Boojoyful

One of our sons called yesterday morning with the exciting news that he and his wife will be moving from New Orleans, LA to Potomac, Md. So much closer!  Immediately, my heart longed to move to Charlottesville, where one of our daughters lives and thus be closer to her and two of her brothers.  No sooner had that thought raced across my mind than God said, "I long to be close to my children too." Ugh. That moment when you know you've heard from the Lord and He speaks truth. Ugh. That moment when you are convicted of longing for things in this world, more than the          Creator Himself. Ah!   That moment when you feel the Holy Spirit adjusting the motives of your heart and            setting  you back on course to where the treasure of your heart should be. "It wasn’t until I was a parent that I began to realize God’s desire to be intimate with His children. Spiritually I was born into God’...

...A continuation of Miss Grumble Bug and how I was caught off guard. "Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."   2 Corinthians 11:14 The day began joyfully, but two hours into it the content of text messages from three totally unrelated situations took me off my guard.  You know, when you find yourself saying, "People! Are you kidding me?" " Let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled."    1 Thessalonians 5:6 In the same book mentioned yesterday,  Awaken,  Priscilla Shirer describes certain times when we feel the schemes of the devil breathing down our necks.  We run for our spiritual armor and begin to battle.   She writes: "But at other times, when you're feeling steady and secure in your faith and the cloud cover of good times has lulled you to sleep, you no longer sense the need to do as much proactive safe-guarding.  Your marriage is reasonably strong, your finance...

No grumbling here. Maybe the 95 degree temperatures played a part in my recent grumble bug personality or it could have been my squishy mammogram which had to be redone, but I found myself not liking myself one bit. The flesh was weak and I had let a lot of people and circumstances get under my skin.  Fighting the urge to call my husband and daughter and sound off to them, I asked the Holy Spirit to give me the urge to withstand the temptation.  Before the day was done, they got an earful. Sitting in the waiting room for the mammogram I picked up Priscilla Shirer's Awaken  devotional and couldn't believe what God had placed before my eyes. "The disciples didn't feel like being too welcoming to the crowd waiting for them on the shoreline that day.  They'd only barely caught their breath from an intense time of ministry and were still extremely exhausted,  most likely looking for a place where they could put their feet up and rest.  They probably ho...

Sometimes the moment God has for our day is a simple site. Amidst graduation celebrations, summer job applications, vacation details and summer schedules we need to remember to stop  and see what God has planned.   Stop and worship Him for who he is. While out on the lake one evening last week my husband said, "I think you should get a picture of the moon over the mountain."  Everyone in the boat paused and remembered God. " When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,  the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,  what is man that you are mindful of him,  and the son of man that you care for him?" Psalm 8:3-4

These two teens are members of families who serve our church selflessly. They are truly being trained up to have servants' heart. Right along the time the Lord was teaching me a good lesson about relating to hurtful people came this writing She Reads Truth called Making Room . Shereadstruth.com Making Room for Betrayers Scripture Reading: Exodus 23:4–5, Matthew 18:15–20, Luke 6:27–36, John 18:15–18, John 21:15–19, Colossians 3:12–13 This is a true story. I invited my enemy to dinner on purpose. There was no applause or great relief or gratefulness on her part. After all, she didn’t know she was my enemy. She didn’t know the words she’d said about me had made their way back to my ears. She didn’t know how wounded I’d felt by her piercing remarks about my life, my home, my personality, and my portion.  She didn’t know God had set that table for me in the presence of my enemy. And so, she enjoyed my wine and my bread, my Brussels sprouts with bacon, my perfectly ro...

I enjoy engaging in life with this little one. This is a good follow-up to the Treasure Hunt entry yesterday. I was simply unloading the dishwasher and the word engage  came to mind.   "What's that about Lord?"  Engage - "Occupy, attract, involve in" Heading to Biblegateway, I plugged in the word in one translation and most of the verses related to a period before marriage, except Philippians 1:29-30 "For  it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also  suffer for his sake,   engaged in the same  conflict that  you saw I had and now hear that I still have." Out of curiosity, and a desire to hear from the Lord, I dug deeper into Paul's story in  The Message translation. He had several take aways for me and I'm praying as I type there are lessons from God for you as well.  Let's engage the world for Christ! Philippians Chapter 1 ...

