Boojoyful

  I tend to get a bit like Martha worrying about having enough food for whomever is hanging out at Shiloh, but this kitchen crew helped to provide quite the feast. No worrying necessary. Day 2 From Worried to Worshipful "Don't let the worry of how to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas eclipse the wonder of actually worshipping  Jesus Christ, he long awaited Messiah. Oh come, let us worship and bow down;  let us kneel before the  Lord , our Maker! Psalm 95:6 The Song What Child is This from the Chosen and One Voice Children’s Choir. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNYpxYKtC_w

 God knows our name and every intimate detail about us. No need for special identification straws. The three women of Christmas are all valuable to God and so are you! Let's glance at the different stages of life these women represent. Elizabeth- means “God’s promise”; she's married, settled, mature, and childless. Mary - young, still living at home, engaged to a carpenter Anna-  an elderly widow , 84, prophetess, whose every waking hour was wholly dedicated to God. God chose them and He has chosen us too. The men in their lives. Zechariah- an old priest whose name means “God remembers” Joseph- a new husband.  (I’d add the carpenter part, but the traits of “new husband” bring lots to unpack in themselves.) Simeon- brother of the faith, not Anna’s husband, but a prophet like Anna. What we are to learn from all their stories _____Wait upon the Lord. _____Trust Him with everything that matters. _____Pray until our prayers are answered. _____Surrender our lives to...

   When you are in a car and that near miss of an accident or actual accident happens do you curse or call on Jesus?   I'll be sharing a few reflections this week on a book by Liz Curtis Higgs that I'm studying with a group of ladies called The Women of Christmas.  Glances at the lives of Elizabeth, Mary and Anna. One of the first things that has impacted me is how the shocking circumstances of their very unexpected pregnancies had them both totally surrendered to God and seeking Him and drawing closely into His Presence.  Okay, the angel encounters probably helped but this thought came to me... What goes into our minds often comes out in our emotions. God selected these women to carry out his purpose because he knew their hearts and knew he could count on their obedience.  Check out Mary's immediate response to the angel. Mary said, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!" That...

I have a dear friend whose mother was in a car accident in Denver, CO. She is in ICU and my  girlfriend flew out to be by her mother's side several days ago. As I was praying for both of them early this morning the song "Not for a Moment Will I Forsake You' came to mind. Please  pray for healing for this woman's body. God knows her name. Whatever you are facing, praise God for he is with you. The Song "Not For a Moment" Meredith Andrews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD0cvWImVjA

This is one photo I should hold out for a "Make 'Em Laugh"entry. I love how this photo exemplifies things that are important to us to talk about, although I despise whisperers because what they have to say they usually feel isn't fitting to say in front of others. I'm laughing now because my husband and I whisper a lot in the back of the church. 99% of the time it's us trying to remember someone's name.  If someone ever asks you to share what you are whispering about just say, I was wishing everyone knew that Jesus loves them! There is a favorite young woman of mine who lives in our area.  I'd claim her as my daughter anytime. Her mother is deceased and she calls on me for motherly advice, knowing I will speak truth even if it's not what she wants to hear. She has a sibling with serious emotional needs who has been under a physicians care for some time, but meds don't seem to be working well.  This precious gal desperately wants to be able to f...

Pheasant Feathers for Thanksgiving  When you are called upon to share the things for which you are grateful do the same big items come forth is your brain?  Jesus, my family, good health, America, a home, a car, etc.? Here is a new idea I came up with to use around the table Thanksgiving Day.  At each person's place setting will either be a pretty feather or an acrylic pumpkin the grandchildren have painted.  These will be the "take home" party favors.  Rolled up on the end of the feather or tapped to the bottom of the pumpkin will be the name of a body part written on gold foil paper. As you read your word you are to share something you are thankful for related to that word. Example:  Eyes-I am thankful I have had the opportunity to see oceans, lakes, mountains and the desert with my eyes. One of my favorite sites is..... Nose-I am thankful for the smell of chocolate chip cookies coming ...

