Boojoyful

December 30-31 Heading home this morning before sunrise (no we had not been out partying all night) we gazed at this gorgeous view. I wonder if this is what the road to heaven looks like? Shortly thereafter we passed a bill board which held this statement: "If you died today where would you spend eternity?" Within five minutes we saw an exit ramp covered in the flashing lights of emergency vehicles and down in a ravine was a car laid upside down and totally flattened. Our prayers went up for those captured within. Psalm 39:4-5 Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere hand breadth' the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. PT Keeper of our Days, we find peace in the recognition of Your sovereignty. As we stop today and reflect back on 2010 we know those days are a compilation of successes and failures. We committed sins and

God has so much in store for us in 2011!

December 29 Riding shotgun on a road trip, I meditated on who God is as the snow covered Blueridge Mountains rolled by on either side of Highway 81. The thought of kneading dough came to mind. "Yeah, I need some dough$ Lord." Ha, that wasn't where He was going. The process of making yeast breads, pie crusts and cookie dough (which I did over the holidays) held a timely teaching. If you overwork dough it gets tough. Alt hough the rising process takes time, it is worth the wait when the tasty blessings come out of the oven! My husband had his country station blaring on the radio...very appropriate since we were heading to Nashville. Chris Young was singing: I Hear Voices all the Time . Putting these two pieces of info together with the New Year on the horizon, I thought back to the mental battle of discerning who the author is of the voices we hear. Daily, I notice the devil drawing me to dwell on past hurts, betrayals and deceptions pushing my heart towards bitterness

December 28 The word from the Lord was clear this morning... space. Opening Biblegateway to begin a search I found a most appropriate verse for three days after Christmas vacation. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Stopping to pray for all the stranded travelers up and down the east coast, my heart gave thanks to the Lord that all of our children who had come home for the holiday had gotten safely to their next destinations. My sewing machine is about to be loaded up to travel to Nashville to help make a special space for a new grand baby. Blue toile curtains are hanging ahead on the agenda. For most people (ok, most females) a lot of thought goes into our personal spaces. It was very interesting that many of the space related verses in the Bible had to do with wanting "wide open" space. Don't dump on me, God; my God, don't stand me up. Hurry up and help me; I want some wide-open space in my life! Psalm 3

December 26-27 My husband headed up to the Kroger full center time and time again to fill up the tanks of each of the children's cars in appreciation for them making the journey home. I tried my best to fill up their bellies at each meal this past week. Check out the link "The Word for Today" and see the "f" word and verses for... fullness. I wrote today's devo and it wouldn't layout correctly so after an hour of frustration I deleted it and prayed God would give me the words He wanted shared. He took me to John 10:10 and some powerful words from Jesus. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. We have been dealing with some situations which we sense are stealing, killing and destroying our joy. Maybe you are experiencing similar feelings. Those frustrations are not from the Lord. One of my Christmas gifts was a book called Job by John Piper. "What kind of gift is that?&q

December 23-25 Yesterday morning I had to go for an eye appointment. After signing in I turned to sit in the waiting area and just stopped and stood there. There was a beautiful tree and lovely music being piped in, but what caught me off guard was the fact I was all alone and the quiet was wonderful. The doctor came into the check in area and saw me standing there and asked if everything was alright. I explained the quiet had taken me by surprise and it was delightful. While I had lots on my mind, it was refreshing to just sit and tell Jesus I love him. Back in the day of six little children and living in the city where my husband and I grew up and both of our families lived, Christmas was a "hurry up and get there time". Party to party, meal to meal, Christmas program to Christmas program, we packed a lot into a few days trying to get to see everyone. When I read today's verse on Biblegateway in the NIV translation it spoke of the shepherds "hurrying off".

December 22 Awakening this morning the verse was so clear... I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. Psalm 32:8 Last night I opened a devotional so I could go to bed meditating on the Word and the verse was Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be Upon His shoulder. On today's agenda was the process of setting up the Nativity with our grandson. This morning it hit me, I am to teach him that Jesus is more than a baby in a manger. He is God in the flesh who came to earth to die for our sins and to be our ultimate example. The baby is the King of Kings to whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess..."You are Lord!" I am to pass along the knowledge that the little baby packs the biggest punch of love available! We have a stuffed Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Last night while strolling Jesus he stopped and gave him a sweet kiss! Feel the Love.

December 21 Anticipation And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God. Romans 8:28 Being the afterthought, well actually accident, in my parents lives I am much younger than my siblings. They were all off to college or married and living out of town by the time I was eleven years old. The Christmas holidays was filled with joyful anticipation as I anticipated the homecoming of each of them. Christmas morning was also filled with anticipation...waiting and wondering when they would wake up so we could open our presents! Now I'm on the parental/grandparent end of anticipating my children coming home! Three down and a bunch to come! Having a "Mary" moment I began to think about what was on her mind as the time neared for her to deliver her first child. She was off on a donkey adventure with no family to support her, only Joseph who had to be filled with a bit of anxiety himself for the babe he would be delivering wasn't even his own chi

The new link Personally Speaking has the daily devo for now. ABC - the Word on the letter "E" today... Endure Jesus is our example of endurance. Hear Ye, Hear Ye features lyrics to Chris Tomlin's...Emmanuel Make it this Month -Check out the apron & tree ideas. Note the Quote is coming too. Please bear with me while these are under construction.

December Can you hear Elvis and his Memphis draw? Thank you, thank you very much. Paul, who didn't have a flawless or fluffy life, urges us to have a spirit of thankfulness. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2 Be joyful always, pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situations, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 My husband came to me the other day requesting thank you notes, for as a school head master, you receive lots of little Christmas goodies and he wanted to show his appreciation to the students in writing. A spring "bride to be" was discussing her wedding details with me and said she had ordered thank you notes to match her invitations. One of the items I have purchased to give as Christmas gifts this year is note cards, because we all have need of thos