Boojoyful

December 30-31 I may have mentioned coming up with a new quote before Christmas... Life is a lot! Today it has been difficult to get in gear. We went from the Christmas celebration, to hopping on a plane and helping our youngest pull off a surprise engagement in Florida. Returning home last night I learned of the death of a friend's husband (we will be missing one fine Tarheel fan), the break up of a precious young marriage, an emergency C-section having to be performed on one of the sweetest young women I know(She and her 2 pound baby have been fighting for their lives.) and the reality that our oldest son joins the Army in five days. The combination of physical and emotional exhaustion along with a house to undecorate, bags to unpack and a new semester of lesson plans to attack had me numb, so I dug into the Word hoping God would pull me up. There staring at me on Biblegateway was: This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, ...

December 27-28 Taking notes during the sermon yesterday I wrote "away" instead of "a way". The contrast jumped out at me as I immediately realized Jesus is "the way" (more than a way) to eternal peace. Because of our acceptance of Him we will not be turn "away" from the heavenly home which awaits us. Searching "away" on Bible Gateway most of usages have a negative connotation. "Swept away, sent away, flee away,wasted away, etc." The Song of Solomon does give a more exciting twist to the word in verses 1:4 and 8:14 Take me away with you—let us hurry! Come away, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains. Looking at the dictionary definitions for away there are some strong Biblical applications. 1) on the way (Away to heaven we go.) 2) from this or that place (Hmm, choose to go away to heaven or hell) 3) in a secure place (Locked away with Jesus.) 4) in another direction (Sent away from G...

December 26 Ah, the day after Christmas. The crumbs, the old ribbons, tags and wrappings found under the couch and a tree that just seems sad the festivity is over...hmm, maybe for a live tree it knows it's demise. The excitement, joy, love and laughter, which surround a Christmas tree on Christmas morning, are quite unique. With a birthday celebration there is usually only one recipient. On Christmas morning there is just as much excitement watching each person receive the gift you have brought to honor your relationship with them as there is in opening gifts yourself. Think how elated God must be each time someone receives the precious gift of Christ! Jesus really is the gift which keeps on giving. There are few gifts which you can give away and still have an abundance for yourself. Enjoy the lyrics to the Gift Goes On : The Father gave the Son The Son gave the Spirit The Spirit gives us life So we can give the Gift of love And the Gift goes on And the Gift goes on And the Gift g...

December 24-25 There is fruit to be cut, French toast to be stuffed and a mushroom fritata waiting to take form, but I just looked at my husband and said, "I really need my Jesus time." The word the Lord gave me this morning was rather unique. Subtle . Immediately, I thought of the announcement of Christ's birth. No, "Hear Ye, Hear Ye" ringing out from a town crier to tell of the birth of a new born king. No network blaring the news into our family rooms. A single brilliant star, which spoke only to those stirred by the Lord, told of Christ's birth. That is pretty subtle . Opening the dictionary the definition of subtle unleashed more characteristics of our king. Subtle : 1.elusive, difficult to understand or perceive. 2 perceptive, refined; having or marked by keen insight and ability to penetrate deeply and thoroughly. 3. highly skillful : expert (a subtle craftsman) My prayer this Christmas morning is that Christ will penetrate subtly the hearts of many w...

December 23 Said the night wind to the little lamb Do you see what I see Way up in the sky little lamb Do you see what I see A star, a star Dancing in the night With a tail as big as a kite With a tail as big as a kite Said the little lamb to the shepard boy Do you hear what I hear Ringing through the sky shepard boy Do you hear what I hear A song, a song High above the tree With a voice as big as the sea With a voice as big as the sea Said the shepard boy to the mighty king Do you know what I know In your palace wall mighty king Do you know what I know A child, a child Shivers in the cold Let us bring him silver and gold Let us bring him silver and gold Said the king to the people everywhere Listen to what I say Pray for peace people everywhere Listen to what I say The child, the child Sleeping in the night He will bring us goodness and light He will bring us goodness and light The child, the child Sleeping in the night He will bring us goodness and light What beautiful lyrics! I am b...

