Boojoyful

February 27-28 The word consternation came to mind last night as I was going to sleep and was still with me when I awakened. Not certain what it meant I headed to the dictionary. Consternation - amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion. WOW, this week I was thrown into a state of consternation following a phone call. So what was I to do with this word feeling so certain God wanted me to follow its lead. After checking seven translations I finally found the word in The New American Standard in Ezekiel 3:15 Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them. This led to a two hour study of the book of Ezekiel. (I had planned to clean my house...oh, well.) Looking at the word again I saw... The prefix con means "with". Constern translated in my mind to "concern". Then there boldly at the end of this word stands "nation". We are to be fil

February 26 LOL...my Bible study this AM has taken me to passages on the importance of sitting still! Immediately I realized I bark out the command of "sit still" daily. Ah, you are thinking that is because I am a teacher....nope...that command is aimed daily at our English bulldog who requires some tedious care. From the gook which drains out of his eyes, to the dirt which cakes up on his nose, to the poopies which get stuck under his corkscrew tail and the drainage which comes out of his infected ear I need him to be still and cooperate while I clean him up! Do you hear it? Did the same thought reverberate back to you? God is saying.. "A hum." Likewise dear ones, I need you to sit still and cooperate while I clean up your heart with my Word! Oh, my! The list is lengthy of the things which need to be picked out of our lives. 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increa

February 25 Lying on my belly, with the covers pulled up high around my chilly shoulders, I am praising the Lord for wireless which allows me to type without getting out of bed. It's cold! My hot water bottle of a husband starts his day in another town, so he is up and Adam, leaving me to really not want to get out of bed and wander out into the cold temperatures this morning. Sobbing through a faculty prayer time yesterday, two of us shared circumstances we are experiencing which at times make us want to give up the battle. A huge part of me wanted to hide beneath the covers yesterday and not get up and face the world, but I knew the children would be an excellent distraction and the prayers and encouragement of my colleagues would put me in the proper mind set. That was right on! Today my prayers are for the "burden bearers" out in the world. This phrase has dual meaning, so I need to double up my prayers. While typing this term, "burden bearers" I was thinkin

February 24 "The battle is heightening." I hear that comment over and over again from brothers and sisters in Christ. Situations are robbing our slept and anxiety is pressing in on many fronts, but when the going gets tough we need to get on our knees,open our Bibles, turn on the praise songs and encourage one another. The phrase "Everyone needs compassion" has just come to mind. I've posted Hillsong's complete lyrics to Mighty to Save on the sidebar of the blog today. Here is the beginning. Everyone needs compassion, Love that's never failing; Let mercy fall on me. Everyone needs forgiveness, The kindness of a Saviour; The Hope of nations. Saviour, He can move the mountains, My God is Mighty to save, He is Mighty to save. The Biblegateway verse today is an appropriate one for those of us who need to remember God is in control and has a plan! For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

February 23 We struggle with the unknown! We think life would be much easier if we just knew what was to come. Hollywood has produced hits like Back to the Future which tempt us with what would appear to be a luxury of being able to make choices which could alter the outcome of life ahead of us. A day doesn't go by in this economically deprived time that I don't talk to someone who wants to know that things are going to get better, that they will have a job, or that they can make their house payments. They struggle with what to do next. (My husband and I are right there with them concerning our jobs.) This time of year has thousands of students waiting for college decisions. They just want to know where they will be spending the next four years of their lives. Adoption lists are long and anxious, "want to be" parents see time ticking along and their desire to have a child consumes their daily thoughts. They just want to know...will the call ever come? Overwhelmed wit

February 22 Lord, I have one of those 14 hour days ahead which does not stop and I am already late and feeling overwhelmed. Looking out my window is the deepest, pink sunrise I have ever seen. While beautiful, I am thinking of the rhyme my father taught me when he was teaching me to sail..."red sky at morning, sailor take warning; red sky at night, sailor's delight." (Ha, we were just on the lake and always insight of the shoreline!) Hopefully, that warning does not apply to the storms of everyday life. Needing a verse to cling to, I felt rushed and as if there wasn't even time to write the devo or look up a verse. I opened a 50 page document where I have been doing a Bible study and scrolled to the middle to look for a quote about the storms of life. Instead...there aws what I needed to bring me peace. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8 I probably wo

