Boojoyful

August 31 It's always such a privilege to get to host the senior class, from the school where my husband works, for a retreat day.  To hear the hearts of these students and see the love they have for one of another is a blessing. Worry of the unknown is always a prayer requests...colleges, careers, leaving home...those things will all unfold in one way or another and they see the clock ticking away. There were two great quotes last week from students. "It's easy not to worry if you have no thoughts in your head!"  Well, there's a plan! "You don't know everything, you just have to trust." Two of the most popular scripture verses on our trails for this group were:

August 30 Some things in life are short lived, one of those is how many years your granddaughter thinks it is fun to dress alike!  We have matching bathing suits/rash guards! Today she shared the sweetest story about the scripture memory they do as a family.  She said, they were working on the verse "In the beginning God..."  We say, "In the beginning God created..."and then say each of our names.  Then we say...."In the beginning God created EVERYTHING! The years you have to captivate your children/grandchildren with your faith can be short lives, but placing the Word of God in their hearts will stay forever!  So go for it. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

August 29 Summer whites!  The old rule of wearing no whites after Labor Day is out the door, along with most fashion rules from my childhood, but it's still engrained in my head, so I've been wearing white shorts or pants all week long dreading putting my bright summer clothes away. Everyday,  I'm trying to venture down to the water and enjoy a swim, just because I know time is running out and the water temps will begin to drop and a chill in the air will keep a quick splash from being less inviting. We hate to see a long awaited vacation end, we wonder if we will have the opportunity to take advantage of a fabulous sale or get to use a valued coupon before it expires.  Schools and colleges are back in session and deadlines will be set for papers and projects, students will pull all nighters because...time is running out! There is another deadline facing each of us. One of eternal value. Whether our hearts stops beating and our loved ones say good-bye or wheth...

August 27-28  The last weekend in August!  Oh, sweet summer of 2016 how quickly you have passed. I thank God for a sweet granddaughter to spend this next week in the lake with me! Last month I was asked by a young friend to pray for a sweet family, whose young husband is dying.  It is a beautifully written piece and a reminder, we all are dying, hopefully we are dying to new life .  You won't regret taking the time to allow these words to flow into your heart and my guess is you are praying for someone who may find peace from reading this as well. https://themessybeautiful.org/2016/08/20/dear-world-why-we-know-this-pain-will-not-be-wasted/ "You see, Chad's story hasn't been altered.  The plans have never changed.  The same God who knit God together in his mother's womb, who called him fearfully and wonderfully made and said all his days were ordained before even one of them came to be (Psalm 139:13-16), that same God is using the ugly places of this...

Yum. Thai Swordfish over Coconut Rice Has nothing to do with anything, but it was delicious!  :-) August 26 Not sure if I posted a quote from a Philippa Gregory novel yet, where Queen Kateryn shares her sin of "failure of obedience."  Well, I've come to realize I was guilty of a similar sin Tuesday. Leaving our local Kroger around 2:15 Tuesday afternoon, I had a strange sense as I approached the back of my car to unload my groceries that I was going to be robbed. This has NEVER happened to me here in good ole Moneta. Checking the parking lot surroundings, there appeared to only be my fellow senior citizens taking advantage of their Tuesday 5% off shopping extravaganza!  The scene from the movie "War Room" immediately came to mind where Miss Clara is being held at knife point in a parking garage and she tells the robber, "In the MIGHTY name of Jesus drop that knife!"  It freaks the guy out so badly that he runs!  The police and the m...

Out on the boat late one July afternoon,  I looked up and saw an airplane flying past the moon. It's the tiny white dot below the moon and to the right. The magnitude of what God created versus  what man has made spoke to me of His grandeur. August 25 Sometime that same week, I read this in Jesus Calling: "When you Worship Me in spirit and truth, you join with choirs of angels who are continually before My throne.  Though you cannot hear their voices, your praise and thanksgiving are distinctly audible in heaven.  Your petitions are also heard, but it is your gratitude that clears that way to My Heart.  With the way between us wide open, My blessing fall upon you in rich abundance.  The greatest blessing is nearness to Me-abundant Joy and Peace in My Presence.  Practice praising and thanking Me continually throughout this day."  Sarah Young   At the time I read this we had 22 people staying in the house and I was struggling...

