Boojoyful

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Psalm 86:5 You are my strength, I sing praise to you' you, God, are my fortress,  my God on whom I can rely. Psalm 59:17 January 31 Now I know divot  is a "turf" term, but it is also excellent terminology for our new Tempurpedic   mattress.  When you sit on the mattress it feels firm and then your body just sinks in.  Sometimes my husband hollers, "I can't get out of my divot." Doesn't life feel like that sometimes?  We just can't get out of the divot life has dished out as a certain moment in time.  God knew there would be divots, so he established a format for crawling out, but calling out!  Also, even if you are stuck in a divot, singing praise while you are there brings hope and joy to the moment! We are laughing right now. Another tough spot is when life is upside down like a stink bug on it's back.

January 30 An online commercial popped up relating to the problem of dry skin during the cold winter months.  I have no recall of what the product was…just the recommendation…"In winter, when showering, just soap up the stinky parts and refrain from using soap on the rest of your body." My shower time is my "clean me up Jesus" time.  It's a time to ask him to point out any areas where I'm deceiving myself and wash me white as snow.  Some places in our heart may not stink yet, but they are on the road to becoming rather foul. As Isaiah warned Israel while in a rebellious state, we too need to be holy. Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight, stop doing wrong. Learn to do right, seek justice.  Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. "Come now, let us settle the matter." says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow...

January 29 Tonight's dream has me up and typing at 2:20AM.  In the dream, bad weather had forced me to sleep overnight in an airport and I was robbed while I slept.  My driver's license, cash and credit cards, with the exception of 8 one dollar bills tucked away in the side of my wallet, were stolen. And of course in the dream I had no list of credit card numbers to be able to call and notify the companies.  It was so real, I got up and went to check my wallet! Theft of any kind makes you feel so violated. The thief coms only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 Jesus is warning in John 10:10, of how the devil delivers demise.  Satan's tactics and Jesus' are easily differentiated, as they are total opposites. When we receive Christ as savior, we receive an internal barometer geared for spiritual recognition. When we are baffled by an occurrence we can call upon the Holy Spirit t...

January 28 How did Moses record all the Tabernacle details?  There were no computers with email or fax machines. Let's get real, there wasn't even a good Bic pen around. I guess he had 40 days and nights on that mountain with God to go over all the specifics, but I'm hoping he didn't have to carve them into stone. Have them make an ark of acacia wood-two and a half cubits long,  a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.   Exodus 25:10 F. LaGard Smith says, "These details (of the Tabernacle) show how strongly God feels about the purity of his people, the constancy of their worship, the need for sacrifices and offerings, and the value of all that is dedicated to God's service." How often do we consider these key elements of our faith. Our purity Our constant worship Our sacrifices Our offerings Our service to God. The attention to detail, which God delivers to Moses related to the Tabernacle, makes a strong statement ab...

Let me tell you why you are here.  You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors  of this earth.   If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?  You've lost your  usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Matthew 5:13, The Message January 27 Just reading the word "salt" tempts me to go find a caramel with sea salt!  Yum. One of our daughter in law's taught our grandson, when he was younger, to say, "Tasty!" when he liked a particular food.  I still do it to this day! When I read this passage in the Message I asked myself: Does my life in Christ entice others to taste my faith?  We are called to be salt and light for Jesus. A life for Christ is a tough platform this day and time.  I came across a noteworthy thought I jotted down, but didn't put down the author…sorry. "It's from our time spent with the Lord that we understand how to spend our time with people.  Inviting the world into ou...

Small Group Women's Bible Study January 26 The movement of the Holy Spirit excites me!  I can be studying one passage and a simple word or reference sends me seeking more.  That is what happened last week while I was studying Ephesians 4:11-13. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. What great words of wisdom reminding us to appreciate one another's gifts and how we are designed to fit together .  I headed off into the land of the Internet to find some of John Piper's teachings on this passage. In the search,  I came across an old sermon, which referenced scriptures giving testimony to the importance of being in small group fellowship.  I hope these encourage you to continually seek out smal...

