Boojoyful

October 31 It's true! Just as the disciples knew what they knew about Jesus, we too have real life experiences with Him today! While these "Godincidences" thrill our hearts personally, we need to speak up and tell of His goodness to others. Yesterday morning the day was looking rough by 5:30AM.God had laid a new project on my heart and I was scrambling to find a scrap of paper on which to jot the message. A few phone calls and emails later I called out to the Lord.. "Something has to give here!" Posting the daily devotional, I decided to skip my shower. Putting half a chunk of bread, from dinner the night before, and a bunch of grapes in my lunch bag I ran out the door without ever sitting quietly before the Lord. By the time I returned home at 4PM I found myself longing to be with Jesus. Opening Quiet Moments with God I laughed out loud. There was my personal message from the Lord! O God, my heart is steadfast. Psalm 57:7 May God speak to you today. Enjoy Ogi

October 30 I just did a complete turn around on the devo erasing what I had written. Typing away on a topic of my own accord I heard what I thought was my husband clearing his throat. Then I realized my husband has been gone for an hour. It made me stop and think about the sensations which surrond the loss of a loved one. We still sense their presence...maybe we think we hear them in the kitchen or we still anticipate them walking in the door. Ugh...I've just sensed the need to pray for my husband's safety as he is on the road. Actually, I just stopped and called him and prayed. He said an 18 wheeler, which was perpendicular to him, had just taken a sharp turn and he thought the truck was going to turn over on top of him. He was thankful for the prayers. Double ugh...I just went on Biblegateway to find a verse and the verse of the day is one of my husband's favorites...the verse that drew him to salvation: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not

October 29 Indian summer abounded yesterday with temperatures in the mid 70's and I couldn't wait to finish mopping the bathroom floors and cleaning the toilets at school, so I could get home and be outdoors. My classroom has no windows and that makes for a sacrificial day this time of year as the creation in this Blue Ridge Mt country is bursting forth with an array of pleasing colors. There were papers to be graded, novels to read and lesson plans to make, but I found myself wanting nothing but Jesus. Struggling with what my priorities really were...Jesus won out and I gave him the first fruits of my free time. Interestingly, He took me to Galatians 6:7..." A man reaps what he sows ." Want a blessing? Be a blessing. Want a friend? Be a friend. While I was hanging out with Jesus, I devoured an apple. Setting the core aside a brown apple seed was staring back at me. WOW...one little seed produces a tree which gives and gives a bountiful harvest. Likewise, God can take

October 28 The momentum was mounting, the Lord was turning an ordinary day into an extraordinary day spiritually. The example of how real He is unfolded yesterday through a poem He gave me and escalated with an amazing confirmation through the lyrics of a song on the way to school. I believe the song was called "Pretend Not to See Her." The students were a contemplative captive audience and I prayed that someone would "get it" and God would speak to them and show them where He was at work that very day and how they could join him. Then BAM, WHAM, POW...the enemy approached, pushed the right buttons, taking me off guard, and the moment was shattered. Fortunately, I had to leave and go to a funeral. God allowed me to retreat from the battlefield and attend a retreat in the form of a funeral. One of my favorite songs, "I Know My Redeemer Lives" was sung and I recognized the battle which had just been waged. Returning to the classroom, where the bomb had been

October 27 What will it be today Lord, that will touch a tender heart? What will it take today Lord, to convince someone there is a new start? Last night standing by the coffin of a friend's loved one, I wrapped my arms around her and praised God he was now with the Son. When you molded me and made me, You had a purpose for this day. Now I bow my head and seek Your plan as I listen while I pray. Our lives are so much richer when we take the time to care. Come Holy Spirit, guide us and make us so much more aware.

October 26 We have a young (very talented musically) friend who has been on The Amazing Race. If you have tuned into this show his name is Canaan. He and his new girlfriend, Micah, both live in Nashville. Last night was the first night we had tuned in to watch. We just caught the last 15 minutes where they approached an enormous water slide...I am not even certain of the country in which this was taking place. Micah was wearing pink water wings...a clue that she is afraid of water. Long story short...her fear overcame her and she refused to go down the slide. Her holding back put them in last place and they have been eliminated from the show. Opening a devotional reading this morning was the story of Ruth and her mother in law, Naomi. A story of undying faithfulness when a young widow chooses to follow her widowed mother in law and the faith she cherishes instead of turning back to her own homeland. Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you

October 24-25 Rarely do I miss my commitment to the Lord when it comes to the devotional, but this weekend family called and I chose to allow them to take every minute. Funny, now I feel like I've been on a junk food junket and I am craving spiritual food.

