Boojoyful

Can you spot the ice cream boat through the trees? Gotta love the simplicity of a child's heart.  Our Minnesota grands are coming for their summer visit, so a few days before their arrival I videoed the Ice Cream Boat blasting it's music as it came into our cover and sent them a text saying, "Name that tune?" The response I was expecting was "The Ice Cream Boat Song," but instead our grandson sent "Good Day" by Forrest Frank. Yup!  It's a good day when the it's 97 degrees outside and the ice cream boat shows up. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens.  He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.  James 1:17 Let's name 10 good  things that happened last week and praise the Lord. Now, in a minute, I can actually name 15 bad things   that happened the past two weeks, but I am choosing to rejoice and focus on the good. The Song "Good Day" Forrest Frank h...

Following an 89th birthday luncheon a few of us hosted for a friend I had a lot of "pressing" to do. It was such a joy for me to use linens, china and silver that belonged to Deke's and my grandmothers. As I was ironing, the word pressed   came to mind and I thought of a passage in the Luke 6:37-38.  Luke chapter 6 finds Jesus exhibiting purpose in prayer, confronting the Pharisees, selecting the final Apostles and teaching, teaching, teaching. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.  Luke 6:37-38 The Message translation puts it this way. Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults-unless, of course, you want the same treatment.  Don't condemn those who are down; that hardnes...

Photo from a friend of God's creation. Can you find the cross creation created on this woodland acreage in Boones Mill, VA It was one of those days God kept showing up. One of my younger sisters in Christ was coming by to sit by the lake and discuss spiritual things. Before she got here the Lord had prompted me to give her a tongue depressor in which I had added James 1:19. My dear friends, you should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to grow angry.   As our discussion progressed and we were referencing ways not to "blow our tops," I said, "Ah, this is why I was to bring the tongue depressor. After that she asked me what the word sasquatch   meant on the notebook I was jotting things into. I told her I had no clue. I guessed it was a notebook left here by a grandchild and it only had a about 20 pages of paper in it. I had just quickly grabbed it up. Flipping the back cover open I found two pages of random notes I had written at some point.  It could have bee...

  3 generations of long snappers You can barely see the ball in the photo below. "What's a long snapper?" a friend inquired of my husband hearing him explain why he was at VA Tech the previous day.  His reply, "It's a guy who throws a football between his legs."  My husband who was a long snapper at UNC and our son who was one at UVA, went with our grandson, a rising junior who snaps for his high school team, to a special teams day camp at VA Tech.  They all had a great time! Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.   Acts 16:31  It's a snap. No works required.  Jesus made the sacrifice and did all the work for us out of love. The Song "Flawless" Mercy Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjLlLPZderk

Roanoke, VA   The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.  Psalm 19:1-2 Whew!  God does speak through his creation and it is evidence of his great knowledge. Let's add a twist to Boojoyful and involve you readers the next couple weeks.  Y'all live in so many different areas.  Send me a photo of where you see God's glory being revealed in nature.  I won't share your name, but with your permission the city from where the photo was taken.   Email photos to boojoyful@gmail.com God has been showing up and confirming choices I have been making in such evident ways.  As I was typing this, a sweet friend emailed a link to this Crosswalk article. Oh how majestic is His name! https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/awe-inspiring-signs-of-gods-majesty-in-the-world-around-us.html The Song "God of Wonders"  Third Day https://www.youtube.com/watc...

  Every time I see a can of PAM I chuckle at the remembrance of a time when we were housing a couple British professional tennis players who were in our area for a tournament.  These young girls were delightful and so kind to our children.  I was making them pancakes for breakfast one morning and sprayed the skillet with PAM.  One exclaimed, "Fat in a can? I've never seen such a thing." I often pick up the can and say to myself, "Fat in a can!" While these two cans look identical, there is a huge difference. One is empty and one is full.  The empty one is of no use to me, but the one that is filled up has a very specific purpose it can perform in my kitchen or out on our grill.  God has created each of us with a specific purpose. For God is working in you, giving you desire and the power to do what pleases him.   Philippians 2:13 We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to...

The flag pole at a near by country club. July 22nd, the day after the bunker busters hit Iran, I used this closing in an email that included a friend whose Army son is stationed in Hawaii.  " Life is a lot, but we can be joyful always because of what Jesus did on the cross for us!" Five minutes later, I opened my emails to a devotional that had this passage from the book of Luke.  Such confirmation from the Lord for what He was stirring in my heart. Why are you trouble, and why do doubts rise in your minds?  Look at my hands and my feet. - Luke 24:38-39 Next I opened the Sunday prayer on Proverbs 31 Ministries.  My guess is someone from that ministry wrote that prayer this morning. "God, thank You for Your mercies that are new every morning.  As I breathe in this fresh day, I also breathe in Your love for me.  There are things from yesterday that I can't change and tomorrow hasn't happened yet, so give me the wisdom to focus simply on today.  Please st...

