Boojoyful

June 29 Studying with these women a couple weeks ago on being adorned led me to some powerful verses. For starters:   She opens her mouth with wisdom,   and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”  Proverbs 31:26   I started my first attempt at water aerobics for the season.  Things were going fairly well until we started leg work on our noodles.  My right leg did great, then we switched to leg presses with the left leg...for me that's the stroke leg.   At first I didn't know if I could do one press. The enemy whispered, "You are so weak. You are damaged goods."  I literally pressed on though, asking the Lord to strengthen me.  After class the teacher told me, "You did a great job."  I replied, "Not on my left leg." A wise woman standing close by said to me, "I don't want to hear it!  You do so much!" She's right. While it's easy to get discouraged when my leg doesn't co-operate going ...

June 28 So, my bosom buddy has breast cancer.  She's been one of my "happy spots" ever since the day I met her thirty five years ago.  I don't want to see her suffer, but I want to walk through this valley with her and rejoice when she rings that chemo bell on her last treatment and has victory over this disease. One of my daughter in laws knows the depth of my love for this friend and she asked..."Are you going to shave your head when she loses her hair due to chemo?"  I hadn't thought about that, but I did offer to get a wig with her, so you may see me styling a new look. When I expressed my sadness over this journey, she reminded me of my stroke and says, "We all have trials to trod." The good thing is we have the Lord and his promises to lean onto.  We also have "forever joy" accounted to us. I thank God for the security, the confidence, the comfort that comes in the relationships with friends with whom we know ...

The blonde, the red head and the brunette! July 27 Happy Birthday to our oldest daughter. It's such a blessing to have her family here this summer and watch these three brothers grow in their love for one another. Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.   Hebrews 13 Who needs to feel our love today?

Zoom in to see our beautiful mountains! June 26 Back in the winter one of the grands looked at my feet and said, "Your feet look old!" I don't think I've ever stopped to think about where all my feet have carried me! How intricately God designed our feet to function in such an amazing way. Isaiah 52:7 says, " How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger bringing good news." Where are your feet taking you today?  What is the message you take along?

This is the way we end our summer days. Rock a bye big boys on a pontoon! June 25 So often, when I'm weeding, I find my mind drifting to sin and how easily it springs up and how quickly it can spread...like weeds.  This summer we had to pull out 12 old shrubs around the property and some of those roots were down so deep my husband had to take the truck to pull them out.  Even them some broke off and roots remained.  In one area we did not plant a new shrub, but just mulched. Already, new growth is springing forth! As I read Ephesians 3 I thought about that correlation with the roots of God's love.  It's hard for us to understand a love of that depth!  We push Him away, we break His heart, we intentionally rebel, we slander His name, we reject His Son's gift, we harm His children and He keeps on loving us. Today, as we look into God's Word and we let our roots grow down in God's love, may the fullness of life and power that comes from ...

I long for peaceful evening boat rides, gazing at the mountains and of course....heaven! June 22 Longing- "a yearning desire". Have you looked at your prayer list lately?  If it's anything like mine it is filled with longings. Some long for world peace, a new job, a baby, a spouse, a loved one's salvation, healing from disease, for grief to ease, for family unity, or to know God's purpose. The Israelites longed to be free from Pharaoh. The Israelites longed for more than manna. Lepers longed to be clean. Jacob longed for Esau's blessing. Sarah longed for a baby. Solomon longed for wisdom. Noah longed for dry land. Mary longed to sit at Jesus' feet. When I typed into Biblegateway..."Jesus longed, Jesus wanted, Jesus desired..." the only scriptural links were these... (Jesus Appoints the Twelve) "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him."  Mark 3:13 " God dec...

June 21 These three little diamonds are a remnant of a diamond bracelet that belonged to my mother.  I took the bracelet to be resized to fit my wrist and this part had been clipped off and put aside in a small envelop.  To me they were precious and I thought could have great purpose, so I asked the jeweler to make them into a necklace. I wear the necklace much more often than the bracelet. While studying Romans this year it was exciting and inspiring to recognize how God purposely has chosen a remnant of people over the years for his purpose. "So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace."   Romans 11:5 Just as God can do a lot with a faith the size of a mustard seed, He can do a whole lot with a remnant of His faithful believers!  So we must never, never, never give up! " And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild ...

Summer wild flowers remind me of God's majesty! June 20 One thing leads to another. I was up enjoying some middle of the night time with the Lord in the silence of his sanctuary.  My mind reflected back to the "A" actions suggested by Peter Lord (seen on the  June 12 entry). "Appreciation, acceptance, approval, affection, attention, affirmation, and admiration." The challenge had been to offer these actions to others, but then it hit me, as I was entering a time of worship, to offer those up to the Lord. Appreciation-for the gift of life, of creation and the gift of salvation Acceptance-of His Son, Jesus Christ Approval-of God's sovereignty Affection-for God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and my fellow man. Attention-to what the Holy Spirit is doing in my life Affirmation-of my faith Admiration for all God is! That time of worship led me to ponder our charge to fear the Lord. " Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world...