October 23 Grace was extended to me the other day as I asked my hairdresser about the color of my hair, which seems to be changing. He hasn't highlighted it in over a year. Responding to my inquiry he said, "Oh, this is all you! It is Arctic Blonde!" Tack, grace or little white lies are appreciate at times, but when it comes to sin in our lives we need to name it and praise God he sent Christ to die for those sins, not just leave us to our own devices of "dying" over them or trying on our own to bleach them out. Acts 13:38 Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Let's Pray: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty early in the morning our praises rise to You. Forgive us our trespasses and every unclean thought which infiltrates our minds. May we leap a little higher and love a little deeper for the load we have laid down on Your altar and with rejoicing proclaim, "You are the way, the truth

Philippians 2:22 says: You know his proven character . February 22nd would have been the perfect date for this verse, but it caught my mind today. God is in the transformation business. Paul, who is probably the most dramatic Biblical transformtaion, writes of other lives which also were tranformed. Timid Timothy over came his fears and became a faithful follower of Christ. Peter certainly did a denial turn around, but it was't an immediate fix. Our proven character occures during a refining process. Like the song says...He's still workin on me, to make me what I ought to be.!

October 21 It is 1:15 AM and the hiccups will not stop, so I've decided I might as well hiccup with the Lord. I went to Biblegateway to see what the verse was for the day. “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”- Psalm 40:8 The plan is to meditate on this verse in conjunction with the hiccups... I desire ....hiccup.. to do ...hiccup.. your will ...hiccup... I kid you not...one cycle of chewing...ok hiccuping... on God's Word and after twenty five minutes of struggling with the hiccups they stopped as soon as they were put to the scripture memory process! The Word of God is a powerful weapon!

October 20 A cold spell shot through our nation last week. Heading off to school yesterday I looked at the temperature, which was 33 degrees. I thought to myself... "I'm not ready for cold weather." There hasn't been a Christmas yet, where I was ready with all the little "special" unnecessary touches I had planned. The only "Are you ready?" which is of eternal value in my book is "Are you ready for Jesus' return?" So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:44 Sing it...Are you ready? Yes, I'm ready!" Let's Pray: OH Great I AM, You make the tides to turn and across the midst of this morning I see a hint of pink which tells me the sun is coming today. When we least expect Him, You Son will rise up on the clouds and announce His return! What a time of rejoicing that will be for some, but for most it will be a real shocker! Our prayer today would be tha

October 19 Lord, in a bit of a Monday morning frenzy, I felt as if I was rushing through my quiet time with You. The song "Catch a Wave" came to me and really caught me off guard. The word wave took me to "the wave" which occurs in football stadiums! How Kool would it be if those people were actually all lifting their hands in praise to You! W00t! W00t! Father, we do pray for a wave of revival to fly across this land! In Jesus Name! God blessed us with a chance to be still last night and share in sweet fellowship with a wonderful couple who God has sent into our lives as mentors and accountability partners. The question arose wondering if we knew what the word Bible stood for? Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth May our Bibles be open so God can instruct and teach each of us this very day. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

October 17-18 One of my students is an avid fisherman. When he gets going, his tales twirl off his tongue at a pace which is hard to follow. The lingo of lures, rods, and species leaves me long in the dust and my head is spinning like the line running off his reel. Often I am left thinking....I have no clue what he was just talking about. (He probably feels the same about my lecture this week on inverted and natural order and independent and subordinate clauses.) It the topic doesn't hold our interest the information often doesn't penetrate our thick shells! Funny..it must be the teacher in me which sympathizes with the flight attendant giving his/her safety spiel, so I watch intently with an appreciative smile while the other passengers do their own thing. Studying the Word of God can be dry and dull if You aren't hungry for it. Praise God He knew we would need the Holy Spirit to make it come alive. If you are assisting a beginning Bible student, first ask them if they hav

