Boojoyful

These two exude love! February 1 So, here it is upon us...the love month. And here it is...the number one love verse. " For God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die."   John 3:16 "Love is only love if chosen."  Max Lucado We choose You, Jesus. Listen to this song about the Overwhelming, never ending reckless love of God! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc6SSHuZvQE

January 31 Praying recently, the word birth  was the word for the day. I pondered, "Are you about to birth something new in our lives Lord, besides grand babies?  Is there a new ministry You are about to unfold. Typing birth  into Biblegateway 100 verses came up.  Psalm 22:9-10 really made me stop and praise the Lord for magnificent life deliveries I rarely reflect upon. " You Lord, brought me safely through birth, and you protected me when I was a baby at my mother's breast. From the day I was born, I have been in your care, and from the time of my birth, you have been my God." Let's take time today to reflect upon the miracle of birth and how God brought us through that process.  There are very few of us reading this devotional who have ever gone hungry, another amazing deliverance.  Now think back upon the years you have been here on earth and remember all the other encounters with depression, fear, loneliness, illness, accidents, the wrong pe...

Mother Daughter Twinning January 30 Romans 12:6-8 provides us with a great challenge today: " God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have.   If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach.  If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully." Ask Him to show you which gifts he is calling you to use today. Lord, your plans are many, show us where we are to serve You today cheerfully.  If we are to prophesy increase our faith to do so.  If there is a lesson You are calling us to teach, equip us.  If there is someone who needs encouraging open our mouths or push a pen into our hands and give us words that encourage.  If there is someone in need, open our hearts and pocketbooks to ...

Three generations! January 29 While traveling,  I asked a friend what I could be praying for her.  Her requests were very wise. To be sensitive to the Holy Spirit For wisdom from God For protection for her church and its staff. For her children to stay healthy and strong in their faith. Lord, for this friend I ask that You keep her sensitive to Your Holy Spirit.  She loves Your word and knows Romans 8:13 says, “Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children”  and Galatians 5:25 “God’s Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit.”  Align each of her days in a way in which her heart, mind, and soul are moved, prompted and refreshed by Your Spirit.  On the days that seem bogged down, with confusion trying to seep in, bring Psalm 139:7-10 into her thoughts: “Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight?  If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there.  If I were to di...

Lifting one another up and walking alongside one another. January 28 God is really working on fine tuning me in the area of judgement.  I'm so quick to do it.  Flying home recently on a 6AM Allegiant flight,  I found myself sizing people up simply by appearances.  On both VERY early morning flights we encounter intoxicated people and I thought, "Who drinks alcohol before 6AM."  I have a girlfriend who would probably reply, "Those of us who are petrified to fly."  She claims she has to drug herself to fly.  See there's always a deeper story than what our eyes think we behold. There was the flight attendant who had definitely had some work done on a couple parts of her body. Miss Flabby Wrinkledone here thought...Why would someone do that?  Needles to your face and surgery to implant foreign objects into your body?  She was probably looking at me thinking, "I bet her husband wishes she's at least put on some make-up and lift a few ...

Found these old photos from a 4th of July gathering. We've added some more little ones since this time. Love all these peeps so much! Watching them grow and serve the Lord brings us joy! January 26-27 "Dear friends, God is good.  So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing.  That's the most sensible way to serve God.  Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. "  Romans 12:1-2 Paul pronounces a proper plan!  For all God has done for us, from creating us, giving us life, to sending the perfect sacrifice to wash away our awful sins; we should be grateful to have the opportunity to offer ourselves to his service. The world doesn't see it that way and the only way for us to escape the ways of the world is by allowing God to change us from the inside out. John Piper says this about Romans 12 and how we...

A friend recently posted this sign from a restaurant table where he was dining. I'm making these for Shiloh! January 25 Those of you who've known me for years know I love a "little" as in "children" chaos around me, but with the aging process and the desire to know God more deeply has come an appreciate for "a quiet place." In Mark 6:31 we hear Jesus telling the apostles: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. " The Contemporary English Version explains "But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat.  Then Jesus said, 'Let's go to a place where we can be along and get some rest." You know, that place where you can hear yourself think and hear from the Lord.  When is the last time you've taken a day to unplug and get away from your phone, computer, tablet of any type?  Okay, so that sounds drastic. When was...

January 24 Last week, while sitting poolside in St Petersburg, Florida I noticed a duck of some sort standing by the pool ladder.  Within seconds the duck dove right into the pool and started swimming underwater. There was a young boy in the pool and he became hysterical screaming for his "DAD" to get the duck out of the pool.  The father jumped in and tried to splash the duck, but it continued swimming around the pool.  It became obvious the duck had a broken wing and could not fly. The cries of the young boy spoke volumes. He had total confidence that "Dad" could and would protect him.  We have the same kind of confidence available to us. "Abba, Father!  Help!"  " For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'"   Romans 8:15 Thank You, Lord, for your protective covering over us.  How blessed we are to s...