January 24-25 Enjoy the weekend and this song! http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WPGDWGNX&utm_source=GodTube%20Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01/20/2015

January 23 …being continued. Me oh my! Maybe too much quiet time. Not sure if I shared that I started reading through the Bible in a year. A friend recommended The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings , by F. LaGard Smith. It is awesome!  Don't order in large print as I did though. It's a workout to lift it off my bedside table! My husband and I often get into "The State of our Nation" discussions.  These usually end in frustration, when they should end in prayer.  The frustration births out of the "What are we going to do about it?" statement from me. The daily Bible reading had me in Exodus chapter 1:8-14: Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous…" Who we elect as our nation's governing rulers matters. J...

Our youngest and his wife! January 22 Challenged by our pastor to have 30 minutes of silence a day, as John spoke of happening in heaven (See Revelation 8:1), we've found around our house that the quiet time makes for an introduction to some deep discussions.  While taking a wooden spoon to some stir fry, I began thinking about heaven and being in the continual presence of Jesus.  You see, that's my favorite thing to do on earth, but the contemplation led me to consider if that is God's intended use of my time. I know…too heavy for Boojoyful, right? A bicycle is coming to mind…balance! He said to them (the 11 remaining disciples),  "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."   Mark 16:15 After being out and about "feeding the five thousand" Jesus said to them: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. So they went away by themselves in a boat, to a solitary place." Mark 6:31b-32 An honest e...

Fish fry by the fire! January 21 "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some (fish) ."  A voice called out to the disciples in the boat and a net full of fish appeared. 153 fish to be exact.   " When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. " Wow. Jesus' third "raised from the dead" appearance was a fish fry breakfast for his disciples. John, Jesus' beloved disciple, who lived longer than any others (possibly to 98) is a fabulous author who has left us a treasure in this personal recount of Christ's life, death and resurrection. I want to continue to learn from John. Maybe we will peek into 1, 2, and 3 John some more this month.

We have a rifle range on our property and the target area looks like it might be a tomb! Or the secret entrance to a bunker.  Come shoot soda cans with BBs! January 20 Repeatedly, John reminds us in chapter 19 that the details of Christ's death occurred in order to bring Scripture to fruition.  God has a story to complete in each of our lives as well and the pain and suffering are part of the plot. Remember He is faithful. Ah, Chapter 20, what we've been waiting for…The Empty Tomb!  Victory! Once again, the disciples have not put the pieces of the puzzle together. They haven't grasped that there is more Scripture to be fulfilled…V.9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) I'm up and ready to do my hallelujah dance!  Oh, how I love this part of the story! We could spend a week in this chapter, but if you enjoy a good Hallmark movie on occasion,  open your Bible and zone in on verses 10-18.  You wi...

 Here are a couple fun throw backs of me by my man ! Funny, in this first picture we had just had our 4th child in three years, we look shell shocked. By the time of the second picture we had 6 children, but must have been sleeping more. January 19 Chapter 19 of John holds much heaviness. The sentencing of Jesus, the horrific crucifixion, death and burial of Christ.  Again, like the arrest scene in the garden, I find myself wanting to turn my head from the betrayal and cruelty in this part of Jesus' story.  No, I can't sit through scary movies either and covered my eyes through much of The Passion of Christ. Reading this chapter I did come across something I've never noticed..all THREE women at the foot of the cross were named Mary! Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother,  his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  v. 25 While I don't like to watch cruelty, I'd like to think I would have been as faithful as these ...

Sometimes a family photo shoot is a challenge. January 18 I hate betrayal and have been on both ends of it. Neither feels good. Merriam Webster defines it as: ":giving information about (a person, group, country, etc.) to an enemy.  :to hurt (someone who trusts you, such as a friend or relative) by not giving help or by doing           something morally wrong." Chapter 18 is filled with betrayals. #1 Betrayer-Judas So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene.' He said to them, "I am He." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.  #2 Betrayer-Peter  (Our silence and denial can be an act of betrayal.) Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself.  So they said t him, "You are not alone one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not."  One of the slaves of the high pr...

