Boojoyful

January 31-Feb 1 We are laughing at Moses who has an ear ache or itch and is trying everything possible from shaking his head, to scratching with his paw, to rolling his head upside down on the carpet to get that itch. Then he went to the door of our screened in porch, where there is a water bowl of his, wanting to go outside. Now, he has two bowls in the house, but we have decided the cold water outside is more refreshing. That is the way I feel about God's word. You can read the words of many writers which bring insight and encouragement, but nothing refreshes like the inspired Word of God. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. Psalm 42:1 May we lap up lots of His love this weekend.

January 30 Has the enemy been victorious lately in robbing your joy through "sneak attacks" you just didn't see coming? Just turning on the news and seeing all the job layoffs can pack a punch, then the call comes that another friend or family member is ill really pulling you down. Maybe the friend you felt you could always count on has let you down. The enemy can take away a lot of things from us, but he can't take away our Jesus and that is where our joy is made complete! Restoration is my word today: to bring back to or put back into a former or original state. We can counter attack, by putting on the full armor of God and believing in the power of the Holy Spirit to heal and restore! When the body of believers is functioning together, as it should, there is amazing strength. The enemy knows that and will try to weaken that defense, so keep your guard up for sneak attacks meant to weaken the strength found in family and friends. This morning my white bird came s

January 29 Graduation and award ceremonies are not one of my favorite activities. With seven children we have gone to our share of them. We have been very blessed by having children who received special awards, which made the experience a bit more enjoyable. This morning, somewhere in a dream,the Lord had on my heart the parents who sit through those programs watching other parents' children get the glory. I thought to myself... they must be thinking...when will this be over. Last night the anticipation of the very close Wake/Duke and UNC/FSU games had me wishing in those last minutes they would hurry up and be over. Today is our 100th day at Smith Mt Lake Christian Academy. I've gone the whole year without catching any of the numerous colds these children have had...now I have one and wish it would hurry up and be over! This economic crisis has us waiting and wishing it would hurry up and be over! Those needing to sell homes or get a positive response from a job interview are

January 28 All my devotional studies converged today in a way that had me smiling and saying "You are so right Lord!" Check out this quote from God's Calling . "It is to the drowning man the Rescuer comes. To the brave swimmer who can fare well alone He comes not. And no rush of Joy can be like that of a man towards his Rescuer." Think about that. How excited were those USAir passengers to see those boats headed their way? Remember the climatic rescues of your favorite movies! How glad were the disciples when Jesus calmed the storm for them, and the Prodigal Son when he ran to the rescuing, welcoming arms of his father! Call out today and praise the Lord for He is waiting to rescue you from all despair! Great is his faithfulness! Let's Pray: Mighty on Your Throne are You, Oh God. You have listening skills that we are unable to comprehend. You even hear our hearts! Ah, yes, You hear what we cannot even hear about ourselves. You have the role of the most comp

January 26 After church yesterday, I closed my eyes for what I thought would be a cat nap...two hours later I woke up going "Whoa Nellie!" Where did the day go? Giddy Up... we are getting closer to heaven each day! My husband was channel surfing and stopped on a movie he has seen numerous times. Grumbling, I asked, "Why don't you watch something new so we can learn something?" Later, as I was studying God's Word I was convicted about that statement. For years studying the same passages over and over and I've always found a fresh lesson from God's never changing Word! The important factor is for us to have those "Whoa, Nellie," moments with God each day. Time to hold our horses and sit a spell with Jesus! Yes Sir, time to be still and know that He is God! Let's Pray: Father, time is not to You, what it is to us. You have been and will always be! We have the gift of eternal life waiting for us, so please guide us with Your Holy

