Boojoyful

  When children walk into a room containing gifts under a Christmas tree they tend to gravitate to that spot and put on their "snoop."  The wrapping of presents can be a chore or well accepted creative challenge. We have a daughter in law whose love language is giving. She wraps gifts with a gorgeous flare.  I used to let each grandchild select their own wrapping paper for their gifts. Now at my age and with 14 grandchildren to shop for, I'm just wanting to use up all the leftover paper or better yet, pop the gifts in a bag. For the out of town grands,  most gifts come in a cardboard Amazon box with hopes their parents will wrap them. A really fun friend shared a Christmas tradition of wrapping their four children's gifts in white paper and each child had a specific ribbon color on their gifts. The presents weren't under the tree, but hidden around the house to be hunted Christmas morning! The words of Jennifer Kennedy Dean once again captivate me. She writes abou...

Just as these children didn't know what was inside their packages we cannot know the ways of God. LOL while the chaos of unwrapping occurred, we had a miniature bottle brush Christmas tree caper in our midst. See the tiny blonde in the bottom of the photo. She had a blast absconding with these decorations from the bowl in the middle of the coffee table. My husband and I recently had a discussion that left us both realizing we have no clue of all of God's ways. Our minds cannot begin to grasp the magnitude of who God is.. Omnipotence - God is all powerful. Omnipresence - God is everywhere. Omnibenevolent - God is all loving. Omniscience - God is all knowing Psalm 145:3  You are wonderful, Lord, and you deserve all praise, because you are much greater than anyone can understand. The word contemplate came to mind. Definition: to look at thoughtfully for a long time. This side of heaven we will never stop contemplating the ways of God, because we will never figure them out. He know...

Half of the Andrews made it here for Christmas Eve Although my January snowmen decorations are screaming to be let out of their boxes, I'm not quite ready to pack up Christmas. I want a few days to sit with my man beside the tree ,with the fire burning, listening to Christmas music, looking at the lights with my Bible open on my lap. We do not get to plan all our days though, God handles that and often the plan includes trails that include interruptions and even trials. James starts off in chapter 1:2-4 CEV telling us... My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know you learn to endure by having your faith tested.  But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. I'm back to thinking about Mary. Her faith had to mature at a rapid rate! She had this unexpected, miracle pregnancy and birthed the baby Jesus in a stable. Then before he was two years old there is another angel encounter. Billy Graham wrote... ...

  From the cradle to the cross. You know the song lyric "What child is this?," well each morning this week my husband has turned to me and said, "What day is this?" Christmas on a Wednesday just seems weird.  At our Christmas Eve service I found a 5 year old girl hiding behind one of our big doors to the worship center that was propped open. I squatted down and said, "Well, hello. What kind of fun is happening back here?" She said, "It's not Sunday, why are we here?"  Yesterday, we left the house while it was still dark to make the rounds to three of our children's homes to see the excitement of Christmas.  After breakfasting with one family a little grandaugter said to me, "Will you take me to an indoor playground?" (We had just visited the Chick Fil A playground the week before.) I explained on this special day where we celebrate the birth of Jesus  most all schools, businesses,  stores and restaurants close so people can be w...

On the right, our six year old grandson is playing a wiseman in his school's  Christmas program. Having given birth six times I have a lot of compassion for women in labor. I ask the women at church to let me know when they go into labor so I can be praying for them. So on this Christmas Eve my thoughts go to Mary in labor on a DONKEY!  That's way beyond a "Bless her heart!" May today and tomorrow allow you time to BEHOLD God's amazing plan to save the world. Love to each of you who read Boojoyful and encourage me to stay plugged into what God is doing. Listening to the songs below related to the word "Behold" set me on a hunt as to what the word really means. From various Google sources... " Behold  is used 1,298 times in the King James version of the Bible. It is derived from the Greek word 'eido,' which has the literal translation of: be sure to see.  Or as I like to think of it — don't miss this."  " Behold for the Christi...