February 20-21 The students at school have been writing to soldiers and today in my Bible study I was really impacted by the way what I was personally studying related to our military personnel. From One Month to Live : “ Jesus traveled lightly. He kept only the cargo that was most important for His health and His mission. He advised His followers to do the same.” The study goes on with these questions. What is your response to His advice? What cargo might Jesus want to you to discard from your life? (Oh,goodness...show me some mercy! My husband is hoping I interpret this to mean I need to learn to travel more lightly!) Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with the

February 19 Lord, have compassion on me, I've let the world trump my time with you this week. Merriam Webster's definition of compassion: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it I keep reading this definition over and over. The obvious difference between feeling sorry for someone and having compassion for them comes in the second half of the definition. Christ like compassion should move us to the point of having a desire to help alleviate another person's distress. One of the most powerful ways to have a positive impact is to earnestly pray for the dilemma that person is experiencing. Struggling with some back pain I was on the floor stretching yesterday and looked over at my prayer bench. Sorrowfully, I realized I could not remember the last time I knelt there to pray. The most powerful punches we can throw the enemy come from fervent prayer. Time to get on my knees and alleviate the distance which I have created with the L

February 18 During a study on Galatians Chapter 6 and "reaping what you sow", our Middle School Bible class was challenged by a question which suggested how you would fair on a test of your sincerity in the area of selfless giving. Today our students go on an annual skiing/snowboarding field trip, so yesterday the challenge/test was this...Say a mother walked in the school today and had great financial needs. She had no money left to buy food for her family and if she did not pay her rent that very day she would be evicted from her apartment. The suggestion was made that for each student to sacrifice going on the ski trip, and instead give the money which was for the ski trip to the mother in need. The reactions were quite diverse. Two immediately said, "Absolutely give the money to the mother." The majority did a quick heart check and agreed the right thing would be to give the money, while one student's head was shaking negatively from the get go. My guess is

February 18 Instill : : to impart gradually. Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won't sin." Exodus 20:20 Someone was sharing about a friend who had accepted Christ, but they hadn't seen any changes in the person's life to confirm such occurrence. A walk with the Lord is a lifelong process, The Holy Spirit is imparted to us, but we have to choose daily to give control over to Him. The depth of our reverence for the Lord, which Moses speaks of above, comes from a long time relationship which He proves himself true over and over again. "True" does not always mean experiencing our desired outcomes, but His desires. When we experience Christ's love, which is imparted to us over and over again despite our performance, we want to stay away from sin and be pleasing in His sight. Smooth sailing is not the forecast for our earthly lives, but the fact that our

February 16 Being stuck in a rut has been a literal problem around here with all the snow. When I awakened this morning with that word on my mind I was taken back to my childhood when a record would get stuck in a rut from a scratch and play the same note over and over. Sometimes the needle would hit something that sent the arm sliding across the whole album. A winter like we have had, especially not seeing the grass for weeks, can cause dispositions to be a little rutty. I can't seem to remember a time in the Bible where Jesus was stuck in a rut, bored or frustrated with life. The secret to His success was recognizing the need for prayer and always looking to the Father. Fling a little spring into your life and the lives of those around you today. Instead of hot chocolate, serve up some lemonade and a scripture which is full of happiness. Choose to allow the Holy Spirit to smile out of you today instead of keeping him wrapped up deep inside of you. Get out of the winter rut and lo

February 15 Today has been a rush from beginning to end. A winter storm was predicted and I really thought school would be delayed. Even though I sleep with the Head of School, I don't always know what is ahead. After sitting at his computer watching the weather forecast for an hour and a half he decided to go on time, but awakened me a bit late! Whew, I had to get in gear quickly and never caught up. After starting school on time, we had to close early because the storm did come! The word "rush" had been hanging on all evening, so finally I went to the dictionary to see if the Lord had a message there. Clinking on the verb form, which is what I had been experiencing all day, I found: "Rush: to move forward, progress, or act with haste or eagerness or without preparation." Seeing the option of the noun form of the word I immediately thought of Moses in the bull rushes, but found quite the variety of definitions covering a spectrum from football terms and fratern