 A fun throw back from when our kids were young. January 17 Whoa!  Hold your horses Holy Spirit.  That title may not be one I want to face today.   As a little girl, did I sing, "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage?" That came true, but instead six babies appeared in eight years. Ugh, I think back to how wrong I had it, all those years ago.  Running off and getting married, while still in college, and having that marriage dissolved in 3 months. Getting my dream job at the BEST elementary school (yes, my classroom got moved to a trailer, because the school became too crowded), then buying the kool car (A Datsun 280z to be exact. Those cars didn't last on the cool list.), owning a really fab townhouse in a neat neighborhood and then traveling through Europe and even cruising the Greek islands.  (I was robbed before I even left the US.)  No doubt about it, even with Jesus in my heart, I was living for ME and...

My man, on deck!  Wait, on dock! January 16 Most of this chapter references, in subtle ways, that in a little while  Jesus will be departing. The disciples just don't get it.  When it comes to the entirety of Jesus, there is so much we just don't get . Last Sunday our pastor preached a very insightful sermon, related to prayer.  John 16:23-24 taps into a similar lesson. In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive,  so that your joy may be made full. Our pastor referenced "So that" prayers.  It was one of those revolutionary, the light bulb went off,  moments for me.  If we insert the phrase  so that  into our prayers, we will focus on praying in God's will, for God's glory and not for our own selfish benefit.  It will take some g...

 Our children gave us a paddle board for Christmas! I think I'll wait for the ice to melt before I attempt this! January 15 Today I will be on the road, so I wanted to type up some thoughts ahead of time about John 15 from The Woman of Faith, NIV Bible.  This has been written five days after the Paris bombings, knowing in advance I'd be on the road. "The Hate of the World" "It isn't easy being a Christian in this world.  At times, our popularity will suffer because of our faith.  At times, people will misunderstand us. Some may even dislike us. Still others may go out of their way to oppress us or cause us suffering. In such situations, it is tempting to blame ourselves for some imagined failure or to assume that our circumstances are out of the ordinary.  Jesus, however, makes no bones about the destiny of believers. He states clearly, that persecution will come to his followers because the world is hostile to those who follow him. Persecution...

Our daughter, Princess Jiewon, at her 30th birthday party. January 14 Ok, we won't get off lightly in this chapter.  My life survival skills are in here!  I think the Book of John should be required reading for life!  When we are born, a copy should come out with us. I thank God for my mother teaching me this verse. She had many troubles, as we all do, but she knew where she was going and wanted others to know.  These words from Jesus gave her spiritual sustenance and were read at her funeral. "Do not let her your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3  The bottom line, which is our resolve for Romans 3:23 is found in John 14:6… Jesus answer...

 Christmas Pajama night. The men made marvelous Cookie Monsters. January 13 Another chapter which packs a powerful punch. Should we delve into foot washing or reflect on Jesus' prediction of Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial. A precious young woman at our church has a baby due in 4 weeks.  She and her husband are building a new home and it is not complete, so they are living with her parents.  Oh, the anticipation!  Sunday morning her dad told me he noticed a light on downstairs very early. That was unusual, so he called down to see if everything was ok. He said, "Certainly she would have told me if she was headed to the hospital!" His excitement had his wife up and out of bed, like firemen, they were ready to run to the hospital.  The daughter had just turned the light on to let the dog out.  Bless their hearts….it's going to be a long 4 weeks. Do you think there were times Jesus just wanted to have this all behind him?  Would the antici...

