Boojoyful

April 30-May 2 The homophones reign and rein captured my mind when I heard an editor on Merriam Webster explaining how to differentiate between the two. She said that reign has to do with a ruler such as a king and both words have the letter "g", while rein relates to the apparatus used to control or pull in a horse. (The little word in is found in rein.) So, if Christ reigns (rules) in our hearts we should allow Him to rein in(control)our lives and guide us on the paths He has laid out for us! There is a great praise song called Lord Reign in Me Over all the earth You reign on high Every mountain stream Every sunset sky But my one request Lord my only aim Is that you reign in me again Lord reign in me Reign in your power Over all my dreams In my darkest hour You are the Lord of all I am So won't you reign in me again Over every thought Over every word May my life reflect The beauty of my Lord You mean more to me Than any earthly thing So won't you reign in me a

April 29 Today we celebrate my earthly Father's 90th birthday! He still lives alone, has a vibrant mind, twinkling eyes and a charming smile which captivates anyone he encounters! The definition of celebrate which I have zoned into today is: to honor especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary I tend to celebrate more with "refraining from the ordinary". Intuition tells me King David had that tendency as well when he celebrated his love for the Lord! Bravo, God, Bravo! Everyone join in the great shout: Encore! In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might. Bring gifts and celebrate , Bow before the beauty of God, Then to your knees—everyone worship! Psalm 96:7-9 (The Message) Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song, praise him in the company of all who love him. Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator, Zion's children exult in their King. Let them praise his name in dance; strike up the band and make great music! And why? Because God

April 28 Oversleeping on a jam packed day was not what I had anticipated. The domestic list necessary for all which is ahead is overwhelming...sewing, planting, cleaning, painting and cooking. The temptation to put my quiet time aside was a strong urge,but I didn't give in and the discipline brought a smile. The first devotional book I picked up referred to Mary and Martha today! Ok, that is pretty clear Lord, I shall sit at your feet awhile. The next one had Matthew 11:28 as the verse for today: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. These are the episodes of my life which have me knowing for certain there is a creator who knows my every move and HE cares! A problem arises at this point though where I'd rather stay and hang out with him in His Word all day and not get on with the tasks at hand. So motivate and move me into Your service today Father and I will look forward to getting the rest you speak of tonight!

April 27 Stagnant- not advancing or developing The past three days I have felt stagnant...just plain in a funk and not able to get in gear and certainly not "advancing or developing". Plugging the word stagnant into Biblegateway and The Message translation I found rejuvenation in God's Word. Check out what Paul has to say! Ephesians 2:1 He Tore Down the Wall It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from u

April 26 Faith is being...certain of what we do not see . Hebrews 11:1 This story was shared in Streams in the Desert about a doctor addressing the elderly mother of a young man. "You are worrying too much about him. Once you have prayed for him, as you have done, and committed him to God, you should not continue to be anxious. God's command, "Do not be anxious about anything" (Phil. 4:6), is unlimited, and so is the verse, "Cast all your anxiety on him" (1 Peter 5:7). If we truly have cast our burdens upon another, can they continue to pressure us? If we carry them with us from the throne of grace, it is obvious we have not left them there. In my own life I test my prayers in this way: after committing something to God, if I can come away, like Hannah did, with no more sadness, pain or anxiety in my heart, I see it as proof that I have prayed the prayer of faith. But if I pray and then still carry my burden, I conclude my faith was not exercised." Go

April 23-25 Traveling the past few days we approached the hotel in which I had made hotel reservations in advance. Arriving well past midnight the man behind the counter said he had some unfortunate news. The hotel had overbooked and they had no rooms available. Looking at his name tag to address him personally I thought..."This has to be a joke." His name was "Ify." I informed him my name was Boo and I usually liked surprises, but after 10 hours in the car this was quite disappointing. Graciously he made reservations for us at another hotel and the hotel picked up the bill for the inconvenience. While watching 600 young men graduate from Basic Training at Fort Benning yesterday another "ify" thought crossed my mind. Looking across the crowd at proud parents, siblings, and spouses whose faces were beaming with smiles I fast forwarded to the days ahead when those young men will be deployed around the world. There will be tearful, heart wrenching good-byes.

