Boojoyful

Any one feeling like this after a week of Christmas festivities?  This little guy slept through the sermon Christmas Eve, it was NOT his Papa preaching. The Song "Hymn Mash-Up" Anthem Lights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMVrFi75tDg

 Our son who lives in Park City, Utah sent this photo of a house he stopped by to visit. How we live says a whole lot about our faith.  Just as the front home of this doors shows what the residents are passionate about, the places we frequent, the clothes we wear, the movies we view, the language we use, how we spend our money are all obvious reveals of our heart condition. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 The Song "I Want Your Heart"  Tasha Cobbs Leonard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KriVcvLcWVs

Our Florida grands have arrived to have a belated Christmas with us . Hmmm?  It's easy to invite Jesus into our lives as Savior, but when it comes to giving Him lordship over our lives we become a bit standoffish. One definition of lord: " someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler." I'm trying to think back over my life and remember if there was ever anyone I worshipped. I didn't live to meet a rock or movie star; I never watched or listened to Oprah; as an athlete there were coaches I admired and respected but that was where it ended. My father was lord over my earthly life.  I loved, respected, trusted and hung on his every word. I don't think there is anything he could have asked of me that I wouldn't have seen through.  I longed to please him.  But he was not God, although he could fix a lot of problems.  He's not the one coming back for me. He's not the one who makes my entrance into heaven possible. Only Je

  Our bedroom morning view. I never tire of seeing the sunrise over the top of our mountain. The mornings God chooses to paint with pink are particularly spectacular.  What is truly amazing is the promise that God's mercies are new every morning. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.   Lamentations 3:22-23 Now with January approaching I long to awaken to a blanket of freshly fallen snow. It's always a reminder that Jesus' blood washes us white as snow. The Song "Mercies" Matt Redman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWT1PtO8poc

  The Ark Encounter! Definitely add it to your bucket list. https://arkencounter.com One of my husband's favorite riddles is "Where was Noah when the lights went out?" "In da ark." There are so many who are living in the dark, totally void of the light of Christ. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. "  John 8:12   Think of the darkness that may be trying to creep into an area of your life right now and ask Jesus to shed light on that situation and show you the way to bring His light to the situation. The Song  “Light Of the World” We The Kingdom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWeXVnRm6R8

With our children living across the country the 12 cousins don't get together as much as they would like to.  Friday our 11 year old grandson and his father flew from VA to Tampa to attend a college bowl game that the father's alma mater  was playing in.  Excitedly, our 5 year old grandson and son live in Tampa and there were able to enjoy this night of fun with their relatives!  Due to LONG flight delays, they were only together for 4 hours, but it was pure joy! As grandparents there is no greater joy than our grands coming  to visit, but it's always a little reprieve to see them go , praying after a long nap for us, they will come again! I think I shared that the Lord put on my heart last week that Jesus had to "come" to earth, so that we would be able to "go" to heaven and spend eternity with Him. When we could not be with Him (because of our sin), He came to be with us! (To pay for our sins). Thank you Jesus for coming , so that we can one day go !

  Happy Birthday Jesus!   Can't wait to celebrate with You in person some day. How blessed I am to have friends who worship the King! Ruth Simon's wrote "When you are tempted to feel alone in this Christmas season, remember that Jesus left His Father's side to make a way for us to be adopted as sons and daughters into His Father's kingdom. In Christ we have an Everlasting Father-we are never alone! Love to you this Christmas Day. The Songs “Christmas Is Here”  Anthem Lights  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLqydWmju6g "Let’s Go Christmas Caroling" Luke Langman      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_sovlHFsXc

1962  Ruth Chou Simon's entry on the Prince of Peace is quite timely for family gatherings...sorry I haven't gotten it to you sooner. "We long for peace:between siblings, with parents, among friends, on social media, and within our own chaotic hearts. Today, peace seems as elusive as ever, with political unrest, injustice, economic unknowns, and unprecedented levels of loneliness and anxiety in a digitally connected world.   Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let know your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.   John 14:27 Jesus is called the Prince of Peace because apart form His sacrifice on the cross, we would still, in our sin, be enemies of a holy God. Where there is sin, there is no peace. Think about the last time you were at odds with someone-what sin was at play that resulted in your lack of peace? Was it pride? Anger? Selfishness? Trace the conflict-the lack of peace-back to its source.  Inevitably,

  Ruth Chou Simons says, "Our Messiah is no Santa Claus. He doesn't simply promise to deliver gifts; He promises to be the gift we truly need." My husband, our harpist daughter and her harp, and I met up in the pouring rain at our local retirement home to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Our talented church administrator designed posters with the verses in Luke of the Christmas story printed on them, so each resident could take part in the reading of the scriptures.  It was a wonderful.   I asked these residents to share a memory of a Christmas past. The majority shared that they came from extremely poor farming families who had very little for Christmas, some receiving absolutely nothing, others remembered handmade gifts placed in shoe boxes sans wrapping paper. One woman, who had obviously had a stroke, shared that the people in this nursing home were now her family and she loved having them to spend Christmas with. Visiting nursing homes is a definite heart tug. We defini

