Beverly Joy Roberts

All my grandchildren live in different states or countries as of a few weeks ago.   The visits to Grandma and Puppa’s house will be less and less with each passing year as the grandchildren become busy with their own lives.   Thus, I have begun the grueling process of downsizing my vast toy collection. This is where you pause, gasp and feel extremely sad for me ...and now we move on. For some reason, I'm finding it very difficult to part with some of these crazy toys.  Many of the toys, I can tell you exactly where I bought them, and which grandchild enjoyed which toys the most. Somehow over the years, and ten grandchildren later, the collection has grown just about out of control.  Okay, it was out-of-control...and maybe still is...but I'm working on it.  Once, a visitor to my home asked me if I had a preschool that met in my family room.  They were dead serious.   I told him, “No, I’m a grandma.” I blamed the grandchildren.  It's just...I knew th

Recently, my husband and I went on a road trip to visit our son and his family in Nebraska.  In order for our trip to be safe, there were many road signs that we had to follow.  There were signs that told us how fast to drive, where to exit, if there was danger ahead, which lane we should be in at any given time, and even where we could find rest and refreshments.  These signs helped guide us on our way and kept us safe from harm.  And, for the most part, we followed exactly what the signs told us to do, but not everyone on the road did.   Along the way, we saw accidents, cars pulled over by the police and some who drove recklessly, unconcerned for their own safety or the safety of those around them. When we travel, road signs are not suggestions.  They are meant to be followed and obeyed, and the  same is true in our spiritual journey.  God's word is full of spiritual "road" signs to help us along life's way.   These "road" signs tell us t

Years ago, I was counseling kids camp and about midway through the week, I received a phone call from my husband.  He informed me that our dog had been sprayed by a skunk.   This is not the kind of news you want to hear when you’re an hour and half away from home caring for 12 elementary girls.  I was helpless to render any useful assistance, but I did lay down the law.  I ended the call with this statement, "When I get home that house better be clean." Yet, I knew in my heart this kind of clean-up was going to take time...and true enough, when I returned home and opened the door, I was greeted by an overwhelming stench.  That's when my husband told me the rest of the story.   The morning of the incident, my husband let the dog outside, and as he was holding the glass sliding door open, he saw the skunk.  He tried to call the dog back into the house, but alas, it was too late for the dog and too late for my husband to shut the sliding door.   After the

It was an honor to be asked to pray this year at the National Day of Prayer in Flint, Michigan.  The area I was asked to pray over was families and education.   I heard a song recently by Josh Baldwin from Bethel Music called,   This is how I fight my battles.     The next line said this,   It may look like I'm surround, but I'm surrounded by You.    These two lines are the only words in the entire song.  A few words, yet they say so much. The whole time I was singing this song, my thoughts were... how do I fight my battles?  The answer was crystal clear, through prayer.  This is how Christians fight their battles--they pray.   For my devotional today, I'm sharing the prayer I prayed at the National Day of Prayer .  As you read it...pray it!  Because...this is how we fight our battles! National Day of Prayer  Families & Education  Father, it is with humble hearts; we enter your presence with the assurance that you hear our cries.  We come, ask

This is the only picture I could find with me and my mom together.  I am the baby in this picture. Mother's Day can be the best or toughest day of the year.  On this special day, words of appreciation will be shared, cards bought, candy given, and the restaurants will be filled with families who don't want to attempt cooking a meal for the best cook in their world--Mom! For many, Mother's Day can be a sad day too.  Maybe you never experienced the joy...and sorrow (yes, there is plenty of sorrow that comes with the job ) of motherhood or maybe you have recently said your final good-bye to your own mother. Whether you are in joy or pain...Mother's Day is coming, and this year you get to choose what you will remember.  So, here is your challenge... choose something wonderful.  Here's my memory. When I was in the 11th grade, I had a new friend at school, and the first time I went to her house she walked in, grabbed her mom and lifted her off the floor with