December 21-22 Driving along Interstate 81 after the blizzard this weekend it was shocking to see cars which had been abandoned on the side of the Interstate and then plowed over with snow by snow plows. In one fifty mile stretch, news reporters sighted between 600-1000 people who had to be rescued after abandoning their vehicles. The national guard was called in to help rescue people and get them into shelters. All the hotels were full and gas became quite the shortage at stations along the exit ramps. There was at least one death. My first thought upon seeing these cars, many plunged nose down into ditches, was what would make someone get out of their car in a storm like this and start walking? I am guessing you would be thinking you would freeze to death in the car, but walking blindly in a storm like that is asking for problems to pile upon problems. Hopefully cell phones worked and many were taken to safety by the National Guard. The image of these stuck cars with the snow piled u...

December 20 Life would be more simple if there was only one way to do things. Take high chairs for instance...none of the trays are removed the same way. You enter a restaurant holding one of more toddlers on your hip, you have a diaper bag and your purse swung over your shoulder and you are trying to slide the tray off to set a child down and the search for the latch or latches begins! How about the credit card machines at various check outs. Why can't there just be one way to slide the card. Target's check out makes me a little nervous...the machine actually inhales your card! And cell phones...well just forget it. The Bible makes it so simple to believe in Christ... Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me . John 14:6 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved . Acts 16:31 Mary and Joseph believed, the shepherds believed and the wisemen certainly believed to take such a long journey. The d...

December 18-19 Needing to be out of town for a couple days has made me miss an enormous snow storm at Shiloh. :( My husband has been telling me not to fret. There will be plenty of snow for for quite some time. The last time we spoke this morning the property had over 18 inches on the ground and it was still coming down! The phrase the Lord gave me yesterday was "Give it Up!" Immediately, I thought of the entertainment industry and how they say, "Give it up for..." so and so before they take the stage. Whoa....maybe that is what our ministers need to say when we come to worship! "Give it up for Jesus!" We could break out in applause and heartfelt "Amens" or we could "give up" all the baggage we brought into worship with us. Yup, lay our burdens down; quit thinking we have to solve all of our problems on our own. There are at least four ways to "give it up" concerning Jesus. "Give it up" in worship... follow ...

December 17 Rushing home from school I entered the house singing, "It's time to be with Jesus, time to be with Jesus, it's time to be with Jesus now!" I felt a little bit like Mr. Rogers and "It's a lovely day in this neighborhood...would you be mine?" Then those words, "Would you be mine?" pounded down on me. How many people a day does Jesus ask that question? He is the "bread of life" according to John 6:35. He supplies all our needs: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 Last night we set aside what the world was screaming is urgent and took three hours to gather a few students interested in going to church to take communion. A harpist played, our heart rates slowed, we knelt at the altar before Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus and gave thanks for all He has done. Then approaching the altar again for communion the tears dripped down my eyes as I thought about what Christ has done f...

December 16 WhaCha Gonna Do When They Come for You? Let's be perfectly clear, most of the time I am totally clueless what the Spirit is up to when he gives me these devotionals! This morning I responded to Him with a "You've got to be kidding me? I've never even seen Ghost Busters." What I have seen are people dying with the Lord and those dying without Him and what they did as the time neared for death was very different. What they are doing now after death is quite different as well. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened... Luke 11:10 Let's Pray: Father, you have a plan! We thank You that Jesus came for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. May there be rejoicing in heaven today, because hearts were stirred to seek and the door was open to many who had been lost. We offer ourselves to Your service today and may we live and react in a way that helps to lead people to You. In the name of the One we love, Ame...

December 15 For some reason I decided to feed Moses (our bulldog) by Christmas light this morning around 6AM. Filling up his water bowl, I remembered the dishwasher needed emptying. Dropping a glass bowl on the hard tile floor, the conditions were ripe for disaster. Shattered clear glass, bare feet and very dim lighting. Had my husband been home, he would have shouted..."Don't move, don't move!" Fortunately, the dog was outside, but I was alone and needed a plan. Now I am realizing I could have reached for a couple casserole dishes and put my feet in them and slide across the tile floor to safety! What I did do was stop and realize..."I am not alone." Asking the Lord for wisdom I squatted down and brushed aside some clear spots to gently step upon to approach my bedroom and a pair of shoes before beginning the clean up.(I did get glass in the end of one finger..should have grabbed a dish towel). We step into unknown and often dangerous situations every day,...

