous weekend. I know... heaven is better! October 5-6 Several people called or emailed on Thursday (the day after the funeral)..."How was your day?"  Laughingly, I told them "great" until Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which was part of a CD mix playing while we cleaned house, came on.  I lost it.  Wailing out on our screened porch, off our bedroom, grief had reared his ugly head and taken a bite of me. No sooner had the song ended then there was a knock at the door and the most amazing visit from a woman I just met a couple weeks ago progressed.  I'm really thinking she is an angel.  God so has us covered! Once again God was "spot on" with his Oct. 3rd message to me, through Jesus Calling. " When many things seem to be going wrong, trust Me.  When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank Me.  These are supernatural responses, and they can lift you above your circumstances...

October 4 Maybe some people don't open themselves up to love, because they know it hurts too much when you lose it.  Adrain Rogers, when alive, wrote a devotional series called Love Worth Finding.    While his reference is to Jesus, it relates to the way I am feeling at this time of grief.  A young police officer was questioning me right after Daddy died; a procedure necessary when there is a death at home.  He was so kind and sympathetic, as he lost his grandfather last week.  I struggled through tears in the interview and at one point said, "I"m sorry, I've loved this man for 56 years."  Isn't that a neat thought.  To have had a father's love every moment you were on earth with him!  That's still possible.  Check out the message I received Tuesday by email.   Praise God for the things no one can take away! The Comfort of the Holy Spirit by Adrian Rogers “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will se...

October 3 Sometimes dirt is slung, sometimes the hurt hits our heart.  If we look back over our lives, all the way to childhood (maybe even a playground scene where we were last picked on a team or cruel gossip about us was tossed across a  lunch table), hurt happens. Other times we are called to "man up" (in the Man's strength) and face tough situations.  Check out what God gave me in Jesus Calling, September 28th, the day I spent twelve hours in bed by my father, realizing God was calling him home. "Open your mind and heart-your entire being-to receive My Love in full measure.  So many of My children limp through their lives starved for Love, because they haven't learned the art of receiving.  This is essentially an act of faith; believing that I love you with boundless, everlasting Love.  The art of receiving is also a discipline: training your mind to trust Me, coming close to Me with confidence.  Remember that the evil one is the father of...

October 2 Moses (our bulldog) stopped eating on Saturday.  He could hardly walk.  We had to make the tough call today to have him put to sleep. I'd really hoped he would be my comforter in the coming weeks, but I guess God has that covered.  I do hope he and Daddy are together in heaven. God's love keeps knocking my socks off with his messages of provision...and I love to go barefoot!  This was the Jesus Calling message the day after Daddy died. "I am perpetually with you, taking care of you. That is the most important fact of your existence. I am not limited by time or space: My Presence with you is a forever-promise.  You need not fear the future, for I am already there.  When you make that quantum leap into eternity, you will find Me awaiting you in heaven.  Your future is in My hands: I release it to you day by day, moment by moment. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow. I want you to live this day abundantly, seeing all there is to se...