January 23 Last week we were sitting in a fabulous restaurant with an enormous fish tank.  All was peaceful and calm and then suddenly the people in the front row of tables by the tank all jumped as this large, fluorescent green eel swam up from out of the depths of the tank.  He made one pass through the tank and then descended back to the bottom where he lurked once more. It was eerie.  Immediately, 1 Peter 5:8 came to mind.  " Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."  Also, we should tuck away 1 Corinthians 16:13 " Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong."  Equally as thought provoking to me were the two fish in the last photo.  I said to my husband, "They are seeking the Lord!"  Every other fish was swimming to and fro, but the entire time we were there those fish stayed vertical, looking up. (While the devil lurked...

Flash back from New Orleans.  Longue View House and Gardens. January 22 It makes sense to be honest with God, because he knows our every thought before we think it. "I was starting to get perplexed about this health battle our sweet daughter in law, Jenna, is enduring and God knew it.  Then I remembered 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 and claimed it as one of my battle verses for her. " We are all afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 5:7 also spurred me on.  "... for we walk by faith, not by sight." We continue to knock, seek and pray to God for healing for Jenna.  She's been to doctors, seeking answers, almost every day since she got out of the hospital.   Unfortunately, the IGM appears to have spread to the other side of her body.  Her white blood cells and inflammation blood tests remain elevated-which is expected, yet...

January 21 Some of my favorite Christmas plants to receive are those which include anticipation. Christmas Cactus, Paper Whites, Hyacinths, and Amaryllis. As I was caring for a couple of these the thought hit me...God is waiting for us to bloom right where He has planted us.  It may not be where we were yesterday or where we will be tomorrow, but there is purpose for us at each stop along life's way.  We were designed to bloom and bring glory to God! You may be the only person in the place where you are right now that can shine the light of Christ. Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them”  (1 Corinthians 7:17).  Warren Wiersbe wrote: "One of the greatest tragedies in life is wasted opportunity--not making the most of what God has given us. We came into this world with certain abilities, and when God saved us, He gave us gifts and the grace to exe...

January 19-20 " And they were astonished at the greatness of God ."  Luke 9:43 Astonished..surprised, amazed, impressed!  God brings about all those emotions. We may never have seen demons called out of a young man, as in this Luke passage; the Red Sea parted or someone raised from the dead, as Lazarus was; but there is something astonishing to recognize about the greatness of God everyday if we take the time. When was your last "show stopping" moment? Was it looking at a newborn baby; experiencing the hush of a new fallen snow; gazing up at a magnificent moon surrounded by thousands of stars? Maybe you've seen forgiveness offered and relationships restored that had God's signature of greatness and mercy marked all over them. It makes sense to recognize how great our God is! Sing with Chris Tomlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBD18rsVJHk God, we stand amazed, astonished and totally in awe of who You are and how we can be loved so deep...

The view from one of our bedroom windows on an icy morning. January 18 If you don't have a regular quiet time with the Lord you are really missing out. We have to fight the world's schedules to make this happen, but it's so worth it.  One of the devotional journals I'm using this year calls for you to read an assigned passage of scripture, ask God to give you a word for the day, and journal what's on your heart.  It's very much like what I do with Boojoyful. Tuesday morning, as I pondered what God had for me, I looked up and could see the sun cresting over the mountain top.  "Light!" That's the word that came to me.  Within moments the powerful sun was blazing through the ice glazed trees thawing them out.  Light is beautiful. "God made two powerful lights, the brighter one to rule the day and the other to rule the night. He also made the stars.  Then God put these lights in the sky to shine on the earth, to rule day and night...

Following clues through the woods. January 17 It makes sense to follow Jesus? Another hardly sensible statement to the world. Why did those first disciples leave everyone and everything to follow a guy they hardly knew? Matthew left everything behind..." he got up and began to follow him." Luke 5:27-28 What is God calling you to in 2019 that you are apprehensive or even fearful of? Do you need to hear Jesus say, "Do not be afraid." I read an insightful article by an unnamed She Reads Truth author, which brought up the possibly that the disciples' faith wasn't the point of the Luke 5 story, but more so Jesus' belief and faith in the disciples.  Maybe Jesus saw something in them that they didn't see in themselves. The author wrote "Maybe when my faith feels weak, I do not need to muster more.  Maybe it's enough to remember I was called. Sometimes faith precedes the step. Sometimes it comes after...They follow Him-not because ...

