Boojoyful

March 1 The house was quiet, I was digging into the Word and hearing God.  The world called to me of all the things I needed to get done, but then I heard God say, "Stay with me." Isn't that what you say to someone when they've been wounded or are dying? My soul had been wounded again by someone who had hurt me greatly years ago.  I'd forgiven this person and moved on, but God allowed her to surface again, say unkind things and show me my heart condition.  I journaled, "My heart is out of rhythm God.  Look deep into my heart and find out everything I am thinking.  Don't let me follow evil ways but lead me in the way that time has proven to be true.  (Psalm 139:23-24)  Father, I can tell my heart isn't right because I want to avoid this person instead of embracing her as your beloved creation." A devotional book by an unknown author had on its page that very day: "The question of what others will think of us tends to distract us f...

Such a great invention for young mothers  when shopping with their babes and needing a bathroom break. February 28 Life is not a popularity contest.  Turn on the news and you'd be swayed differently. Walk through the halls of any school and you can sense the need for acceptance in every direction. We all want to be "Liked." Me oh my has social media emphasized that, but there is really only One whose opinion counts and his fulfilling acceptance of us is based not on what we have done, but on what was done for us by Christ. Taking a praise break the other day I was introduced to a song by Matt Maher. I hope it strengthens your soul as you reflect on how God's love defends you wherever you go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwpsDJOyl0o You are my joy, You are my song,   You are the well, the One I'm drawing from You are my refuge, my whole life long  Where else would I go? Chorus Surely my God is the strength of my soul  Your love defends ...

February 27 "The Sound of Music" will always be one of my favorite movies and Redeeming Love  by Francine Rivers is one of my most loved books.   Redeeming Love  is a fictional account of the Biblical story of the prophet Hosea, whom God calls to marry and love an unfaithful woman. If you've never read the Bible story, check out this article and reflect on all the times God has redeemed each of us. https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/redeemed-the-story-of-hosea-jennifer-rothschild "Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God." Ephesians 5:1-2 Where is God calling you to love someone you find unlovable? Thank God for taking us back time and time again and loving us in an indescribable fashion.

Instead of holding onto these pretty handmade heart bookmarks  I've been giving them away at church. February 26 While visiting in New Orleans over Christmas, my daughter-in-love and I went into a really artsy boutique. On a sideboard were some fabulous pieces of silver with paper whites growing out of them.  I commented to the owner how unique that idea was. She replied that heirs are not wanting their parents' silver these days and it can be picked up at estate sales and consignment shops for a bargain price, so every Christmas this shop make these arrangements to adorn homes for the holidays.  Who would have every thought of tossing dirt and bulbs in silver bowls and pitchers? At least these heirlooms were being honored. Our Christmas cactus and an amaryllis were uprooted and nestled right into a couple silver plated bowls. For a long time I've held on to some precious craft materials wanting to be sure I had them on hand if need arises and funds were short o...

February 25 My word for the day was improve.  The verses speaking to this word are great to take to heart. "Do your best to improve your faith.  You can do this by adding goodness, understanding,  self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love.   If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. But it you don't grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven." 2 Peter 1:5-9 For Valentine's Day I gave my husband these two little prayer books. One for him and one for me.  We have committed to read these prayers to one another each morning in an earnest attempt to love one another more deeply. Here is a day's sampling. We both exclaimed, "That is just what I needed," after receiving the prayer. Her Spirit  Lord, help my wife to be so filled with Your Sp...

February 24 Lately, conversation after conversation has led to talk of the destruction brought about because of social media. Truly, these falsifications of real life should be an affront to readers, but instead the aires upon which they are broadcast bring angst to others wishing their lives were so lovely. Priscilla Shirer writes in her book  Awaken : "If we will lay ourselves bare before the Lord and be honest about ourselves with trustworthy sojourners in the body of Christ, we can be restored from what's killing us.  Today is the day for openness and vulnerability, entrusting our real selves to the loving eyes of the Father." James 5:16 states: Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed." It's amazing when we are real with others about our less than perfect lives how they open up about pains they have been hiding. " Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ....