February 12-14 A friend emailed me this You Tube link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ddoyfn6g4 Now it has a good ole country twang, which if you're not from around these parts you might not be accustomed. The interrogational lyrics will get your brain in gear this morning. (The made up word, interrogational might too!) While the song, which by the way is being sung by The Barn Again Gang , may get us considering our earthly heritage there is deeper thought to be provoked. Spiritually speaking, we are on one decisive side or the other when it comes to how imminent our exit could be. In a flash, in a twinking of an eye, at the last trumpet's call", when Jesus appears whatever our previous relationship with Him has been will determine our travel plans. Lyrics to My Father's Side; Felecia Shifflett Just a young boy in the temple one day Shared with the doctors, they were so amazed Never had they seen one so young speak so swift They asked him many questions, the conv

February 11 Stash 'em, smash 'em, put 'em in the trash. Get those things which rob our joy out of our lives! Impossible! They are going to show up. Joy robbers come in the form of people, thoughts, mechanical break downs, and yes...even the weather! All of these elements will forever exist in our earthly lives. Ah, for the hope of heaven. What is our mind set? Yesterday's arctic temperatures and blustery winds had many people in our area armed with fireplaces full of wood, candles and flashlights in anticipation of power outages. As for the seagulls, they were like elated surfers before a hurricane loving the enormous waves, as they dipped and sored through the erratic air currents. What appeared as potential demise for us, thrilled these birds. How do we arm ourselves against the joy robbers? It goes back to our mind set. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fu

February 10 The past twenty four hours have been dart filled,especially in the realm of my computer life. Such frustration and agitation was just topped off by losing today's devotional. Part of me just wants to bail and say, "See you tomorrow," but my guess is God could have purpose in this and one of you feels like bailing over something in life now and I am to say: Persevere! Ha, I am now remembering my last line in the previously written devo. "Amy Carmichael (1867-1951), a missionary to India for fifty-five years had no idea that her little book If would impact so many future generations and draw them closer to the cross. What might God be calling you to do today, which seems insignificant, but in God's plan has a mighty purpose?" Yes, I need to take my own medicine! A "Godincidence" occurred when this little book fell out from among my school books yesterday and then today the verse, which inspired Carmichael to write If , stared me in the f

February 9 In my head are what must be some really old lyrics to a song I thought was called, "Come and Get Your Love", but when I searched for them all I found was something much funkier than what is in my head right now. While the Saints fans are screaming "Who Dat?" (probably because most of Bourbon Street is so intoxicated people don't even know who they are) many a lonely soul this week is crying out "Love Me" and wanting desperately to receive a Valentine. I think I've shared before with you that on my first married Valentine's Day my husband gave me a silk red rose and said, "You can pull this out every year." It is out in the garage awaiting the 14th! I told him that was fine, since flowers are so expensive around Valentine's Day I would just treat myself to regular bouquets from the grocery store throughout the year! Those are the weeks he gets hot dogs instead of steak! :) We have the "love act" conjured up so

February 8th What began as another lovely winter walk to get our mail took a turn. Wearing my son's red snowboard jacket I hiked 1/2 mile UP our gravel driveway to the main road where our mailbox is located. Four large trees were down across the road blocking my passage. Earlier we heard a loud boom and saw a pine tree had come to rest across the top of one of our boat houses. The weight of this heavy wet snow was too much for these trees. Over 50 scrub pines were down on the trails alone. Our work is cut out for us and another storm is on the way tomorrow.We are appreciating those five sons of ours who used to live at home, but now live far away. My husband will not be happy with me for sharing, but he has been struggling with a knee injury for a month, which is most likely a meniscus tear now pressing on a vein and causing his ankle to swell. Wednesday he has a doctor's appointment scheduled so he can evaluate options. All that to say he didn't need to be trodding out

