Boojoyful

  These photos are of our oldest grandson and his little brother (the one who at 5 years old was bitten by a copperhead and four days later a pit bull chewed his face to pieces). These were taken a couple years later when I asked them to pose for these photos. We all know someone, it might even be us, who has needed to be carried at some point.  In the first photo the wounded one seems lifeless, but there is hope that comes from being lifted up by a brother who loves and Lord and points us to hope.  That kind of love allows us to hold on and look forward. One of our church campuses hosts what is called "Recovery Church" on Tuesday nights at 6:30 PM.   Location: 110 Hilltop Drive, Rocky Mt, VA  The seats are filled with people of all ages and backgrounds who are looking for hope and help related to addictions and the struggles that brings.   The One who brings hope, the One who covers us with his wings is Jesus. Is there someone God has on your hea...

A friend bestowed a beautiful bouquet of flowers upon me for my birthday. Fresh flowers brighten up any space. Later in the week, I looked at the vase to see that the water had become very murky.  The flowers still appeared lovely, but underneath things didn't look as good. Rinsing out the vase and putting in fresh water I realized that happens to us sometimes.  We can dress up, spruce up our hair, put on a smile and make a lovely appearance, but if our hearts have gotten murky we may be in need of a refresh.  And that refresh starts with a heart attitude that praises the Lord and pours in God's Word. It is estimated that 1,968 years ago Paul pinned these words of refreshment for Jewish and Gentile believers alike and they are still a soothing balm to us today.  May they feel like a blanket right out of the dryer to your soul. I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit ...

  One of our daughter in laws posted this "post Christmas" photo on IG 💕 One of our sons owns a construction company and his favorite way to destress from the overload is to go to the bottom of the ocean where no one can reach him. Now that stresses me out while he's on these dive trips, but he's very respectful and texts me at the end of the day saying, "I'm up!" Moses had a lot on his leadership plate.  In Exodus 33:12-14 we find him conversing with God over this leadership position. He's basically saying, "Would you let me know who is going to help me lead all these people?"  Let's be real. Every mother has felt that way.   Look what God says to Moses: My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. The CEV translation says: I will give you peace. Hmm, when we have peace we can rest right? David was an excellent caller outer to God.  Have you ever had the mindset David does in the Psalm below?  I'll be honest, I was righ...

Enjoying the spoils of a birthday treasure hunt this weekend. We are known for treasure hunts here at Shiloh and I always want the treasure to be found! As a grandparent, when I play hide and seek with the grands I want to be found and let them feel that they have accomplished a victory!   God wants the reality of Jesus, Our Savior, to be found by everyone of his creations. If you search for Me with all your heart you will find Me. Jeremiah 29:13 When attending the inquiry class at our church, where we explain what the church believes, my heart thrills at the honest response of people who say, "I'm not certain what I believe, but I am searching." Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find.  Knock, and the door will be opened for you.  Everyone who asks will receive.  Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Would any of you give your hungry child a stone, if the child asked for bread?  Would you give yo...

  A young woman, whom I call one of my extras  (someone I love like I love my own children), asked me to pray that God would make her a better wife. She shared she is blown away with the depth of love her husband showers over her even when she  becomes impatient, grumbling when he neglects to do small things like immediately put a trash bag in the can he's just emptied.    She, being an introvert, had asked me to pray for her to be able to pray out loud. Challenging herself, she picked up Stormie Omartian's daily prayer guide The Power of a Praying Wife  and prayed "Day One" out loud to her husband. The next week when I saw her she, with tears dripping down her cheeks, she said, "Let me read this and show you what God did."  Whew! Are you kidding me? Sometimes God's answers in very specific ways. Let's give Him the glory for the great things he does. The prayer: "Lord, help me to be a good wife. I fully realize that I don't have what it take...

A very talented church member hand dyes silk ribbons. The angel in the photo is one of her silk creations.  This angel  will hang in my kitchen year round as a reminder of the goodness of God, one being that there are angels encamped around us. I don't think they look like this though. At age four, one of our grandsons said this concerning an angel he saw at his home, "He was BIGGER than the house!" Once again, I've printed off something worth repeating but have no idea where or when I came across these words of wisdom, so forgive me. They are great survival tips. " 1. Get to know God’s purpose for the troubles in your life. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us . Romans 5:3-5 2. F orm the habit of finding God everywhere that there is...

These children took tea lights to light the path of a home where a young father had passed away in a tragic accident. You are never to young to be the light of Christ to a hurting world. This year ahead may hold hardships, but let’s remember this article  Grace Valentine wrote: "F our Truths to Remember About God's Strength" 1. God's strength is available to us if we simply call on Him. 2. God is already in the future we are worried about.  His Word can give us wisdom and remind us good things are coming. 3.  Trouble is promised in this broken world. But God uses all things for our good and His glory. So even on our worst day, we can trust He is working, even it we don't understand how until heaven. 4.  Our trial can become our testimony. We serve a God of redemption who can redeem our past years and this year. I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up!  I ha...

Some recent snow views from Shiloh. Here is part of the email I referenced yesterday in Scriptural Prayers #1 My sweet younger sisters in Christ,  ...we are commanded to pray for our leaders and the needs of our nation.   1 Timothy 2:1-4 Below is another Christ centered Mama Boo “handout.”  Y’all may not check email everyday, but this is a solid site that keeps you in tune with scripturally accurate ways to pray for our nation and its leaders. Learning to actually pray scripture is not only a good way to pray in God’s will, but it is a powerful way to pray. The devil hates the name of Jesus, so we pray in his name, and the devil hates God’s Word so pray it.  Sign up and learn specific ways to pray for our nation and our leaders. Encourage your husbands to join you in these prayers. Intercessors For America https://ifapray.org We also discussed being intentional daily to ask the Holy Spirit to fill us up  as we choose  to follow Christ and be a light to...

