Boojoyful

May the joy of and gratitude for the resurrection and forgivenes  of our sins fill us to over flowing this Easter weekend.  What a privilege to tell others about Jesus. The Songs  In the Garden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIkU8fWqzxw&list=RDqIkU8fWqzxw&start_radio=1&rv=qIkU8fWqzxw&t=0 Up from the Grave He Arose The Voice of Eden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fs760h4yI4

These tulips popping up from the rocks in a friend's garden remind me of Jesus coming out of the tomb. The stone was rolled away. He was raised from death to life. One of our grandsons asked me the other day, "Why is it called 'Good Friday' when they did a bad thing to Jesus that day?  I shared it is good for us, because Jesus willingly took the punishment for all of our sins and then conquered death by being raised from the dead on Easter. "If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his message isn't in our hearts." 1 John 1:10 I like the way this article explains Good Friday. "For Christians, Good Friday is a crucial day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most pivotal day in the history of the world. On Good Friday, Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. ( 1 John 1:10 ). D.A. Carson  wrote, 'It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was his u...

                                                       An early morning spring mist at Shiloh   Will you take time today to simply praise the Lord for what He has done? Take time to be with Him as the disciples were at the Last Supper. The Song “The Praise Is Yours” Matt Redman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf8Qjev0hjg

"The Christian life is not a changed life. It is an exchanged life.  You give Christ your old life, and He puts it away in the sea of His forgetfulness. And He gives you a brand-new life, a new life in Christ. It is an awesome thought: 'Christ lives in me.'"  O.S. Hawkins I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. Galatians 2:20 Think of the times people have praised you or congratulated you for something and your reply was..."That was all God, not me." God just posed this  question in my mind..."Is your faith building?"  It took me back to the disciples discussing with Jesus why they couldn't cast out demons. In Matthew 17:20-22 Jesus replied, "It is because you don't have enough faith!  But I can promise you this.  If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possibl...

The sunrise from our bedroom. We had a wonderful leisurely Saturday morning last weekend and I was sitting in bed with my pastor/husband as the sun came up and he asked me,  "If you knew today was your last day on earth what would you do?"  My mind began to wander. Am I to asnwer this in a spiritual manner to my pastor, a passionate manner to my beloved husband, or in a laid back fashion realizing this may be his way of getting me to put away my Saturday Shiloh "To Do" list? Let's just leave it to say the morning took an unexpected turn of events. Jesus knew where he was headed the week before the crucifixion and He still had important work to do. Education and calling a spade a spade (or in this case a Pharisee a fraud) were in the forefront of his thoughts, as we read in Matthew chapter 23.   This makes me think of the mother mode I went into the week before our children moved away to college.  It was a last ditch effort to pour wisdom, knowledge, medical and ...

This Passion Week holds within it the greatest love story ever told. Riding to dinner with a couple of our grandsons last week the 5 year old said, "In two days it will be Easter." I said, "Actually, it's more like 9 days. This Sunday is Psalm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem." His reply, "No! My teacher said it's Easter. I know all about the donkey ride and dying on the cross" While I praise the Lord he has a teacher tealling him about Easter, I wanted him to grasp what occurred on all the days leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Also, I think he was counting on getting the goodies in that Easter basket in two days. LOL. With his pastor, Papa, driving the car, I said, "Let's let Papa tell us the story of all that happened the week before Easter Sunday." His grandfather did an amazing job. By the time we reached the restaurant I got out of the car saying, "Father, I am so, so sorry for all the sin. Mine and the world's. O...

Spring is a wonderful reminder of God's faithfulness. Let' read these lyrics and then sing along. Great is Your faithfulness to me  Great is Your faithfulness to me From the rising sun to the setting same  I will praise Your name  Great is Your faithfulness to me God of Abraham  You're the God of covenant A nd of faithful promises Time and time again  You have proven  You'll do just what You said Though the storms may come and the winds may blow  I'll remain steadfast And let my heart learn, when You speak a word  It will come to pass                                                                            When the seasons change You remain the same God from age to age T hough the earth may pass away  Your word remains ...

A beautiful friend putting God's Word into song. The question came across my mind...What can you say about the Word?   I started typing... It fills me up and never leaves me feeling empty. It’s everlasting, it’s true, it’s from God. It speaks to every generation. It never changes. It will judge us righteously and cause us to be accountable to an everlasting God that never fails. It can be stored in our hearts and changes the condition of our hearts It is our hope. Then I went and looked up verses… It is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the diving asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and ...

