Boojoyful

  Our 10 year old grandson being baptized. I hope you can hear his testimony on this Youtube clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bpDiCdiG9I Convince  From the latin "con" with and "vinco" conquer or vanquish. Convince-"to  believe firmly in the truth of something." Ooo, I really like this one!  The more I studied people of the faith who were convinced Jesus is the Son of God, the more excited I got!  Mary and Martha were convinced before Lazarus "came forth" but that was icing on the cake.  The disciples certainly "firmly believed". Thanks to Paul for all of his insight, even taking us back to Abraham who walked before Jesus. He was convinced all of God's promises of what was to come were true for He knew our God is able! Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death. Hebrews 11:19 Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you--in about ...

Three of my oldest niece's children have all become engaged. She's going to be one busy mama. Whew! Young love is so exciting to be around. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine;  Song of Solomon 1:2 You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. Song of Solomon 4:7 But love has to be tended to become old love which is a really deep rich love! The ultimate is God's love which is freely given. It takes a conscious effort on our part to keep that love in the forefront of our minds and as the influence of all our decisions. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19   The Song "God Really Loves Us"  by David Crowder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxWCXnYDRJs

  Sweet cousins.  The one on the right is the one that God literally saved from the pit...the pit bull. Last Sunday we closed out our service with this amazing song.   If someone asked you right now to tell them what impresses you about God, what would you say? You could say, let's listen to this song and remember what He has done and what all he promises he will do.  He's the same God, he never changes. The Song  "The Same God" Elevation worship with Jonsal Barrientes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LawxIZE9ePE

Love this old photo of my husband & one of our grandsons pushing their grocery carts.   The most interesting thing happened when I walked into a Kroger store recently.  Right at the entrance a Pepsi employee was setting up a Mt Dew and Pepsi display. After grabbing my cart I looked at him and said, "Good morning!"  His reply stunned me. In a very pleasant way he said, "I see you." Several thoughts raced through my mind. 1) God always sees me. 2) It was as if the man was saying, "You are valuable." 3) Was this guy actually an angel. 3) How many people do I pass by and never REALLY see? Some of you who are in some life struggles right now, I am  always happy to be praying for you.  I hope some of these scriptures speak to you and remind you God is always working for us and more importantly in us!   The Best is Yet to Come!  It will be more than we could ever humanly imagine. Whatever you face today. You do not face it alone.  .. . the LORD will ...

  How precious is this new born giraffe being kissed by his mama. Picture Jesus leaning down from heaven and kissing you this way today. "Self cannot satisfy self,  no matter how frequently it feasts.  Lent is a much needed mentor in an age obsessed with visible, measurable, manageable, and tweet able increase, for it invites us to walk with Jesus and his disciples through darker seasons that we would rather avoid...grief, conflict, misunderstanding, betrayal, restriction, rejection, and pain.  Then Easter leads us in celebration of salvation as the stunningly satisfying fruits of Jesus' sacred decrease. A thoughtful Lenten journey directly confronts our modern obsession with increase and introduces us to unexpected friends of spiritual formation." Alicia Britt Chole On Day 2 of this Lenten study the author calls us to study John 12:12-19  and to fast from regret.          ...

Our 5th born with his wife on a tropical getaway.   40 Days of Decrease  is a Lenten devotional book written by Alicia Britt Chole, but is intended to be used at anytime. I'm enjoying taking the suggested passage and seeing what God wants to teach me. I'll post every now and then. Not sure I will get through in 40 straight days. Day 1 John 12:1-11 (CEV) "Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he has raised Lazarus from death. A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazatus himself was there. Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house. A disciple named Judas Iscariot was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked "Why wasn't this perfume sold for 300 silver coins and the money given to the poor?' Judas did...

  Quite often, before I open my eyes in the morning, God and I have a conversation. The other day it was simply the word access.   I've been struggling with back, hip and knee pain to the point of it being very painful to walk or sleep.  After seeing the chiropractor who can usually get me going, I was discouraged when she suggested I try to get an appointment with an orthopedic. Reflecting back on past injuries and surgeries I realized my medical records for such health hurdles were with four different health systems who do not always share records with one another.  Fortunately, I learned early to ask for a copy of records/scans/x-rays.  Meditating on that word took me next to technology and how often we need a code or password to gain access to accounts. Access as a noun is defined as "a means of approaching or entering a place." As a verb it means to "obtain, examine, or retrieve."   Listening to the Lord he reminded m...

"My dream is for all people to let God into their harts." A dear friend sent me this photo of how her granddaughter responded to a Martin Luther King day project at school. It's the character of this little girl's grandparents that has greatly influenced the child's dream.   It was a double whammy kind of day when it came to the word character. In a current study on the book of James, teacher, Paige Brown, is sharing about the high standards Biblical teachers are held to. She says... "The fundamental requirement for teaching is learning.  Teachers need content, competence and character, but the greatest is character." Then in my Grandmother's Bible this was the prayer that popped up for the day... "Dear Lord and Father, I ask that You fill my grandchildren with your Spirit so their character reflects Your goodness and love. Give them kindness and love for others. Bring joy to their lives so they will be a joy to others. Grant them patience and...

