Boojoyful

Praying for four grandchildren with sporting events this particular week,  I felt the Lord say, “ Tell them to keep their heads on.”   Hmm, was that meant literally or figuratively. This is what I sent. Looking for verses about keeping your head about you, what first came up was the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling.  “ If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you ... If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,” It reflects timeless Biblical principles like perseverance and humility. The line, ‘If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs,’ brings to mind Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds. Here’s another great verse for this week’s games. But I want you to keep your head no matter what happens.  Don’...

Living in America Here's a sneak it in on Sunday! November 4th is election day in Virginia.  Below is a compilation of prayers for such a time as this that a group of women are getting together at Shiloh to pray over. The 12 Points of Prayer at the end were on a card our church passed out before the 2024 election.  Thought you might want to file these away for the future. Election Prayers Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Pray for candidates to seek God’s guidance.     Dear Lord, thank You that we have government representatives who believe Your truth. Remind them to seek Your guidance as they make decisions that affect our country and world. Send them godly wisdom and good counselors. And give election candidates the strength to choose...

A sassy, fall, maple tree near the front door of Shiloh. Do you enjoy passing along to others things that brighten a day and bring you joy? Here's one of those things for me. The Bless Every Home App is an excellent tool that guides you in ways to pray for your neighbors.  When you put in your address, it sends you the names and addresses of your neighbors and allows you to customize how many days a week you want to receive a list and how many people you want to pray for.  Then on those days it sends you a fabulous prayer to pray. The Bless Every Home App  https://app.blesseveryhome.com Currently, they have added a new opportunity called "The 21 Day Challenge." This email includes a video and prayer to encourage you in the "loving your neighbors" process. HA!  Being the neighbors of Shiloh can probably be a challenge. I'm hoping we have a neighbor doing this for us!  Add us on to your list! Here are a couple examples.  Day 4  https://app.blesseveryhom...

  Missing the Shiloh butterflies.This one would sit next to me on the dock and even lit on my shoe for quite awhile. Digging into Day 4 of CBS  this week landed us in Ephesians 6:13- 17 and remembering the importance of putting on the armor of God. Dressing in the suggested spiritual armor shields us from the "Devil darts" that fly about everyday.  Upon finishing the lesson I started to put on an audio book while I was getting ready for church, but felt the Spirit saying, “Why don’t you listen to praise music instead.” Clicking on the contemporary Christian genre on Pandora and I was in for a blessing that truly enhanced what we have been studying.  Check out these songs!     The song choices God sent me were so much better than my audio book. The last three were totally new to me.  If you are just going to do one, go with “Father, Let it Be”  These lyrics had to have come from the Psalms. “This is Our God” Phil Wickham    https://www.yo...

  Fall in Minnesota I have no clue what I was even listening to when I heard this quote on my phone.. . "In the screen world participation is optional." The program was talking about how with the swipe of a finger or the click of a mouse, we quickly make the choice what we want to land on. My husband and I reflected on how, when doing research for a school paper, we had to be driven to the library, search through the card catalog and then comb the shelves to see if the book we needed was checked "in" or "out."   How many of you remember these on a shelf at your home?  They were so heavy!   Nowadays, you can click on article after article until you find one that agrees with your viewpoint. Back to the quote I heard... "In the screen world participation is optional."   The other point being made was that so many people find no need to interact with others, just with their screen.  That is not how we were created to exist. In the garden God said, ...

  What are things that are good to be firm?  HA! I googled this and the first page was filled with plastic surgery options for sagging skin.  I'll hold to what one of our grandchildren said to me, "Mama Boo, I like you.  You are squishy. "💗  In response to the question I was thinking more along the lines of a mattress, relationship, business deal, vacation plans, the way I order my bananas and avocados on click list, etc. What brought me to the place of perusing "firm" things was my husband reading Isaiah 26:3 over me. The   Lord   gives perfect peace   to those whose faith is firm.  Isaiah 26:3 Put me on a Bosu balance ball and I will waiver, well maybe wobble would be more accurate. I'd like to say, "But my faith doesn't waiver."  Sleepless nights and worrisome thoughts point to the truth that I'm not exhibiting an Isaiah 26:3 life. And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that...