One of my favorite activities as a grandmother has been to create treasure hunts for our grandchildren.  It's one of those difficult brain activities for me now though. Sequencing...UGH. Now, I find myself sitting on the sofa and instead of sending them to find clues, I send them to bring something to me or do a task.  (All they really care about is the treasure, right?) Today's Jesus Calling captured my thoughts.  "Approach each new day with desire to find Me (Jesus)...There are hidden treasures strategically placed along the way. Some of the treasures are trials, designed to shake you free from earth-shackles." I read it over and over. There is purpose in every trial we encounter.  Our trials lead us to treasures. " that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisd...

The discussion occurs in many circles...How do we teach our children/grandchildren to be servants? The "I am third" concept.  God first, others second, me third. J.O.Y.  Jesus, Others, then You. Praying about this principle, the thought came to me that God created our eye balls to "look out" not inside.  Every time we open our eyes, unless we are in front of a mirror, we are looking out. Our daughter was in her still relatively new neighborhood last week and a young boy was outside. She said hello to him and his reply was "Hi, How is your day going?"  She was blown away by this greeting and went back when the child's father arrived home from work and told him how impressed she was.  He replied, " Instead of being a 'here I am!' person, we are training our children and choosing to be 'there you are! ' people. We learned this life style through Young Life. I love this. Email and let me know how your day is today! ...

This one brings a smile wherever he goes Our pastor shared recently of meeting with the head of a missions board, who told the story of a 16 year old, orphaned, Sudanese refugee who had fled into Uganda after leading his four younger siblings to a refugee camp there. They had absolutely nothing but the clothes on their backs. This particular missionary group had built a two room shelter for these children. No kitchen or bathroom, but two rooms to keep them safe at night. As heart wrenching as the previous week had been concerning sweet friends/church members with very serious health issues, there was a stark difference.  These people have so much.  Brilliant medical staffs attending to them. Families and friends surrounding their beds.  Coffees, food and gifts abounding and most of all the knowledge that God's mercies are new every morning and the confidence that they have a heavenly home. There is another common denominator with the US citizens we visited. The...

Celebrating #1 birthday with this little guy. Last week was heavy on the hospital visitation circuit, such BIG needs. It been heart wrenching to watch several families go through so many huge unknowns and extremely difficult surgeries.  One of the visits was to a hospital in Richmond, VA. A filled up with Jesus friend sent me this verse as we traveled. "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."   Proverbs 73:26 While on the road we learned that one woman we were hoping to visit had died and another close friend had been taken to the hospital in the opposite direction.  Before the day was out an email came that another church member was in a fourth hospital with a flesh eating disease.   Praying in the room of the patient in Richmond, I asked the family to take a moment and imagine the angels surrounding us.  Oh, if we had eyes to see the spiritual realm we'd be blown away by how many angel...

Two full weeks of sanding, scraping and painting in solitude with God left me with a mighty sore body, but a huge appreciation for what can happen in God's presence. We don't have to be kneeling at an altar or sitting in a pew to draw near to God. It's an act of our hearts that can happen anywhere.   We can quiet our hearts in a hospital bed, stuck in traffic, rocking a sit child, stranded in an airport or even weeding the yard.  The deepest and most life altering lessons I've learned have occurred in obscure places. "J.I. Packer says that the Puritans differ from evangelicals today because, with them, communion with God was a great thing; to evangelicals today it is a comparatively small thing. The Puritans were concerned about communion with God in a way we are not. The measure of our unconcern is the little that we say about it. When Christians meet, they talk to each other about their Christian work and Christian interests, their Christian acquain...