A geranium about to burst forth. August 24 Gardening is good for the soul and the soil.  Every time I'm out clipping, snipping and pinching away dead growth I stop to realize it's good to allow God to do that to me as well.  There is so much mess hidden behind the facade of our faces. One morning, I was pulling away old dead blooms from a gerber daisy plant and underneath, tightly bound, were future blooms waiting for just the right time to stand tall and burst forth with their beauty. It made me think of the future generations who have so much to offer.  They are hidden behind our lives, watching and learning how to live.  I want them to see the importance of recognizing the dead and diseased areas of our hearts and see us ridding ourselves of these things by confessing them to God and turning from our wicked ways. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this dar...

Going to miss these summer fruits! August 23 Whew! In a current study on Mark, I've gotten my feathers ruffled as I reflect on all the plotting of the Pharisees.  The dictionary defines  plot  as:  "a plan made in secret by a group of people to do something illegal or harmful." "In order to accuse Him, they were watching Him closely to see whether He  would heal on the Sabbath...Immediately the Pharisees went out and started  plotting...how they might destroy Him." Mark 3:2,6 Pairing the remembrance of this story with our current election year scene makes me heavy hearted. I hate plotting and it goes on at all levels.  Certainly in the business world, the sports world, and the world of romance.  Also, more uncomfortably because we've probably been privy to it, it's there in our churches, our neighborhoods, the hallways of our schools and sometimes even right across the kitchen table rearing it's ugly head for the...

August 22 Let your light shine was an understatement this particular morning.  About 6:25AM, as I was just rousing, the sun hit the mirror on the armoire in our bedroom and it reflected right onto my face!  After a late night of Olympic watching, I had hoped to sleep in, but this silent wake up call had me up and at it realizing I need to get out and let my light shine and not hide it under the covers! "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lame and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it give light to all who are in the house.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see you good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  Matthew 5:14-16

August 20-21 One more Ruth thought...while this story suffices to be a good read from the simple outcome of joy being bestowed on a couple widows, God is up to so much more.  We see it has a happy ending for Ruth and Naomi, but what God sees in the grand scheme goes so much further.  He sees the family tree of Jesus!  God is so good at wonderfully weaving a gorgeous tapestry. Discussing God's ways, with a friend over dinner last night we had to remind each other that we can't come close to comprehending the realm of God. In my Ruth journal I wrote, "I praise You Lord for the magnificent ways You work.  You can take messes and make them marvelous, heartbreak and bring about unending happiness, fear can become freedom to walk and wake without fear. All things are possible with You when we surrender and walk in Your ways.  You began this summer calling me to a Summer of Surrender.  While it has been quite painful at times, emotionally and physically, nev...

August 19 This summer I've written to several young girls, while they were away at summer camp. In each letter I encouraged them to be on the look out for new friends that God is placing in their path.  Smith Mountain Lake life provides a similar opportunity as many families come here for the summer or on vacation and have an opportunity to reunite summer after summer with one another. Watching our grandson make a new friend from our church just thrilled my heart. They were instant buddies! We are never to old to make new friends!  We just have to open our hearts and allow them in. "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:11 Here's hoping we each make a new friend today.  Let's pray specifically for students from college age all the way down to day care as they start a new year, asking God to fill them with courage, kindness, and open to hearts willing to welcome new friends into their circle of...

August 18 Had to laugh during the study I did on Ruth the past few weeks.  After reading the verses where Naomi told Ruth to “wash, put on perfume and her best clothes ” before heading to see Boaz, I journaled a challenge to do the same for my husband by the time he came home from work.  Our grandson had been here for nine days and I was a bit bedraggled. That particular day was cold and rainy, yet our grandson and a friend entertained themselves for hours engaging in outdoor nerf wars, fishing and swimming in the lake which was much warmer than the rain drizzled air.  Brrrr! Coming inside we opted for warm showers and our jammies.  Not quite the picture the Bible story had motivated me towards.  (With our grandson here, it was not a sexy nighty I donned.)  Ah, maybe another day. If you've never read Ruth, take the time to do so.  Such a good true story! So often in life we think "the story is over," but God is just getting started on making someth...

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that they may have life,  and have it to the full. John 10:10 August 17 Heading out on our deck to water our plants, I was shocked to see the parsley had been decapitated. The gate to the deck had been left opened and I considered the possibility that a very daring deer may have maneuvered the steps and come up for a munch.  If so, why had the deer not eating the geraniums, which  they love?  Moving towards the second parsley pot, I noticed it still had a couple sprigs.  Then I saw the cleverly disguised culprit.  A bright green and black striped caterpillar, which blended right in with the parsley stems.  Moving back to the first pot, two more were spotted lying still, fat from their feast. Our enemies, be they the garden version, spiritual, national or emotional, are usually very clever in their tactics.  We need to stay alert and when under atta...