April 22 He knows the way that I take. Job 23:10 Oh, how I wish I had read my devotional book last night! After eight hours of driving my husband and I were only about two hours from our final destination and instead of stopping we decided to persevere into the midnight hour and go all the way. I was typing away on my computer and we missed our exit. Plugging the address into our GPS my husband became nervous and said, "You know how those things can be, I don't know if I trust it on the back roads of Georgia." Praise the Lord, he always knows the way we take and he is always with us on the way!

April 21 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Psalm 91:11 Just recently my husband was telling "first time mom" tales on me. He was sharing how I had seen a mouse in our home and was afraid it was going to run in our daughter's room and get in her crib. Entering her room he found me up on a chair, standing guard over her while she slept. Moses, our bull dog stands guard by me. Wherever I go, he goes (unless he is into a great nap and not to be roused!) When I shower, sometimes he falls asleep right in front of the shower door and I have to bang on it and awaken him to be able to get out! Merriam Webster defines the noun form of guard as: one assigned to protect or oversee another The verb form a:to protect from danger especially by watchful attention : make secure b: to stand at the entrance of as if on guard or as a barrier c : to tend to carefully : preserve, protect : to watch over so as to prevent escape, disclosure, or indisc

April 20 Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty . Zechariah 4:6 Usually, I am an up and Adam person, ready to face the day. Today I am lacking umph. I resemble my laptop when it is not plugged in. Everything is there, but not just as brilliant as when it is plugged into its power source. Coffee has never crossed my tongue, but I am comprehending why some people need that kick start. The day is rather dreary and Moses is snoring away, so the surrounding elements are not encouraging me to get going! So what can put the gusto in my get go? The lyrics to Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus are ringing in my head. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His Glory and Grace. Me oh my, He is such a comforter! Whispering, "It is ok to be still my child," I accept that welcome reminder. Studying a character sketch on hummingbirds yesterday, it spoke of how these amazing tiny creatur

April 19 ...in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52 Oversleeping this morning, I was dreaming about getting a hazelnut chocolate bar out of a vending machine! :) Just as I was reaching for the candy bar, which was melted by the way in the dream, I thought I heard a doorbell. Coming to my senses I remembered I was expecting a plumber this morning and I jumped out of bed, grabbed my robe and ran to the door. Heading out the door and down the steps I was hollering, "Hello?" Looking up the driveway there was no one to be seen. Had I missed him? A day is coming when we will hear not a doorbell, but a trumpet. It will happen so fast there won't be time to grab bathrobes. Many will stand behind weeping... I missed Him.

April 17-18 The word came in the middle of the night and stuck with me until my eyelids opened: Promise from the Latin pro- forth + mittere to send Definitions: 1:a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified; a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act 2: reason to expect something; especially: ground for expectation of success, improvement, or excellence. Going to Biblegateway.com there are 221 references to the word promise and sufficient reasons to expect God's promises to come to fruition! From Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Noah,and David over and over again; all the way to Jesus promising the Holy Spirit, God's promises and their fulfilment are an uplifting place to hang out. Now it is important to remember the promises didn't usually come with a quick fix...Sarah pregnant at 90???? And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was

April 16 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Matthew 22:37 Yesterday, I had a speaking engagement at an area country club. People who know me well, know I am a no make-up, no fingernail polish, preferably barefoot and in comfy clothes kind of gal. Praise the Lord, my husband claims he likes me that way. I think this style came from having six young children and sitting on the floor with them, as well as being too tired to wash make-up off my face at night! 1 Samuel 16:7 makes it easy to get away with this lifestyle. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Putting my best foot forward for this event I was attending I decided to get dolled up and allowed what I thought was sufficient time to get ready. Peering out my bathroom window as I stepped out of the shower I noticed the door to our boathouse was open. Dilemma!

April 15 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Exodus 13:21 The ESPN Bass Brawl is taking place on our lake right now. This morning the clouds are all the way down to the water hindering visibility. The sun is beaming behind the overcast skies with a brilliance though as if God is holding a giant spot light up there to guide these fishermen and keeping them safe. The joy of Jesus is like that. We may be in a fog of despair and still have joy in our hearts, because we know Jesus is with us guiding our steps and there will be brighter days!