December 14 Being the Head Master of two schools, part of my husband's responsibility is making the call as to whether school is open or not in inclement weather. Nobody likes making up snow days on Saturdays or extending the school year, but living in a rural area, safety is of the utmost consideration. Today he had to "make the call" at 6AM. We are two hours late, due to icing. Carrying the cause of Christ in our hearts, we often have to make the call when to share the Gospel. Our Sunday school class just finished a training course called "Share Jesus without Fear" by Bill Fay (www.sharejesuswithoutfear.com). Another excellent training program is the Evangelism Explosion course designed by the late James Kennedy. There are two key questions with that program which can help immensely to get a conversation started. 1) God forbid, but should you die tonight in your sleep do you know with absolute certain you are going to heaven? If they say no, then you can share...

December 12-13 Ponder: to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Psalm 111:2 Matt Redman has a song entitled: "Let My Words Be Few" which I have posted to the left. That's the way I feel about the blog today...let the words be few so we can ponder all that God wants to do with each of us. Take time to ponder today! Great new holiday recipe as well!

December 11 Preparation: the action or process of making something ready for use or service or of getting ready for some occasion, test, or duty . Oh, yes, this is the preparation season, full of Christmas action. Thinking of the word preparation in relationship to God's purpose for us is a real heart stirrer. As we place our lives on His altar today in surrenderance to Him, we prepare ourselves for the use, the service, the specific occasion,or the possible test which awaits us. Awake with confirmation, praying to be prepared for the privileged duty we are called to as Children of the Living God! Here we are Lord, send us! Shell Shocked...I googled the word "surrenderance" and the first articles which came up were related to "yoga', "guru", "Hafiz", "the Meher Baba's Oneness in the World", "Tara Meditation", and a You Tube of Obama related to a great Hindu American. Clicking back to my concordance there was no verse ca...

December 10 Stop...does the season have us the least bit anxious? Is there something we are trying to fine tune...a Christmas card or shopping list, a performance, a recipe, maybe decorating? This morning I asked the Lord to take me in scripture where we needed to be...here is where I landed. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, an to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 Oh, Paul had such a way with words. It gets even better! Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask o...

December 9 During my quiet time this morning a man's leather shoe with it's tongue and shoe strings kept creeping into my vision. Now what could that be about....ah "tongue tied". Very clever Lord! There is even the perfect verse to come alongside the shoe! Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. Proverbs 17:28 Father, may we all take heed to these words of wisdom today and tie up our tongues from flapping loose if necessary! In Jesus Name, Amen

December 8 Being an extremely early riser and not wanting to disturb my sleep, my husband is always so thoughtful to tuck a pillow up against me when he gets out of be to make me think he is still with me. When I awaken I usually pat that side of the bed to see if it is human or fluff snuggling with me. I can't find the reference this morning, but I seem to recall a scripture verse which says, "Lo, I am with you to the end of the earth." It's hard to shake Jesus! While some people enjoy being served breakfast in bed, I much prefer the artistic gifts God gives me each morning. The bright and morning star shown through my window at 5AM and now at 6:45 He has painted a gorgeous pink and gray sunrise. The process of a sunrise is like watching a souffle rise in the oven...every couple minutes there is an exciting subtle change! If our eyes are open we are going to see God in action...yes, He is every present...ever with us! Close your eyes, lift your arms in praise and sin...