February 6-7th Three friends emailed this week to say, "I am heading to Florida. Enough of this winter." While they may be hitting the beaches today, I wouldn't trade my winter wonderland walk for anything. You may be able to enter this address and see a slide show of my experience on Smile Box. If not email me at boojoyful@aol.com and I will send it to you. http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d5451334d7a4d314d4442384d6a45344d6a45354e7a493d0d0a&sb=1 The leaves and limbs of our magnolia tree were laden with snow. Before heading off to walk, I wanted to come to the aide of this stately tree for it was carrying quite a snowy burden. Carrying a 12' long piece of wood I began to knock the snow from the branches. The heavy, wet, snow placed such stress on the limbs. Thoughts of friends and family members carrying huge burdens came to mind as I worked and I began to pray for them. Utilizing the long stick was strenuous and at one point I realized it was

February 5 The snow is pounding down once again and our school's Valentine outreach project is in jeopardy since we have only been to school one shortened day this week. A third storm awaits us next Tuesday. Our goal has been to create 550 handmade Valentines to take out into the community on Friday. Fifty of those go to the residents at our local retirement home. The other 500 are to be bagged in groups of ten. The students divide up starting points and take the bags, which also have 10 pieces of candy inside, and hand them off to an individual at a specific location instructing them to take one Valentine and one piece of candy for themselves, then passing the bag on to someone else! It was quite the hit last year. There were several gentlemen who had not thought about Valentine's Day and they were thrilled to have a hand made Valentine! Below are some wonderful verses which remind us of God's love. Consider printing off these verses and spreading the love (of Christ) this

February 4 Looking down at my painted toenails, which I received as part of a birthday pedicure, I thought..."What a waste". Spring would have been a more apropos time for such a luxury! The arctic weather we are having has had me in socks every day and no one can see these pretty piggies! Does our faith show or is it covered up and kept silent? When God thrills our heart with a scripture from his Word or causes us to sing out loud when the lyrics to a song speak exactly to where we are in life's journey do we share with others how alive and real our relationship with Christ is or do we consider the encounter personal and keep quiet? Here comes the word.... engaged : involved in activity; greatly interested; pledged to be married. Having a household of twenty somethings, who have lots of friends, we frequently get excited phone calls announcing engagements. These young people exude passion and enthusiasm when they share this news of how their involvement with an individua

February 3 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble .- Psalm 59:16 Psalm 59:16 was the verse on Biblegateway this morning. What should I sing this AM? Aretha Franklin's opening lyrics to her song "Respect" came barrelling through my mind. While they definitely are not Christian lyrics they could be when it comes to God's love. What you want, baby I got! What's you need? You know I got! Whatever the void in our lives, the love of Christ can fill it. Being the "love" month, I thought I would check online for famous love quotes. I started to list some "top ten"lists, but they were so boring compared to what God's word says about love. Searching the word love on Biblegateway 697 references came up. Here are just a few New Testament verses to thrill your heart! Matthew 22:37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your

February 2 No school again! A unique weather forecast has crossed our TV screens... Snow pellets! Hmmm? Looking up the definition of pellet I found: any of various projectiles fired from a weapon (as an air rifle) . Mother Nature appears to have her weapon loaded and ready to fire today! :) Looks as if we are in for a pelletization! Deciding to take a "pot luck" approach to my Bible study this morning I asked the Lord to lead me to what He wanted me to read by just flipping open the Word. The tiny Book of 3 John appeared. In this short passage John is encouraging his friend, Gaius, to continue offering hospitality to those who are faithful to the gospel. I can't say that I have ever studied this short book, but God's timing made me smile. The father of the family we had staying with us the past two days works for a prison ministry called "Champions for Life". So, I was feeling ok about myself offering hospitality to fellow believers. Then as I continued to s

February 1 Never before have I seen Smith Mt Lake frozen over. Saturday, amidst the storm the water looked like an ocean with white caps. Then yesterday morning I looked out and it was motionless and covered in ice. I think you could walk across the shallow waters on the backside of our property. How often does our faith become frozen? Our hearts harden and the flow of the Holy Spirit, which is to be used for God's purpose and to bring him glory, becomes stagnant. God sent His Son and established his Word to be life giving forces which produce a cyclical effect. We take in the Word, feed upon it and then give off to others the hope,joy,love and wisdom which spring forth from being with the Lord. Sometimes we just need to "chill out" and let the warmth, which comes from the love of the Lord, rule in our lives. Today is the first of February! The "Love Month"! Let's challenge ourselves to intentionally "show the love" of Christ to someone eac