April 14 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 Some youngsters were celebrating a birthday here at our home yesterday and they noticed a bird cage in our living room. Jumping up and down they asked, "Is there a bird in there?" I replied, "No, there is a clock." Next question..."Why is there a clock in your bird cage?" Well, because... time flies ! Psalm 90:10 says: The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength. There is no guarentee of this. This past week a 19 year old and a 57 year old I've been praying for both went on to be with the Lord. My husband jokes I have already packed a hundred years into fifty years. Daily planners never worked well for me because I had seven other lives involved in my scheduling process and when you have children changes always occur. Had I taken a slower pace I most likely would

April 13 The home we lived in for twenty-five years was built in 1914. It was an enormous old house with a steam heating system that could have heated a motel! When that heat came on the rattling began and if you didn't know what it was you would have thought someone was breaking in. We returned home one night to find a baby sitter on the couch with three of the children huddled beside her and a tennis racket ready to swing.(We didn't have baseball bats at the time.) The pipes had given her a fright and the children were too little to explain. Our minds are bombarded with various messages and learning to distinguish the sources comes through experience. The world screams one thing and the Lord offers up other options. Being alone, with our Bibles open is the best way to hear from God! May the Old Hymn He Walks With Me encourage us to put some of that alone with Jesus time in each of our days! There is no sweeter fellowship. I come to the garden alone,While the dew is still on

April 12 Usually, if you are in a rut it is not a good spot to be because you cannot get out, unless you like your rut! What you want to be is on track. We have several sliding screen doors at our home and when they get off track they get stuck in a rut and are difficult to open and close. When we remodeled our home we purchased two "Phantom Screens". These are amazing, there is no track. The screen wraps around a cylinder and pulls out from the side of the door closing on the other side with magnets. The Holy Spirit is like that...invisible with a magnetic force which pulls us closer to the Father! Feeling in a rut spiritually? A little off track and out of fellowship with the Lord? Ask the Spirit to get you back on track today! There were a couple fun passages in The Message about ruts! Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love all you've revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long. Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete. I've even bec

April 10-11 Prayerfully our son, who is in basic training with the Army, has returned today from six hot days in the wilderness. The only covering he was given was a camo tarp and some ropes.Our clever daughter emailed: that is intents ...ha...intense! The next activity awaiting him is to march 20 miles with a 100 pound pack on his back. Reading today in Streams in the Desert I bet our son could relate to this parallel written by L. B. Cowman. "God trains His soldiers not in tents of ease and luxury but by causing them to endure lengthy marches and difficult service. He makes them wade across streams, swim through rivers, climb mountains, and walk many tiring miles with heavy backpacks." Cowman continues: "Being left alone by Satan is not evidence of being blessed!...There is no shortcut to a life of faith, which is an absolute necessity for a holy and victorious life. We must have periods of lonely meditation and fellowship with God." Talking to a friend today she

April 9 Do you ever get the sense something or someone is coming? This week my husband and I have met each afternoon on our dock for intense Bible Study watching for what God is about to deliver. We've also busted our chops the past two weeks working on Shiloh from the inside out, should what God be up to, be selling this place. Yesterday, I was on the far side of the property and was pooped so I plopped down in an old swing. I think I have written about the yellow butterfly which has been following me around for the past week. No sooner had I sat down, than there she came right to me. Speaking gently to her, I also gave a little chuckle to God acknowledging all the ways he encourages us. The song Ancient of Days was playing on my IPOD. My eyes stared over to a lush green clearing towards the entrance to the scripture trails, and there were SIX yellow butterflies. The dogwoods and red buds were blooming in the background and my first thought was...oh, my goodness, I am getting a gl