The title isn't referring to the kind of exhaustion that first came to your mind.  I am talking about literal exhaust fumes that make you want to gag.  A plethora of various forms of stench that have crossed my path in my get away with Jesus time. Going to my screened porch, tree house getaway, I opened the door to the smell of skunk and quickly retreated back inside.  Two days later, heading to the same spot I settled down for some listening to the Lord, and moments afterwards whiffs of cigarette smoke infiltrated the air from across the cove.  In 27 years I have never encountered that nasty smell on this property with the exception of one construction worker.   Taking to the pavement, for an early morning walk in a nearby country club neighborhood, I first encountered the exhaust of 4 large lawn mowers heading out to manicure the golf course.  That was mild compared to what next took to the usually fragrant country air...a garbage truck gathering the...

  The artwork above is by Charlotte, NC artist Anne Neilson. Four friends of mine are on a mission trip in Puerto Rico. Each morning I have lifted their names to the Lord in various capacities.  The prayer I sent them this morning is a prayer I want to pray over each of you readers as well. Lord, in the powerful name of Jesus, I pray for the people reading this devotional to experience an unexpected blessing today. Fill these people with the Holy Spirit and may each word they speak over others touch the hearts of those people in a way that makes them long for a deeper relationship with You. Please place a hedge of protection around them wherever they travel today and bring a smile to their faces as they remember You are with them. May they make friendships that are empowered by the Holy Spirit and used to make an impact for Your kingdom. Whisper into their ears how deeply they are loved by You.  Thank You for Jesus in whose name I ask these prayers. Amen For we are God's ...

The magnolia tree in bloom!   Along with the Mama Boo quotes of: "Lawsie, lawsie."  "It's not of eternal value." "Pray it, don't say it." ... is one that I find myself saying when God shows up in an indisputable way: "He's the real deal!" The day I wrote "The Void" entry was June 16th.  After writing, I continued in my quiet time with the Lord.  Opening John Eldredge's devotional book Restorati0n Year  to that date, I was blown away by the follow up to what I had written... "Love Jesus. Let Him be himself with you.  Every day,  allow his life to fill yours... .You'll find it hard to receive his life in any great measure if you, as the branch, keep running off on your own, leaving the Vine behind in order to do life as you please... If you are not drawing your life from Jesus, it means you are trying to draw it from some other source. I'll guarantee you that it's not working...If you want to experience t...

Let's celebrate. One of our sons recommended a TV series for us called "Heartland".  He said he thought I could handle it for the most part, but there certainly would be "cowboy brawls" that would send me running out of the room.  When on the run recently my husband said, "You know it's going up okay. Just stay." I explained the issues was the hurt it puts in my heart and then the nightmares that causes me to have. Here is one problem we have with this Canadian series.  There are currently 269 episodes and a new season coming this fall.  We will certainly be dead before we make it through all these even with our binge watching. The acting is phenomenal, the scenario spectacular and western wear costuming intriguing. It's one of those shows that leaves you praying for the characters.  But here's my problem.  The storyline so far has a Jesus VOID that leaves me feeling empty. So far the characters have been seen through some tragic times, but...

Father/son enjoying the examples of leadership the scouting life provides. Did you ever play the childhood game of "Follow the Leader" where a person is selected to lead the class around an area and the others mimic the direction and motions of the leader? Have you followed the flag of a tour guide, totally trusting the direction you are being taken? Maybe just this week you have clicked on YouTube and followed a DIY instruction video. If you ever played sports you certainly followed the instructions of the coach if you wanted to remain on the team.  Add to that if you or a loved one has been in the military it's all about following the commanding officer. We are quick to trust a total stranger to guide us, pilot the plane we are on, captain the ship we take out to sea, but often we are slow to open our heavenly Father's guidebook and sit listening for his instructions. The One who created us did so with a specific plan for our life in place. It's a good plan with...

  A switch isn't something you wanted when I was a child. This grandson had been saving his money knowing that on his 13th birthday the new Nintendo Switch game console (honestly, I had to Google to find out how to even define the device) was coming out.  He had shared earlier that all he wanted for his birthday was $ and for me to take him shopping. My husband drove us to the city and I was searching, Target, Best Buy and Walmart on my phone to see if the thing was in stock.  Every site in store and online said, "Sold out." Dreading the disappointment to possibly come on this special birthday I said, "Let's pray and ask the Lord to guide us to the right place if this is what He wants for  you."  I'm thinking...It's probably NOT. Never had I ever been in a "GameStop" store. It was definitely foreign territory.  The lines were long. People had obviously lined up early to get their hands on this new video game gismo. My husband and I stood in...