August 16 Earlier in the summer I went outside and sat in our rocking chairs under our deck and watched an enormous afternoon thunderstorm blow through.  It was seeing the power of God play out right before my eyes.  Taking this picture of the rain drops bouncing off this stepping stone I pondered how Jesus is our stepping stone to heaven. Two of our children used to attend Bethlehem Church in Minneapolis.  Many of you may have heard of the extremely insightful preacher/teacher John Piper.  His online ministry is called www.desiringgod.org   Our daughter forwarded me the prayer he gave at a funeral last week for a family of five who attended that church.  They were traveling to a missionary training event in preparation for their missionary assignment to Japan and were all killed in a car accident.  They stepped into heaven. Speaking with our son the other day he said the television interviews of the parents of this young couple and grand...

August 15 We've really been enjoying the Olympics this year.  Having our 7 year old grandson with us, who loves sports, made it even more enjoyable.  After playing hard all day, none of us were able to stay up at night, so we taped the games and watched them the next day!  I stayed up both nights for the team and individual all round gymnastics competitions. Waking up a bit groggy Friday morning I thought... "I would not have done that if there wasn't a huge chance of the US coming out a winner in the all round gymnastic and so many swimming events."  That thought led me to contemplate the time I spend chasing Jesus and digging deeper into his Word.  If I wasn't convinced through real life experiences that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is sitting on the throne, victoriously in heaven, I wouldn't spend all this time with him. Jesus Calling  had a fabulous entry August 8th about going deep with the Lord. "I speak to you from the deepest heave...

"More waves, faster, go in circles!" These cousins enjoyed some tubing thrills! August 13-14 Check out Proverbs 21:17 "You're addicted to thrills?  What an empty life!  The pursuit of pleasure never satisfies." While we are not to live for thrills, for they do not satisfy, temporary ones are out there. The Olympics provide some thrilling moments.   Can you imagine bottling up all the adrenaline poured out at the Olympic games! You'd have a potent potion worth a lot of money! As a child, Christmas morning was probably the most thrilling day of  the year!  Back in my college days, I was working on my pilot's license and flying planes over the lake and our beautiful mountains was pretty thrilling. Certainly my first teaching job was a thrill! A nail bitingly close college football game has always gotten my heart rate up and excited me.  Watching my boyfriend, get off the plane in Orlando, Florida when he'd fly in from Roanoke ...

Nine years ago, August 11th, we had a really fun wedding here at Shiloh. This picture is of our daughter and her new husband tipping over in a bench towards our creek! The grasses saved them! August 12 It has been such a privilege to watch their love for one another grow and to see Christ at the center of each of their lives as well as their marriage.  Happy Anniversary you two! Have fun at the Pink Hotel! "Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.  But because of immoralities, each man us to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.  The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband...."                                                       1 Corinthians 7:1 Here's The Message translations take on...

Cruising out into our cove, we came across this dock with a huge ladder and the children were climbing onto the roof and jumping off. (Notice the tiny girl on the right. Probably six or seven years old.) There are some things in life which require bravery and other things which just aren't smart. August 11 Our pastor just started a series called "Brave."  The key verse this particular Sunday was... " Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." Ephesians 4:15 The Message translation gets to the nitty gritty, referencing verses 15-16. " No prolonged infancies among us, please.  We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for imposters.  God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love-like Christ in everything.   We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do.  He keeps us in step with ea...

August 10 I'd be spoofing ya, if I said I grasp the details or concept of Pokemon Go.  While out for a morning walk, a neighbor allowed our grandson to get in a photo with the Pokemon she spotted on her path. While I didn't see him, I do know what it is like to walk with someone who is invisible to the naked eye.  His name is Jesus! We have an awesome, powerful, invisible friend. "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."   John 14:26 We have an invisible body guard. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Pal, 46:1 And what lies ahead for believers is beyond anything we've ever seen or imagined. Even wilder than Pokemon. "Since ancient times no ones heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.   Isaiah 64:4

August 9 Three ducks have been swimming up to our dock recently. Two are larger than the third.  Our grandson thinks it is a mother, father and their child.  I'm not sure that it isn't simply the old concept of three don't play well together...two gang up on the third.  Either way, it's heart wrenching to watch as one of larger ducks bully the third when "Cheezits" are tossed in the water.  If the smaller one attempts to eat one of the treats the larger duck pecks it in the neck.  We even tried distracting the two  larger and getting the smaller one off to the side, but you can see the fear in it's eyes.  Makes me so mad. We watch a similar scene unfold at a location where we go feed sheep and goats. There is one fellow I call the BULLY goat. He is so mean and greedy. I'm currently reading a Phillipa Gregory historical fiction series on the Queens of England in the 1500's.  Whew, necks got more than pecked, heads rolled! Servants and unde...