October 16 Putting on my jacket for work, I had to inside out a sleeve. The idea to teach our school children to turn their prayer focus inside out came to me. So often we pray "Give me...help me... I want..." Driving to school I have started a praise course...listening to praise music on the radio and receiving a message from the lyrics. The inside out theme continued as I heard a song by Chris Sligh for the first time: Empty Me Empty me of the selfishness inside Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride And any foolish thing my heart holds to Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you So filler up Lord!!! Filler up! In Jesus' Name, Amen

October 15 I am a bit ahead of schedule, but this Godincidence was too much not to share immediately. Pulling in my driveway after a long, cold, wet day at school my memory drifted back to my childhood and stopping by my grandmother's on the way home from school each day. My grandmother's home was a safe haven for me....full of peace, warmth, and love. She always has a treat waiting! Now as a grandmother myself, I find that same familiar sort of anticipation as I return home to my dog each day. With these thoughts on my mind and my dog by my side, I opened my email to find this precious site. www.andiesisle.com/GoD_and_DoG.html This morning in Language Arts I asked the 6th grade students to pull out a piece of paper and imagine they were in the throne room of God waiting for him to speak. I told them to jot down any thoughts the Holy Spirit gave them during a time of silence. We talked about how God longs for us to come to Him and listen! Whew...heading there now! Let's pra

October 14 Drifting off to sleep, while reading a devotional book in our hammock yesterday, I was awakened by a gentle nudge. Opening my eyes I expected to see my husband, but instead there was Moses! As soon as I acknowledged him, all seventy-five pounds of bulldog lumbered into the hammock with me. His unconditional love and warm body were quite comforting. James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. 2 Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, When God comes alongside you today...welcome Him in and be blessed. Let's Pray: God of all comfort, come into our lives today and find Your place of honor. While we watch the season changing right before our eyes, may we be reminded You never change. Your love is consistent and deeper than the deepest sea. Forgive us when we put our love of others and things before You. We come with attitudes of repentance and hearts shouting... You Lord, You

October 13 Have you ever been the recipient of a freezer party? This occurs when there is a power outage and someone has to cook up everything in their freezer because it has thawed. Last winter my car was overflowing with magnolia branches. A snow storm dumped 9" of snow and broke off major limbs from our magnolia tree, so I drove around sharing the damage. The message I am to write this morning is very clear. We are to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us up to overflowing, so we spill the love of Christ out onto others. Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Let's Pray: God, You are so complete...three in One, Father, Spirit, Son! Today, help us get out of the way and may more of You be evident in us. May others find us to be strange creatures who are full of joy, hope and patience. Give us the courage to introduce someone to th

October 12 Do you ever struggle with anxiety, a bit of being on edge, or restlessness, and have no clue what the underlying issue is? Ugh, that is where I am this morning. Antonyms are words which have opposite meanings, such as... restlessness/stillness God's word speaks to both... Be anxious for nothing. Philippians 4:6 Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 The verse for the day on Biblegateway speaks to what are often opposite ideas: “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." - Proverbs 19:20-21 Hmm, possibly our anxiety comes from trusting in ourselves or man for outcomes when we need to be seeking the Lord and his purposes, which is where we will find peace. Over and over in my head is a verse from Chris Tomlin's song, God of this City ..."There is none like our God!" Let's Pray: God, there is none like You. When uneasiness c

Oct 10-11 "The Lord your God is with you. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zeph. 3:17 Today is one of those fall Saturdays where cheers will radiate from the college stadiums of America...ok some boo's too, but let's concentrate on the cheers. Without giving details I am sending up "ray, rahs" to God for how He showed up and showed off in my life yesterday. The enemy has been raging a battle against me for a couple months now which hits the top three painful journeys I have encountered. I received a blow yesterday, which I thought would render me useless and I wanted to retreat...ok RUN from the experience. About to crumble something made me press forward and had I not I would have missed five specific blessings. One was a point blank face to face confirmation of a dream God had given me three weeks ago. Several people were with me when this happened and we all stood in amazement know

