About
I am:
- A Wife...to Steve Stern, and this is the joy of my life.
- A mom...of three amazing daughters – Whitney, Tori & Tess as well as my only begotten son, Josiah. Whitney is married to Corey who is a huge blessing to our family (and Whit likes him a lot as well).
- A pastor…at Westside Church in Bend, Oregon. It’s a place I love dearly and it’s been a joy to serve on staff there for eight years. To discover more about the church I call home, just jump on the information superhighway and take a sharp left at www.westsidechurch.org.
- A pretend chef.
- Pretty sure that there will be Food Network in heaven.
- A political news junkie (it’s an affliction).
I am not:
- Tall.
- A professional stuntwoman.
- Ready to slow down yet.
- A vegetarian.
Bo,
Remember me? I was the worship leader for the ladies retreat for Hope Foursquare in Leavenworth on your birthday. I can’t tell you what an impact you made on my life. God did something big that week-end. I so relate to you and your speaking style. I wish we could have heard you speak more. Also, I am now getting up early and having quiet time every morning since the retreat. I am not a morning person either. This is a miracle in itself. I just wanted to let you know that you are truly being used of God in so many ways. I bless your compassion, kindness and realness. Thanks again! Keri
Keri, Of course I remember you! I enjoyed my time with you and the Hope women so much! Thanks so much for your encouraging words. I hope your mornings are changing your life – it’s the biggest change that has ever happened in mine. -Bo
Bo-
I just attended the Selah seminar at George Fox Last Saturday, Not only did I start my walking this morning I also had a hour in the bible, prayer and journaling. This made a significant change in my day and I feel like I have been close to God ever since Saturday. I know this was good because yesterday I was on a spiritual high and this morning started out rough but after the hour I spend I was back at the Plate and I dont mean china.
I know you had a impact on me because it always sounds like a good Idea but usually never happens(hour with God).
Heres the thing, I bought 3 student joy project books(for me my mom and a gal who is going through a rough time) and went to study this morning and realized I should have got the CD as well. Could I buy one? Where? how?
P.S you are so funny
Hi Bo,
I met you at the Selah Conference just a week or so ago. We just had our Women’s Conference this week-end at Macleay Christian Retreat Center in South Salem and I’m already looking forward to next falls conference. (By the way I LOVE fall too!) Anyway, would you please consider being our conference speaker next October 1,2 & 3rd . We are Canby Foursquare Church in Canby, OR and this years conference speaker was Tammy Donahoo our Interim General Supervisor of Foursquare.
macleaychristianretreat.com
Thank you and I’ll look forward to hearing from you,
Annette Swor
Kathleen – thanks for your comment! The DVD’s can be ordered through my web site http://www.bostern.com. They’re backordered right now, but will be available in about a week or so I believe. Bless your walking and seeking…He will be found by you!
Annette – I emailed you!
I am earnestly studying the Word like never before…but have never really used a Greek/Hebrew dictionary, study help. What do you recommend? Any other study helps…you could recommend would be greatly appreciated!
whoops…somehow I deleted my subscription…will try again
Hi Debby,
I love E-Sword software. You can download it online for free (at http://www.e-sword.com, I believe) and it has a Strong’s Concordance and a lot of add-on study tools that make life really easy and wonderful for me. I got the KJV and ESV versions of the Bible for free and purchased the NLT, Nave’s and Matthew Henry Commentaries to round it out. If you aren’t computer saavy, you can do a lot with just a basic Strong’s (you can get them used at http://www.half.com and they’re very reasonable) and I also really LOVE the Zondervan Bible Handbook or the Hayford Bible Handbook. Any of those resources will be a good starting point…if I only had to choose one, I would pick the Zondervan. For the price and information, it’s a treasure.
Bless you as you pursue the rich and incomparable Word of God!
Bo
You need to write more often you do a good job
Just wanted to thank you for coming to Lincoln City Church and saying so many meaningful things to us. I trust the Lord stored the comments tailor made for me in my head so I can visit them again this week. My 22yr. old son was back from college this weekend and he was in Sunday morning’s service. I mentioned we had a speaker and at the end the service he looked directly at me and gave me a thumbs up. That’s huge! I’m so pleased he got to hear you.
He attends a Lutheran college ( a strange journey the Lord’s taking him on, since we’re not Lutheran), but some of the classes he’s taking are more like Bible Trivia Pursuit. In his New Testament Studies class his test ask questions like: Which of these cities did not have a synagogue? What was the name of the hill that…? It seems to me that a class over the New Testament ought to at least be about Christ and his character, lead you to falling in love with Jesus, or stir up a hunger and thirst for God. I was so excited when I heard his course titles, and then deeply saddened when I found out the content. I believe the Lord can use any situation to draw us to Him, but I struggled to see how this was going to work. I guess I don’t have to know everything, maybe Christ wouldn’t drop the class, but his mind would definitely be wandering.