Florida Granddogs January 12 As you placed your offering in the plate yesterday, was it done with joy?  Giving back to God 10% of what is his can be a toughie.  I remember being taught this principle by my parents at an early age, but I don't think I did a good job of emphasizing it with my own children. Last month,  I was having a princess day with a couple nine year olds I adore.  One had been given several dollars to take along on our excursion and told to offer to pay for her lunch.  (Even though it was set out in advance that this was my treat.)  The other young lady had lost her pack of chewing gum at some point and was quite disappointed.  When I took these girls into a Walgreens to buy a Christmas candy treat, the first girl took her own money and offered to buy chewing gum to replace what the second girl had lost.  I was so touched.  Heading to a strip center, where I was taking them to get their hair done, we arrived and...

North Carolina Granddogs January 11 Another treasure is left for us in this precious Book of John, as he recounts the story Lazarus in the tomb. The emotions in this story are powerful, especially in the case of Lazarus' sisters who can't believe Jesus would allow a dear friend to die, when they knew he had healed total strangers. In verse 4 we read of Jesus' intentionality in waiting to arrive after Lazarus has been buried. When Jesus heard this, he said,  "This sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for God's glory, so that God's son may be glorified through it." Like the sisters, we struggle with God's timing in our own lives.  We just can't get our human minds around the fact that He is always up to good for Kingdom purposes. He views situations in an eternal realm, while we are stuck in an earthly comprehension. A detail, I've missed when previously studying this passage is in verses 7-8.  Jesus says to h...

John 10 Our spiritual walks make me think about the  paper white  (narcissus) process I've been watching the past 6 weeks.  That hard bulb was placed in a bowl. Water was introduced and roots came forth, then some life sprang forth. The growth was slow at first, but then they blooming was glorious. The life cycle is an interesting study.  We are birthed.  We start to bloom and blossom.  Sticking with the "b" theme I'm tempted to say…We bottom out or kick the bucket, but let's go with breathe no more! The journal I am using, to record my thoughts on John, asks that the writer record and memorize John 3:30 at this point… He must increase, but I must decrease. Each day we walk with Jesus it makes it easier to die to self and live for the Lord. My John Chapter 10 thought comes from verses 14-16.    I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my...

Minnesota Granddogs January 9 Jesus has healed a blind man and instead of rejoicing, there is rejecting, ridiculing and even some reservations coming from the disciples in Chapter 9. A great life lesson for us all is learned when the disciples ask: Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind. v.2 Jesus replies in v 3, Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might  be displayed in his life. We don't have the mind of God and that is a good thing.  We need Him to be greater.  Our vision is earthly, physical and temporal.  Jesus works in the spiritual realm of eternal value, way beyond our capacity to comprehend. So back to our story…Jesus literally spits  out another miracle!  Spitting on mud and placing this mixture on the man's eyes bringing sight. But it is not a sight the Pharisees like. The Pharisees have their feathers ruffled once more.  Jesus does not make them look good...

Oldest grandchild! January 8 John chapter 8 holds within all its wisdom, one of my very favorite stories…the adulterous woman and her accusers.  Have you ever been in a conversation, concerning Christianity, where you knew it had been previously well thought out by the person conversing with you, in hopes of shaking your faith? Jesus knew exactly what he was facing. They were using this question as a trap , in order to have a basis for accusing him.  But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.   John 8: 6-8 The accusers turned and walked away!  w00t!  w00t!  Go Jesus! Here is where God has taken me today with this story. (It is rather poignant, as we remember the men and women who were slain in Paris yesterd...

Second oldest grandson. January 7 So there was division among the people over him,  some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. John 7:43:44 Whew, there is still division among the people over him today.  If you really know Him and love him, you are going to stand up for him.  Why is that so hard for people to do?  John takes us on an inside look at how Jesus' own brothers didn't believe in him. Have you ever been watching a sporting event and one team is getting killed and it's not even halftime? Shouldn't they have the option to just quit and go home at that point? There had to be moments when Jesus wanted to just bail on this earthly assignment and GO HOME! Check out the beginning of John 7 from The Message translation.   Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee.  He didn't want to travel to Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacle...

