Boojoyful

April 30 Discussing college campus visits with some friends, my husband said, "Just pray for a sunny day. Things always look better in the sunshine."  Reading over some student comments on the topic "What I Like About School" one student wrote, "I like school better on sunny days." Before heading to Nashville to baby sit, I had looked ahead at the weather forecast and seen that rain was on the horizon, so I grabbed a couple really cute umbrellas and tossed them in my car.  When the "rain, rain, rain, came down, down, down," as A. A. Milne wrote so many years ago, we decided to go outside in our pajamas and embrace it.  We talked about leaves being umbrellas for birds and the blades of grass giggling as the raindrops tickled and refreshed them.  Most importantly we thanked God for the rain and went outside and enjoyed the puddles. I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Levi...

May 1 Whew!  Sometimes Jesus is so close you want to bust from being in his presence and it's too surreal to describe to another how the pieces all fell together.  The other day God took a combo of resources to teach me to look at the world  with His eyes. Brandon Heath, singing his hit song, "Give Me Your Eyes" was the first "Sit down and listen with your heart" moment God used to grab my attention. Check out this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY The second piece of this spiritual journey was found in a She Reads Truth email and is pretty deep. It's a quote from Mike Mason, who wrote Mystery of Marriage. " If man really is fashioned, more than anything else, in the image of God, then clearly it follows that there is nothing on earth so near to God as a human being.  The conclusion is inescapable, that to be in the presence of even the meanest, lowest, most repulsive specimens of humanity in the world is still to be closer to Go...

This is our view before we turn into our driveway. For those of you familiar with this area, the pointed mountain is the Peaks of Otter. April 29 The Lord lives! Praise be my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!      Psalm 18:46 Somedays all I want to do is praise. Wish you were here with me.  Love, Boo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHz0w-HG4iU On my computer a birthday reminder popped up.  I have never taken my father's birthday reminder out of the system and the computer said, "It's not to late to send a card." Yes, it is.  But what a great reminder to be steadfast to remember and express love to those we care about who are still on this side of heaven. Missing my earthly Daddy on his birthday.

 The Road Home in Spring April 28 I feel as if I've written about this before, so forgive me if I'm repeating myself.  Coming home from volunteering in a nearby community, I took the long way home.  Clicking on my GPS, when I was on the back roads, I wanted to be sure the glory of spring didn't get me totally off track and lost!  The praise music was pulsating from a Christian radio station and I was captivated in the moment.  As I pulled to the bottom of our private drive the lady's voice on the GPS said, "You have arrived at your destination. The route guidance is complete."  Chuckle, chuckle!  That's what Jesus or the angelic greeting committee will tell us when we arrive in heaven!!!!! You have arrived! But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20 God gave me a friend, mentor and encourager in the faith years ago through this devotional writing.  I...

April 27 Our grandson LOVES trains, so I painted this engine and coal car as a birthday party prop. It doubles as a photo shoot opportunity and bean bag toss!  Multiple times over the years I've referred to the verse… Train up a child in the way he should go… but presently I'm delving into "Letters to Timothy" with the She Reads Truth  ministry and absorbing the training Paul executed to Timothy. The first memory verse in this study is 1 Timothy 6:12. Fight the good fight for the faith; take hold of eternal life that you were called to and have made a good confession about in the presence of many witnesses. I particularly like Paul's honesty in chapter one verses 12-17.  When we feel unworthy of a task God has called us to we can remember Paul's transformation. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service  Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a ...

April 25-26 Merriman-Webster's Website is a delight!  If you are like me and enjoy learning at least one new thing a day, it's a shoe-in to educate.  On April 21st the site listed the "Top Ten Sophisticated Compliments" you can offer someone.  My brain contemplated the idea that Jesus would qualify to receive all these compliments!  He does! Urbane-notable polite or polished in manner Incisive-very clear and direct: able to explain difficult ideas clearly and confidently Savvy-having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness especially in practical matters Sagacious-haivng or showing an ability to understand difficult ideas and situations and to make good decisions Intrepid-feeling no fear; very bold or brave Magnanimous-having or showing a generous and kind nature Charismatic-having great charm or appeal Compassionate-feeling or showing concern for someone who is sick, hurt, poor, etc. Indefatigable- able to work or continue for a very long ...