  My hairdresser of 41 years made these cute ornaments to give to his customers this Christmas. Riding into the city, Roanoke, with my husband to make his hospital rounds an overwhelming sadness came over me as the mountain side hospital came into view. The sights and smells of the hospital room where my mother died were quite vivid.  As an ugh, came out of my mouth I looked at my husband and said, "Why is it I remember so many details of that day, yet I gave birth to 5 of our 6 children in that hospital and can't even remember walking into the hospital to go to labor and delivery?  What determines what our minds remember?" When I got home I Googled that questions and got a wide array of responses, which reminds me know one really knows this answer. " Our brains prioritize rewarding memories over others , and reinforce them by replaying them when we are at rest, according to new research published Feb. 11 in the journal Neuron." " Researchers find evidence

  This sweet little family was out enjoying the Christmas lights at                                          Roanoke's Explore Park! God commands us to love one another. That's a fair request from a God who loves us unconditionally and sent his Son to die for us.  We don't always feel like loving, but if we fill ourselves up with God's satisfying love then we have plenty to flow from our lives into others'. Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.   Psalm 90:14 Frances Schaeffer wrote "Love- and the unity it attests to -is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world.  Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father." May God show you a unique way to pour love upon another today. The Song "Just Because It’s Christmas"  Anne Wilson  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkVCiOuX9fg Anne's Story https://www.youtube.

Two very close friends will never forget Christmas 2022.  One has just watched her mother pass from this world to her heavenly home.  Her husband is a pastor and tested positive for COVID and was not able to join her and be with her.  They have even had to postpone the funeral until he is able to perform the service. A text came in at 5AM from another friend who had just driven with her husband  from the Lake here in VA to see her son in Missouri and was heading later in the week to her daughter's home in Colorado.  Her brother called to say her father was unresponsive and had been taken to the ER. He died hours later and this friend was alone on a flight back to VA. As my husband and I prayed for these church members he said he'd just heard a new song called    “Take it to Jesus”  Anna Golden and Kari Jobe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duaQAyTw40E    The lyrics ring so true. There are so many times we don’t know what to do. We just want  someone to tell us what to do. I emai

  Andrews Christmas 1992 The past month my husband and I battle viruses on and off.  The days we had fever or felt the worse were the days were were supposed to be attending something festive. Instead, we ended up laying low, listening to Christmas carols by the tree, praying, listening to sermons and devotionals and yes, watching a few  Hallmark Christmas movies. One night we tuned into the Great American Family Christmas channel and it was SOOOO refreshing. The story line was filled with scripture, the gospel being shared, and how faith sees us through grief.  I kept looking at my husband saying, "This is amazing!" How sad though that I was shocked and awed to see this on television.   Have you ever thought how few people were awed by the birth of Christ? Ruth Chou Simons wrote, "It was unspectacular to any unsuspecting on looker; but to those who knew what God had done, it was a miracle....The first to celebrate the birth of Jesus were compelled to do so and worship

The Christmas  season brings a flood of emotions and grief tends to jump right up there to the forefront. We long for days gone by and people gone way too soon from our lives. One of my dearest friends sat and watched her sweet mama make her way to heaven this week. It was a hard journey, but a privilege for my girlfriend to be by her mama's side. She was already grieving her first Christmas without her Daddy who passed in January. The song "The Sweetest Gift" speaks volumes into our grieving hearts. If you live in our area I invite you to sign up for a 13 week program our church is hosting that brings hope to hurting hearts. It is called Grief Share.  You can sign up by entering Wirtz, VA in the search box and look for January 9th and the CrossPointe Campus of Franklin Heights Church https://www.griefshare.org   The Song "The Sweetest Gift" Craig Aven https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yFXfAGl17M

Thanksgiving together. God made us to be relational and has specific purposes in calling us to gather today as the Body of Christ. Biological family gatherings can be tough and some of you have expressed apprehension about the get togethers ahead of you the next week.  With God all things are possible! And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near .  Hebrews 10:24-25 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.          Matthew 18:20 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.   1 Thessalonians 5:11 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!    Psalm 133:1 Pray asking Him to reveal who he wants you to gather together with this month.  It only takes two or three gathered in his name and God is there! As you gather, look at others as valued

  My husband has had a sweet relationship with our youngest grandson since birth.  We've been blessed he has been able to live with us in the summers and has now moved 2 minutes from our home.  When it would come time for him to leave, my husband would say in a very animated voice, "DON"T LEAVE ME, Wilson!" To which he would reply, "I'll be back!" God in his love and mercy choose not to leave us in our sinful separated state, but to provide a way back to complete fellowship with him such as Adam had in the garden. That's the beautiful message of Christmas. Jesus is the WAY back from our sinful state and he will never leave us. Paul Tripp wrote-"Let me define the brokenness of sin, which every human being shares, with five words:  separation, inability, decision, judgement, hopelessness.   First, because of sin we exist in a from-birth state of separation from God....Separation from God robs us of the core reason for our existence.  And also ren

