Boojoyful

  It was a 95 degree day and this little rosy cheeked, red headed, 5 month old and I spent it on our screened porch listening to the birds sing, while watching a ceiling fan attempt to stir us up a breeze. She has a mouth full of teeth trying to break through her gums, so I just let her gnaw on my knuckle.  Next week I think we will sit in a baby pool and try watermelon! While these sweet little granddaughters have been such joy and wonder to watch grow this past year, my pastor husband has spent the past couple months visiting 3 church families with babies in the NICU.  Two were born at 2 pounds and one at 3 pounds.  Two of these miracles have been released to go home.  He says it has been an unbelievable experience to see these premature births produce perfectly formed tiny babies.  One NICU nurse told him, the smallest baby she has seen born and survive is a 10 ounce baby who is now a healthy 11 year old. For you   formed   my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's

  Cousin camo camp is about to begin with 5 of our 7 grandsons attending.  On a very hot Wednesday, I set out in an attempt to find boxes and cardboard rolls/tubes to assist in our cardboard tank building project.  While out back in 96 degree weather at a Dollar General, scavenging for boxes, a man suddenly appeared.  He was rather strangely dressed in a long sleeve shirt, long pants and shiny black wader boots? They looked like patten leather!  He had the most unusual color of blue eyes I have ever seen. He said,  "I said to myself, that women is looking for boxes and I bet the one she wants is at the very bottom." While I was at first startled, as I was alone out there, the scene became even stranger when he walked on past me into grasses that were four to five feet tall and disappeared down what seemed to be a hill. He was gone as quickly as he had appeared. I grabbed the boxes I had and turned to get into my car.   That is when I realized there was mini van parked over on

Smith Mountain showing off during a summer sunset. Surrender your heart to God,  turn to him in prayer,  and give up your sins—    even those you do in s ecret.  Then you won't be ashamed;  you will be confident  and fearless.  Your troubles will go away   like water beneath a bridge,  and your darkest night  will be brighter than noon.  You will rest safe and secure,  filled with hope  and emptied of worry.  You will sleep without fear  and be greatly respected .  Job 11:13-19      Yikes, I think the heat is getting to me. Somehow I forgot to post a devotional today.  Sunday our worship team closed out the service with this beautiful song of surrenderence. Take time today to simply close out distractions and make this proclamation to the Lord. Chorus And I will make room for You To do whatever You want to To do whatever You want to Verse 1 Here is where I lay it down. Every burden every crown This is my surrender. This is my surrender Here is where I lay it down. Every lie and eve

  Rumor had it that these sharks, who showed up at our grandson's birthday party,  were really his grandparents. Hmm...truth or lie. I'll never tell. "For thousands of years, the enemy has been concealing ugly lies in packaging that resembles truth.  But we don't have to fall for his tricks. The more intimately we know God and his Word, we can detect and reject Satan's deceptions. " First5.org Proverbs 9:17 says, "Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."  Truth or lie? Who is deceiving in Proverbs 9:13-18 CEV? " Stupidity is reckless,   senseless, and foolish. 14  She sits in front of her house  and on the highest hills  in the town. 15  She shouts to everyone  who passes by, ' If you are stupid,  come on inside!' And to every fool she says,   “Stolen water tastes best,  and the food you eat in secret  tastes best of all.” 18  None who listen to Stupidity  understand that her guests  are as good as dead." Sund

There are times life is like a thick fog. We cannot not see where we are going,  but God guides us through to the other side. The   Lord   looks down from heaven;  he sees all the children of man ...Psalm 33:13 The eyes of the   Lord   are in every place,   keeping watch on the evil and the good.  Proverbs 15:3 "O God, our help in ages past,  Our hope for years to come,  Our shelter from the stormy blast a nd our eternal home; Under the shadow of thy throne  Thy saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is thine arm alone a nd our defense is sure. Before the hills in order stood o r earth received her frame, From everlasting thou art God t o endless years the same. A thousand ages in thy sighta  re like an evening gone, Short as the watch that ends the night b efore the rising sun. Time, like an ever-rolling stream, b ears all its sons away; They fly forgotten, as a dream d ies at the opening day. O God, our help in ages past, o ur hope for years to come, Be thou our guard while troubl

It's an upside down world. During a six day baby sitting gig, which included sick grandchildren the entire time,  I could be heard time and time again saying, "Help me Jesus" or "Lord, I need You." "I pray to you, God,   because you will help me." Psalm 17:6 This morning I am contemplating what it has taken in my life for me to recognize, as Paul did, "When I am weak, then I am strong."  What has it taken for the prideful attitude, like that of a toddler who says "I can do this, I don't need you" to be set aside and me recognize God's plan is to always help me and make something more beautiful than anything I could create. Now I look back and see it has been an ongoing process of "pride stops." Those times when puff-up-ed-ness" and " self-sufficiency had me reliant on my own strength. The stroke was probably the biggest "stop and look to God," but current health issues have me willingly leaning