February 23 The love month is nearing it's end, but the Lord's lovingkindness is ongoing. "The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail." Lamentations 3:22 What is our response?  On the crummiest of days, when we have received unkind words and actions from others that have wounded our souls and left us distraught... When the demands of others and our own "to do" list seems to have taken a life of its own and is strangling us...We can sneak off for a break and be alone with the One who loves us the most deeply of all. O praise the One who is steadfast in love! Give thanks that He is good. "O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting." 1 Chronicles 16:34 Then we can hold up the mirror and ask how we are reflecting God's love to others. Will we offer lovingkindness today. "You will keep your friends if you forgive them, but you will lose your frien...

February 22 Part of my quiet time routine is tuning into a contemporary Christian music site of some sort and listening to some songs.  The day after my husband was called to a full-time pastoral position I opened up Pandora and the song playing was "Different" by Micah Tyler. I'd never heard this song before, but it was perfect. May this beautiful video bless you today and give you the courage to be all God has called you to be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUT4trsrBCw Lyrics I don't wanna hear anymore, teach me to listen I don't wanna see anymore, give me a vision That you could move this heart, to be set apart I don't need to recognize, the man in the mirror And I don't wanna trade Your plan, for something familiar I can't waste a day, I can't stay the same Chorus I wanna be different I wanna be changed 'Til all of me is gone And all that remains Is a fire so bright The whole world can see That there's somet...

We have loved this Malibu boat for years, but it is time to give up taking care of her. Someone else's turn! Does God ever give up caring for us? February 21 When do we give up on something. You know decide there is no need to invest any further in it or them. Years ago, we allowed a couple twenty something young men we knew to bring a tough group of rebellious teens here to Shiloh to be loved on and mentored by these young men.  One day, one of the guys said to me, "Boo, there is no one else who would let us bring these kids into their home. Thank You." My immediate thought was "I believe that!" One of these visits had been rather trying. Some property had been abused and destroyed.  There was no respect at all being shown by the teenage attendees.  My husband came to me and said, "Either someone is coming to know Jesus today of these kids are not coming back!" That brought about the thought..."Does God every give up on us?...

A friend sent this picture and I though it was an awesome idea! February 20 Time and again I go back to the time we were letting an out of town group use our home and I found them in my kitchen pouring MY olive oil into a pan.  I went into another room and said, "LORD, they are using MY olive oil!"  His reply, "It's not your olive oil, it's mine and I want them to have it." Whew! I was acting just like the Pharisee who was flipping out over the alabaster jar of perfume being poured out over Jesus.  When we realize the gift we've been given, the numerous sins we've been forgiven, our actions should reflect a love that is excitedly poured out for Christ. The love the woman in Luke 7 is "pouring out" for Jesus is a beautiful picture of someone grasping who Christ is and how indebted we are to him. Here's the story: A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee’s home and got ready to eat.  ...

Love screams out of this relationship. February 18-19 A brother in Christ, who is in full time ministry, shared his 49-1 principle with me last week.  He said, "On a given day I can hear 49 words of praise and encouragement spoken over me and only 1 negative, but it is the negative that lingers on my mind. We have to let those words go." Oh, my goodness. It's so true! Why don't we allow love to be the louder voice, for Love is from God! "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  1 Corinthians 13:6-7 We need to check the heart condition from which our words flow out of our own mouths. What is the purpose behind what we say? Do our words bring life, bring hope, encourage, and point someone closer to Christ? The more time we spend with God the more clearly we recognize his voice. God's voice always aligns with scripture. Paul shares with us in 2 Corinthia...

Love listening to this one practice his cello. February 16-17 For this Virginia lake living girl, winter allows for more times of soul searching and reflection than the faster people filled pace of summer. I've had some good thought provoking conversations with sisters in Christ about how vulnerability grows us closer together in relationship. Vulnerable-" Being susceptible to physical or emotional attack ." You know, putting yourself out there. When we do that there are several possible responses, but I've been chewing on the difference between:  sympathy and empathy  Sympathy-" Feelings of pity or sorrow." Empathy-" The ability to understand and share the feelings of others." Sympathy might hit "like" on a Facebook page or even type in "so sorry." Empathy goes a little deeper. Maybe empathy types in a prayer, picks up the phone and says would you like to come over for a cup of coffee, or it takes a meal, baby...