 Our daughter and her two oldest drove to KY to praise the Lord with the students at Asbury University! Today take 5:36 and simply praise the Lord as you listen to this song.  It's harder than you think to allow the Spirit to have his way with you for 5:36.  Surrender to Him today. The Song Gracefully Broken  Tasha Cobbs Leonard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzZC3EbH6iE

  We were gifted these sweet personalized cups so we won't forget who we are and    if we forget where we left them the chances are greater they will be returned! A long time friend sent me a devotional called Because He Said So   by Missy Washam   Discovering Who I AM says I Am . A group of Bible study buddies took the titles of the 40  devotionals and accepted my challenge to highlight each of these passages in our Bibles pointing to who God says we are. I'm passing the challenge along to you. It was so enjoyable to do. I wrote the title on the top of each page in my Bible on which the corresponding verse was found. 1) I am a Masterpiece- Ephesians 2:10                                                            ...

  But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 The first Valentine's Day of my married life, 44 years ago, my husband presented me with a single red silk rose to me in a silver plastic vase.  Then he said, "Now you can pull this out every year."  And I do. That single solitary rose represents the steadfast love this man has had for me no matter what crossed our paths.  I'm sure there have been many a day he'd like to check out on the responsibility of being my husband, but so far he hasn't. Thank You, Jesus. In 1926 Dr. James Allan Francis gave a sermon from which this essay, known as "One Solitary Life",  was adapted. It talks about the most amazing, steadfast love any of us have every known.  The love of Jesus. We love because he first loved us.  1 John 4:19 "Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpe...

    How I thank God for friends who send texts like this! Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.   1 Peter 5:8 While attempting to catch up on some writing I was listening to Toby Mac sing "The Goodness of God". It was a good tool to help me  recover  from a week of sorrow I had faced recently.  I came across this beautiful story of how God walked Toby’s family through a time when a deadly overdose took the life of his 21 year old son. Our church has an amazing ministry to addicts and their loved ones called Recovery Church. It meets every Tuesday night and brings hope to the hurting. As I typed the word  recover  I began to think of the blood of Jesus. Again and again we call upon the Lord to forgive us our sins.  It's a  recovering  right?  I looked up several definitions and synonyms for  recover.  Recover -  "to cover aga...

  These are 12 handprints of our grandchildren. #13, a girl, will arrive in July. Today's song is a great face the week ahead, song!  I've said these words often...How can people not see God!  Look at the stars, feel the warmth of the sun, watch the flowers pop out of the hard earth, see a baby on a sonogram or the uniqueness of our fingerprints. Then my next comment is..."They are missing out on so much by not being in relationship with Jesus....How do you know the way if you don't know THE WAY?" Right now in the still quiet of the morning, the sun is rising over the mountain top, the wind is blowing the bare branches of the trees and pushing the lake waters past our property. As I sit and type my resting heart rate is a steady 49BPM and God is in control of it all! I think I will stand up and twirl around with Leanna Crawford and praise the Lord. Happy Valentine's Day. Love the One who is always ...

Come to the table with a heart that worships the Lord. Two weeks ago we had settled in our recliners to watch a UNC basketball game when my phone rang and a friend asked to speak to Deke. She had seen a barrage of flashing lights and heard sirens one street over in her neighborhood and realized it was a friend's home. She called our friend who answered and said her husband had just had a heart attack and died and she wanted Deke to come.  We were able to be there in 5 minutes. Seven hours earlier I had visited a couple from church and held the hand of the husband who is now with hospice and nearing his journey home.  We do not know the day God will choose to call us home, but it is approaching. Both of these women maintained a countenance and peace that showed they know the Lord. A couple years ago I wrote a program called "A Gracius Exit - How to Make End of Life Plans that Make It Easier on Your Loved Ones."  I just pull...

The artist is on his cousin's back.   The Song  " Worthy One" Cline-Mop Pitney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PVV3wr8FiY

  How I thank God for friends who send texts like this! Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.  1 Peter 5:8 While attempting to catch up on some writing I was listening to Toby Mac sing "The Goodness of God". It was a good tool to help me recover  from a week of sorrow I had faced recently.  I came across this beautiful story of how God walked Toby’s family through a time when a deadly overdose took the life of his 21 year old son. Our church has an amazing ministry to addicts and their loved ones called Recovery Church. It meets every Tuesday night and brings hope to the hurting. As I typed the word recover  I began to think of the blood of Jesus. Again and again we call upon the Lord to forgive us our sins.  It's a recovering right?  I looked up several definitions and synonyms for recover.  Recover -  "to cover again, a new". Hallelujah, that's what the blo...