April 24 It's been a week of running late.  Meeting a group of ladies to study God's Word  yesterday, I rushed into meet them and said, "I've rushed around so this morning I don't even know if I have my bra and panties on."  Later going to the bathroom, I had to laugh…my undies were on, but they were on inside out! The stall was too cramped to take my long pants off my long legs and right the wrong. When I got home and went to rectify the problem I thought to myself "Did Jesus wear underwear?" It is definitely not of eternal value, and while it's a question I've never posed; it is not one I will ponder any longer. A verse well worth meditating, which occurs after Jesus has fed the 5,00, walked on water and is trying to explain to his disciples he is the "Bread of Life," is John 6:28-29. Unlike the underwear issues, which I have laid to rest, I will keep meditating on this passage. "Then they asked him, 'Wha...

April 23 An urgent prayer request came from a friend who was attending a family funeral and there was much heartbreak surrounding the family dynamics. As I typed her a prayer the Lord said to just tell her to be there and to be "real." He said, "Remind her she is an authentic child of the King."   The word authentic  was so clear I had to go to the dictionary and look it up.  Check out this definition: Of undisputed origin. Made in a  way that faithfully resembles an original.  Accurate or reliable! Oh, dear friends, that is who we are in Christ.  He is our undisputed origin of whom we are to resemble.  In our life's walk as we take the accurate  Word of God to others may we be found reliable in our service and reliable in the way in which we love others. Love this message from The Message, Philippians 4:8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, repu...

April 22 There are enough nuggets in these next few books of Galatians to fill up your nugget basket for a lifetime. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.   Galatians 3:26 …for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:27 Have you never identified with Christ through baptism?  Free dunking at Shiloh.  The water is warming up.  Come celebrate your faith by a baptism this summer. So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you an heir. Galatians 4:7 How is it you are turning back to those weak miserable forces?  Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?   Galatians 4:9  Whew, does this one speak volumes to you? It does me.  Without ongoing discipleship and seeking, we will go back to the pit. It is for freedom Christ has set us free.    Galatians 5:1 The only thing that counts is faith express...

April 21 "Grace to you!" Galatians 1:4  What a great greeting!  Hmm, have to give that a try that today. Our church is doing a study together for 6 weeks and last week the prep work involved reading three chapters in Galatians. I couldn't stop there, I went for all the gusto!  I'll send some of the highlights, but highly recommend going to https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/   and listening to Max McLean read to you! Galatians 1:4 "Who gave himself for our sins to RESCUE us from this present evil age." If you have ever been rescued by someone, how do you feel towards that person now? Our son was in a terrible accident years ago. The car flipped four times and landed upside down with him trapped inside.  He had a broken neck and the EMTs did an amazing job. The surgeons said a fraction of an inch more movement in the wrong direction and he would have been paralyzed.  Months later my husband drove to the town where it happened to seek ...

April 20 Trusting that God knows where I will be tomorrow, because I've felt him near in some of the tougher places I've been.  Reflecting back on... Years of potty training six children, who were born within eight years, makes me think…"How did we go anywhere?" Being called into my high school administrator's office, I found  my sister sitting there to tell me we needed to go home because our grandfather had been murdered in broad daylight. Finding my grandmother dead. Getting a phone call that my brother had drown.  The dreaded phone call came from an ER hours away. Our son had been in a terrible car accident and was airlifted to UVA's medical facility. Waking to find a car missing and a child gone with no clue where he was headed.  Watching my parents die. Filling in the word, "unemployed." Hearing the words "It is cancer, we need to operate.  She has anorexia, it is hard to overcome.  I'm sorry, you are miscarrying. Thiis marriage is...

April 18-19 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very word of God.  If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:11 Somewhere last week I heard the quote, "See your speech as a mouthpiece for God. He calls His children to be conduits of good conversation on behalf of Christ. Boy have I blown that one time and time again. Our mouths can get us into trouble and bring destruction more quickly than our fists. One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend. Proverbs 22:11

April 17 Singing silly songs with our two year old grandson, I looked into his eyes which were beholding me with disbelief and I said, "I know I'm a nut, nut, nut."  His immediate reply, with a smile across his face was "A nut, nut, nut!"  Then we both burst into laughter.  Later that same day I had a smile on my face and thoughts that reminded me I'm a Jesus nut, nut, nut. Strolling through a large department store, a sales lady addressed another shopper and me. She said, "Ladies, we bout to have an event!" My first reaction was to answer back…"We IS?"  She totally lost me as she reeled off the name of three  designers, whom I'd never heard of and the details of the "event."  All I could think was that one day soon the angels in heaven are going to holler to one another!   "We bout to have an event!" The reference will be in direct response to the announcement of Jesus' return to earth!  What an e...