  Currently, I have the privilege of discipling two young women. There is something so special about sitting around an open Bible with people hungry to learn about God's Word.  Yesterday, I shared on Boojoyful.blogspot about being awakened in the middle of the night with an urgency to pray against the evil present in Washington, DC.  There were so many  hallelujah moments, lifting the name of God on high, during Inauguration Day. The chilly bumps  kept running from my toes to my head. In an email to these young women this morning, I was addressing the power in learning to pray scriptural prayers and shared two sites that help us learn to do just that. I will share one today and one tomorrow. Today's email from  365promises.com  was the perfect example of God's provision givign me the perfect follow up for what had been stirring in my heart. Promise #21  I will shield your life and deliver you from the wicked. You who love Yahweh, hate evil. H...

Beautiful sourdough bread made by a Smith Mountain Lake Sourdough. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  —  Ephesians 6:12    For two nights in a row, I have awakened between 1:30-2:00 and had strong sense of urgency to pray. With the inauguration being held today, last night I focuses on prayers for protection in DC and for our nation in the days to come. A friend called on me for prayer yesterday having been greatly shaken last week after someone followed her home to a remote area where she lives. Her husband was out of town. My husband and I sent her this prayer.  Father, we know that we need not fear for you are with us. Your Word says to not be dismayed simply because you are our God, who is with us and will help us, strengthen us and uphold us with your righteous right hand. We praise You, Lord, f...

Our daughter's family. She's always been surrounded by fellows! For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 ESV and God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him. Philippians 2:13 CEV My husband does not like it when I inquire as to whether he would be willing to fulfill a request for me. But. that is exactly what Paul is posing to us in Philippians 2:13. We have this free will as to whether we are going to obey God or not. God is working in our hearts to mold us into children who desire what he desires. It's a process of maturity and I do not think we ever get it perfectly right this side of heaven. Remember, there is an enemy at work to keep us from God's will. How blessed we are to have the God inspired words of Paul. His real life expoeriences and vulnerability make him such a good teacher. Check out an example of this in  couple translations in Romans 7:15 I don't really understand myself, fo...

 Enjoyed an overnight visit with this sweet 1 year old recently. I was just as tired as she was after two days of play. LOL  January 2nd, before opening my eyes I said,  "Lord, I just realized I've allowed the hectic holiday schedule to have me waking up without greeting You first.  Forgive me. Good morning. I love You. Show me what purpose You have for me today." God " Anticipation. " Boo "Great word, Father. Each day with positive expectancy, we should anticipate that You have something with great purpose on the agenda." Looking up the definition I found..."a feeling of excitement about something pleasant or exciting that you know is going to happen. It can also be anxious anticipation about a big event like a birthday or wedding." That was interesting as this was our youngest granddaughter's 1st birthday, our adopted daughter's 40th birthday and we were also hosting a luncheon at church for 45 people to hear the testimony of church...

Our oldest granddaughter. While working on a Boojoyful devotional using Google Chrome, out of the blue, a Phil Wickham song started playing on Safari.  I went as far as to hit "Force Quit" but the songs would not stop coming.  When I listened to the lyrics of "The Reason I Sing" I thought, my songs to God should never stop coming from my heart either. Remembering back to the days when my father was passing from earth to his heavenly home, I recalled him pointing out the window and saying, "Listen! The choir is singing "Faith of Our Fathers." His nurse, nor I, heard nothing, but he clearly did and I am convinced he still does hear choirs of angels and all of heaven singing. Some parts of Revelation can be a little confusing and even creepy, but not verses       5:8-14. There will surely be singing. "And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders   fell down before the Lamb,   each holding a harp, and   ...

Our daughter's family enjoying the slopes at Snowshoe. Perusing Instagram,  to get a glance at my children and grandchildren, a clip from a mama and daughter popped up. I don't know how to navigate IG well, but the person posting is called "therealchidimma." This mama has equipped her child with TRUTH that she will carry with her wherever she goes. The exchange is precious and powerful.  Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6 I've posted these truths in my kitchen in hopes of memorizing them. The Mama "So, how do we punch the devil?" The child's enthusiastic response. "By saying the word of God. I have the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I'm the redeemed of the Lord I'm the beloved of Abba All my sins are forgiven. I'm passionately loved by God. I'm powerfully helped by God. I'm kept and protected by God. I'm irrevocably blessed. I'm eternally for...

The grandson in this photo is much older now, but this is a favorite picture capturing him looking at the beauty of a freshly fallen snow. I have embarked on a 4 week study of the book of Ruth with a few younger women at our church. I will be posting some snippets along the way.  To familiarize themselves with the story I suggested they read this short four chapter book in The Message translations.  Everyday we make choices. Every time we make a choice we should evaluate what is influencing that decision. As you read this story ask the Lord to bring to mind some decisions you have made and what influenced that decision. Next, consider what decisions are facing you right now. Practice listening for God's still quiet voice to guide you and apply scripture to the decision process. In Ruth Chapter 1 here is what is going down. 1) A famine caused this mother and father to choose to take their two sons to a foreign land. 2) The father dies and the sons choose to marry foreign women ...