Beverly Joy Roberts

As a child, there was no place I'd rather be than...  Camping!   Yup.  It's one of my fondest young memories.    As a child, I loved everything about camping from the pre-trip packing to setting up the campsite.   I couldn't wait to go swimming in the lake or have dinner on paper plates at the picnic table.  Sleeping in a sleeping bag and singing around the campfire were wonderful.  T he best thing about camping was being with my family. As great as camping was there is one thing that surpasses that experience by far.  As a young adult, I put Psalm 27:4 to memory because this verse tells best my favorite place to be.       One thing I ask from the Lord,    this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord     all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord     and to seek him in his temple. There are distractions around every corner of our lives.  Things that pull our focus from the importance of gathering toge

There are certain smells that bring good memories l ike springtime.  I have good memories of opening the door on that first warm morning after a long cold winter and breathing in the warm morning air of spring.  The smell of dirt is in the air.   I don't know why this makes me remember my childhood fondly, but it does.  The ground after a fresh rain mingled with the warm air is a sweet aroma, maybe I like it best because it's the announcement that winter is over and  something new is coming.    The smell of homemade bread baking is another great memory from my childhood.  After a long hard day of third grade, my grandma would have homemade bread baking, and when I opened the door that awesome smell would greet me.  All the trials of third grade would be left behind.  My favorite part was the heel (end piece) dripping with butter.  The smell would fill the house with its goodness.   Or what about the smell of flowers.  The fragrant aroma seems to come from nowh

Over the past 20 years, I have been the wedding planner for our church.  My main job as the wedding planner is to get everyone in the wedding party from Point A to Point B in a seamless flow.  This is what I hope will happen, but that's not what always does happen.  For example, my worst  nightmare--the aisle runner.   I really hate those things.  I'm praying the whole time the poor person chosen to pull that tangled mess down the aisle, doesn't end up with a disaster.  During the procession, I've seen bridesmaids who have tripped on their dresses, dropped their flowers, and stood in the wrong place at the altar. And let's not forget about the fainting groomsman.  That's always a crowd-pleaser.  What about the children in the wedding party?  They are always the wildcard.   You never know what’s going to happen when they start their journey down the aisle.   I’ve seen children drop to the floor in a pool of tears and have to be carried away in a heap

I’m a person who has to work extra hard to stay focused especially when there are distractions.   In my childhood, there were many occasions in elementary school while taking a spelling test that I became distracted.   One of those crazy spelling words would send me into an amazing daydream.     It would go something like this. Teacher: “Number four-spell pool.  I like to swim in the pool. Spell pool.” Everyone else would hurriedly write down the spelling word, but not me!   Me: Pool, I wish I had a pool.  I like to swim.  If I had a pool in my backyard, I’d swim all day long.  I’d have my friends over, and we’d dive into the water.  The temperature would be perfect in my pool—never too cold or too hot. Then I’d hear the teacher say: “Number ten-jump.  Jump up and down for joy.  Spell Jump.” Me:  Panic set in as my body became all hot and prickly.  I had daydreamed through five spelling words.  This scene played out over and over all through my elementary

Today is the beginning of 2020.  It's a brand new year and the perfect time to make some changes!  Throughout my life, people have influenced me both negatively and positively and for this very reason, when my children were young, I tried to control who spoke into their lives. As much as I could, I wanted them to spend time with those who would influence them to live a life of integrity.  I wanted people in their lives who would influence them to seek the Lord and who desired to live for Him.      As much as I tried to control things, a few friends always crept in who had a negative influence.  These were the friends who encouraged my children to lie about where they were going or what they would be doing.  Like engaging in non-mom approved activities.       Even though there were youthful blunders, I'm thankful that all my children chose to follow the Lord.   ...And now it's payback time for them.  It's their turn to hope and pray that each of th