Recalling the warning "People are going to hurt you," my mind once again went to wandering. Wait, did she know of something that was about to come down against me?  Was there a specific altercation about to occur and she was warning me?  "Why didn't you just ask?" my husband inquired. As I painted away I began processing some possibilities and that is where the great lessons began setting in. A most unusual encounter earlier this year came to mind.  I can't share the specifics, but it has been a mystery for months. It was a sort of mild, face to face, threat from someone who would not disclose their identity. A couple months later my husband encountered the same person and was able to uncover a name.  Thinking about "hurtful people" I wonder if this individual was about to raise her head and spew hurt.  Asking the Lord, he took me back FIFTY years and caused me to remember my father loaning this person's husband money. The Holy Spirit...

A godly, younger woman invited me to lunch last week, before my painting project began. She said she had a story to share.  Out of her mouth came these defining words, "As a pastor's wife, people are going to hurt you." She went on to say, "It's as if because you are in ministry, they figure you have to forgive them."  "Kind of like children and their parents," I replied. "Exactly," she exclaimed. She went on to share a heart wrenching story of a wrong done against her twenty years earlier which her godly husband asked her to just turn over to Jesus and not share. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1 Her advice for me was to be prepared to stay the course, even when you want to run. " The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."    Exodus 14:14   May we surround ourselves with wise friends who point us to Jesus.

Working here at Shiloh, while at times exhausting, is a peaceful place to plow away.  Each day the quiet calms a soul.  All you hear, except for the honking of a goose, the tweeting of a bird, or the low rumble of a boat engine, are the thoughts that ramble through your brain.  Continually, I find myself saying, "Take every thought captive." " We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."   2 Corinthians 10:5 Left to its own accord, my mind can race to negative thoughts in solitude. Paul expresses what happens to those teaching anything except the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ. "...he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining tha...

By day four I was so sore! My husband came home and found me scraping away in this position! Get into a "project" where you are all alone with the Lord and he will teach you great things. It may take a week of writing to express what God has been teaching me. "But Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit.  Now the Spirit stays in you, and you don't need any teachers. The Spirit is truthful and teaches you everything. So stay one in your heart with Christ, just as the Spirit has taught you to do."   1 John 2:27 For the past week I've been working on our deck and railing.  There are 21 6 x 6 posts and I haven't even considered counting the the spindles in-between.   Next I will cut in the deck for my husband to stain. Part one was scraping and sanding and as I did that God showed me that is a process He is continually involved in with my life. There is so much build up from the world to scrape away. First- Confess the sin that tarnishes my ...

Come and sit by the fire with me! I can't wait to bake this cake and eat it with friends around our firepit! "Hospitality is a posture of letting others in."  She Reads Truth Jesus is the ultimate example of welcoming! Jesus didn't go out of his way to welcome others. It was His way. Is it our way? Let's make room for others. She Reads Truth Challenge: Here is my time; it’s yours now. Here is this meal; I want you to be nourished. Here is my forgiveness; I know what a gift it is to be forgiven. Here is this space to sit; I’d rather you have rest than me. Here I am entering into your sorrow, I was comfortable, but you need comfort more than me. May we find time this weekend to refine the art of welcoming someone else! " Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."   Hebrews 13:2 " Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the mos...

With a phone battery about dead, I reached across a table and plugged the phone into the charger before heading back out into the world. Later, I picked up my phone and my percentage of charge had decreased.  Immediately, I knew to look at the other end of the charger, which was attached to nothing but air! That is where some of us are spiritually. We aren't plugged in! Our Bibles may don a coffee table or bookshelf in our homes, but they are seldom opened. We may pew sit occasionally, but are we worshipping the risen Lord and engaging in fellowship with fellow believers. Are we welcoming someone new to join us on our pew?  When we leave the church building Sunday afternoon are times of Bible study, prayer, discipleship and hospitality for Jesus plugged into our week. Challenge yourself to be intention and plug into the many opportunities around you to get to know Jesus better. "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." ...