January 24-25 Reminisce -recall to mind of a long-forgotten experience or fact; the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences. Last night we attended a couple's dinner with my ladies' Bunko group. We have been together fifteen years! I had to chuckle to myself as I looked at the majority of us having to pull out our reading glasses to be able to see the dots on the dice! We only gather every two months and while there are new occurrences (children's weddings, grand babies, parents' deaths) to discuss, the greatest joy seems to come from reminiscing about days gone by! When I have the opportunity to celebrate birthdays with friends I like to ask them to look back and share a memory from each decade of their life. This morning doing my Bible study, I thought, how often do I take time to reminisce about the amazing life of Christ and how it impacted those who walked with him on earth. Equally as important, how have I seen His life and His love impa

January 23 Rarely, when I wake up do I have a clue where God is leading me with the devotional. Even when he places a word upon my heart, I am still stumped. This morning when exercise and exhort came to mind, I was clueless. I've been struggling with menopause symptoms so I thought this was affirmation that exercise is the answer to this sluggish time of life! Hmm, Not where He was headed...that was my head leading me, not the Spirit! Looking up exhort I realized that is what I am to do with the blog each day...urge my fellow believers on! Exhort - to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly . Being early in the morning and overweight, I was comprehending exercise only as the means of physical activity! The definition below seems more fitting for where the Bible verses in The Message want to take us today. Exercise - something performed or practiced in order to develop, improve, or display a specific capability or skill As believers in Christ, who are filled with the Holy S

January 22 Protocol :a code prescribing strict adherence to correct etiquette and precedence. Great word for this past Tuesday and the passing of the torch from one leader to the next. I love the passage in John 21 where Jesus appears to the disciples for the third time. They are out in a boat and Peter is so thrilled to get to see Jesus again. When he hears the Lord's voice and John confirms it is Jesus, Peter jumps into the nippy waters and swims to Jesus, wanting to make the most of every moment! No protocol for Peter, just a passion to follow the "call of a pro." Get it...pro to call! Whether we are sailing along smoothly or sinking in deep waters right now, we have a "Life pro" to call out to. He has experienced it all and responds to our needs enveloped in love. Let's Pray : Father, it is proper protocol for us to humbly fall before You our King. Where You lead we will follow. Forgive us when we go astray forgetting You have detailed plans laid ou

January 21 Evaluation - to determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study Our new president has been evaluating the situation of America. We must pray for him as he determines the significance, worth and condition of many these various situations. The unknown of what lies ahead can be a little scary, but the truth is each day is unknown and always has been. We must focus on what is known to us and what has been proven to be true over and over again...God's love. The president will plug into many people as "power sources." We must stay plugged into our most reliable "power sources"..."prayer"... and the example of the life led by Christ. For upon evaluating His life we see "worth" and "significance" with which nothing can be compared. Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as y

January 20 My husband and I escaped to Florida for a few days and were having lunch on an island called Captiva! I began searching the words captivating and captive , which have very different definitions. Captivating: to influence and dominate by some special charm, art, or trait and with an irresistible appeal. Captive :taken and held as or as if a prisoner of war; kept within bounds Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Acts 8:23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. What captivates us? Today most of our nation is captivated by history in the making. As believers we pray for our nation and for our leaders, but it is our Lord who capti

January 15 Wipe Out ..now the Lord is getting funky on me. Definition:the act or an instance of wiping out; complete or utter destruction; a fall or crash caused usually by losing control; a total or decisive defeat. Being the mother of five sons I've seen some "wipe outs" on the ski slopes, on sleds, skate boards, big wheels and bicycles, behind the boat on wake boards and I've seen them offer their fair share on the football field! I've had some major "wipe outs" myself. The most memorable was one of our ponies stepping on my foot while I was trying to push it onto a trailer to get to a horse show and I fell backwards in my cute white shorts into a nasty mud (and probably manure) puddle. As I shared yesterday, I have felt "wiped out" or "defeated" lately by some blows being struck upon my "well loved" or "special people" zones. There have also been sudden wipe outs (deaths) of those I have loved very deeply. When

