Boojoyful

What are the chances of witnessing two hit and run accidents in one week?  The car in this photo pulled into a parking space in the UVA parking garage, side swiping the SUV beside it; then left without even leaving a note.  Then in Roanoke we saw the car in front of us smash into a car at a stoplight, which in turn smashed into the car in front of it.  The offending driver backed up, with its hood crumpled up, pulled into the oncoming traffic lane, ran the red light and took off.  We were dumb founded. As uncommon (hopefully) as this is. I've witnessed many hit and runs in the spiritual realm.  The gospel is share and people RUN!  Maybe it's not wanting to be caught in their sins that evokes fear. The gospel bring us to a place of recognizing we are caught in our sins and that this unimaginable gift of forgiveness for them all is there for the taking. Jesus took the punishment! He paid the fine. " Give you  your crooked ways and your evil t...

With Thanksgiving in our hearts for the love,  the mercy and salvation we have received, no matter the adversity facing us we choose to say... "This is the day the Lord has made;  let us rejoice and be glad in it. "   Psalm 118:24 "I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and  call on the name of the Lord." Psalm 116:17 "You are my God, and I will give you thanks;  you are my God, and I will exalt you." Psalm 118:28

Happy 11th birthday tomorrow to the boy who made me a grandmother for the first time! Can't wait for him to get here and celebrate! " Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.   Make them know to your  children and your children's children."  Deuteronomy 4:9 There is an excellent article by Sylvia Thornburg, on the Answers in Genesis site, about praying for our grandchildren. "Are you a grandparent or do you hope to be one someday? Are you an “empty nester” or do you still have children in your home? No matter where you are in life or who is currently living in your home, there are children who would be blessed by your prayers. I hope to encourage you in the joy and privilege of praying for and with your grandchildren, surrogate grandchildren or future grandchildren. In today’s culture the authority of God’s Word is erodi...

Bucky lives in our woods, he's a big dude and is being sought out by hunters with a vengeance right now I'm all for the right to bear arms, the right to hunt and we certainly need deer control in our county. The deer demolish our plants year after year, going as far this year to walk out on our dock, eat our plants and poop on the dock. But when I stop and chat with this guy in our yard, I have a respect for him and could probably never shoot him.          What are you seeking? Does your life seem like a whirlwind right now? I've put away SOME pumpkins, pulled out the tree and am trying to figure out how to weave in birthday decorations for a party Thursday. Add the grocery and Christmas shopping, a calendar full of church holiday responsibilities, a prayer list that keeps growing and growing, and the need to stop and grieve the loss of a dear, dear friend and I'm truly overwhelmed. It's not even 8 o'clock and I've shared 18 texts and numerous emails....

April 2017 there was a knock on our door and there stood a very downtrodden friend.  Years ago my husband and I read a book called  Hedges  about protecting your marriage. One commitment it asked you to make was to never place yourself alone with someone from the opposite sex. Not in a car, an elevator, a house. That may sound drastic, but it is excellent advice, so I was at a loss as to what to do. I invited our friend in and explained I needed to call my husband and ask for permission to counsel our friend, a male.  My husband said, "Absolutely." Early on in what grew to be the closest of friendships, this friend had been very candid about a difference he viewed in our lives. Having a giant cross handing on our house, 60 scripture signs strewn through out proper & looking at life seeking what God was up to at each moment it was obviously to him we were pretty passionate about Jesus. He on the other hand wasn’t sure what he though about God. ...

Wilson's godparents. Friends that change our lives for the better. You are already missed Chuck Cope. This past week has been one of high and lows.  I can't remember what I've shared, but we went from being with these friends in Charlottesville last Friday and hearing a discouraging report regarding the hope of a much needed liver transplant, to a 10PM phone call that same night saying UVA had a liver on the way for our friend.  We headed back up Saturday morning and were elated when the call came that the transplant was successful, but the next 48 hours would be crucial. Calls came that the kidneys were not functioning and then Sunday that he was being taken back to the OR for bleeding. Tuesday morning the call was to come quickly for his heart was struggling.   That night I sat in that ICU room and asked God this question..."When do I stop praying for the miracle Father?"  His reply, "Never!  For if I take him home, that in itself is the ul...

These cozy covers bring me comfort. Sometimes just the little added weight helps me sleep better. As I pulled my satin trimmed throw blanket up over me, I thought of some of the stories in the Bible related to "coverings". "The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water."   Genesis 1:2 The Spirit of God has us covered and is always moving in our lives.  It's our choice to follow the Spirit's leading or not. " The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud."   Exodus 24:16 In Old Testament days the covering of the cloud was a great comfort to the Israelites signifying God's presence.   "The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them.  From the cloud a voice said, 'This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to w...