April 8 Maybe it was a hot flash which woke me up or the thoughts I am recalling are from a dream, but the message was to have a day only talking to the Lord. Confirmation came in several ways...one devotional book started today off with these passages of scripture: Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. Proverbs 16:3 Know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. 1 Chronicles 28:9 I am blessed with two daughters who love the Lord with all their hearts and have learned at young ages to hear His voice. Both shared this week lessons learned from Him. One spoke of how we find ourselves pouring ourselves into "projects" sometimes as a way of therapy to distract ourselves from a hurt or disappointment. She said she realized she had done that and God said to her...."Why don't you just pour yourself into Me?" Another c

April 7 Our cars function better when the oil is changed,the silver shines brighter when polished, my glasses are much more efficient when the smudges are removed, getting the grit out of the sink faucet makes a world of difference and Moses is much more pleasant to be around when he is cleaned up from head to tail! Cleaning ourselves up on the outside is done much more frequently, than an interior scrubbing. God's Word is clear about the needed process and the refreshment which comes when we clean up our acts. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Luke 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come fr

April 6 Now you know it is going to be a good (91 degree, by the way) day when you awakened with the word exclamation on your mind. I was shocked when I saw the dictionary's definition, as I tend to use my exclamation points more to show excitement in a positive fashion. ... a sharp or sudden utterance or a vehement expression of protest or complaint. Being a bit baffled I clicked on the other option which was exclamation point : Used especially after an interjection or exclamation to indicate forceful utterance or strong feeling; a distinctive indication of major significance, interest, or contrast . Biblegateway in The Message took me to a favorite verse related to exclamations. Philippians 1:3 [ A Love That Will Grow ] Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's M

Another one of our sons became engaged this weekend...we are so excited! Welcome aboard Jenna! We love you! Somehow the final Holy Week post came up below Friday's. You just need to scroll down. April 5th Spring in Virginia is exhilarating! Every day something new is bursting forth! After such a drastic winter I was afraid it would be July before we could get in the water, but with this week of 80-90 degree temperatures God is working overtime to warm things up! Maybe it is from the thrill of Easter, but I have awakened this Monday morning full of joy and expectant of the great things God is going to do. For over a week now He has told me "Be watchful, I am about to do something and I do not want you to miss it." He keeps saying, "Do not look to the left or the right, but straight at me." Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Have you found in life's

April 2 E-everlasting A-affliction S-suffering, sacrificial, Savior T-transformed E - excruciating Listening to a sermon on the radio, the minister was stating how people sometime diminish the pain of Christ on the cross because He knew the crucifixion was coming. That would be like me saying natural child birth was not painful because I knew I was getting a baby. (I have no clue why I did it totally natural six times.) Jesus was fully God and fully man. The pain He endured was excruciating. May we put our Easter eggs aside today and look to what Jesus did for us. Remember the crown of thorns and the hateful scorn. Hear the pounding of the hammer, see the spear pieced side. Listen as He confidently says: "It is finished." The sacrifice which was made for so many...His purpose completed on the cross...and now the wait for the end of the prophesied story

April 3-4 E-everlasting A-affliction S-suffering, sacrificial, Savior T-transformation E-excruciating R - reigning, royal, ruler, who will return Do we get "hung up" on the cross? Is that the only place we see Jesus? Now don't get me wrong...we needed that sacrifice in a major way, but while He said, "It is finished," he didn't mean his involvement in our lives. As Christians, our story wouldn't be one of victory without the resurrection! There is reason to rejoice! (Ah, another "R" word.) Jesus is our royal ruler who will return to take His rightful reign. So in the meantime, what is to happen? We are to be about His business in a big way! He did what He did for us on the cross, in a MAJOR WAY . (Say that like Julia Roberts, said "Big Mistake" in Pretty Woman .) Beaten, ridiculed, humiliated, love hung Him there! When He looks at us does he see ready, reliable, relentless servants who are willing to endure persecution, pain, and ofte

April 1 E-everlasting A-affliction S-satisfied, sacrificial, Savior T - transformed Traveling to Jerusalem, life as the disciples knew it was about to be transformed. Their world will go from an intimate dinner party to a shocking betrayal and complete turmoil. Take time today to read John 13-17 and journal your top ten one liners Jesus bestowed upon the disciples. Ponder His words and ask God how those words can transform our lives and the lives of those around us. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18