My husband is earlier than an early bird.  We are talking 3AM is a normal wake up time for him and some days earlier than that.  My internal clock leans more towards a 6AM eye opener.  Sometimes, I can catch him for a snuggle right about that time before he leaves for work.  This one particular morning I looked at him and said, "Someday, one of us is going to wake up without the other."  My man always has something worth listening too. Yes, for those of you who know him, it is often a joke, but his response this time to me was "Let's not talk about it." What is something you do not want to talk about? I sat around the kitchen table with my small group from church, everyone there was a grandmother. The topic, which most people do not want to talk about, shifted to those of us with children who are not bringing up our grandchildren to love and serve the Lord.  Many are not in church, not prayed over by their parents daily and not having scripture poured into ...

I've given up on matching outfits for the 14 grands.  Think back to a scenario when you lost someone or something.   We lost a four year old child at Disney and lost one at a ski resort.  Those times were so frightening. The children still roll their eyes at me for dressing the six of them alike when we traveled, but those were the days before cell phones and it made them much easier to describe to security when lost by saying..."He's dressed just like this." We will be forever grateful to the EMTs and a stranger who rescued one of our sons, age 19, from a horrible car accident on I81. While I was panicking in these situations, our heavenly Father had his eye right on our children. He sent the physical and emotional help we needed to get through these storms. We were not alone.  Psalm 50:15 instructs: “… call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”     God was right there and we cried out for help.  God is fai...

1986 Four of our five snuggle boys, years gone by. I miss these days.    (Ages 4, 3, 2 and an infant) Praise the Lord for keeping them safe. Angels working overtime. Twice I have had to perform a water rescue.  Our second born has always been a "no fear" child. February 1986 I gave birth to child #5. My husband graciously took our four year old to his indoor swimming lesson the for two weeks for me.  When it was my turn again, I inquired of my husband as to how he felt our little minnow was progressing. "He's doing great!" was the response.   We arrived at the hotel pool for the lesson before the instructor had arrived. There was no one else was in the building. Our little fellow asked if he could jump in. I asked if he was certain he could swim to the side. "Yes!"  And in he jumped. Right into the deep end and he went all the way to the bottom and came up flaying. In wool pants and a dolman sleeved wool sweater, I went to rescue my child. It was a col...

Happy, Happy Birthday to My Guy   Today, I pause to thank God for the way he created my husband and brought him into the world on March 18th. I thank Him for the privilege of being his wife all these years and having him as the father of our six children.  (One who was born on this same day 40 years ago.)  I am asking God to order my husband's steps today and fill them with unexpected blessings as he takes the love of Christ into hospitals, nursing homes and the homes of shut ins.  I should have cancelled my plans and ridden side saddle with him, but the nursing home ladies would be very disappointed to not have him to themselves. Instead, I will work on a candlelight dinner with some of his favorite beach tunes playing in the background and we will slowdance in the kitchen. As I read Eccleisastes I said, "Amen." We were laboring picking up sticks and trimming shrubs on the acreage at Shiloh Saturday and held one another up more than once!  Okay, he held me up a...

Our five year old granddaughter at her birthday party at a children's museum      playing doctor with her Papa as her patient. Danny Gokey is an American singer and American Idol winner whose childhood sweetheart, his first wife, died from complications during heart surgery.  He was in deep grief from this loss. He and Sophie had been together 12 years. I've probably posted this video before, but wanted to share it as today's devotional and I am praying that as you read this you will pray for someone with a broken heart and find a way to encourage them today. This is why you must encourage  and help each other, just as you are already doing .                          1 Thessalonians 5:11          Our God has said:  “Encourage my people!   Give them comfort." Isaiah 40:1 The Song “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” Danny Gokey https://www.youtube.co...

Sunset from a friend's deck here at Smith Mt Lake A Bible study I am participating in had a weekly challenge to meditate on a passage of scripture and I chose Romans 12:9-18. I turned it into a personal  12 Step Program on How to be Joyful Always.    The process truly brings refreshment, joy and freedom. I challenge you to jot down a specific way you can live out each of these in the coming week. Be sincere in your love for others.  Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good.  Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than  you do yourself.   Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord.  Let your hope make you glad.  Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.  Take care of God's needy people.  Welcome strangers into your h...

Our 7 year old lacrosse player Our 9 and 12 year old skateboarders A bunch of our 5-43 year old snowboarders enjoying the playground of life. We want to be comfortable. What thread count do you prefer your sheets? Do you have lumbar seats in your car (now they even have seats with masasge rollers? The fabrics we can wear on our bodies and cushioning that can be found in our shoes make everyday life a little more comfortable physically. We want to be comfortable emotionally and do some quick head turning to avoid uncomfortable situations and drop calls to stay clear of uncomfortable conversations. I've searched, but cannot find the verse that says... this world is all about you and is free from strife and stress. James 1:2-4 tells us very clearly we will have trials and those trials have purpose. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, th...