Thanking God for this one! I'm also thanking God for this message by Sarah Young. I've encounter so many people this past week who need to hear this. "Stop judging and evaluating yourself, for this is not your role.  Above all, stop comparing yourself with other people.  This produces feelings of pride or inferiority, sometimes a mixture of both.  I lead each of My children along a path that is uniquely tailor-made for him or her.  Comparing is not only wrong, it is also meaningless. Don't look for affirmation in the wrong places: your own evaluations or those of other people.  The only source of real affirmation is My unconditional Love. Many believers perceive Me as an unpleasable Judge, angrily searching out their faults and failures. Nothing could be farther from the truth!  I died for your sins so that I might clothe you in My garments of salvation.  This is how I see you; radiant in My robe of righteousness.  When I disciplin...

Look how radiant and full of peace and hope our friend was before heading  in for a liver transplant Saturday AM. I'm probably going to ramble because my brain is scrambled from so many needs for so many people close to us.  This was written Friday.  The liver is in, but prayers are needed for our friend is in critical condition. We all returned to Moneta with heavy hearts.  Then at 10PM that night the wife called and said we're going back to Charlottesville!  THEY HAVE A LIVER coming in.  We headed back to Charlottesville Saturday for the long wait while surgery took place. Prayers are needed. I wrote this to a group of friends Friday night who are suffering. This past week and especially the past 48 hours have been laden with heart ache for some of the most precious people in my life. You, my blind copied very private group of friends, are facing a variety of battles which rang from infectious diseases, to cance...

Praying for her sweet mama who is still in the hospital. We've watched a lot of suffering and heart ache in numerous forms the past 36 hours.  Sometimes it seems to be too much, but then we remember God's Word tells us there will be suffering, but God is greater than all that comes against us.  " You made me suffer a lot,  but you will bring me  back from this deep pit  and give me new life.  You will make me truly great  and take my sorrow away. "   Psalm 71:20-21 Today's Biblegateway verse says... "Even though I have troubles and hard times, your commands give me joy. "  Psalm 119:143

We love to drop a "good" name don't we.  We feel lucky when we encounter important people. The young man in the photo above is Pittsburg Steelers' quarterback I mention quite often. He's been in our lives his whole life. I follow him on Instagram and this photo from last February had 10,560 "likes" the day I tuned in and many comments.  Some of those were women commenting things like "you're a cutie,"  "I'm in love with you, " "love me," and yes of course "marry me please." UGH. Please don't marry those girls! Living in Nashville for twenty years our daughter often had celebrity sitings. She even attended church with some big names in the country and Christian music biz.  It was exciting for us to hear who'd she bumped into in their shades in the grocery store or nearby neighborhood restaurant. What is more exciting for us to hear is what God is doing in her life.  She called the other day ...

Have you watched My Fair Lady  recently?  Do you remember the song "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face"? I've grown accustomed to his face  He almost makes the day begin I've grown accustomed to the tune he whistles night and noon His smiles, his frowns, his ups and downs Are second nature to me now  Like breathing out and breathing in I was serenely independent and content before we met Surely I could always be that way again and yet I've grown accustomed to his looks, accustomed to his voice  Accustomed to his face We are currently embroiled in the arduous task of cleaning out my in law's home of 65 years.  One thing that has been interesting to me, as we've considered an estate sale, is the things we grow accustomed to and don't notice their flaws.  The chips on the china, the nicks and scratches on the furniture, the fading of upholstered fabric and the tarnish on the silver.  We live day in and day out with flaws around us, but they...

My man wants a bowl of Homestead Creamery vanilla ice cream at the end of the day.  Friends who know him well, gave him this 5 gallon tub for his birthday. Constantly carrying a phone on our person permits social media to creep into every crevice of our lives dangling the temptation to want in front of us. Just this morning on Instagram an advertisement had an appealing new toy "guaranteed to bring family fun" popped up with a buy two get one free deal. I almost bit. An ad for a cute boutique in SC came across Facebook one day and I clicked "follow".  I've yet to buy anything, but each week there is something I want ! I did sub come to the pleases of a couple grandsons who on TV had seen a "must have toy" for Christmas. "We really want this," they pleaded. When I went to the store to purchase this piece of plastic and slime there were two empty cases on the shelves.  It took me back to the Christmas of Cabbage Pat...