This little one is looking to her shadow.  May we look to God and not ourselves for wisdom. LOL. Both of our infant granddaughters enjoy listening to Michael Buble, so when I went to listen to Contemporary Christian Praise music this AM on Pandora, it was on Michael Buble Radio and took me by surprise.  The song was "The Way You Look Tonight."  Quickly, I clicked to CCR, then thought....hmm what will God see when he looks at me tonight? Recently my husband and I were out to dinner at a restaurant  where we were seated in a booth in the bar area.  Neither of us could remember the last time we've been to a bar. There was a lot to take in...mostly singles sitting at the bar.  Two young girls came in, they were quickly carded, but passed the test.  My heart ached for all those people alone at the bar.  The bartender was very attentive to them and most seemed to be regulars whom she called by name, as well as knew their drink.  I can see how that could bring a lonely person co

Sunday afternoon by the lake. Lawsie, lawsie. I have lost the file on my computer with all of our passwords. In my searching through files, somehow  I clicked on a music file.  No clue there was even such a thing in "Finder".  The gorgeous song, "Defender" started playing. Y'all tears were dripping down my checks, my hands were in the air and my soul was so happy. I had been in scurry mode, with the massive cleanup up from seven days of grandchildren here and adult guests arriving today, but I had it all wrong. God showed up and showed me with this song.  All He wanted me to do was praise, worship, bow down and stay still. Please find a quiet spot and click on the song link below and absorb the lyrics of this song today. "You go before I know t hat You've even gone to win my war You come back with the head of my enemy  You come back and You call it my victory Your love becomes my greatest defense  It leads me from the dry wilderness You know before I do

Sometimes we feel like we are up a tree with no place to flee from temptation. Other times temptation feels like a difficult obstacle course hard to maneuver, but with God... We've been on a major baby sitting binge here at Shiloh. It may take a 4 day recovery, so if I am missing in action don't panic. I hope to return. Yesterday, I had five grandchildren here on a very hot muggy day. The plan was to get outside early.  We have some very strict rules the children are to abide by here, especially outdoors with 900 feet of waterfront. The older 3 were in the yard while I finished feeding the baby and joined them. I arrived to find one of the rules being broken.  A rule we had just gone over the day before. Discussing my disappointment with the six year old offender he said, "Mama Boo, the temptation was just too great." It is such a joy to grandparent children who know the Lord, are being trained up in his ways and realize we all have a sin nature. We discussed the huge

  Oh, how I miss my Daddy. He was such a generous provider, sweet encourager and loved all of us well.  Father's Day is this coming Sunday.  Asking some of our grandchildren how they were going to remember their fathers, one said. "Oh wow. I didn't know. I better go to the golf course and hunt for golf balls!" Then I said, "What are you doing for Grandparents Day?" "I didn't know there was such a thing," he said with a pondering tone.  "Grandparents Day is actually the Sunday after Labor Day," I informed him.  He said, "Why isn't there a kid's day?" There actually is. Although, if you Google it there is some discrepancy.  June 1st or the first Sunday in June.  Hmm. We will have to wait until next year to celebrate that one. Whether you were blessed with an earthly father you remember with fondness or not, you have a Heavenly Father, who can meet all your needs. On my PrayerMate app there is a category you can sign up

I tend to share wisdom hanging out in the water with our grands. They are probably thinking...here it comes Mama Boo Podcast #264.    Life is a training ground from the moment we are born.  Newborns are trained, well, attempted to be trained in good sleeping patterns. Depending on the culture we live in we are trained in the areas of food consumption and traditions. On and on the process goes. When an inquiry comes as to why we are instructing in some manner,  sometimes the quick reply may be, "Because I said so." Other times, the response includes an explanation of why the process being trained is beneficial. I've shared before when I was growing up my parents would say, "Be sure you have a dime in your pocket, so if your plans change you can find a phone and call us."  I thought, "Why does that matter as long as I am home when I am supposed to be?"  Then, while traveling in Europe in the 1970s my parents changed their hotel plans and didn't let u

Our Minnetonka grands finishing up the school year. Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance” (Proverbs 1:5). This summer I am embarking on an adventure through Proverbs. It's an awesome place to gain wisdom. Reading and listening for wisdom occurs using our eyes and our ears.  We must allow what we study to gravitate to our minds and hearts if we what transformation of the way we live to be evident. Adam McHugh, author of  The Listening Life , says “Biblical listening is a whole-hearted, full-bodied listening that not only vibrates our eardrums but echoes in our souls and resonates out into our limbs.” Gaining wisdom requires action and guidance from the Holy Spirit, our interpreter. Matthew 7:7 says,  “ Ask ,   and   it   will   be   given   to you; seek,   and   you   will   find; knock,   and   it   will   be   opened to you." In my seeking wisdom process this summer I am going to use a variety of