Boojoyful

It's field hockey season and we are so thankful to be able to get to some of our granddaughter's games in VA Beach.  Me oh, my! This sport takes endurance, focus and courage! May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you   to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.  Romans 15:5 ESV   Our world needs to live in harmony with one another. I do not like controversy and my heart aches over the political and religious unrest that comes between people. I'm all for Danny Gokey's life principal..."Love God and love people."   The memory of 9/11 will be forever ingrained on my mind. So may lives lost and so many others forever changed. Another day that left me shell shocked was at 16 years old when   grandfather was murdered for money. Such a tragedy this week to see 31 year old Charlie Kirk shot and killed.  Our grandchildren who followed him are in disbelief that this could happen. This young man, who welcomed...

Beside Still Waters Here's a "there's got to be a God behind all this" story.   July 15th I wrote an entry on Boojoyful  called "Beside Still Waters" related to an April encounter I had at a women's class where unknowingly a woman and I sketched the same picture during a time of prayer. It was of a lake with mountains and I had written "Beside Still Waters" at the top of mine.    I felt very clearly that God was calling me to a new area of ministry that would happen beside still waters, but I was clueless as to when and what it would be.  Our home Shiloh is beside the waters of a mountain lake. In that entry I wrote: "The question now is how obedient will I be to follow through and seek what God is calling to happen beside still waters?  I've been dragging my feet."  Beside Still Waters entry https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8520198789929197912/9105759300350788904 Six days ago I was contacted to pray about a desperate need...

  I got snookered!  Our luggage is bedraggled and on Instagram I saw these hard case suitcases that come with bells and whistles....cup holder, easy open front section for computer/phone and even a built in phone/laptop charger.  And woot! there was $100 off Labor Day sale. The product arrived and there were no instructions as to how to power what I thought was a built in power bank.  To Google I went. Video after video showed this impressive luggage and how to plug in your phone, but not how to charge the suitcase. Finally, I found a video stating the deception in the advertising.  You have to purchase a separate battery pack.  Realizing I could go to TJMaxx and get a new suitcase for half the price I thought I'd send the cases I purchased back.  The video was still running and said, "If you are thinking you want to return the suitcase be sure you have read the fine print . You must make a request. The return must be made in 7 days.  You have to ...

US Open Tennis Trophy being engraved on site with the winner's name immediately following the match. The brain is mind boggling! (That sounded weird, but true.) Monday morning I said to my husband, "I just had the most vivid detailed dream of a place I visited 45-50 years ago!  It was a tiny silver shop, maybe in Georgetown, VA and I could see specific  items on the shelves. In the dream I was walking into this shop years later, but thinking, "Wait! I've been here before."  My mind remembered a curtained off area that smelled like tobacco and behind that sat a man engraving silver. While reflecting on this dream with my husband, the prompt for that dream hit us both at the same time! Sunday after the US Open Tennis Finals the camera showed a Tiffany's master engraver engraving the trophy on site! How did my brain bring all that back up?  What we place into our minds is important. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your ha...

  A good place. Have you ever said to someone,  "Sorry, I am not in a good place right now." Or maybe the flip phrase, has crossed your lips.  "Hey come on in. I'm in a good place."  One day I asked a grocery store cashier if I could pray for her. She replied, "No, I am good." The day I was writing this devotional I was in a beautiful place sitting alone by a bay of huge windows looking out over a pool. I was reading the next to the last day entry of The Passion Code  by O.S. Hawkins where he poses this challenge. "Today, fix your thoughts not on who you are, or what you are, or why you are, but on where you are." Whew! We spend lots of time pondering the first three aspects of our lives (who, what, why), but not as much on  where  we are in Christ.  I just closed my eyes and thought of places the disciples were with Jesus. Even in the storms they were good because they were with Him. John chapter 14 is so rich, so comforting, so informative....

Our pastors at a recent lake baptism where 62 people were baptized in Smith Mt Lake! Chatting with a high school girl about her summer work experience in the food industry, I asked what were some unusual things she encountered.  One was being asked by a women to announce her pregnancy in the restaurant as a surprise to her husband. The high schooler said she'd do it if she promised a good tip. 😉 Smart girl. The other was a guy giving his name for an order. He said his name was Jesus. That got me thinking. Why would someone name their child Jesus?  In the "Got Questions" article below it mentions Bible references of people who did not believe in Jesus, but tried using his name like a good luck charm. This article also addresses how we are to pray in Jesus' name. "It is in Jesus' name that God instructs us to pray (John 16:23-24).  Believers are invited to pray in Jesus' name with an expectation that God answers prayers (John 14:13-14). Praying in Jesus...

  A very dear friend from Fort Myers, Florida was watching the sunrise (in the photo below) on her lanai with her husband and sent me the photo below. A few moments later she took a photo of the clouds in the above photo. Do you see the two people?  Looks like one is kneeling at the feet of Jesus and he is laying his hand on their head. Our daughter said, "And there is a swan on the right sneaking up on them!" And a pelican on his perch. In some round about way the friend who sent these photos started reading Boojoyful over 20 years ago. Back then it went out by email. She lived at Hilton Head at the time and read where I would be visiting my sister there at her home with a group of my friends to celebrate my 50th birthday. Having never met me, just knowing me from writing about day to day life, she invited me to bring the whole group to her home for a birthday luncheon. Ever since then she has been encouraging me to keep on keeping on for the Lord. She turned 80n this year. ...