We never get these days back. Hmm, right now my bed is covered in Christmas ornaments for the grands and I've been scrolling through Amazon to see if the 12 Advent Calendars I've ordered have gotten to all the grandchildren around the county.  Yikes. Heart adjustment for me Lord. How do I make this nonsense stop. This is leading me to  ponder  like Mary and evaluate the joy of giving....I receive joy from giving, but the process could be simplified.  Back in the days when our six were little, my mother and I would head to Toys R Us in October to shop for the children. She would buy three gifts for each of the children.  My mother in law would do the same as well as my husband and I.  That totaled 54 new toys in the house by the time we'd made the rounds to the grandparents' homes on Chistmas day!  Ridiculous!  By the time the children were 12 years old and under, my parents switched to taking us on a cruise ...

  Congratulations to our oldest grandson who experienced his first football championship with a victory! Three generations of Andrews football players. Battling the flu, I was unable to be in VA Beach for this game. While at home, I turned on the memorial service for the three UVA football players who were killed last week and it was a "to God be the glory" time of celebration for the lives of all three young men who love Jesus and are with him forever.  The university AD and Head Football Coach love Him too and didn't hesitate to share their faith.  Praise the Lord!   Coach Elliot quoted these resurrection verses. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.   1 Thessalonians 4:16 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  1 Corinthians 1...

  Happy Saturday to my SML GRITS sisters. Some of us enjoyed lunch on the Market in Roanoke recently. I'm so blessed to have you as friends to grow old with here at Smith Mt Lake. As we get older the holidays bring with them a longing for those who are no longer here. It's easy to get melancholy this time of year and for those who battle depression the holidays can heighten anxiety. Let's stop today and pray for people to be thankful for what "was" but elated by what "is" right now. Pray we can all see the people God has placed around us as blessings and remember He is always up to good. The Song White Christmas Counting Your Blessings (If you want a melancholy version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXKxazgio2s "I'm so Blessed" by Cain  (A little more upbeat version about being blessed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbPC7V_eXpU

  There is purpose in our  waiting , but we hate the process.   There is a time for everything and every matter under heaven.  Ecclesiastes 3:1 Forty years in the wilderness is a long time; Noah was given 120 years heads up about the flood coming and then is projected to have been in that ark for a year; Abraham and Sarah waited a very long time for a baby; Joseph was in slavery and then wrongly in prisoned for 13 years; David waited 22 years to be king...and many of us mumbled over the wait for our COVID tests results and grew weary and grumbled during our quarantine times in 2020-2021. Joseph: You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.   Genesis 50:20 David: I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 Danny Gokey's lyrics below are a sermon in themselves!    The Song Stay Strong by Danny Gokey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NS...

  One of our daughter in laws is a talented artist. She is always painting a "new thing". This latest piece reminds me so much of   Smith Mountain. Behold, I am doing a new thing;   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness  and rivers in the desert.    Isaiah 43:19 Recently, I read a devotional which referenced my all time favorite movie, "The Sound of Music". The writer was quoting the Reverend Mother from the abbey when she told Maria "When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window." While that quote isn't in the Bible, Isaiah 43:16 comes close.   Thus says the Lord, Who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters...   Isaiah 43:16 Whatever closes in upon us, whether we are thrown in a pit by family members like Joseph, put in chains like Paul, or distraught like Naomi God is right there with us to sustain us.  A way out, an open window, may not come immediately, b...

My Instagram skills are weak at best, but one day last week across the screen of my phone came this message and prayer: "A Prayer for Our Kids' Protection"  "Dear God, Please protect my kids. Bring joy to their souls, peace to their minds, love to their hearts, and strength to their bodies." Isn't that beautiful!  I think that will become part of the prayers I say over our grandchildren. It is certainly timely, as we as a nation grieve such tragic losses this week of young lives taken way too soon. The Song "I Need Thee" Fernando Ortega https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZIMDcgrF-Q

Yesterday, I mentioned the "hand hold" and how touch says so much. Here are more hand hold photographs. The range of occasions for these photos is huge...our wedding, a candlelight dinner in our dining room and me in a wheelchair in the garden of the recovery center two weeks after having a major stroke.  My husband and I laugh, because when I saw the photos of him caring for me in that wheelchair I said, "Awe look, you really loved me that day." Whenever we pray together my husband grabs my hand. I think it is a symbol of unity and an affirmation of when two or more are gathered in God's name, He is there.  For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to your,  "Fear not, I am the one who helps you."    Isaiah 41:13 God offers to be our strength and hope if we open our hearts and let him in. He will give us courage to face every fear that comes our way. We can always hold onto Jesus! With a mighty hand and  outstretched ar...