  Rodney the referee! Yesterday, I wrote about clarity  related to the weekly encouragement I've been sending some high school athletes. One category I try to include each week in my encouragement to them is "accepting things in the world of sports we cannot change."  The weather, injuries, coaches, 0pponents, etc. This particular week it was the  referees. That word went incredibly well with the word clarity  God had placed   on my mind. What happened under those "Friday Night Lights"  made me laugh out loud and strengthened my faith as far as believing God is in the details. After a play, chaos ensued on the field and 3 flags went flying in 3 different locations. The game announcer stated that never in his career calling high school or college games had he seen 6 referees circle up and take so long conferring.  You could see the lead official scribbling away as he took notes on each ref's observations.  I exclaimed, "Lausy, lausy, they...

A spectacular pop of pink in our daughter's yard! The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130   What are you perfectly clear on these days?  I'm clear that God wants me focussing on the word clarity.  It has  popped up in various ways everyday for week!  He has my attention.   Googling the definition a couple things caught my eye. Clarity is "the state of having a full, detailed, and orderly mental grasp of something." "We can have clarity of purpose, clarity of plan and clarity of responsibility." Bingo! That was perfect wisdom to pass on to some high school athletes I like to encourage.  I wrote, "Your purpose is to try to win.  Your coach lays out a plan and then each team member carries out their responsibility to the best of their ability.  So, I am praying for total clarity for each player as they discern their role in each play call."  On the flip side I read an article by...

  Realizing I had lost my Apple watch, I called and left a message at the spa where I had just had a massage asking them to please look and see if I had left it there.  When I returned home, I realized that morning I had washed my hair in the kitchen sink and placed it on the counter. The sweet receptionist called the next day to say she had looked and couldn't find it. I thanked her for checking and told her I had found it, Then I explained that when you get old there are lots of times you can't remember what you done and sometimes that can be fun and for the best!  She laughed. We often say, "I can forgive you, but not forget what you did to me."  Hallelujah that is not God's kind of forgiveness. I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.  Jeremiah 31:34   God doesn't just forgive. When we come to him in a spirit of repentance He chooses not to remember. Thank You, Jesus. May we treat others the way you treat us. The Song "...

  You are probably familiar with the visual of putting rocks (representing the important things in your day) in a container first and then pouring sand (the smaller more insignificant things) in last.  The other way around they wouldn't fit for the sand would fill up the jar. In a discussion with a group of friends I brought up how quickly we are to recall the negative things (let's use rocks) in our lives. The hurts, losses, betrayals, trials and the disappointments.  It saddened me that those come to mind more quickly than all the little joys (let's use grains of sand). The times of laughter, hugs, kisses, celebrations, hand holds, loved ones accomplishments, life's mile stones from first steps to first jobs. The gift of each breath we take. Opening some old photo albums I looked at happy memory after after memory. (We tend to not photograph the disappointments, but they are filed indelibly in our minds.) Taking a  glass vase I poured in 1,000's of grains of sands...

Getting side tracked can be a God thing. My detour landed me in the wisdom of Corrie ten Boom, who lived through the unimaginable horror of a Nazis concentration camp.  If you have never read  The Hiding Place , by Corrie ten Boom, put it on your family's bucket list. Clicking on this link of Corrie quotes was a blessing.   https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/40-powerful-quotes-from-corrie-ten-boom.html The first two quotes were the perfect encouragement for a several families we know facing ferocious illnesses. "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.  Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." "Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible." These next ones of Corrie's are for those of us with wounded hearts, longing for healing and restoration of relationships. "Do you know what hurts so very much? It's love.  Love is the strongest force in the w...