This bunny lived under our front steps at Shilo for several years. "Look out."  The words came to me during a prayer time and they were not a cautious warning or words evoking fear of any kind.  They were intended as a command to notice .  Sort of like God saying,  "Take time to look out and see all that I have created and all that I am doing in the lives around you." Look out and see the vibrant colors of fall and know that I am a God that can change things and circumstances. Look out and see the rising sun and remember my mercies are new every morning. Look out and see the pinks, purples and oranges in a sunset and know that a time of rest is coming. Look out and see the blondes, the brunettes, the red heads; the blue, green and brown eyed people and rejoice in knowing I have created each person to be unique. Look out and see the refreshment a rainy day brings and the quiet, peace and calm of a new fallen snow. "God thunders wondrously wi...

With our busy schedules there is a lot of preparation that goes into readying ourselves for the next day.  Food needs to be stocked, dishes need to be cleaned, clothes need to be clean, cars need to be fueled, office and school supplies need to be purchased and a path needs to be clear of clutter allowing us to get out our doors.  The Boy Scout motto is "Be prepared."  The amount of time we spend preparing for our physical needs often outweighs the time we spend preparing our minds. A simple walk on the scripture trails at Shiloh can challenge your mind. The verse in the photo above containing Peter's instructions led me to dig deeper, fill my mind with God's teaching and ask the Holy Spirit to do a check of my "self".  (Switching the wording of self-check to check of self, put the emphasis of the Holy Spirit being the One doing the checking, not me.) Read 1 Peter 1:13 in these various translations: " Therefore, prepare your minds fo...

Touch a truck is part of our church's Fall Festival. Children are allowed to sit in police cars and turn on the siren, climb on firetrucks and go inside ambulances. The bigger than life experience is a thrill for little people, but for me as an adult it was a tragedy free moment to say "Thank you," to these people who serve in very stressful situations. We have so much to be thankful for.  As I prayed about the weekly encouragement I would send to our QB, the Lord placed the words "Thank You, Thank You, Thank You," on my mind.  It was a tactful way of saying instead of asking for things for him this week, how about thanking me for what I'm doing for him.  How blessed we are to have the Holy Spirit to gently nudge us in the right direction.  The words of appreciation flowed out easily. 1) Thank You he is was not paralyzed or killed by the hit. 2) Thank You he has a head coach who loves You, Lord.  3) Thank You he has love and support from a ...

Are you stuck in a rut? Are the wheels of your brain spinning and you seem to be going nowhere and anxiety is setting in?  " ...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6 Max Lucado writes in his study called Anxious for Nothing,  "The word  anxiety  comes from a Latin root that means 'to choke' or 'to squeeze.' Its strong grip interrupts your sleep, chokes your energy, and harms your overall well-being. Anxiety is a close cousin to  fear , but the two are not twins. Fear  sees  a threat, while anxiety  imagines  one. Anxiety is a meteor shower of what ifs. A trepidation. A suspicion. An apprehension. It's living life in a minor key with major concerns. You're part Chicken Little and part Eeyore. The sky is falling, and it's falling disproportionately on you." Sometimes we just need a Jesus day! ...

Papa and one of his grandsons on the shaky, shaky bridge. Years ago, my husband constructed some ramps out to a small floater in the lake on the backside of our property. The way they are joined together causes them to rock back and forth when you go across them.  The grands love to do it (it doesn't rock much with their weight, but it does with mine), but I'm always fearful of them tumbling into the lake. Many little (and big) boys tend to enjoy dangerous tasks.  This two year old LOVED the shaky, shaky bridge.  Add the presence of a loving grandfather to most any situation and a child becomes more courageous, trusting the care of that loving adult. This photo I shot last week touches my heart. It reminds me that our Father, God, is only a handhold away. "I am the Lord your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid. I am here to help you." Isaiah 41:13

Gifts from four different people are represented  in this fall ensemble on our island.  They are sweet remembrances and I thank God for them. I feel the same way about God's Word. It is a sweet remembrance of His love and the relationship He has with us.  Last Friday, the verse of the day on Biblegateway drew me back over and over again. Finally, I typed it up and made scripture cards to give away. " My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given you when God chose you.  Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God's people."   Ephesians 1:18 CEV Is there someone for whom you are praying these same words?

My man used to weigh 230 pounds and was a four year football letterman at UNC. He loves his Tarheels and has a deep appreciation for the education his scholarship provided for him. We are both amazed when people, who didn't put in the grit, grime and TIME required to play a college sport make derogatory comments to past players when their team loses.  Whew, one of those situations where they just don't know better.  Like fans dissing a coach. Drives me nuts. I slept with a coach for twenty years and know what they go through. Recently, a couple of our sons and grandsons were in town to encourage their father and grandfather after their mother/wife died.  These guys enjoy watching football together and they got to witness two  of our family teams, UNC/VT, play a game that went into SIX overtimes.  None of us had ever experience this. By the third overtime the grunts, groans and even jumps in the air were coming out of mouths of these men. Our ten...