  "A chip off the ole block." Is what my husband texted our son, when a parent commented how our grandson smiles the whole time he is on the court playing basketball.  The funny thing is our son is a chip off his father's block when it comes to his passion for coaching. Ruth Chou Simons wrote about how amusing it is when children imitate their parents.  She said, "As we get older, the imitation decreases with our proximity to our parents.  You can't easily imitate from a distance.  This is why, after His resurrection, Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit as our ever present help and God's prince in our lives." Transformation is a life long process, but to be conformed to the image of Christ, we need to stay close to Him.  Digging into His Word daily is one of the ways we do just that. Ezekiel 36:26 – And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ro

It's easy to get stuck! We gave our son's family a chair football toss game at Thanksgiving.  Our granddaughter attempted to sit in it without the seat flap down and we had a difficult time getting her out! I've shared how one of our grandson has dubbed my moments of passing along wisdom as "Mama Boo Podcasts". Well, I had the opportunity for a new podcast recently.  A young girl was sharing her hurt towards someone. A situation with adults where she had no control over what was happening, but it was robbing her joy.  I shared and said, "Don't allow anyone to steal your joy or cause bitterness to dwell in your heart for while being in a downcast mood you may miss a glorious assignment God has for you that day to share the gospel." Jonah got really stuck!  He had an issue of hardness of the heart towards the nasty Ninevites. Plain and simple, he did not want them to get saved and receive God's grace. A Bible Study Fellowship author writes..."

  The Creation Museum in Kentucky was fabulous! Yes, my bent is towards being extremely organized, a Type A personality, and in some ways even obsessive compulsive. (The clothes in my closet are color coded.) God probably gave me six children to help me loosen up a bit. In the first five and half years of marriage we had four children in only three years.  The first few years I would try to put their toys away every evening in a specific order on 3 shelves in a cabinet, but the time child #4 arrived I'd bought a large woven basket into which I just dumped all the toys! Our laundry room system was quite organized! It was the old sleeping porch of our 1914 home, which we enclosed.  We had a round table in the middle of the room on which all the folded clothes were placed. Then the children picked up their clothes and placed them on shelves and basket systems around the walls of the room.  Everyone had 3 baskets...shoe, sock and underwear. Then you had two shelves, where you shirts, s

  Our youngest grandchild stands in wonder at the beauty of her Christmas tree. The Song "Wonderful" by Cain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CZHqmO5EMY or Once again this is a great song about wondering. "I Wonder as I Wander"  Audrey Assad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIZjyf1jhKE

  Day 7 God's Promise  - A Relationship Being God's created  is an honor and a blessing.  He didn't have to make us. He chose to create us and in His image.  The gift of His Word showing us how to maneuver life is mind boggling and the sacrifice of Jesus over the top...truly unimaginable.  But one of the sweetest perks of life with the Lord is that He is a relational God and created us to be that way as well.  He loves to be with us.  That is what Emmanuel means... God with us. Many times I've pondered and wondered why would God created us in this way.  We are a lot of trouble and heartache. Psalm 8:4 reads What is man  that you  are mindful of him? The contemporary translation is... Then I ask, "Why do you care about us humans?  Why are you concerned for us weaklings?"   Simons writes- "Who am I, God, that You hear me, know me or meet me in my need?...How humbling to remember that nothing happens outside of God's care...God didn't create the univ

  Day 6 From Jealous to Joyful Simon relates how the song lyric in "O Holy Night" acknowledges our "quest for joy and longing for satisfaction: 'A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.' The world to which Jesus came was curled up in a purpose of weariness from endless striving, strife and want." Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. The people were looking for a king to be like other nations and in their longing, spurned on by jealousy, they missed the joy of the greatest treasure God has ever given. "Nothing steals joy faster than jealousy and comparison." Whew!  Think about Herod. He had some major jealousy issues towards Jesus. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.    1 Timothy  6:18-19 Where are our longings off kilter?   Do we long to hold things in our hands more than desire You in our hearts? Pray this prayer written by Ruth Chou Simon in Emmanuel &qu

Our son's family's backyard in Minnesota. Emmanuel #5 From Stresssed to Grateful It is the Lord who goes before you, He will not leave you or forsake you, do not fear or be dismayed.   Deuteronomy 31:8 This time of year takes me back to the saga of finding Cabbage Patch Dolls for three of our children. That was so NOT of eternal value. They ended up not even liking those dolls.  Likewise my expectations for the Creation Museum and Ark trip we just took were the squashed as some of the grands favorite activities were the donut shop we found near our hotel, the indoor pool, the zip line and the phenomenal playground at the Ark.  Each of the three days I prayed, "Lord thrill their hearts with something new they are going to learn about You today. Use these experiences to equip them to tell of Your wonders to someone else."  Those prayers may still be answered as more truths about God than I'm probably aware of were implanted in their minds and hearts. So, I will not