February 15 " Do everything in love."  1 Corinthians 16:10  Seriously? We are called to love because God loved us first and gave Jesus as our perfect Savior. But we are not called to do this on our own.  Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Somewhere I read this "Help us" Holy Spirit list. Whew!  I need to post this one!  Help us love well when we’d rather be defensive, right, and remain a bit smug. Help us love well when we’re tired, frustrated, and sleep-deprived. Help us love well when we are in the presence of the broken, weak, poor, and homeless. Help us love well when it’s time to deal with situations at work, in a friendship, or in our family, but we’d rather avoid the conflict. Help us love well when our spouse or child needs to talk, but we dread the conversation. Help us love well in the presence of people who have brought harm to our hearts. Help us love well in a culture of pol...

When does our heart attitude towards chores change. This little guy loves watching the laundry go around and is all about fiddling with toilet paper! February 14 What our hearts are fixated on matters. " Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:1-2 "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."   Proverbs 4:23 Tedd Tripp writes in Shepherding a Child's Heart , "A person's life is a reflection of his heart....The heart determines behavior." On this Valentine's Day may we reflect more on our love for Christ, than our love for earthly relationships.  May Jesus be our first love. " We love because he first loved us."   1 John 4:19

Three generations of Andrews men loved being at the Superdome together in December. They were with a lot of people! February 13 Preparing to email our church connect group, I was drawn to the voice of Paul, who starts most of his letters this way. “I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!” You just feel Paul's love for the Church as he writes. Like here to the Church of Philippi. “ Every time I think of you, I thank my God. And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy.  This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day  you heard about it.  God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns. You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work that God has given m...

February 12 Our prayer lists are long. Our hearts are hurting. Our days can seem overwhelming. What do we do with it all? We can look to God. We can love Him. We can rely on Him, all our days. Find your quiet place and sing to Him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP1QKueGK-o Lyrics to God I Look to You, by Bethel and Jenn Johnson God, I look to You, I won't be overwhelmed Give me vision to see things like You do God I look to You, You're where my help comes from Give me wisdom, You know just what to do God, I look to You, I won't be overwhelmed Give me vision to see things like You do God I look to You, You're where my help comes from Give me wisdom, You know just what to do And I will love You, Lord, my strength  I will love You, Lord, my shield I will love You, Lord, my rock forever All my days I will love You, God God, I look to You, I won't be overwhelmed Give me vision to see things like You do God I look to You, You're where my help ...

Working in his boots! February 11 A weeping woman called me last week. She'd had devil darts thrown at her several times. Hurting words had been hurled that left her feeling like a failure and questioning things God had called her to. She recognized the battle and knew to sing alleluia while she wept, but she needed an older woman to hear her heart and pray for her. The next morning after having received her call, I opened Biblegateway and the verse of the day was Matthew 5:43-45 " You have heard people say, 'Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.' But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.  Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven.  He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people.  And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong." I texted this young woman and said, "Open Biblegateway today." You may not want to read this passage, but I think it will be...

Our Utah family is getting slammed with snow,  but they will get through this. This is an advertisement featuring our son and his dog. February 9-10 More from Max Lucado's book, You'll Get Through This "You'll get through this. You fear  you won't. We all do. We fear that the depression will  never lift, the yelling will never stop, the pain will never leave.  Here in the pits, surrounded by steep walls and angry brothers, we wonder, Will this gray sky ever brighten?  This load every lighten? We feel stuck, trapped, locked in. Predestined for failure.  Will we ever exit this pit?  Yes!  Deliverance is to the Bible what jazz music is to Mardi Gras: bold, brassy, and everywhere."  Max Lucado "If you see your troubles as nothing more than isolated hassles and hurts, you'll grow bitter and angry. Yet if you see your troubles as tests used by God for his glory and your maturity, then even the smalles...