Don’t be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters.  1 Timothy 5:1-2 ( The  Message)  These are two of my favorite photos. In the first one my father and I are attending our youngest son's wedding. The second shows my husband escorting his mother home after she attended a bridal shower for our daughter. The element in each of these photographs that thrills my heart is the "hand hold".  Touch says so much! I'm currently leading a three week study on the book The Women of Christmas . I asked the ladies in my church connect group to pray and invite the person the Lord laid upon their heart to the study.  In this group of fifteen women there are three sets of mothers/grandmother living with their daughters/granddaughter.  Another woman has just moved to this area to ca...

  Here's another "Look what God did today"  photo from a friend. The Song "Something About that Name" Anne Wilson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAhvyPJYWrA

This grandchild is extremely creative. Whatever he sees, he sees a purpose or new design for it. While out playing in our leaves he spotted a magnolia leaf on the ground. Bringing that leaf inside he headed straight for our craft table and wa la..he had a headband. God has created you for a specific purpose and ordained all your days. We are not always submitted to His plans and His purpose, but it's good to remember what he calls us to he sees us through. Rejoice! God sees you! He sees exactly what you're going through.  To quote Hagar, You are [El Roi] a God of seeing. Truly, here I have seen Him who looks after me.  Genesis 16:13. The Lord sees everything, whether good or bad. Proverbs 15:3 Block off 12 minutes to watch today's music video. "The God Who Sees" directed by Kathie Lee Gifford and sung by one of my favorite artists, Nicole C. Mullen The Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz81dIfwf4Y

  With five acres of leaves our pile at Shiloh gets quite large! Every leaf gathered has been raked or blown by my husband. Unbelievable what he does. Jumping in is a grand  time. Flashing back to a Ruth Simons definition of the word abide "to stand your ground, persevere, stay in close or cling tightly" how can you cultivate  active abiding? I selected two categories in which I long to actively abide under God's control and then applied these scriptures. Thoughts You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,   because he trusts in you .  Isaiah 26:3 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect . Romans 12:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth ....

A favorite friend (who is far from wild and crazy, but more like the perfect southern lady) sent me this card last year and it made me chuckle!  Wisdom does come from experience, but also from the Word of God. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.     2 Corinthians 1:3   And Sarah declared, ‘God has brought me laughter.  All who hear about this will laugh with me .  Genesis 21:6 The Song "I Will Rise" Chris Tomlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uTIqu8G-34

  These parents are on a train ride, training our youngest grandchild up on fun ways to travel. "You are as much serving God in training your own children as you would be if you lead an army into battle for the Lord."  Charles Spurgeon Train up a child in the way he should go:  and when he is old,  he will not depart from it.    Proverbs   22:6 The holidays are quickly approaching what will you be teaching the children around you about Thanksgiving and the birth of Christ?  Will you spend more time with them than shopping and cooking for them? Here is an excellent article on teaching our children gratitude. https://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/holidays/featured-holidays/thanksgiving/10-ways-to-build-gratitude-into-our-childrens-hearts/ The Song " Faith, Hope, Love, Repeat" by Brandon Heath https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=YWWGYPNX

God's gorgeous artwork in Boones Mill, VA   The Song "Thy Will" by The Scott Family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAmh3yvmzXs

I feel like this tree is dancing in a fancy dress.   God definitely has my attention. He has placed the life of Elijah before me in three different teaching formats.  Bible Study Fellowship, a fall study by Paige Brown online and at our own church teaching the four year old curriculum,  Knowing God has something to teach me, I also picked up a book by Charles Swindoll, Elijah , that was on our bookshelf. I just had to type up these amazing teachings by Swindoll in relation to  1 Kings 17 and the life of Elijah. If you take away even one nugget from the entry below, it's worth the read. Of the four lessons from Cherith #1 and #2 are learned lessons, where as #2 "Four Lessons From Cherith First : We must be willing to be set aside as we are to be used.  F.B. Meyer called this 'the value of the hidden life.'  We must be willing to be set aside so that we can listen for God’s voice in the stillness…away from the cacophony of everyday life, away from our own b...