Thanks again for shining the light of God’s word directly on our hearts this weekend, and allowing it to be what it’s intended, up close and personal. How else can we see ourselves clearly?
We get that here each Sunday, Praise the Lord, and I’m glad that my son got a special dose of your spirit led perspective!
Karen – thanks so much for your encouraging words. I’m always so excited to hear good reports! And you know, I will TAKE the thumbs-up from your boy and cherish it in my little heart! I will be praying for him as he continues his education. I’ve been studying Martin Luther and I often wonder what he would think of the colleges that bear his name.
Be blessed as you pursue Him…you are dear!
Bo
Bo,
I went to your website in search of your Joy Project workbook. I heard you talk about it at the Selah 2009 conference. It looks like the links on your website are broken.
I am wanting to purchase a workbook.
Thanks!
Melissa Campbell
Hi Melissa,
Sorry about the broken link…I’m not very techno-saavy. Just email me and I’ll send you what you need! http://www.bolovesjoe@gmail.com.
Bless you!
Bo
IAM searching for an old sermon of yours about the love of god that i want my mom to hear and i cant find it 8( and i NEEEEED IT! lol if you have it i would love tooo listen to it again and so i can have my mom hear it
Hi Bo,
We’re really looking forward to you speaking at our Fall Conference Oct. 1-3. I want to let you know that if you have a guest you want to bring they can register at canbyfoursquare.com. Call me if you have any questions.
Annette Swor
Hi Bo,
A very close family friend of mine recommended your blog to me, and recommended it again when I said I hadn’t read it yet. I wanted to share this with you as she passed away in September and I have been thinking about letting you know. Her name was Connie Stych and she was in a bible study with you a long time ago (she may have even led the study?)…I am thinking it was in Pittsburgh. She was like a mother to me and helped raised me and saw your blog as being a thing that would inspire me. She really enjoyed your blog and thought you are down to earth and have a lot of good things to say. She loved your thoughts about marriage and just your take on life. So thank you for being an inspiration and a connection that I shared with Connie. It is a hard loss and a very sudden one as she got sick, went to the hospital where we found she had cancer and she died 5 days later. If you remember her and want to see more about it, you can still visit her caring bridge site under conniestych.
Melissa – thank you so much for that note! I enjoyed Connie so much while I lived in Lincoln. She was a woman of faith and fun and I believe we studied the book of Mark in a Bible Study that she led. My brother-in-law had sent me word of her death, but I went to the Caring Bridge site and read all the entries as well. I’m certain she is LOVING her new home, but has left quite a void in your heart…so I will be rejoicing for her and praying for comfort and joy for you.
Bless you,
Bo
Thanks Bo. You and Steve are in our prayers!
HIS HAND IS HOLY ON YOU AND STEVE
Hi Bo-
Well, we just returned from Cannon Beach and I have to tell you that this was my favorite retreat of all retreats! I have many to thank but I wanted to start with you.
Just keeping it real- I didn’t have the money to go but was desperately petitioning to the Lord to somehow make a way-where there seemed no way, and he did! I wanted to go so badly because I know that when someone gives out of sacrifice, it is as if the Word comes straight from the throne of God! I want to thank you for demonstrating 2 Samuel 24:24 when David says, “I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.”
It was incredibly rich and I have been changed in the presence of a Holy God!
Abundant BLESSINGS upon your family!!!
Tia Morrow <3<3
Thank you so much, Tia. It was such a joy to meet you and to hear about what God is doing in your life. I have no doubt that He has prepared something for you that will exceed your dearest dreams. That’s just the kind of good He is.
Many blessings,
Bo
Bo,
Although you don’t know me personally, I am part of the large Westside family. As I was reading my daughter’s blog this morning (they are planting a Covenant church in Summerlin..Las Vegas) (http://ryanlunceford.typepad.com/kristenluncefordcom/2011/05/sure-of-shade.html
she writes about “shade,” and God, my thoughts drifted to you and your family. The word “light” came to me, as you continue to shine light on all of us with your gift of words and truth. God bless you and your family!
Thank you, Deb – I read your daughter’s blog and loved it! Such a blessing to me this morning. Please come introduce yourself sometime at church – I’d love to meet you!
Bo, my wife and I met you at church this morning, I’m the one that went to school with DeDe. Here are the dates for the ALS meeting at Thump Coffee. Wed June 8th 9:30am
Didn’t know if any other way to send you a message, hope this is ok.
Hope to have the chance to get to know you and steve more
Buck & Kelley
Wanted to share this article posted on Naturalnews.com / Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) can be Treated Naturally
http://www.naturalnews.com/028734_ALS_remedies.html
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/028734_ALS_remedies.html#ixzz1MeDLybZM
My family and I will be praying for Steve and your family. Our hearts are saddened by this news and will be trusting in the Lord to use Steve is a mighty way and heal his ALS.
Hi Bo – just found your blog and am interested in the Joy Project. I see the reading list on the website but wondering if you have more information or a booklet.
Thanks.