Even in a pit we can praise the Lord. January 16 This song makes me clap my hands and praise the Lord. I came down with an awful cold Sunday night, but even feeling under the weather Zach Williams had me lifting my hands in the air and rejoicing. " All of you nations, clap your hands and shout joyful praises to God."   Psalm 47:1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cRh8NqmXoE Lord, there are days we feel like we are in the pits and see no way out.  Never so!  You always have a way out for us. Thank You, in Jesus' name. Amen

Peaceful faces and scary faces. January 15 Positive change is always a good thing and it makes sense to start with those changes in our lives at home.  Recently, I received a link to a blog called "Club13Women" and came across this list titled "7 Ways to Bring Peace Into Your Home". Speak Kindly 1. Listen to yourself. Not so much your words, but your tone. Can you say the same thing, but say it in a softer way? Try it. Soft is the new strong. 2. Do something thoughtful and quite unexpected -- maybe even undeserved. And don't get frustrated if it goes unnoticed at first. You're making the first move. And it might be that you have to make the second and third move, too. But watch as it slowly starts turning around the tone of your home. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you ." ~ Ephesians 4:32 Forgive Quickly 1. Search your heart. If you've been holding on to a grudge...

This one longs to be a princess or a bride. January 14 One of my Sunday morning greeter questions this month was "What is something new you are longing for this new year, something you want to learn, something you want to see, etc?"  A very pregnant woman said, "This baby!!!"  A young teen said, "Our vacation this year."  A sweet five year old boy was longing to learn to tie his shoes. Stepping out of the shower, my best alone with Jesus place, I thought "What am I longing for?" I"ve had six babies, some great vacations and I know how to tie my shoes.  My greatest longings at this age are to know Jesus more and for those I love to desire Him in the same way. God created us with a longing.  What we are sometimes slow to figure out is that longing is for Him. " In heaven I have only you, and on this earth you are all I want."   Psalm 73:25 Now there's a thought.  In heaven we will long no more, but have total fulf...

Sleeping with Mama Boo January 12-13 The grands love to sleep in our room and usually sleep on cushions on the floor, but this four year old above from Utah had other plans. She sought shelter in her Mama Boo and Papa's bed. My sweet husband said he finally gave up and went to the couch, as the other bedrooms were full of big people. Who do you know needing to be sheltered from all life is dishing out right now? Where is your comfort zone? David, a man after God's heart, knew exactly where his was.  In God's love! " Your love is a treasure, and everyone finds shelter in the shadow of your wings ."  Psalm 36:7 Father, we praise Your name and remember You are our Rock, our Shelter, our Redeemer. As another snow storm blows in we ask for Your protection from the storm for those in its path.  As we watch the  ground be blanketed with snow may we pause and gave thanks for the covering Christ's blood provides for our sins.  In His name we pray, Am...

Lord, help me be a fast learner, because little ones are watching. January 11 The text came from a friend that the Spirit had led her to share something with me which she'd read by Oswald Chambers.  It's my favorite revelation so far in 2019 and worth repeating. "The greatest word of Jesus to His disciples is abandon. It means to be completely abandoned to the Spirit's guidance, with no thought to where He's leading or how to get there." Well, that makes no sense to the way we live life does it, but oh how I want to live that way!! Here's more. "Jesus summed up commonsense carefulness in the life of the disciples as UNBELIEF.  If we have received the Spirit of God, He will squeeze right thru our lives, as if to ask 'Now where do I come into this relationship, vacation you have planned, or these new books you want to read?'" Well, that was a show stopper. I'd just picked up three random books at the library and mailed a ...

Female earthlings! January 10 John makes so much sense in chapter three where he is explaining where Jesus has come from. " God's Son comes from heaven and is above all others. Everyone who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things.  The one who comes from heaven is above all others. He speaks about what he has seen and heard, and yet no one believes him.  But everyone who does believe him has shown that God is truthful.  The Son was sent to speak God's message, and he has been given the full power of God's Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given him everything.  Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever."   John 3:31-36 There is so much to learn in this passage. 1) His ways are not our ways.  He's above all. Our limited brains have a hard time believing. 2) "Earthly things" tend to be the f...

The babe! January 9 The dictionary defines repent  as "feeling remorse," but the New Testament meaning is a lot deeper than remorse.  Repentance is God calling us to totally turn away from our sin and come back to a right relationship with Him. I think I've told you before that my husband taught this lesson to our children years ago and then caught two of the boys (probably ages 4 and 5) in a tussle and reprimanded them.  The younger one stood up and started turning in a circle. My husband asked what he was doing and he said, "Repenting."  Turning around!  LOL It make sense to turn from our wicked ways and turn back to God.  Like the prodigal son realized, he'd rather be serving his father, than hanging out with the world. " He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"    Micah 6:8 Heavenly Father, what patience You have with...

My husband accepted an invitation to a tea party! January 8 Are you partied out?  Was there an event over the holidays to which you did not receive an invitation that left you disappointed? God's invitation to accept Christ is for ALL! "Come to Me," Jesus says. The more the merrier! As I ended a devotional book called Gracelaced  what was printed on the last page made sense . Maybe there is someone you can use this with to make clear God's invitation to us. "A love story told from the beginning of time begins in the garden, where Adam and Eve knew no separation from their Creator until they exchanged transparency with their God for sinful pride. It's the story of how that same God orchestrated and wooed His people for generations that they might know the weight of their sin and their need for a Savior.  That Savior was Jesus, who lived a sinless life for 33 years on earth in order to fulfill the will of the Father by dying a criminal's death o...