January 14 Pacify -to allay the anger or agitation of; suggests a calm or soothing; to restore to a tranquil state. Turning on a table lamp this morning, I noticed a pacifier on the floor which was left over from our grandson's visit over Christmas. Bam, the reality of how I am handling some frustrations in my life came to light. I am trying to just be pacified when Christ came that I might live victoriously. Beth Moore states in John the Beloved Disciple "I truly believe that if we're willing to see, God uses every difficulty and every assignment to confide deep things to us, and that the lessons are not complete until their beauty has been revealed. I fear, however, that we have such an attention deficit that we settle for bearable when beauty is just around the corner." Ah, like being pacified when our life can really be amplified! Yesterday I was on the road traveling several hours and I felt like I was in a boxing ring. The enemy was throwing punches in my mind

January 13 Studying this morning a concept I haven't pondered in a while was brought to mind...God humbled himself coming to earth for us. Likewise we are to humble ourselves before the Lord. Mark 10:43-44 says: Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. Some of the greatest spiritual heroes of our time have had servant hearts. Mother Teresa, Corrie Ten Boom, and Billy Graham. Reflecting on the local level the pastors who have held my greatest respect are not the eloquent pulpit speakers with their fancy suits, pressed shirts and handkerchiefs, but the ones who are humble of heart, care about relationship and are ready to serve alongside their congregations whom they are calling to serve! Where does Satan try to trap you on this one? For me I start out seeking the Lord and serving where I am sent, but often along the way I get an attitude. I take my focus off what Christ has called me to do, often add

January 12 Asking the Lord to give me a word to share with you I thought I must have misunderstood when I heard Whipper Snapper which is defined as a person who is: diminutive-exceptionally or notably small; insignificant- not worth considering; presumptuous -overstepping due bounds, taking liberties. Plugging each of those four words into my online concordance I came up with nothing. Then I opened a Bible study I am doing and read the Luke passage below and was blown away! Compared to God we are whipper snappers! But praise the Lord He loves a whipper snapper who calls on His name! An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest." Luke 9:46-48 Mighty are You Father. May w

The Weekend Jan. 10-11 Affirm to state positively, to assert as valid or confirmed; to express dedication to. Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete . 2 Corinthians 1:20 We are called to affirm our faith in Christ. The question on my mind today is where do we look for our own personal affirmation? We all like to have others make positive statements about us or express their dedication to us. To what ends are we willing to go to receive that affirmation? Think about this on a political front, in the work place, in the classroom or on campus, in the world of sports, Hollywood, etc. What do we do in our own homes to get the much needed affirmation of our spouses, childre

January 9 Praise the Lord for Tim Tebow and the victory this child of God led his Gators to last night! I have a brother who drowned over 20 years ago who was a Gator and I do hope he was able to see this from heaven! Many of you know we have five sons. With five sons have come some wonderful girl friends over the years and I often struggle with the break ups because I have become so attached to these young women. Last night, during the game I heard from one whom I haven't heard from in over a year. I was so excited to hear her voice, then bam the reason for her call came and she was not happy, but still hurting from a break up with one of my sons and let me have it. My chest began hurting severely and I finally had to hand the phone to my husband. I love this young woman so much, but I love my son too, so this was difficult. The pains ran down my arm and into my back. I got up and took some slow deep breaths and my blood pressure which was fine and got back into bed, fully prepare

January 8 The winds were blustery (as Winnie the Pooh would say). Yesterday, fifty mile an hour gusts had things flying. My car shook and I wondered if the enormous flag pole in front of the grocery store would crash over as I made my way inside. Driving home I looked up in the sky to see swarms of hawks having a heyday riding these wind currents. The day was so clear and the back drop to this scene was the beautiful mountain range which holds the Peaks of Otter. Immediately I thought...these creatures are making the best of this situation, like surfers catching the waves before a hurricane. Like a girlfriend of mine whose cancer has reoccurred, who wrote yesterday after visiting the oncologist's office We met some incredible families as the wait was long, husbands, children and we had a blessed time in the wait. I covet your prayer for them. God allowed me to pray with them all as I was waiting for my husband to get the car and we are so connected in Christ already, I love them an