Hi Jane,
Yes – there is a six-session DVD/notebook available. The notebook has listening guides and directed devotions for five days of each week. Shoot me an email if you’d like to order it at bolovesjoe@gmail.com. Blessings!
Bo
Bo
My name is Amy Wood I’m one of the worship leaders at New Life Foursquare in Canby. We met at our womens retreat last October, evidently our family tree’s share the name, Hostetler, at some point(your sister and my mother discovered this at retreat) Anyway I’m at the airport in Minneapolis (returning home from a worship conference.) I can’t check my bags for another hour so I read through your most recent blogs(I save them up to read when my kids and home aren’t demanding my attention).I have to say I am sort of a crier but not a blubbering one. And your blog makes me laugh out loud and cry too.I love your thought process and your sub thoughts and the sub sub thoughts. Your ability to make everyone feel as if they are reading a letter from a close friend, makes me feel at home in an airport that should have it’s own zipcode. You know it probably does. Anyway I was thinking about retreat again and how much I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts and sub/sub sub thoughts. Thanks for entertaining me in an airport that probably has it’s own zipcode. Amy Wood
Aw, Amy, I really aspire to be a crier-but-not-a-blubbering-one…but I might have a ways to go.
Thanks so much for your encouraging comments…I’m glad to keep you company in airports.
Hi Bo,
I am interested in doing your bible study the joy project at my church in Salem, OR, but I can’t find any info on it, could you please let me know how I order books? Thanks!!
Bo:
Sometimes when I read you blog, it brings me to tears, and others, I jump for joy. You have such a wonderful way with words. I just love everything you write. I was so blessed to be a part of the ALS walk. We had great fun and enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you for who you are and for the wonderful wife you are to Steve. luv u
Bo – Though we’ve never met, I feel as if I know you. You are the wife of my wonderful cousin, Steve. Steve and I go way back
I’ve heard about your life together through Aunt Eleanor all these years and always wished that I could meet you. I know you’ve been a blessing to our family and especially to Steve. I pray for him (and you) many times a day, every day. I pray for his healing, if it be God’s will, or at the very least, for the progression of this horrible disease to stop. Steve has so much to offer this world and especially his family. I am thankful that he has such a wonderful partner in life to stand by his side in this difficult time. As Steve’s older, protective cousin I just want to thank you for loving him, caring for him and being such a Godly wife. You are appreciated and know you are prayed for, as well. Karla
Hi Karla – and thank you so much for your prayers and encouraging words. Steve is really easy to love and I am so blessed to be grafted in to the Ratter/Stern clan! Maybe we’ll meet someday soon.
Bo,
My conversation with Steve was cut short after last weeks service. I’d love to finish it up with him in a venue and at a time that is best for him. Can you help us connect if he is up to it?
Thanks, Tim
HI Tim – I sent you an email with his contact information – he’ll be so glad to hear from you! Let me know if for some reason that email doesn’t show up.
Blessings,
Bo
Hey there, my friend Emily suggested I look at your blog. She also warned me as she said your husband is battling ALS. My mother died of ALS three years ago.
Sister, I feel your pain and love your writing. You write with voice, like you are sitting across from me with a cup of coffee.
I wish I had something profound to say, but you already know where profound lives…
much love and blessings to you…tonia booker
Tonia -
Wow, thank you. And I’m so sorry about your dear mom – but I love that you have experienced the fallout from ALS, but still have a beautiful smile on your face. It gives me great hope. Please know that along with prayer, I would WELCOME any tips from the trenches – anything you think I should know about this road we’re on (mixed metaphors? Yes. It’s early).
Bless you – so glad Emily sent you this way.
Bo
Especially appreciated Dec. 4 “For those who grieve at Christmas.” Thank you and God bless!
Hi Bonnie,
I hope you remember me from the Sweet Home Christian School in Sweet Home, Oregon. I’ve been looking for you for a while and found out about your blog from the Swigarts. Please email me at foxtribe6@aol.com. I would like to talk with you personally.
In Christ’s love,
Cindy
Cindy! SO excited to talk with you – I just sent you an email!
Dear Bo,
I’m saddened to hear about Steve. I met you both at westside years ago when I attended. I was going through a really yucky divorce and you ministered to my boys in 180. They are grown now and I have 4 younger boys still at home. I came across your blog and know in my soul in was not by accident. Your writing is like a breath of fresh air. It has given me such encouragement. When I read your words I hear your voice and feel like you are a bright beacon of light in my sometimes dark world. All that you have been through and are dealing with and yet I hear you smile so often. Thank you!
Thank you Bo
I had the beautiful gift to attend the conference in Lincoln this weekend. I was guest of your sis-in-law Susan. I wanted to tell you how beautiful it was to hear Gods gift to me through you! I am a wife, mother, grandmother and human being in the midst of multiple battles. Health, Marriage, Adult children, and felt overwhelmed in the past year or so. Today I felt hope. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Gods blessings to you and your beautiful family. ♥