October 9 The Lord thrills my heart and truly is the best friend we can have. He knows us inside and out and always has just the right words to say. Even when the words are those of discipline, He disciplines with love and the reprimand makes such sense! This morning He gave me the word "IF". How would you fill in these "ifs". If I had nothing required of me to do today I would.... If I knew today was my last day on earth I would... If money were no object I would... If I could see one person come to love Jesus today it would be... If I could change one situation in my life right now it would be.... Now let's switch gears and see what God's Word has in the "if" category. If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; Psalm 37:23 If God is for us, who can be against us. Romans 8:31 And a message from Jesus today... If you love me, you will obey what I command. John 14:15 Let's Pray: Jesus, You are our advocate going bef

October 8 Looking out my bathroom window last night, I was blown away by the reflection of a full moon on the water. What I saw shining brilliantly on the water was a sword, and it was pointing right towards our property as if offering an awesome offensive. This morning the sky is bursting of pinks and purples as if an artist had been up early painting a magnificent mural. I just headed out to try to catch it for you, but it was already fading. Googling "Sword of the Spirit" I came across a powerful piece by Charles Spurgeon. Be blessed, cause God is the best. Love, Boo The Sword of the Spirit April 19th, 1891 by C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892) "Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."—Ephesians 6:17. "To be a Christian is to be a warrior. The good soldier of Jesus Christ must not expect to find ease in this world: it is a battle-field. Neither must he reckon upon the friendship of the world; for that would be enmity against God. His occupation is w

October 7 Do you ever sense God is preparing you for something to come? Every time I stirred during the night the following song by Sidewalk Prophets was on my mind. " These Are the Words " Be strong in the LORD and, Never give up hope, You're going to do great things, I already know, God's got His hand on you so, Don't live life in fear, Forgive and forget, But don't forget why your here, Take your time and pray, These are the words I would say Prepare to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity. There are some fabulous verses, which should thrill our hearts when it comes to the theme of God and preparation! John 14:2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. We share the work load and have responsibilities as children of the

October 6 The morning slipped away with busyness and I haven't listened to the Lord directly. I have been hanging out with Sidewalk Prophets and a song of theirs I find to be powerful. Be strong in the LORD and, Never give up hope, You're going to do great things, I already know, God's got His hand on you so, Don't live life in fear, Forgive and forget, But don't forget why your here, Take your time and pray, Thank God for each day, His love will find a way, These are the words I would say Found them here on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9cYcMbmbzk Praying for each of you who land here today to be able to be still and know that He is God and He loves you with a depth you cannot fathom. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, may the Holy Spirit blow you away with his power today! I pray you see God working in a way you never thought possible. In Jesus Name, Amen

October 5 Yes, the word for today is "yonder". Being certain that would not be in the Bible, I wondered what the Lord was up to. Hmmm, was there going to be a hymn He was leading me to. I entered "yonder" in the concordance search out of faith and there it was in The Message. Proverbs 23:4 Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich; restrain yourself! Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings and flies off into the wild blue yonder. Whew, a lot of people saw wealth fly off into the wild blue yonder this year didn't they! Our rewards from the Lord have not flown away...they are waiting for us in the wild blue yonder of heaven! Our investments in God's kingdom are a sure return! Our Sunday School class is studying Romans 12 and our challenge this week is to love well. We are investing in the lives of others three ways this week. One, we working together to build a wheelchair ramp for a class member, we are to help someone outside of our

Oct. 1-2 Facing a little health issue, I am in some pain right now and was struggling to hear the Lord. Looking at my bedside table I noticed the remote control. Seldom, is it on my side of the bed. Most nights my husband falls asleep with it by his side and I reach across and place it on his bedside table, but last night the pain was too great, so I simply placed it on my table. There are 33 buttons on that piece of equipment, equaling a lot of choices. We have just as many buttons in our lives which Satan encourages people to push! There are the down right evil ones wanting to steal, kill and destroy our joy. We come across the total strangers who get under our skin. The every day Joe, whose familiarity can breed contempt and of course let us never forget our loved ones who see us as a safety zone to let off steam. Total all the people we encounter in those various categories and we have more than 33 possible buttons to be pushed. Praise the Lord only we control the power butt