This one is always doing something that makes us chuckle. Often I reflect on how tender, yet intuitive, God has created a mother's heart. It aches for her children. We know the impact grief has on the human heart. Jesus shares in our humanity. In the olive grove called Gethsemane with Peter, James, and John the Bible describes Jesus as "deeply troubled and distressed". Mark 14:34 says he told the disciples My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death . We know He understands our heartache and suffering. John Eldredge says this about Jesus' emotions in  Restoration Year "I'm sure chipmunks made him laugh. The Pharisees sure made him furious. He felt joy, weakness, sorrow." Today, I want to thank God for how he created laughter  and the healing factors that accompany the emotion. We were filled with laughter; and sang for joy.   Psalm 126:2 NLT My husband and I laugh a lot and I pray that continues as the aging process causes the days get tougher.  ...

  Beside Still Waters on Smith Mt Lake Back in the Spring I share I sensed the Lord calling me to a new ministry called Beside Still Waters .  One of the main focuses is to give people a place to pause and be away from distractions and seek the Lord. Every night before my husband falls asleep he recites Psalm 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. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me...   Cody Carnes' songs "Nothing Else" and "Firm Foundation" are perfect theme songs for this ministry. "I'm not here for blessings.  Jesus you don't owe me anything...I just want you. Nothing else will do...I just want to sit here by your feet." Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it la...

This little one attending his brother's varsity high school cross country practice  and taking the challenge to run!   Revive Our Heart ministry has a wonderful variety of "Challenges" on their site. https://www.reviveourhearts.com/challenges/?srsltid=AfmBOoossotXVVhhEmHmGhAL4vrQC3MZRYvLz75MZTzjtIVoT3uUfIUy With "Back to School" upon us, I embarked on the 10 day challenge to pray for your grandchildren. One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. —Psalm 145:4 Consider sending or giving a note to your children/grandchildren.  This is what I wrote. Dear ________, With this new school year underway I am praying for all the friends you will make, the teachers you will have and the new things you will learn.   I thanked God for the love and intention he put into creating you.   He has a specific plan for your life. He rejoices over you and delights in how uniquely He made you and I do too! Today I took time to go back throu...

These frames belonged to be precious grandmother who infested in my life with joy. I few years ago I had new lenses placed in them to fit my needs. Now as I look at them I think of all the things in our two lives that have been seen through these glasses and all the things Grandmama now sees in heaven.   An out of state girlfriend was visiting for a few days and sharing what she had been learning about the Lord in this season of life.  She posed the question that had been a six week series at her church called "Who is Jesus to You?"  Each week a different person from their congregation shared testimony on who Jesus was to them. Posing that question to myself my immediate thought is He is my All in All .  The next thought was Jesus is my go before. From the moment of my conception He has gone before whatever was next in my life. Then John 14:1-3 came to mind! Jesus said to his disciples, "Don't be worried!  Have faith in God and have faith in me.  Ther...

Joyce and a G.R.I.T.S. sister strolling through a garden. Just think we will do that in heaven. Yesterday, I shared about the passing of a friend. I wish I had gotten these verses and the instrumental music in "The Song" below to her husband to play for her at the hospital. The music goes on for over an hour, but in my 10 minute time out with the Lord I was able to listen and record these 10 verses.  For me, as a visual learner, writing scripture places it more deeply into my mind and heart.  You might want to record these in a journal while you listen to the music. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of His faithful people. Psalm 149:1  You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.   Psalm 22:3    For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your work; at the works of Your hands I sing for joy.   Psalm 92:4 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious .  Psalm 66:1-2 Let them praise H...

  A fellow Girl Raised in the South , who is now with Jesus. Here at Smith Mt Lake there is a group called the SML G.R.I.T.S. "Girls Raised in the South."  We gather once a month to celebrate our commonalities like enjoying front porch sitting, catching lighting bugs, sweet tea and pearls.  One of our members passed away this week and the group's president asked me to write a prayer that might bring us comfort. Heavenly Father,  Your Word tells is to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks” (1 Thes. 5:16-18).  In our humanness we find that some days are harder than others to do that, for you created us with hearts that love and thus grieve in loss.  By faith, we rejoice because of Your love for us and the gift of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection power.  We also rejoice in the hope of heaven in Hebrews 13:14 which tells us that “This world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven.”  I ...

       Making memories. Your grandfather giving you some backyard coaching. These cool mornings remind us that fall is approaching. They hold such a blessing as I sit  outside on our screened porch with Jesus and the minutes turn quickly to hours. While asking God for wisdom to pass along to our grands who currently on school athletic teams the Serenity Prayer came to mind. According to Wikipedia, it was originally composed by Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the early 1930s. It was used by the YWCA and then in the 40's adopted by AA. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This is what I emailed the grands: As athletes (and humans) it is so important to be able to pack away mistakes that were made (for at that moment, nothing can be done) and proceed to carry out the next task in the game at hand to the best of our ability.   But then as ...

Our #22 enjoying a sweet victory moment with the season's first touchdown. Such a blessing to have a friend who can lift you up! Matthew records in chapter 24 Jesus's teachings on the signs of the end times. He says, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." The Bible is filled with the records of many devastating wars. Judges 7:1-22 Is quite an exciting story of God's provision when He calls Israel to fight the Midianites.  If you've never read it, check it out. Priscilla Shirer has a quote that exudes a powerful remembrance for us when battles come. "We are not fighting  for victory.  We are fighting  from victory.   Station yourself in a  place of victory.  Claim what God has already given you." Whew! Amen. Judges 7:9  That night the Lord said to Gideon, "Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp,   for I have given you victory over t...