Boojoyful

  This December I am heightening my attempt to slow the pace and be intentional to make space for cherished relationships.  One of my challenges is to schedule in Christmas "story time" with children of all ages! Sunday night I sat by the tree with a seven year old and we took turns reading the pages of  Kate DiCamillo's Great Joy . I don't want to give away the story, but the emphasis is on the young protagonist who TAKES NOTICE of someone else and INVITES them in. That is a challenge I have given myself.  May I be a person who takes time, to TAKE NOTICE of others and INVITE them in...be it to our home, to our church, to an event taking place in our community, or maybe just into a restaurant for a cup of cheer. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."  Luke 2:10 Spread Great JOY! The Song "Joy to the World" From The Chosen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vnB8xAqzjE

Somehow, in previous years, I've missed the blessing of today's song, " Emmanuel" which came out seven years ago on Hannah Kerr's album called "Christmas Eve in Bethlehem." Emmanuel, God with us is actually a mind boggling concept. For today's devotional, read the lyrics below before you listen to the song and select the lyrics that give you pause. "He was not the opne we thought would come. We were looking for a King, but He didn't come in glory. The Author of the oceans and the sun , still he chose to be written in our story so He could fill our flesh and blood and we could know His love. Chorus Emmanuel, a manger for a bed, no crown upon His Head. He came like us instead. Emmanuel, He meets you where you are. He holds your heavy heart. Our God is with us all. Emmanuel, Emmanuel. It was no mistake that He arrived lost without a home, helpless as a baby.  So, if we're feeling lost in our own lives we are not along. He had felt the sa...

  Over the wing airplane photo shot of the heavens. The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. Psalm 19:1 And yesterday's verse again You have been raised with Christ.  Now set your heart on what is in heaven ,  where Christ rules at God's right side.   Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. Colossians 3:1-2 I never gave a lot of thought about what is in heaven until I read Randy Alcorn's   book,  Heaven.  At my age I admit I think about it, even long for it, a whole lot more.    As we boarded a flight recently and flew up above the clouds, I shared with my   husband how I wished God gave us an approximate earthly departure date upon our  arrival to earth.   Yes, Psalm 90:10 gives us a hint and I know God's timing is nothing like ours...  We can expect seventy years, or maybe eighty, if we are healthy, but even our best years bring t...

This screen shot is from a sorting game I play on my phone.  I'm using it to represent the four chambers of the heart and a thought challenge of what we put in our hearts. What is your heart most full of? Football, food, and family, there's been a lot of that for most people this past week. Add to that travel time for some and much needed napping for others. Then the gears switched to decorating and shopping for Christmas, which brought about the need for more napping. Where does time for Jesus to fill your heart fit in? Colossians 3:1-2 says,   You have been raised with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God's right side.  Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. Let's make a commitment to give Jesus several parts of each day in December.  Realize He is present and just waiting for the opportunity to speak to our hearts and possibly clean them up a bit.   Consider making a December journal of ...

  Chilly and snowy on the outside, but warm and welcoming on the inside of this sweet home. Well, I could just stay all day in John chapter 17 and bask in the love of Jesus' prayer to our heavenly Father. I chose the ERV translation.  Take time to read the whole thing, but verses 13-19 brought me to remember that we are called, sanctified, set apart for God's service. "I am coming to you now. But I pray these things while I am still in the world.  I say all this so that these followers can have the true happiness that I have.  I want them to be completely happy. I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them, because they don't belong to the world, just as I don't belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One . They don't belong to the world, just as I don't belong to the world.  Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I ha...

Praying Paul's prayer for you this Thanksgiving For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to   be strengthened with power through his Spirit  in your inner being, so that   Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith —that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may   have strength to comprehend with all the saints   what is the breadth and length and height and depth,  and   to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge , that you may   be filled with all the fullness of God .  Now to   him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think ,  according to the power at work within us... Ephesians 3:14-20 Song "Thank You for the Cross"- Tauren Wells https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj0TRkV- j4o&list=RDLj0TRkV-...

  We gifted these two grands with magnetic buddy socks! These smiles increased my joy. God has lots to say about JOY in his Word ! "The joy of the Lord is your strength."  Nehemiah 8:10 Years ago, 1994, I read an excellent take on where our joy comes from by John Piper. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/where-does-joy-come-from Nibble on what Piper says here: "What is extraordinary about Paul is how unbelievably durable his joy was when things weren’t going well. For example:   “I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction ” ( 2 Corinthians 7:4 ). Or “ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake ” ( Colossians 1:24 ). Where did this come from? First of all it was taught by Jesus: “Blessed are you when men hate you ...   Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven ” ( Luke 6:22-23 ). Troubles for Jesus compound your interest in heaven—which last a lot longer than earth." Real joy comes from the love God has poured out over...

