Boojoyful

Summer treasures hunts are SO much fun. September 1 Well, the Escape Away with Jesus Day went so, so.  What I'd hoped to be six hours away with him didn't quite look like that. Not picking up that cell phone is the discipline issue for me.  The mama in me couldn't help but check on the Louisianan child and his wife and see what the water levels were there.  Then I just had to hear the voice of the Minnesota son, as his family is walking through such heartache.  I allowed my self to get sucked into a load of wash and kitchen clean up, before finally heading out for grocery shopping and another errand. " You are worried and troubled about many things, but only one thing is needed."   Luke 10:41 It was 1:00 before I actually ran off with Jesus purposely leaving my phone behind! Taking a potty break, I glanced at my text messages along the path to the bathroom.  One simply read: "Are you home?"  Dilemma. What would Jesus do?  Ten minut

This gang is back in Minnesota where it will get down to 48 degrees this week.  Brrr. August 31 While many are gearing up for the last summer weekend of fun, others have returned home to a routine of packing lunches and sending children out the door to school.  I've established a habit of cleaning the house before we go on trips for duel purposes.  One, it's nice to come home from a vacation to a clean house; and two, at my age, if I don't make it back to my earthly home, it will be nice for my husband and children to have a clean house to come into.   Do you ever think about what it will be like when we arrive at our "real" home? For the past twenty years I loved turning onto Moonriver Lane and making that half mile wooded drive to Shiloh.  It just feels good to arrive here, but I know it's nothing compared to the elation we will experience when we arrive in heaven.  What a comfort to know the best is yet to come. When we remember we are forei

I highly recommend this game for your Labor Day Festivities.   When you gently throw the water balloon into the hoop, it rolls down and splatters at your feet! If your b-ball hoop doesn't have the slope attachment you could probably use cardboard. The outdoor train track construction, down a wall, was a hit as well. And yes, extreme lollipops make everything more fun. The joys of being a grandmother. August 30 It's a free day today. There is nothing on the calendar. Actually, it's the first free day in August! There are a boatload (including cleaning boats) of chores to be done, but I think after running a few errands, I'm going to sneak off and have a date day with Jesus!  Grabbing an actual Bible (not an app), a notebook, and taking some CD's to avoid bringing my cell phone along. Yup, a date with Jesus is on the calendar!  A time for transformation!  A time to allow the Lover of my Soul to do a make over on me! "So here’s what I w

Our Minnesota family on their Virginia lake. Reading the Pout Pout Fish!  One of my favorites! August 29 Yesterday, we washed off all the beach toys and packed them up for the summer.  With the end of summer we also pack away hordes of memories made. Shiloh quiets without the little feet romping across her acreage, stirring frogs in the creek and gasping at how high they hop! The wild life probably relaxes a bit, sticking their heads out a little further now that the "little people" are gone. Crisp golden leaves already scattered themselves across the sand on the beach. The seasons go so quickly.  God obviously knows that parents and grandparents need a rest after the pace of summer. " The day is yours, and yours also the night; you establish the sun and moon.  It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter."   Psalm 74:16-17   For many in our nation the end of summer is a reminder of hurricane season and Ha

She's off to first grade! August 28 " The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him."   Luke 2:40  " Point your kids in the right direction-when they're old they won't be lost."   Proverbs 22:6 MSG I remember so well the day I daughter started first grade. She wanted to walk to school.  The new dress, the hairbow, the backpack...and the scrapped knee from the fall on our steep driveway before she even reached the sidewalk. Some days just don't start off right, but we persevere. Her parents have selected yearly verses for their children to memorize and place in their hearts. This little one is learning 2 Timothy 1:7 " For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." Day Twenty-eight of Encouraging Your Husband (We chuckled last night, since I was away on a week long baby sitting gig, I feel behind in my e

Day Twenty-six of Encouraging Your Husband "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."  Luke 2:52 If you have faithfully encouraged your husband, you will no doubt have seen some changes in his life . . . and your own life, as well. Encouragement is a wonderful habit that we hope you will continue for the rest of your life. The important thing is to keep growing in Christ and obeying the Word of God as you respond to your husband. As you consider today how to bless your husband and not tear him down, think of ways that you can encourage balance in your home. Jesus led a balanced life. He grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. As you see your husband branching out in these areas, is there a pattern of growth? Is your husband striving for balance in his life? If so, let him know you have noticed, and ask how you can further encourage that balance. If your husband is out of balance—focusing on one area to the exclusion o

These three taking the chair lift  "way up high" in Park City, Utah August 25 " You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in  You."   Isa. 26:3 My mind is on grief overload and the only way to survive is to focus on Christ.  Last night talking on the phone with my husband, he said, "How can we be closely related to so many tragic events?"  Just grasping anyone of them tugs terribly at my heart. There are so many close to our hearts that I find myself just sitting and gazing out.  Today, when our daughter called to FaceTime (I'm on a long baby sitting gig) the boys were playing in the basement totally naked. (We'd just come in soaked from water play.)  She said, "I'm glad to see Mama Boo has her clothes on." 1 Just hours before, I'd received a text from one of my closets friends asking me to thank God for protecting her son, who is an assistant manager at the restaurant i

August 24 Unable to sleep the other night I opted not to count sheep, but pray my way back to sleep!  Before going into prayer mode the phrase keep my mind steadfast  came into play and I knew a scripture verse was trying to surface. It's a great one for the middle of the night wearies. "People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole.  Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don't quit.  Depend on God and keep at it, because in the Lord God you have a sure thing."   Isaiah 26: 3-4 The MSG There are a few sure things in this life.  If we've been born, one thing for certain is we are going to die . For me, it's a sure thing that walking on earth with Jesus is easier than walking alone. Pray for the family of the executive chef who was killed today in Charleston. He has a wife and 2 little boys. One of my very best friends is the mother of the assistant manager of the restaurant and he, like the chef, was threatened by