February 8 “Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other because, love wipes away many sins. ”    1 Peter 4:8 This whole love story with Jesus would not have unfolded had it not been for our sinful selves.  Sin is not a popular topic. We'd rather sweep it under the rug, but it's here in our lives and every life around us. Without our sin there would have been no cross for Jesus to bear.  His love for us wipes away our sins and we need to offer that same kind of sacrificial, forgiving love to others. There's a provision! "But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away."   1 John 1:9 An exert from J. E. Orr's book Cleanse Me  reads: "We call them excuses. Placing the blame where it belongs (on somebody else!). Little white lies. But the Bible calls these things sin. Unfortunately, we can so successfully  hide our own sins from ourselves that we need God's help to search them out...

Brothers-Shink and Raider. February 7 Do you have a nickname? I recalled a woman, whom we only knew as Stoney, who was an amazing mentor to my husband and me.  In the twenty years we knew her I never questioned her nickname.  The other day as I was thinking about my gallstones and kidney stones I thought...WAIT!  I bet that is how Stoney got her nick name! She must have been full of stones. As a youngster, one of our sons loved to look at words backwards and would call people by their backward name. That wasn't an issue for Mom and Pop!  In an older phase of life, as his siblings married their nicknames surfaced by blending the first name of the husband and wife.  I try not to share names and tales too, but when this son married he and his wife's blended nickname became  Braggie! Our mind goes to such crazy places. I awakened in the middle of the night and thought, "Jesus, because of all you have done for us, my nickname for you is Love." ...

February 6 Goodness gracious!  God's grace is an extravagant gift, given and poured out through the blood of Jesus. God's Word tells us to judge not, and we will not be judged, Condemn not, and we will not be condemned. Forgive, and we will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37) When we give grace to others, we experience God's grace at an even higher level. What is your favorite Bible story exhibiting these characteristics? Who have we judged lately? Who have we hoped would be condemned? Who have we thought undeserving of God's forgiveness? We want to taste grace. Then we should want to offer grace. God's grace is upon us in unmerited favor!  Goodness gracious, it's a lot of love! Priscilla Shirer wrote: "Our God does not give to us in scanty, meager proportions, but in overflows, abundances, and excesses.  He gives back much more than our meager outlay would merit, but He does it so that there's enough left over to spare-enough to prime the pum...

A mother daughter love lavishing getaway. February 5 What is something you long to have lavished upon you? Maybe you long to sleep in extremely high thread count sheets and curl up under a fine down comforter. Maybe the thought of a massage with hot stones, warm blankets and exotic oils rubbed into your back sounds amazing. If your love language is gifts, I bet you have a "just in case someone wants to lavish a gift upon me" list. Lavish - adjective -Sumptuously rich, elaborate or luxurious, extravagant, very generous Verb- bestow in generous quantities No one lavishes love more extravagantly upon us than God.  We really aren't capable of comprehending the depth of His love.  When we get to longing, let's stop and give thanks for all the love that has been lavished upon us because of Christ's sacrifice, and live lives that reflect being loved that way. " Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth." ...

February 4 "But it is just as the Scriptures say, 'What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!'" 1 Corinthians 2:9 Where has God taken you or what has he given you that you never foresaw coming into your life?  Maybe it was a job, a place of education, a new neighborhood, a mission or vacation trip.  Possibly it has been a health issue, heartache or release from a dear relationship God has allowed to enter your life your life and you see only the harm and hardship. Time and time again I've seen God call friends, family members and myself included away from jobs and relationships, only to watch another one appear which was nowhere on our radar and actually so much better for us. God is always up to good.  Speaking with a couple young women this past weekend, I listened to them describe the times they or their husbands were not awarded jobs they had applied for. At fi...

If you have never seen this movie check it out. It's a refreshing documentary on an above average aged choir. February 2-3 How do you feel about scripture memory?  If you are like me, memorizing anything is getting harder and harder, but Romans 12:9-19 has thrilled my heart, so I've posted it to read everyday in hopes of memorizing what Paul recommends as "Rules for Christian Living". Oh, and don't freak out as your read this...it is only possible to live this way because Jesus is in us! What a friend we have in Jesus. What an equipping we have by the Holy Spirit! "Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good.   Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself.   Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord.   Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.   Take care of God’s needy p...