Boojoyful

The Olympics are upon us. The media focuses on the "golden ones," but in only hundredths of a second the fame of so many gifted athletes falls to the wayside. Sunday in the Women's 100m Butterfly two of our USA swimmers touched the wall with only a finger's difference at times of 55.59 and 55.63. The "someday" themed commercial that followed only featured Huske, the one who won the gold. The final second of the men's 100m Breaststroke was hard to fathom as the Italian swimmer touched the wall with a score of 59.03 and the favorite from Great Britain and Nic Fink the 31 year old from America tied at 59.05 to share the silver medal. Someday, we will all leave this earth and enter into eternity.  God's desire is for us all to walk the streets of gold and there is room for all who believe.  God wants us all to come to repentance, accept Jesus and take the eternal medal platform. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is p...

  When studying Proverbs it's good to splash on a Psalm or two as well. Let's bask in Psalm 139 today and remember to pray the last two verses everyday. "You have looked deep  into my heart,   Lord ,   and you know all about me. 2  You know when I am resting  or when I am working,  and from heaven  you discover my thoughts. You notice everything I do  and everywhere I go.  Before I even speak a word,  you know what I will say,  and with your powerful arm  you protect me   from every side. I can't understand all of this!  Such wonderful knowledge   is far above me. 7  Where could I go to escape  from your Spirit  or from your sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead  you would also be there. Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean. Even then your powerful arm would guide and prote...

Watching this boat sail away. Driving through a nearby neighborhood we were feeling rather sentimental as we named five friends who have passed away and eight who have moved away in the past five years.  We are at an age where the reality of how fleeting life is seems to be a weekly reminder.   July 20th a healthy vibrant church friend of my husband's died when his tractor flipped over and killed him. We had been at church with his wife the night before.  James 4:14 CEV says: What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears. The Message translation tells the story this way in James 4:13-15: Nothing but a Wisp of Fog And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re not...

Neighbors gathered at our daughter's pool.  The "Bless Every Home Prayer" for July 22 is too good not to share. May we all pray this for ourselves and our families today.  May Your love be "evident in every interaction, and joy be the common language that binds us together." "Be joyful always, pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks!"   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 God, I ask that You infuse our neighborhood with a spirit of love and joy, prompting us to cherish and care for one another. Let our community be a reflection of Your kingdom, where love and joy abound, and where each person is valued and celebrated. Use me as an instrument of Your joy, spreading positivity and light wherever I go. May my presence bring a sense of warmth and happiness, encouraging others to embrace the joy that comes from knowing You. Let our neighborhood be a place where Your love is evident in every interaction, and where joy is the common language that binds us toge...

BEElieve in the Lord Jesus!  It makes life so much more beautiful. "... if you confess with your mouth that   Jesus   is Lord   and   believe   in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will   be   saved." Romans 10:9 The text came..."I am in a really dark place.  Would you meet me and pray over me?" I found a small flashlight, a lantern and a candle as examples of how light overcomes darkness.  But then among them placed the most powerful tool for overcoming spiritual darkness ...a printed on a piece of paper with these verses. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.   Isaiah 9:2 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1:13 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. John 12:46 ...for you were formerly darkness...

Feeling alright when you are jumping off the pontoon on a Sunday night! We have a couple grandsons who prefer to sleep on the floor in our bedroom when they stay at Shiloh. One in particular who likes to have a pallet made and placed right on my side of the bed. Sunday night, after he was nestled onto a cozy blanket he looked up at me and said, "Mama Boo, Will you tell me a Bible story?" Y'all, it doesn't get any better than that. That morning the sermon was from Mark 12:41-44, the story of the widow's mite. First off, this sweet grandson learned some new vocabulary words. Widow, widower and tithe. Secondly, the story had me check my heart actions for that day as we reflected on the well known fact that God knows everything we do and he knows the condition of our hearts from which we do those things.  Lesson- the heart of the matter matters to God. 😉 "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a chee...

"Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;  he breaks out against all sound judgment.  A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,   but only in expressing his opinion.”  Proverbs 18: 1-2 "Tell the heavens   to tremble with fear!  You, my people, have sinned   in two ways— you have rejected me, the source   of life-giving water,  and you've tried to collect water  in cracked and leaking pits  dug in the ground."  Jeremiah 2:12-13 CEV  At first, I interpreted v. 13 to mean we have tried to collect water by trusting in  "crackpots." The definition of a crackpot  is "an eccentric or foolish person."  God tells us in Proverbs 18:15  An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,  and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. ...in the CEV Everyone with good sense  wants to learn. At the moment I was studying I realized our church's pastors were in their weekly staff meeting. These nin...