Our oldest granddaughter. Please pray for her as her little body battles pneumonia. January 6 Me oh, my. When the going got tough, some disciples got going in John 6.  Zip past the all familiar feeding of the  5,000 and Jesus walking on water.  This chapter has some show stopper stories!  I don't think I've ever zoned in on this quote from Jesus to his disciples…."Does this offend you?" Jesus has just taught on his nickname, "The Bread of Life."  Many of His followers have in mind what they want in the Messiah and Jesus' teaching on heading back to heaven isn't measuring up. Check this out…v.60-68  On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is hard teaching. Who can accept it?' Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them.  ' Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!' …From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed...

The blue eyed babe is the middle man of all the grands! January 5 From the healing pool, to the Jewish leaders persecuting Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, to a discussion on testimonies about Jesus, this chapter goes deep.  In verses 19-20 Jesus gave the Jewish leaders this insight… Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself ; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the father does the Son also does.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works then these, so that you will be amazed. So, let's do nothing  without evaluating whether it is an imitation of Christ! Skipping back to the pool scene  in verses 2-3, it sounds gorgeous at first as we envision the five covered colonnades.  Then we read this is where the disabled people came in hopes of finding healing from the pool's waters..  John describes the issues some where battling…blindness, paraly...

Our next to youngest grandson. January 4 Chapter 4 is full or testimonies of those who believed, because of what they saw first hand.  The Samaritan woman encounter a man who knew all about her.   The Galileans mentioned believed because of the woman's first hand testimony. The royal official had seen water turned to wine , so he took Jesus at his word.  Jesus obviously realized that most of us need a spark to ignite our faith.  Signs excite!  Once lit, faith can simply become our constant!  Praise the Lord! Jesus goes deep as he describes what our worship should look like.  Instead of putting on our dancing shoes this Lord's day, let's put on a spirit engaged worship which is pursuing truth. It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the  Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves b...

Next to youngest granddaughter January 3 One of our daughters emailed me Philemon 1:7 in The Message translation the other day. Friend, you have no idea how good your love makes me feel. Philemon 1:7 That's the way we should feel about John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whomever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. What a deep, deep love! Am asking  myself this morning…How deep is my love for others? The phrase so loved the world , has me also asking…How extensive is my love? This month I'm sold out to pray with fervor for our children and grandchildren, but God loved beyond his Son, didn't he.  He loved the world.  I've just started the novel Orphan Train , which is set in 1929 and delves into what happened to many immigrant orphans who were left strand...

 Youngest grandson September 2014 cousins. January 2 You've got to love this momma/son exchange in chapter 2 of John.   "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus said.  "Ha, my boys probably said, "Mama, why you getting involved in my business!" Jesus goes on to tell her his time has not come, but being momma, she confidently turns to the servants and simple says, " Do whatever he tells you."   And the lack of wine issue at the wedding in Cana of Galilee is resolved. After the hoopla and Jesus' first miracle, the family takes a retreat to the sea shore.  Joseph must have been dead by this time, because there is no mention of him... After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and disciples. Capernaum was home to the fishermen turned disciples...Peter, Andrew, James and John.  Tax collector, Matthew, called Capernaum home, as did Jesus during his ministry years. I'm so glad both our preaching pastor and ...

Youngest granddaughter. January with John John, Jesus' beloved disciple, wrote this book for everyone who wants to understand who Jesus really is. I"m studying this book using The Grandmother's Bible .  My hope is in each chapter to take a deeper look at the proclamation of who Christ is, the way he loves others, and to pray daily for the Holy Spirit to help me imitate that love, especially with my children and grandchildren.  When we stay connected to Christ and believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can display unlimited and unconditional love as he does. Chapter 1 Truths I want to absorb. V.1        In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. V. 10     He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not receive                         him.       V. 12   Yet to all who received Him, to thos...