These two are passionate about the outdoors and the Lord! June 19 “Nothing pleases God more than when we ask for what He wants to give.  When we spend time with Him and allow His priorities, passions and purposes to motivate us, we will ask for the things that are closest to His Heart.”  Bruce Wilkinson "As you seek to hear God's voice and discover His plan, rest in His sovereignty.  Relax in His omniscient, preordained plan and journey for your life. He's a good architect. He has sketched a design with detailed attention to the nuts and bolts of your existence.  Your individual interests and passions can be expressed within His purposes for you, as part of His purposes for you.  Sticking to the framework of what He has created will ensure an outcome that will be beyond anything you can fathom." Priscilla Shirer Everything we have and experience is owned by God.  Offering all we have to the Lord is only possible because He already gave everyt...

Shaded and in a sun protective shirt. First pontoon ride, bless his heart. June 18 We are working on ways to keep this little one shaded from the sun.  All of us are covered in sun screen trying to stay protected.  Then when we hit the water, we are life jacketed!  Such effort to protect ourselves and to obey the law. How do we apply spiritual protection?  Do we obey God's laws and recognize they are for our good? "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.  For he will rescue you from every trap and protect your from deadly disease.  He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection."    Psalm 91: 1-4

“ Let us behave properly.” Romans 13:13 June 16-17 Nuf Said

Seeking the Lord and his purpose with these women this summer! June 15 Right in line with our prayers to know God’s purpose in our lives is this passage in Billy Graham’s book  Nearing Home. “My prayer is that you will sense God encouraging you to impact those around you, regardless of age.  Look for the Lord’s purpose in every circumstance and in every face or voice you encounter daily, for the time He has given you is not without purpose.  Prepare for each day by asking the Lord to open your eyes to what is going on around you.  You may feel lonely, but perhaps the Lord will use your smile to draw someone else close to you.  You may experience pain, but the Lord may use your resolve to strengthen another who doesn’t have he will to go on.  We can reject the opportunity to be used of God, or we can seize opportunities to impact others as a testimony to Him.”  Billy Graham Thank You Lord for the ability to record wisdom and pass it alon...

This gorgeous photo is courtesy of my friend, Julie Phelps. It's her farm! June 14 I recently read Billy Graham's book, Nearing Home .  In this book Graham said, "I'm nearing home with triumphant expectations."  Can you say that today in regards to heaven? He also said, "Growing old has been the biggest surprise of my life, the greatest triumph is yet to come; experiencing victory over death that will usher me into the eternal presence of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Three other quotes in the book worth contemplating were: “Don’t resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege.” Unknown Bumper Sticker..”Enjoy life…it has an expiration date.” “The measure of a life is not in its duration, but in it’s donation.” Corrie Ten Boom So let's enter today with jubilation! God is with us and He's up to good!  While the best is yet to come, there is purpose in today.  As we put our heads down tonight may we look back and see...

So much fun to show up at your grandmother's and find Spiderman on the roof! June 13 In a current summer study I'm involved in we are studying what it means "To Be" women, who love the Lord. Women who have chosen an intentional relationship with our heavenly Father. “ How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!   (1 John 3:1)  Peter Lord wrote this confession for us to exclaim in his book Bless and Be Blessed. " Right now, I am a child of God. He is my Abba Father in heaven. He has given me his life; I am born from above with his quality of life. I was spiritually dead and unable to relate to him.  Now, I am spiritually alive and able to communicate, commune, and have fellowship with him as a love child with a great and good Father. ” Because of who we are in Christ, this is how we should live and build up the Kingdom. “ But encourage one another daily,...

  Out with the moon! June 12 The other  morning I was up before the birds. I went out to my porch perch and couldn’t help myself. I began to whistle my own bird call.  My husband came out and said, “You are going to disrupt the course of nature!”  I did wake a few birds up, including a woodpecker, but I think they went back to sleep. As I read Psalm 2:11 I realized I better have a bit more reverence for God’s order! “ Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 2:11 Our mouths or whistles can get us in a heap of trouble and they can dish out a mound of hurt. "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3 "Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity."  Proverbs 21:23 In our women's summer study we just completed reading Peter Lord's book, Bless and Be Blessed.   I issued the women the following challenge from a chapter in the b...