When this cute thing arrived last Monday, we loaded up a Kroger credit card and told him he'd be doing his own shopping while here. August 8 He's doing great learning comparison shopping skills and how to check expirations dates. If you read Day 3 where I mentioned him talking me into buying him an ice coffee... you will laugh that I'm very close to consuming the first cup of coffee in my life. Keeping up with a seven year old boy, 24-7 isn't for sissies! He does have a sincere heart for the Lord though, which helps.  We are only on the letter "R" in his journal, but wanted to finish these off for you. Day 6 U- Under his wings you will find refuge his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.     Psalm 91:4 V-" Very truly I tell you, the one who believes had eternal life."     "I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life,      eternal life."     John...

Overjoyed with his purchase of a shark's tooth necklace! He has room right there in the middle for a new tooth! August 6-7 Day 5 Q- Quench not the Spirit.   Don't suppress the Spirit.       1 Thessalonians 5:19 R- Rejoice in the Lord always.     Philippians 4:4 S- Set Your Minds on things that are above, not on things that are on Earth.     Pursue the things over which Christ presides.  Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground,     absorbed with the things right in front of you.  Look up, and be alert to what is going on     around Christ-that's where the action is.  See things from his perspective.     Colossians 3:2 T- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.     Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.     Listen for God's voice in everything you do, e...

Wild hair after early morning tubing. Notice his fine woodworking skills.  I bet Jesus and Joseph never made a candy machine. August 5 Day 4 M- My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.      Psalm 121:2 N- No eye had seen, no ear has heard, and o mind has imagined what God has prepared              for those who love him.       1 Corinthians 2:9 O- Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.     Psalm 119:18 P- Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes     of the devil.     Ephesians 6:11

He talked me into buying him an iced coffee. I've never had coffee in my life, so didn't grasp the kick it obviously has. BONKERS #shouldhavetextedhismom August 4 Day 3 I- " I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me."    John 14:6 J-" Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."     Hebrews 13:8 K-" Know that the Lord, he is God!  It is he who made us, and we are his;    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."     Psalm 100:3 L-" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." The Message translation will be typed up and placed somewhere that I can meditate on it regularly.    "Love never gives up.     Love cares more for others than for self.    Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.    Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head. doesn't force i...

These cousins are bonding at bedtime! August 3 E- Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights with  whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.   Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven.  The gifts are rivers of light cascading  down from the Father of Light.  There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing  fickle.  He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.  James 1:17 F- Fear not, for I have redeemed you I have called you by name, you are mine.  I've called your name. You're mine.  When you're in over your heard, I'll be there with you.  When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place,  it won't be a dead end. Isaiah 43:1 G- Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.   ...

It's not often we can all get together but 22 of us managed to make it work this summer! August 2 Our oldest grandson is visiting for awhile. He is such a joy!  Our daily goals are to learn something new, do something for someone else, grow physically and spiritually, eat or drink something wonderful, get in the lake, and laugh at least five times every day. Join us on our spiritual growth journey the next week or so.  We are doing ABC scriptures and discussing how they can apply to life!  Some days I may add The Message translation to help him comprehend the verse. Here we go: Day 1          A- A soft answer turns away wrath.          A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.       Proverbs 15:1       B- Be kind to one another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.      Make a clean brea...

This one knows how to swing through life! August 1 On July 25th I shared how my mind tends to drift to negative thoughts when I'm ironing and weeding.  Being conscious of that, as I picked up my iron once again I chose to take all my thoughts captive and concentrate on listening to the Spirit.  I sensed a nudging to email a specific group of believers and share, "Remember, it's not all about us, let's be on the lookout for what God is calling us to today."  Just as quickly as that thought came, came that thought that I am not my sister's keeper and I don't want to be in their faces with suggestions. Nobody likes to hear that God told them to tell you something! I was sticking by my "pray it, don't say it" philosophy and didn't email. Doing it MY way, I took the above thoughts to my journal and wrote.  Then I heard more.... Stop, Look, Listen! The best blessings are found in obedience when you surrender to His wil...