January 7 There is no need for an alarm clock in my life at this time... I have a 6AM hot flash which does the trick! My husband is a VERY early riser, but has the sweetest habit. He tucks his pillow up against me before he gets out of bed, so I think he is still there with me. By some chance the hot flash does not do the trick, Moses does. He sits right beside my bed and softly whines... I guess he is checking to see if I am breathing. Now that is precious! This morning after the hot flash, my first thoughts were "Good morning Lord, what is it You have in mind for today?" Then it hit me...I am so blessed to know that Christ is "WITH ME." He will never leave us or forsake us. Hebrews 13:5 Ugh, my heart has just ached for so many who have been left....their health may have left them, a loved one may have died and gone away, a spouse left through divorce or maybe their job security is gone....but not God! Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 Jesus

January 6 The sixty degree temperatures were quite unusual for a January day. Getting home from work, I donned my workout clothes and tennis shoes, grabbed the dog and headed up the road to take advantage of the gift! By the time I got back to the house I realized I had about 30 minutes to myself. Gathering up some devotional books I wanted to read I headed out on the deck and thought...."Ah, me time!" A word from Sunday's sermon called back...Intimacy with Jesus means "In to Me." Putting my selfishness aside I adjusted my thought process and excitedly headed out to get into Jesus! Woo hoo! He showed up and rocked my world. The first verse I read was 1 Samuel 3:9, Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. . Then Psalm 31:3 You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name's sake, lead me and guide me. Jesus is asking each of us... Are you in to Me? May each of us reply... Oh, precious Lord, I want to be! Let's Pray: Lord, You are more precious than si

January 5 Contagious - communicable by contact; exciting similar emotions or conduct in others. Visiting a wonderful spirit filled church yesterday I hushed myself when the minister asked if anyone had received a word from God. The only word I had heard was contagious . With all the illnesses going around I could see someone interpreting that to mean someone was ill and spreading germs! Check out the definition... exciting similar emotions or conduct in others! That my friends is the kind of business God wants us to be about when it comes to our faith! Let's be praying someone else catches Jesus from us! Let's Pray Lord, the news about You is GOOD, may we be found spreading it around! In Jesus Name, Amen

January 2 Calliope : a steam-whistle organ with a loud, shrill sound audible miles away; it is used to attract attention. When calliope was the word the Lord gave me I tried to finagle my way into another word, not seeing in my mind how that could possibly be useful. (AH, the old our ways are not His ways!) Looking up the definition the words "attract attention" screamed out at me. Are we attractors for Christ? Back to Merriam Webster I went. attract to cause to approach, to draw by appeal to natural or excited interest, emotion, or aesthetic sense. allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive. The confirmations kept coming as one daily reading had Hebrews 10:22 facing me. Let us draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith . Next I was taken to study the first chapter of John and very convicted by Phillip's words to Nathanael in verse 46 Come and see. Who have we asked come to and see Jesus lately? Looking out my window my attent

January 1 What do Andy Griffith, best friends,mothers and Jesus have in common? They all love you in spite of yourself! Sometimes I get frustrated with how Andy is always covering for Barney's screw ups. What a friend we have in Jesus... he uses our mistakes to make us better. January 1 is a date full of hope. A chance to look out on the horizon and see everything coming up roses. It is like the difference in the stinky clothes going into the washer and the fresh smell of clean laundry coming out of the dryer! Exfoliating creme was on my wish list for Christmas. It is amazing how smooth the process of ridding that dead skin can make your skin feel. Repentance does the same thing for our soul. It allows us to be comfortable in the presence of Christ. Remember back in Luke 1 when the fishing had dried up and Jesus tells Simon Peter to toss out his nets again? A catch so vast it almost sinks the boat? Simon Peter falls on his knees and says to Jesus, Go away from me Lord; I am a sinfu