April 16 Our oldest grandson and my husband love to hide rubber snakes around the house pranking one another.  The best may have been when our grandson put one in the coffee maker! Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which with Lord God had made. Genesis 3:1 If only we could see the whole picture when we are being tempted.  If we could see it as Satan pulling a BIG prank on us, keeping us from God's goodness, we'd live more on the alert for spiritual danger! Satan is alive on the earth for now, but one day he will experience the final "good-bye."

April 15 Last Friday I had lunch with a friend as we celebrated the one year anniversary of her precious Daddy  being with Jesus.  I asked her to bring a few pictures of her father and we reminisced about our love for our fathers.  My Daddy would have been 95 this month!  He knew how to love others well to his very last breath.  I miss him. I"m sure my grandfather claimed this Proverb in relation to his son, my father. "The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him." Proverbs 23:24

                              1978 Love 2006 Love                                  2013 Love April 14 Ha!  My husband hates taking surveys. I have no clue why after all these years of marriage I went online and took this Love Language quiz.      http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/ This past weekend I even convinced him to take it!  He said, "This is the sort of thing that can lead to divorce."  We have laughed and laughed the past few days as we have tried to be intentional in loving one another in relationship to the test results.  (Which were pretty accurate!) We instinctively offer love to others in our love language.  Taking the time to evaluate what makes someone else tick is a worthwhile cause. "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another abov...

April 13 From the time I was 10-16 years of age, tennis was my passion. It was a family tradition!  We had a court in our back yard and in high school my girlfriend and I had an indoor tennis time during the winter at 6:30 AM before school!  The key to a successful shot in tennis is your follow through stroke.  Once you contact the ball, you have to continue your swing for accuracy.  Our there year old granddaughter is nailing it in this photo! In my shower time the other day, which is where I hear from God the most frequently, "Follow through," boomed in my mind.  I knew exactly to what the message pertained.  Once again, God has placed a ministry opportunity before me and it will require commitment.  Once again, I've begun my old habit of bargaining with him.  Is this just a test Lord?  If I contact these people will they not be interested and I don't really have to invest the time?  What a dummy I am!  God's plans are a...

Loved having this family here for Easter! They are raising their little ones up to love Jesus. April 11-12 Sometimes a song can minister in a way simple words cannot.  Be blessed and have a wonderful weekend. http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0CF111NU&utm_source=GodTube%20Must-See%20-%20Mobile&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=04/09/2015

 Bought this new rug, pillow and blanket for our screened porch,  before I realized God was using the same color on the tree outside!  This cardinal and Mrs. Robin Red Breast are flaunting a similar hue!   April 10 The ironing is piled up, but Spring is in the air and it is so hard to do indoor chores!  On the way to the ironing board, I glanced outside to see the tree off our screened porch blossoming into the same color as our new rug. I had to go grab my camera, then the birds caught my eye and thus....no ironing. It is so easy to procrastinate, but at the same time it's good to stand in amazement that all God can do. While I am marveling at His exterior design, I need to be intentional about the design He has for my heart! "Have mercy on me, Lord God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin... Create in me a pure heart, O...

Our bounce house and pinwheels thrilled these two last week. April 9 Does being sold out for Jesus thrill you?  Our church is doing a study together called "Thrive." It is based on the passage John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  So how do we have a "full" life in Christ.  I've taken Colossians 3:1-17 and turned it into a prayer, knowing that it is only possible for the Holy Spirit to take over my life and manifest these things. The Prayer: God, please teach us to set our hearts on things above and not on earthly things.  Daily, may we resist the temptations which come and put to death any tendency towards sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed.  Not in our own strength, but that of the Holy Spirit will you rid us of anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language. Please Lord, may we never lie to each other. It is o...

A grandfather's love! "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." John 15:9 April 8 What caused God to create a way for Jesus to leave the comforts of heaven and come to earth in bodily form?  His love for us!  It's that same demonstrative love, which ignited God to establish a process equipping us with the power of the Holy Spirit.  We are the recipients of the Father's love, a Savior's sacrifice, and the super-natural power of the Holy Spirit. Whew!  With that much love poured into us, our lives should be a brilliant reflection of the work of the Trinity! Passing generational love on is such a joy!  It's also Biblical. Jesus explained that God loved him and then he loved us. Now we are to stay attached to that love!  We all long to be loved and it was no accident God created us in that way.  Unconditional love is a choice. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Chri...

