Beverly Joy Roberts

 I’m a writer.   It’s taken me a long time to call myself that…but I love writing.  I may not be everyone's cup of tea , but I have a small following...YOU for instance.   There’s a creativity that blossoms, even surprises me, when I’m in full-writer mode, a nd in partnership with the Lord.     One of the amazing things about writing is the power the author has over everything they create.  The author gets to decide because—that’s what authors do...create.   ·        I decide...  who’s good and who’s bad  who’s redeemable and who's not  how people will look  where they will live who's kind and who's a meany their occupations and even if they're good at their job I control the reader’s emotions with the written word.  Leading them to where I want them to go.  Then in a snap of the finger, I can change my mind and use the delete button ...I can change everything turning it upside down...because I’m the author. In the fiction

One of our 10 grandkids turned three a few weeks ago.  It was his first birthday to really get it --to understand that he was the man of the hour.  There was no less than four occasions that the Birthday Song was sung to him over the course of his birth week.  Each time his face brightened up with a huge smile. His father posted a video of one of his birthday celebrations.  Our grandson was instructed to prepare himself to receive his gifts.  He sat down on the floor and folded his hands in his lap anticipating that first gift.  I watched this video over and over...mostly because...he's my grandson, but also because of the e xpectancy on his sweet face as he reached out to receive that gift.  He had no idea what awaited him inside that wrapping paper--that part of the equation was meaningless to this little guy.  Someone had selected a gift...just for him and wrapped it up...just for him.  He reached out, took the gift and eagerly began to tear it open. I understand bett

Recently, someone reminded me of another person's past sinful behavior.  The person speaking to me shared this scandalous thing as if it was unforgivable.  Without question, the sin was shameful, but was it unforgivable? It's an interesting thing about past misbehavior.  We Christians say, that we are 'forgiving people.'  And...we are...if we really like the person who has done the wrong.  These people we can find the grace and mercy to forgive. But...what if the guilty one has a horrible past, or we simply don't like them...what then?  Do we choose who we will forgive based on our feelings? Hummm!  What if you are the one in need of forgiveness? Should you be forgiven only if others find your sin forgivable or better yet...if you're likeable?  I heard a sermon recently from I Samuel 30.  The pastor told the story of David making a bad leadership call that resulted in a town being burned down and people taken captive.  3  By the time David

Last spring we bought a swing for our deck.  It nearly killed my husband and me, as we struggled to put that crazy thing together.  I laid out all the pieces, studied the instructions and looked over the package of nuts and bolts.  We can do this, I coached myself--I was sure of it.  We just have to take it step by step.  Go slow.  Reason it out. About 20 minutes in, things were not going as planned.  I'm sure most people reading this can identify with these feelings due to; unhelpful instructions or missing parts!    Someone had to be called to task! I spent nearly an hour on the phone.  Sometimes waiting and sometimes making my demands to the manufacture of the swing.  Finally,  I told the man, "Listen, you gotta give me more."  The poor customer serviceman was giving me $30 off, (pretty much because I couldn't follow the directions) but I had to win.  I said, "$5 more and I'm good, I just have to feel like I'm winning after being on the phone