December 7 Father, I want to make today count. When I place my head on my pillow tonight I want to be able to reflect back and know that I have been where You planned to send me and that I have responded to life in a way that gives You joy and glory. I want today to be a pomegranate day. Yesterday, after church we stopped by the grocery store and I picked up a couple pomegranates. What a beautiful fruit! Instructions on how to cut it open were included. The internal structure was amazing! (I am not going to give details, so if you have never had this experience it will be exciting for you.) This had to have been one of God's most creative days...kind of like the giraffe day for him. The exuberance of this fruit climaxes as you eat the seeds! God's Word is like the pomegranate! It is attractive, but when you dig into it the world around you illuminates and there is so much more than you expected on the inside! Lord, go before us today, showing us Your way. Help us to put our age...

December 5-6 Frustratingly, I looked at the word " associating " as my computer waited and waited for access to get online. The " retry " button kept staring me in the face, but pushing that was to no avail. Next, the not so endearing phrase "We are currently experiencing technical difficulties" popped up and brought me to a point of surrender. Forget this,I'm heading off to use my Bible and a dictionary! The word "associate" in the dictionary means "to ally, to unite, to combine". Lord, I want to associate with You. I stray so easily. Please allow me a "retry." Create in me a pure heart, O God, renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 When will I grasp I cannot do all things on my own and live in a manner recognizing You have never called me to such a task? You are to be my strength. Ah, yes...renew.... Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then yo...

December 4 In honor of Christ's birthday month, I decided to have a date a day with him to deepen our relationship. Already, I can see his purpose is to help me with a life course of his I have not been passing with flying colors. The course..."Loving Unlovable People." I do feel this is a graduate level course! I'm late for school but wanted to share how this morning's date went. Date 4 Under this satin comforter the sun has not yet come up, but you are here Jesus! My whole body relaxes as I close my eyes and imagine Your face…your eyes are so blue…unusual for a Jewish man! I’ve never been a fan of long hair on men, but yours is gorgeous. Reaching over to hold your hand, I flinch back at first seeing the scars on your wrists! What a strong remembrance of what you did for me. Will you take this time to teach me more?…..ugh, you ask me….Will I accept unconditionally what you have to say because you say it in love? OK…I trust you and your motives. Proverbs 25:21-22 ...

December 3 Scanning through a computer instruction course we are introducing in January I came to the games part of each assignment! Hey, that sounds like fun....NOT! Nudging my almost asleep husband I said in frustration, "I just don't get it. How am I supposed to make all these little smiley faces move to the right color boxes. Half of them are sticking out their tongues at me!" The scenario didn't improve when I moved to a snowboarding math skill. Oh, the math problems were a breeze, but moving the cursor around the pine trees and rocks had "YOU LOSE" continually popping up. For many people, a faith in Christ is difficult to understand. They need someone who knows Him to offer up an explanation and take them to the directions. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord...

December 2 Somehow the morning stole away from me and I didn't get on the blog. Yesterday, I decided to venture out on a new course of "30 Dates with Jesus". Each day after school I will rush home and experience the Lord in a unique way. Life really is all about relationship and there is none more valuable than the one we share with Christ. Scurrying in out of a deluge of rainfall today, I dropped my school bags and headed to the piano, ready to praise! Deciding to take pot luck I opened the hymnal and was elated to see the hymn: Think About His Love . Great date song! Think about His love, think about His goodness Think about His grace that's brought us through For as high as the heavens above So great is the measure of our father's love Great is the measure of our Father's love So great is the measure of our Father's love My heart wandered back to yesterday when a student shared he had been hurt by someone in the locker room at the "Y". Th...

December 1 My son shared over the holidays how when his first child was born he was afraid that if he had to go to the hospital nursery and pick out his baby he might not be able to recognize him. I can remember loving on our first born and hearing my husband say, "I don't even know that person yet, how can you love her so." I am sure those are both very common first time dad comments. What did Mary and Joseph think when they peered in that manger after their ordeal? How about the wise men who traveled so far to bring gifts to an unknown child? As Jesus grew he amazed people over and over again. My husband and son are both amazed with and attachment to their children! Drawing near to the manger this Christmas season may we daily be amazed by what Christ has done for us and is continually doing for all mankind. May attachment to Christ and the desire to be more like him be a daily goal as well. A great holiday verse to keep our focus in perspective is: The things which ...