  Let the good times roll...in the shade when it's 100 degrees. Being at the lake with our grands is definitely a happy place of mine. This particular morning I skipped the trip to the Arcade and stayed home and dove into the Proverbs study I'm working through. Y'all, I was so excited to hear all the Lord was teaching me. God's Word thrills my heart. The wonderful thing about that is we will hear His Word for eternity. It will never get old or boring. The author of "Proverbs-Everyday Guidance" says that Proverbs 17 reads like the game "Would You Rather."  Definitely doing these with the grands today. "Would you rather share a meal of bread crust in a loving home or attend a delicious banquet guests?"  (v.1) "Would you rather receive a word of correction or have someone punch you 100 times?" (v.10) "Would you rather do life with a foolish friend or shake hands with an angry mama bear?" (v.12) Relationships are filled with...

Brotherly moments when our Minnesota son lands at the lake. Loving on an uncle. I've probably referenced the app, "PrayerMate" before.  On that app is a category titled "31 Things to Pray for Our Children."  #24 is... "Pray they would be secure and content in God's plan for the world and where they fit into it." Whew! In light of the events of July 13th we could use a sense of security. The only real security is our security in Christ which comes through what we are told in the scriptures. Bible Time Out...Read what Paul writes in Ephesians Chapter 1. It is true for believers today. Pray before you read and ask God to reveal any truths he wants to engrain more deeply in your heart. "To God's people who live in Ephesus and  are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.  I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace! Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessi...

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  2 Timothy 4:7 Being married to a college athlete, mother to two college athletes, an adopted grandmother to an NFL player, mother to an Army son and close friend to way too many cancer patients I really relate to this verse in the physical earthly arena. It's an Olympic year and my heart always aches for these athletes recognizing the sacrifices they and their families have made to get to this point. For those of us who love the Lord, we are able to relate to what Paul is saying concerning living with an enduring faith looking forward to the prize that awaits those in Christ. When our grands are attempting something, learning something new, that doesn't come easily they know I am going to sing, "Never, never, never give up. Just keep on striving, soon you'll be flying, if you never, never, never give up."  Then I add, "Let's pray!" At our church we are currently going thr...

The family of one of our son's showing off their ribbons from a stick horse competition in Tryon, NC Long legs were an asset! We do not choose the family in which we are born, God does. Waking up Sunday morning after watching the assassination attempt on President Trump, July 13th, my heart ached for Melania and all the Trump children. Likewise, as the families of all public figures.  They are thrown into the lime light, media mess, simply because of a family relationship over which they have no control. The word reflection  came to mind. There were a variety of definitions found for this noun. 1) One definition stated s piritually: "Reflective practices are a way for us to become aware of our own state of being. Mindful reflection brings us back to ourselves, allowing us to come closer to our own body, emotions, thoughts, and spirit." 2) Another stated: " The act of reflecting, as in casting back a light or heat, mirroring, or giving back or showing an image: the st...

While I love hosting cousin camps and keeping the grands so their parents can have getaways, my quiet time does suffer.  There's a lot of praying that goes on when accidents happen and hurts appear; when meals need to be blessed and thanks given for our day; and when powerful prayers come out at bedtime forbidding the enemy to frighten little ones staying away from their parents.  The "getting alone to listen time" is buffered from 6AM when the first little one crawls into our bed until 10PM when the last ones finally conk out after giving it their best shot to stay awake all night. These lyrics from God and Country's song "Lord I Need You" are so true... "God I need You round the clock." "You're the peace that reconciles." The Song "Lord I Need You" God and Country https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnruQgcZNg8

Reading Proverbs isn't quite as feel good as some Psalms such as 23 ... The   Lord   is   my   shepherd ; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores   my   soul. The First5.org study on Proverbs 12 asks some tough, search inward, questions. "Do we seek to live righteously because it pleases God...or because God's blessings please us?"  I go back to Paige Brown studies where she reiterates again and again..."It's the heart of the matter stupid."  We must constantly check our hearts. This particular study probes..."When a friend speaks hurtful words, do we respond with grace? (Proverbs 12:16) Or do we resent that God allowed us to be insulted? "Do we humbly accept that ' a good man obtains favor from the Lord' (v.2)? Or do we treat goodness like a bargaining chip: I did the right thing, so God owes me a favor? Let's ask ourselves today.. What is the basis of my relationship w...