  The Hotel Roanoke's elegant Christmas decorations. Many times in my life I've called out "Come Holy Spirit come and fill me up."  It just hit me while reading Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found  to be with child from the Holy Spirit. That was a very different filling of the Holy Spirit that came upon Mary. Mary had to empty herself of all the plans she thought she had for her future and take this life long journey with Jesus all the way to the cross. When we want to be filled with the Holy Spirit we have to make room for him, by first emptying ourselves. Recently, we asked a young woman at our church if she would share her testimony at an upcoming luncheon. Her response, "Thank you for asking me. I've been asking the Lord to use me. I want to be an empty vessel ready to be filled up for his purpose and glory ." Michael Youssef is ...

Some Christmas lights in Bordeaux, France where our sweet daughter, Jiewon, lives. Here are links to some Christmas songs for your Saturday. Sing with Joy to the Lord.   https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/christmas-carols-that-give-worship-to-jesus.html https://allendalebaptist.org/christmas-carols-theology

Being in full time ministry positions you to hear some very tragic stories. It requires keeping confidences, which can be a heavy load that must be laid at the feet of Jesus.  The other night I told my husband my eyes were obviously getting old, because they were aching. Maybe they are aching because they've about popped out of my head at some of things I've heard recently. If my neck starts hurting I know it's from all the head shaking I've been doing in disbelief over the way people treat one another. It's the middle of the night I awakened and couldn't get back to sleep. Tis the season for checking our list and having a lot on our minds.  My mind ran to some of the heartache stories I've listened to in the past couple weeks.  Then the Lord said this, "It could have been you."  Whoa. The mother weeping tears over her son who is a meth addict, another sitting in a hospital room rocking her child just diagnosed with cancer. The bedraggled homeless ...

  December is a month filled with invitations. Office parties, Sunday school parties, school holiday programs and the list goes on. But we have an indescribable daily invitation to come into the presence of Jesus and be nurtured. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.   James 4:8 When our six children were growing up we started a tradition during the school year of gathering in our bedroom, still in pajamas, for morning Bible study.   It was an excellent habit to form. The "Boojoyful" weekly devotional is a great catalyst to keep me in that habit, as well as being part of formal weekly group study. Listen to Jesus' words in  John 7:38 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, “If you are thirsty, come to me and drink!   Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say.”    There is plenty to be doing  this Christmas season, but le...

A group of women we call "The Princess Warriors"gathered for our monthly time of praise and prayer. Do you have a grace meter? You know, a scale upon which you determine to whom you will offer grace. As a grandmother, I am QUICK to offer grace to those precious lives.  As a pastor's wife, ladling out grace and forgiveness among our congregants is part of the job description. Okay, as children of God it's an expectancy  in all situations. Already, this month as a pastor and his wife, we have been part of what should be three of the top times of coming together as family in joy. In each case "Bah humbug" has surfaced and we have seen family members involved in a wedding, several funerals and holiday gatherings become victim to crushing hurts from loved ones. Why is spreading grace and joy so difficult for us? As Bible teacher, Paige Brown says, "It's the heart stupid."  We react in the flesh and the selfish sin nature of our hearts brings out som...

How blessed to have a Christian dance company in your community! Train up a child.... When someone catches a moment of you being in awe of your adult son. We've just returned for a chilly, but delightful visit in Minnetonka, MN with one of our son's and his family. Many of you have been praying for over a year and a half for this son who has battled chronic pain that has stumped the medical community. Doctors have done PT, injections and even painful surgery, but the issue is not resolved. It breaks this mama's heart to see him suffer. He cannot sit, but still whistles while he works at his standing desk, leads Boy Scouts, coaches his son's basketball team and even stood through his daughter's 2 hour Nutcracker performance. Please continue to pray for healing as they seek more answers. There is a huge sound variance between the five acres of Shiloh and a major metropolitan city.  Flying out of RDU started with a bang! We arrived early and for 2 hours listened to jac...