This group of friends gathered at Shiloh for a 13th birthday celebration for one of our grandsons. At one point in the midst of the party   our daughter realized she had lost her phone. She couldn't remember where she had left it. She had searched inside the house and out.  We went to an area in the yard where I'd seen her taking pictures with the phone and I said,  "Let me call your phone."  Reaching in my left skirt pocket I pulled out HER phone!  My phone was in my right pocket.   She hadn't left it anywhere. It was truly lost.  Lawsie, lawsie!  We had a good chuckle. Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid...for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 Day 37 of The Passion Code  made a very good point differentiating between something being lost and something being left. "One of the most misquoted verses in all the Bible is found in Revelation ...

We had an unexpected Saturday alone at Shiloh.  I said, " Let's pretend we are vacationing on the lake like all these people around us.  And let's pretend we are dating so we won't say grumpy things." One load of laundry was done and two more loads put in.  A delicious brunch had been devoured and the dishwasher starter.  Groceries had been purchased and put away when I remembered my morning "vacation" declaration. Looking at the clock I said, 'We need to hurry up and start our vacation day, it's already 1:30. Pretend vacations  can be tough to carry through, but we did manage a low key afternoon and evening.   Radio station Life 90.5 FM from Wilmington, NC posted this quote on Facebook. "Faith is't a fake smile plastered over a broken heart. It's not saying, 'I'm fine,' when you're anything but.  True faith doesn't ignore the storm-it clings to Jesus in the middle of it.   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn...

Many years ago I received a prayer request from a friend in Mississippi.  The ask was for a young mother of four who had been diagnosed with a very rare eye cancer.  Ocular Melanoma.  I rarely share names when writing, but Ashley McCrary, is such a Princess Warrior, I want you to have the ability to follow her story on Facebook. Here is a link to an article about how many people from Auburn were found to be diagnosed with this rare disease.  https://eyecancer.com/dr-fingers-desk/ocular-melanoma-mystery-rare-eye-cancer-found-36-auburn-university-graduates/ Ashley's cancer has spread throughout her body. She has been fighting the good fight and truly lived sacrificially traveling weekly from Auburn to Philadelphia, enduring treatments and trials in hopes of a cure being found for this deadly disease.  Her faith inspires me.   She recently wrote some very wise words we should all print off and share with others. Psalm 90:12  Teach us to number our da...

The words hit me right between the eyes while reading Day 32 of The Passion Code. "The first evidence of this demise (the fall from the garden) came when Adam and Eve saw 'that they were naked' (Genesis 3:7). They had been naked all along, but not until sin came did they take their eyes off God and put them on themselves.   This is alway what sin does. Before, God had been the center of their attention and devotion. Sin entered the picture, and their focus became centered squarely upon themselves."  O.S Hawkins The addictive quality of social media makes me go nutty at times. When I need to go on to look someone up (the church snoop) the temptation to keep scrolling is a real pull. I praise the Lord that the majority of my life was lived before the cell phone became an appendage. Admittedly, I was spoiled and had a pink trimline landline in my bedroom and didn't have to stand in the hallway or kitchen like our six children did to take a phone call. The algorithms...

Camaraderie- mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. That is the word that comes to mind when I watch videos of the group Sons of Sunday. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 A Sons of Sunday Song  "God Did"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrhhYWU6BGE "If you've got a hallelujah, let it fly and sing like you know the Most High" If you know your Bible stories you will recognize these lyrics highlighting prison doors opening, the Red Sea parting, Lazarus being raised up, healing happening, David slewing a giant, and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego make it out of the fire through these lyrics.  A Sons of Sunday Song  "Miracle on Your Mind"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgekF7DyrGA Truth-"You've got a way that's higher than mine. You got a miracle on your mind."

When our hearts are overwhelmed what at a blessing it is to have friends, like the Sons of Sunday group, who lead us to the Rock who is higher than we are. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in who I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:2 Check out these lyrics that remind us who Jesus is. "So much stronger So much greater. So much wiser. So much higher.   Where else would I go? Who else would I run to?" Sons of Sunday Song "Higher Than I"    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPkg_vW4yE0 and Sons of Sunday Song "Exchange"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJy9Skh9Qt0 "Riches for rags. Glory for shame. What a wonderful exchange my Savior made for me."