April 7 Help me Jesus!  Three years ago a treasured friend gave me a monthly calendar set for Christmas.  Each month has a Scripture verse done beautifully in calligraphy and bright colors. I've kept it in my dressing room and enjoyed it year after year.  On April 2nd, I realized I hadn't changed to the new month. Doing that, for some reason it FINALLY hit me that the dates on the calendar were no longer accurate!  DUH.  The lesson here is that in all this time, I haven't focused on the date, but the meat of the matter…the verses! Thought I'd share these all with you today. January- " The Lord says I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."   Psalm 32:8 February-" Let all that you do be done in love.   1 Corinthians 16:14 March- " My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."   2 Corinthians 12:9 April- " We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, fir...

April 6 God is always doing a new thing. Listen to God speak to us through the prophet Isaiah. "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare' before they spring into being I announce them to you."   Isaiah 42:9 "See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."   Isaiah 43:19 "You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them?  'From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.'" Isaiah 48:6 See if you can follow my mindset in what God is teaching me concerning growing older and the importance of passing on leadership. "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live,  not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,  to be self-cont...

Notice the lone duck on the water between the trees. Gorgeous song bird! It's either a UVA, Florida or Auburn fan. April 4-5 Each morning the past couple weeks I've awakened grieving for my girlfriend's loss of her husband. One particular morning, I looked out to see a lone duck floating in the middle of our cove. Normally, these ducks are in groups or pairs, but more then likely predators have eaten the other ducks.  Ducks sleep out on the water for safety from land predators.  When water predators approach, the water currents are stirred and the duck is awakened and attempts to fly to safety. Seeing the lone duck made me begin to pray for my friend who is now alone.  Before the tears could reach my checks a beautiful song bird flew past my window and lit upon a tree.  Immediately, Lamentations 3: 22-24 came to mind and I prayed that my friend would not be consumed by grief and loneliness, but day by day feel the Lord's love and compassion pouring...

April 3 Last week I received a letter from someone which was filled with pages of the woes of his life and the anger he carries against his foes.  It was exhausting. Earlier that day I had listened to Nancy Leigh DeMoss's radio show about Jesus' triumph on the cross!  She elaborated on Christ's willingness to suffer and how he didn't complain until the end when he said, "I thirst."  DeMoss went on to say that was actually not a complaint, but a necessity (due to dehydration which sets in during crucifixion) to be able to speak his final words.  The wine vinegar doused sponge would lubricate his throat so he could fulfill the Scriptures and exclaim, "It is finished." What God called him to earth to do, was now complete and Satan was within days of defeat! No "woe is me" or belittling words for the enemy, just the completion of a job well done. "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture ...

Papa teaching our 2 year old grandson to ski!    Our Resurrection Eggs April 2 Point your kids in the right direction-when they're old they won't be lost. Proverbs 22:6 MSG Yes, bunnies, chicks and eggs are adorning our house this time of year, as they are adorable!  We are intentional in talking with our grandchildren about the real victory in Easter.  No, it's not a free pass to eat Peeps!  For years, I've had a Resurrection Egg set, but was thrilled with the newest version.  Our three year old grandson sat ever so attentive, as Papa read an explanation of each item in the carton and then allowed him to open the egg. On this Good Fridaylet's take time to reflect on the part each of these items played in Jesus' final week on earth. Donkey, The Cup, Prayer, Coins, Rooster Whip, Crown of Thorns, Cross, Spear, Burial Cloth, Rock,  EMPTY TOMB!

My favorite Easter artwork, done by our grandson last year. April 1 Don't you love learning something new when you are studying the Word of God?  A passage I read this week has jumped out at me in the familiar Easter story. "Turning to them, Jesus said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem,  do not weep  for Me,  but weep for yourselves and your children.'" Luke 23:28 So Jesus, beaten up and dragging a cross to his impending death, takes time to notice some women in the crowd, who are crying.  It doesn't say that they are weeping because He is the Christ and has been falsely accused.  Quite the contrary.  Jesus tells them to weep for themselves and their children, which would say to me, being all knowing, He knows they didn't believe in him. Maybe like many of us, they hated seeing anyone treated so cruelly. Salvation takes more than sympathy.  Salvation takes intentional repentance and recognition for the need of a Savior. Then we tak...