Life can change in a flash.  Four days after this family left Shiloh they received devastating news. August 23 "I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:8 Our daughter in law, pictured on the paddle board, received a call a week ago that her brother was found unresponsive in his apartment. She wrote: "He was taken to the ER with a very high fever and continued unconsciousness...his cerebral spinal fluid came back positive for an infection called HSV encephalitis." This dear family waits for their son to wake up. An email comes with heart breaking news, a teenager we know has been charged, along with one of his childhood friends, with second degree murder.  In a flash, life is forever changed. For another, a wife has walked out on a marriage. While praying yesterday I found myself simply saying "Lift their burdens Lord." A friend who is praying alongside us over these situations wrote

" The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night,   a prayer to the God of my life." Psalm 42:8 August 22 Well, you can tell from the photos some of us stayed in our pajamas all day.  Experiencing the path of totality was truly amazing.  While the traffic had been bustling in our daughter's neighborhood, one of the boys noticed as the darkness set in everything stopped.  There were absolutely no cars on the road.  You could hear squeals and cheers throughout the neighborhood as street lights popped on and day became night!  I wish I had taken more pictures, but I didn't want to miss the moment and the boys' excitement. Last night as I tucked them into bed we talked again about how ENORMOUS God is. I made up this song for them. God's bigger than the moon. God's bigger than the earth. God's bigger than the sun, He's ENORMOUS. God loves you so God loves you whoa G

August 21 Are you revving up for an eclipse party today? Have your eye protection on! I'll be watching with these little fellows. Eclipse-"the obscuring of light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and the source of illumination." Celestial-"belonging or relating to heaven." Reading the definition of eclipse to become more educated while experiencing this once in a lifetime occurrence with a couple of our grandsons, the word celestial jumped out at me. While we will discuss our solar system our emphasis will be on who made the sun, the stars and the moon and why did He establish morning and night. And we will thank God for the angels watching over us! Bet they don't need special glasses! "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. "  Exodus 23:20 "For the will command his angels concerning you to guard you

Day Nineteen Read a wife's description of her beloved in Song of Solomon 5:10-16. " My beloved is radiant  and  ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand."   SOS 5:10 "Criticism leaves scars; but encouragement can bring healing. Remember that today as you focus on your "30-Day Encouragement Challenge." Almost nothing is as devastating to a man as the belief that his wife finds him repulsive. Sadly, many women unwisely criticize their husbands' bodies. Have you ever considered how wonderfully God designed men and women? No matter how a man looks — by the standards of the world — a loving God designed them all, and they are all "beautiful" in His sight. Encourage your husband today by praising his uniqueness. As you look over your husband's body, from the tip of his toes to his bald or bushy head, thank God that your husband is "wonderfully made," then admire your husband verbally. (Strong arms? Hairy chest? Firm hands?

Missing these little princesses and our afternoon ice cream boat treats. August 18 "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved,  he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him ."   James 1:12 " And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." 1 Peter 5:4 I have absolutely no idea what had me off and researching the five crowns in heaven, but it happened. Elmer Townes, the co-founder Liberty University has an excellent article on the site below, which will take you into a little more depth about these rewards for the faithful. http://www.biblesprout.com/articles/heaven/crowns/ Dr. Townes explains the Bema seat of Christ's judgement, where the believer's crowns will be given. "For we all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ; so that each of us may receive  what is due us for the things done while in the body, w

August 17 When we accept Christ, we become a new thing!   New attitudes of character should surface! “So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others, With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you .   Don’t put it off; do it now.   Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ."   2 Peter 1:5-11

August 16 We've had a summer long fishing competition going on here at Shiloh amongst the grands.  We had to keep a bottle of lemon fresh dove soap in the boathouse to help remove the stink from the grownup handlers' hands!  These little blue gills are going to miss their daily kernel corn buffets.  The poor fish in this photo didn't even get to swallow his corn. This five year old, with the coaching help of his father who is quite the fisherman, barely topped the tally board.  His reward...this photo on boojoyful! While I am a firm believer in competition and how it spurs us on to be our best, I'm thankful that anyone who accepts Christ is a winner!  No matter how many rewards we have awaiting us in heaven, the rewards will be sufficient for our eternal elation! " For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds ."  Matthew 16:27 Day Sixteen "An

August 15 Kids, put on your pajamas! Evening boat rides are the best! A warm breeze blowing on your face and the waves rocking you to sleep. As you watch the big red ball go night night you begin to have the same desires, wishing you'd worn your pajamas! Takes me back to a night when the disciples were in a boat with Jesus. " You rule the swelling of the seas; When its waves rise, You sill them."   Psalm 89:9 " And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.  Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Mark 4: 37-38 He does care!  He cares about every hair on our head!  Hope you rock out with Jesus today. Day Fifteen Encouraging Your Husband Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 3:18a) Sometimes we live so close

These girls love their daddies. August 14 Girls and their daddies are a sight to see.  It's been such a joy this summer to watch our sons loving life with their little girls. The other day I found myself sitting alone with a picture of my father and verbally thanked him for all he provided for his children and grandchildren; all the time he invested in us and the example he set on how to live a life pleasing to God. There are many people who have never had a deep relationship with their earthly father. It's a serious void in people's lives. We have an opportunity to point those people to the reality of a vibrant relationship with their heavenly Father, but also to encourage the godly men in our lives to invest in the life of a fatherless (whether literally or figuratively) individual. "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,  but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. "    Ephesians 6:4 Day Fourteen