Beverly Joy Roberts

One more day and 2015 will be history.  That means it's resolution time!  Now, what shall I endeavor to accomplish, change, improve, or remove from my life in 2016?   My husband, who is a pastor, is forever challenging people to memorize scripture.  When he was a youth pastor (about 100 years ago) he did this activity with the students.  He put them in small groups and told them they were going to outer space. (Yes, that's the kind of stuff youth pastor's did in the 1970's.)  He instructed the teams to choose a leader and each team member was allowed to bring one item on the trip to ensure their survival.  He gave the teams a few minutes to strategize.  Then he went around the room and had each group share what they were bringing.  Usually, at least one group would remember their spiritual wellbeing and include a Bible.    Following that part of the activity, he then told everyone that their Bibles were confiscated.  Then he give them 15 minutes to work toge

Peace—perfect peace—peace on earth.  It’s what we all long for.  While most of us live at peace with those around us, the current news tells us that our world is far from a peaceful place.  On a daily basis we may see, hear, and feel the condition of this sinful world pressing in--bringing with it a fear that swallows peace. Good News:  Even when war is raging—peace on earth is available to the Believer.  In John 14:27 Jesus said:  “I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” I love what Jesus says here, “It is my own peace I give you.”  The peace Jesus is talking about is not perfect tranquility or the removal of all heartache from our lives.  The struggle for peace that Mankind faces is a lack of peace with God because of sin.  The peace that Jesus gives—brings us into right harmony with God, and harmony with God brings peace.  Next time you feel your peace vanishing r

Many years ago, when our youngest son was about seven, he yelled for me to come.  Normally, I would have yelled back something like, “I’ll be there in a minute.”  Or “You come here.”  However, this time, I could hear in the tone of his voice that he had made a  discovery worthy of the Nobel Prize.  When I arrived I found him sitting with a book open on his lap.  His finger was tapping on a picture in the book.  With his face full of wonder he spoke. “Mom, you are never gonna believe this—there’s a picture of a guy in this book and he looks just like Dad.”  He paused for effect.  Then gave me the zinger, “AND HIS NAME IS BOB ROBERTS.” (his dad’s name)   I looked at the book he was holding.  It was my husband’s college yearbook.  My son had made an amazing discovery and this kind of information was meant to be shared!     With Christmas days away, this story of our sweet boy made me thing of another proclamation that had to be shared.  Luke 2:8-15 (NIV) And there were shepherd

In the early 1980’s we accepted our first position as senior pastors at a small church in northern Michigan.  Those four years were rich in relationships and pastoral experiences.  However, our first Christmas there, things were financially tight.  A charitable agency reached out to us with a gift card for $60.  It seemed like a million dollars when we went shopping.  Since then our financial situation has vastly improved, still I am reminded of the kindness of that origination whenever I enter a store during the holiday season.  You would think, that when kindness is shown to a person—the automatic response would be to pay it forward.  Sad to say, it ain’t so.  In my adult life I have experienced an abundance of kindness and generosity, but I’ve not always responded in kind.  A few years ago, someone I respect told me about a decision he and his wife made to never ask—To Give or Not To Give.  The decision for them would always be—to GIVE.  There is a story about a man who con

There are two things that I love to do; tell stories about my amazing children and tell stories about my amazing grandchildren.  Last week, I read a post on FB from my daughter-in-law about one of my grandsons.  He’s six and quite brilliant.  I have a total of eight crazy-adorable little people that call me Grandma.  This particular grandson lives half way around the world.  Here is what the FB post said, “Jesus is so powerful he made God be his dad.”  It’s a direct quote from grandkid #3.  I love it!  See—amazing right!  Although his theology isn’t perfect, his reality is awesome.  It does this grandma’s heart good to hear that he is thinking about Jesus.  His concepts of who Jesus is are being built daily.  His Jesus is all-powerful.  It made me wonder—how powerful is my Jesus?  What can HE do?  Can he heal the brokenhearted and set the captive free?  Yes, he can! Can he restore what the locusts have eaten? Seen this first hand! Is he the balm in Gilead?  You bet!