June 11 I've been attempting to get up before dawn and have a time of worship outside on our screened porch each morning. The other day, after being up until mid-night the night, before,  I missed the birds ’  5:30AM recital.  When I went to my perch on our porch, the sun had just crested the tree line across the lake and was shining straight into my eyes.  When back inside it was packing a powerful punch reflecting off the water. In a current study I was doing,  I was blessed to read and reflect on the “Light of the World,” our “Forever Flashlight.” When Betty Ashton was married, here at Shiloh eleven years ago, we had an unfortunate neighbor dispute going on and the top of our private gravel road was dug up so that we couldn’t get home and 324 guests were not going to be able to get here.  Talk about a dart!  God worked it all for good and the blessings abounded.  A girlfriend from out of town, who was st...

When you and your brother both pull a fish out of the water at the same time, you are elated! There was so much joy and a sense of accomplishment on that dock. June 8 Elated -make some one ecstatically happy.  I remember picking up a high school vocabulary workbook and learning the word elated!  It remains a favorite still today. What elates you? Does the "high" linger or is it short lived? What are some Bible stories where elation takes place? The wedding at Galilee where the water turned into wine. When the blind man could see or the crippled man could walk. The moment Lazarus..."Came forth" from the tomb. How about when Mary, Mary and Salome found Jesus' tomb empty! Paul puts the greatest joy giver into perspective: " Blessed are to be envied," he said, "are those whose sins are forgiven and put out of sight.  Yes, what joy there is for anyone whose sins are no longer counted against him by the Lord."    Ro...

Whew, this thing called life is exhausting! June 7 Ruth Graham was known to have a great sense of humor. She came home one day and told her family she had driven through a construction site and saw a sign that said, "End of Construction.Thank you for your patience."  She told her family that was what she wanted to have engraved on her tomb stone! Billy Graham wrote: "Every human being is under construction from conception to death.  Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent. At the end of construction-death-we have completed the process." " You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body  and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,  as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out  before a single day had pas...

We look forward to knowing another grandson. His arrival is set for the end of July. June 6 Answering my phone with a simple "Hello", a sweet lady's voice said, "Ha! She doesn't know who this is!  This is Ethel!" My reply, "Ethel, this is Mrs. Andrews."  "This isn't Tina? Oh, I'm sorry," and she hung up. God knows every hair on our head. " But the very hairs on your head are all numbered."   Matthew 10:30 How well do we know Him? Have you ever gone back to a school reunion?  Many people are hesitant because they didn't take the time to really get to know other students or haven't kept in touch with them.  While they are invited back, there could be an aloofness to the affair due to lack of deep relationships. When we reach heaven, some of us will know the Lord better than others because of our intentionality in getting to know Him. King David was a man's man.  A king, a warrior, yet a ma...

June 5 Last fall our home was discombobulated!  We were replacing the carpet in two bedrooms and were having our floors refinished. We didn't want to have to store furniture, so bedrooms were packed to the hilt! I don't do well in disarray: "a state of disorganization or untidiness.  Some of you are laughing out loud, because with seven children all these years and almost eleven grandchildren, more often than not things are discombobulated!  The joy of being with those folks overrides my "need for order...everything has a place" personality. I'm learning to be Mary when people are here, but Martha is gritting her teeth to get in gear when they leave! Our spiritual lives get discombobulated too.  Just as I've been typing three emails have popped up and the first two I stopped to read!  We read a quick devotional here, step into church Sunday and try to concentrate on the sermon, but sometimes we start jotting down grocery items instead of sermon...

  Our granddaughter meeting a Disney princess. June 4 The news is still all a flutter with the excitement of the recent royal fairy tale wedding.  It's not often someone from the "outside" gets to become a princess in this world.  Now outside of this world , the opportunity exist with a greater possibility.  For all those who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ become a child of the king and have an amazing inheritance awaiting them. " Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. "  John 1:12 Meghan Markle is now Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Sussex.  With that title comes a new way of life. Last week I read an article about the lifestyle changes she must accept now that she is part of the royal family.  She must become a British citizen, she has had to close her social media accounts, there are restrictions in what she wears, she is not to publicly express her personal opin...

June 2-3 Since putting together a guide on worship for our women's summer study here at Shiloh, I've been called to practice what I'm going to preach.  Getting up before the sun and sneaking off to a quiet spot on our screened porch to be still before the Lord has been an AMAZING practice! This morning I was blown away by the concert nature was performing!  The owls, the crickets, and who knows how many different birds were uniting in their praise for their Creator.  Living in a rural area most likely enhances the ability to hear these creatures, yet I know they are singing ever so brilliantly in Central Park.  The other sounds of the city may just muffle them a bit, but a keen ear could hear them. So, why don't we wake up singing to the Lord? Another interesting realization is that of all the animals, insects and fowl out there rejoicing, I could not see one of them, but it was obvious they were there.  I could not see God, but it was quite clear ...