On my phone is this Bible Word app.  Each day if you click on it, you are offered the option to receive a daily reward. A present of "points" to open.  This particular day I had scheduled some time away with Jesus, but I caught myself procrastinating and going on my phone for rewards before looking in the actual Bible for God's daily rewards for me.  UGH. The conviction.   Why do we make it so difficult to do what is best? After getting my "points" I opened Biblegateway for the real reward. The verse of the day. Check out what He had for me. "But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him."   Hebrews 11:6 He's the real deal!  The greatest reward we could ever experience.  Draw me closer Lord.

Making these peep race cars was a fun process! Praying with one of our children recently, I said, "Lord, be with us in this process!"  Whew! Life is a process and a process usually involves waiting! There was no specific verse I could find related to "process," but I came across several having to do with procession. Definitions: Process - "A series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end." Procession- "An action of moving forward." Walking with the Lord is a process!  Many heroes of the Bible have left us a pattern on approaching life's process. Ups and downs and all!  One day we will experience a triumphal procession into heaven! "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere."    2 Corinthians 2:14 Select some biblical role models to study this summer.

When Jesus comes back in the clouds and takes us with Him we will be complete! Take some time off with Jesus and he will show you things about yourself you may not want to know. This is lengthy but loaded with insight. (At least for me!) For me, God was quick to point out a frustration I have with incompleteness. This discontentment heightens in spring when we are trying to get Shiloh ready for the spring/summer season.  Now that I am in my sixties and a stroke survivor with a less than flourishing brain, things are much harder to complete than in years before.  I like to face a project and complete it, but that's not happening. The other day I had 33 things on our outdoor chore list and at least half that many on the inside list.  Extreme panic and frustration set in and those equal discontentment, which is not from God.  My Jesus joy was  wavering. The fact is the root of my problem is that on my own  I am incomplete. Some days a complet...

  These two wake up looking forward to each day. Do your feet hit the ground in the morning knowing what you are facing for the day? Mondays mean this, Tuesdays that, etc. One of my favorite things about college life was having some control over my schedule.  Being a morning person, scheduling 8 o'clock classes and hoping to be done with my day by noon was my preference.  Becoming a mom of six sports/music oriented, school aged, kids I found myself constantly looking forward to what was next on our calendar. Planning our school breaks, football weekends, ski getaways, horse shows, tennis tournaments in addition to the regular weekly routine required organization and  management skills. Life shifts gears, change occurs and priorities are revamped.  The other night I awakened for my middle of the night time with Jesus and there was such refreshment when I realized what I was looking forward to most was a day with Him. " These are evil times, so make eve...

Whenever I go to our local wellness center this car is sitting in the handicap area when I come out. It is the very same car my father had when he was living.  I asked God the other day, why he'd be giving me that heart tug.  What was I to learn?  His reply was precious, "It is a reminder of the Father's love." You may not have experienced an earthly father who was present and poured goodness and wisdom into your life, but you have a heavenly Father who is ever present and longing to be with you when you have the time. " Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk."   Psalm 119:105 Lord, I am searching Your Word and trusting You to lead the way through life for me.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

These roots did not sustain four huge pines in high winds from tumbling out over the lake. The word for the day was sustain  and that led me to Psalm 55:22 " Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." The Women of Faith Bible  I was using had this to say: "God is the great sustainer, He offers a lifetime guarantee.  He'll carry and support his people thru old age and into eternity.  Gray hairs and wrinkles don't diminish their value to him, nor do slowing faculties or illness...God carries his people, lovingly and carefully from birth to death and beyond." These words speak encouragement to me personally and they are a useful equipping tool for many I encounter in my community and my family. Who is it you know that needs to feel valued?

Respite -a short period of relief from something difficult or unpleasant. We've all been there. Burnt out. Burdened beyond belief. While God's mercies are new every morning, sometimes we need to position ourselves to experience them. Do you have a respite slotted on your calendar? " Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied."   Jude 1:2 " Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way! "  Jude 1:2 (MSG)