This was the view from a pew during the beautiful celebration of life service for a friend's beloved father. Sweet Friends,  This devotional below came in my inbox via FaithGateway and is so powerful.  Way too many of you are dealing with deep grief in a variety of forms or praying for loved ones walking in grief. For some of you this is the first holiday season without a beloved person for various reasons and that comes with so many longings. Every Christmas I long for my Daddy to let me help him once again put the silver tinsel on the tree…one piece at a time😂🎄 There is a healing challenge at the end of this devotional. I am praying that this brings you  comfort. Reading this will make some of you sob, but Jesus will grab your tears and put them in a bottle. You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.   You have recorded each one in your book.  Psalm 56:8 Love and prayers, Boo The Dance of Grief and Grati...

The Shiloh heron is contemplating winter. He hangs out here everyday. Recapping a day of Community Bible study I emailed this to the women in my core group, whom I call the "Sweet Psalmsters ."  Your sharing truths and things God has revealed in Psalms 19 and 139 was a blessing to us all.   I’ve never thought of the sky as a big blue tent for the sun, but I will always see it that way now. It is impossible for us to comprehend the vastness of Creation. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun... Psalm 19:14 "Their" is referencing the two things that speak to the greatness of God. The heavens (Creation) declare the glory of God, while the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.  Both are silent testimonies. No megaphone or microphone needed. If you don't come to know God through his Word, then creation alone speaks to how majestic He is! As for the nearness of God, listen t...

My CBS mug shot. Do you bargain with God? I find myself doing this when shopping, even at Dollar General.  "Lord, if you approve of this purchase have it be under $10." Then I look at the tag. 🤣 Well, I've been doing that with posting these devotionals.  The morning I was writing this I had just tossed and turned a lot during the night attempting to justify an exit plan or at least hit the pause button on Boojoyful through the holidays. When I was honest about why I wanted to quit, the reasons were all about me. Fear of what others think was at the top of the list and a concern of being tracked was another.  In 26 years of writing I'd never thought about who was reading, with the exception of close friends who email or text about something I've said.  I didn't even know you could see where your readers were from and when I saw the chart listing the USA in 4th place of where the Boojoyful readers are located that made me leery.  With my exit speech laid out I ...

  People for centuries have tried to figure out how to get to God.  Christianity differentiates itself from all the other religions in the world in that it doesn't require human effort to get to God, but it's the grace of God coming to us. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him."  Revelation 3:20 God not only comes to us with an invitation, he has formatted a way to be with us; for us; and in us.  We just have to RSVP with a "yes." God with us.   And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:12 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." John 14:23 God for us. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.  Exodus 14:14 God in us.  You, are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God's Spirit, who lives in you. People who don't...

Proud of #2 for being ready to step in and lead his team to victory last Sunday. Excited for these two young leaders to be named captains next year! “Your giant wakes you up with words of worry and talks more trash than what you   hear on the basketball court.... Face your giants you stumble. Focus on God your giants tumble."   Max  Lucado In the 14 munute video below  (instead of a song today)    Lucado teaches that David took five stones with him to face Goliath. #1 Stone of remembering the past.            David remembered the strength God had given him  against lions and bear.   Remember his miracles and all his wonders and his fair decisions. I Chronicles 16:12 #2 Stone of Prayer Be good to me, God- and now I’ve run to you for dear life. I’m hiding out under your wings until the hurricane blows over. I call out to High God-the God who holds me together . Psalm 57:1-2 God will keep in perfect peace all ...

  Thank you to the women in our church who cooked and set up for a wonderful Thanksgiving feast to feed our SENTry group as they gathered to sign up to bring "Christmas Joy" to children in our county. This is coordinated by our Sheriff's Department. Our phones can suck the life out of us. While they are a great convenience, they also are an enormous distraction and temptation. I don't even want to go down that rabbit hole with that discussion. Most days, I start by saying "Good morning Lord, what's in store for today?" But before I listen to Him, I grab my phone and check my messages before posting "Boojoyful."  The intent after that is to turn on praise music and start my Jesus time, but dang that phone can grab my attention and the next thing I know an hour has passed. On this particular day there was only one urgent message to attend to and I quickly went to praise music and there was my much needed reminder in the song title "First Thi...

Our red tips are showing off a brilliant pop of fall color.  The deer have devoured the bottom half of these tasty shrubs. Up doing the middle of the night thing, which seems to be a normal occurrence when you get older, I opened Jesus Calling.  The entry title was "As You Look at the Day." It was 3AM on a Sunday morning and the first line read, "As you look at the day before you, you see a twisted, complicated path, with branches going off in all directions.  You wonder how you can possibly find your way through the maze."   I chuckled because that describes Sunday mornings for us as a pastor and his wife. It's unbelievable what all goes down on a Sunday morning.  Stop right now and pray for the pastors and their families at your church. For that matter, we have a BIG God. Let's pray for God's stamina, guidance and protection over all those in ministry. Yes, I am always with you, you hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and after...