Boojoyful

The Load of Life April 2-3 Looking out the window a small boat could be seen pushing a pile driving barge, loaded with wood, out of our cove. The captain must have forgotten his lunch and left work for a break, as he was heading back in the cove in less than an hour! As I watched him trudging along, I thought about how similar our lives appear at times. We are loading down, moving ahead slowly and trusting in our Captain Christ to carry the burden for us and get us to our destination. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19

April 1 In my packing process for the travels ahead, I picked up a white bathrobe and noticed that although it was brand new, it already had "mohair" (Moses, the bulldog hair) on it. Our expectant daughter is highly allergic to dogs and rocking that new baby in dog hair wouldn't be a good thing. Out came the lint brush and I got to work. Clean as I may around our home, to the point of even vacuuming this dog's brindle body, the evidences that a dog lives here show up on furniture, the floor and our clothing. Ok, I admit, I've even found "mohair" in the refrigerator and have no clue how it got in there. My mind switched to Jesus gear and I prayed that the evidences of Him as Lord of Lords in my life are visible to others, like "mohair" in my house....always leaving traces. Every time I think of you-and I think of you often!-I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There's no end to what has happened i...

March 3 1 Our bedroom has been overflowing with clothes and bags for four days now as I am packing and trying on clothes for three different events. I literally have things laid out over the bathtub. My precious husband has not said a word and just worked his way around it all. A text message beeped on my cell phone and I had no clue where it was among all the mess. What a blessing to be able to call the number and zone in on the position of the phone. God doesn't always appear to be that easy to find, does he? We have to sort the clutter of our minds, quieting our souls before we ring Him up. Don't panic if He doesn't answer immediately. Quite often His silence is an answer in itself, pushing us to look deeper in the clutter of our lives for His answer, which most often is a whole different style from ours. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ...

March 30 A very special young woman, whom I've mentored for ten years, is getting married this weekend and my husband has the privilege of performing the ceremony. While working on song selection she asked his opinion of singing Joy to the World. His personal opinion was that there are so many good choices available, that if she selected a Christmas carol in April, people might focus on why that had sung and miss the message and exchange of vows. Point well taken, but I have to say those are lyrics we should keep in our hearts all year long, not just for December . A similar situation posed itself to me while working on today's devotional. The phrase that had come to me was glad tidings. Researching the background, it relates to a Christmas Carol and Luke's verse proclaiming the angel's announcement of Christ's coming. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10 Glad or Goo...

March 29 I am blessed to live in the South where the pace is slow, the tea is sweet, the rockers (as in chairs, not musicians) sit waiting on the porch, and the dialect has a warm welcoming twang and sometimes the vocabulary is in a world of its own. Attending a local meeting last week, the director called upon a person on a panel to share an example of a point she was trying to get across. The man began..."We were just outside conversating when...." Biting my lip, I grabbed my husband's notepad and wrote conversating , so that later we could discuss this particular word. In my quiet time the word restoration came to mind as God impressed upon me the importance of resting in His presence and praising Him. The new word in the title was birthed restoradoration. No need to chose between rest or adoration, they can happen at the same time! "It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of trut...

March 28 Sitting in the dental chair, awaiting the electric drill, the dentist lifts up his arm brandishing his large Novocain needle. He grabs your jowl and begins shaking it as he said.... "Relax". The doctor pulls out the pointed, rubber, hammer to check your reflexes as you sit on the side of his examination table. The command comes before he gives you a whack..."Relax". Even the luxury of a massage can cause the human body to stiffen, in resistance, as a stranger begins to work deeply into your muscles. The Lord brought to mind the phrase..."Not my will, but Yours" and the song lyrics to: www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh382.sht Have thine own way Lord, Have thine own way. You are the Potter, I am the clay, Mold me and make me after thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still. Do we offer resistance or does God find us relaxed and pliable when He comes alongside us to make adjustments? The fatherly recommendations comes: "You need to forgive that p...

March 26-27 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 The word abundance jumped out at me in this passage. My mind wandered and I thought I should post a "bun" recipe. (Buttermilk biscuits will have to do for now. Check under recipes.) Another option would be to video a group of people doing "A Bun Dance". LOL The definition in Merriman-Webster actually surprised me. Abundance - an ample quantity. My inclination would be to think of abundance as "way more than we need". You know, like the fishes and loaves with all the leftovers. Instead it leans more towards the story of the Israelites and the manna, where they were take take just what they needed. Philippians 4:19 goes right along with that thought. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. God doesn't say He will meet everything that we think we need or covet. With our budget a bit tighter than years g...

March 24-25 Yesterday, I was on the road traveling all day long and I listened to a Karen Kingsbury novel on tape. It was a great distraction. Getting back into a routine this morning I found myself saying, "Lord, let me get back into Your Presence." While the novel was entertaining and actually had me in tears several times, as it was about a young woman who had gotten pregnant and gave her baby up for adoption, it was fiction. There is enough true life drama going on, which I would have probably been better off praying for as I drove, but I indulged in this escape. The delight in knowing God is you find yourself craving to be drawn back into His Presence. Nothing like the real thing baby. In 1 Samuel 3:8-10 Eli is helping Samuel learn to recognize God's voice. God called again, "Samuel!"-the third time! Samuel answered, "Speak, I'm your servant, ready to listen." PT How blessed we are God to have a heavenly Father who longs to speak to us. W...

March 23 The more real life experiences we encounter, the more compassionate a person we become. It is eye-opening when we take time to taste life from other perspectives. My husband sent me this link today and I can honestly say I have never thought about the lives of these people. http://j obs.aol.com/articles/2011/03/22/top-10-most-unfortunate-jobs/?icid=main|compaq-desktop|dl6|sec1_lnk3|207017 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

March 22 These weeks before Easter I am delving into Jesus details. In J. O. Sanders book, The Incomparable Christ, he writes about Jesus' tempting trials with the devil. "Satan endeavored to induce Jesus to act in a manner contrary to complete dependence on God, by asserting a measure of independence springing from self interest. Don't we fight a similar battle the moment we wake up each day? If we were honest and had a graph displaying the percentage of time spent on issues of self interest vs the time spent on utter surrender to God and his game plan I know mine would not be balanced. Last night conviction set in as I got in bed for some reflecting time with God on my day. The main purpose of my day had been about a paper plate and matching napkin hunt. How hollow. The part which was most convicting, as I looked back, was that I had been in seven stores that day and I did not converse or connect with any other person in those stores. I couldn't tell you the na...

March 21 Philanthropist is the random word ringing in my head. The definition is a person who makes an active effort to promote human welfare. Philanthropy is an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes. Jesus qualifies! For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21

March 19-20 Heading out to the trails I am sure I looked a sight wearing brown and pink rain boots, yoga pants, one of my son's button down shirts and hot pink rubber gloves, while carrying a tarp and a pitch fork. The plan was to clean some leaves, which had pile up, out of our creek. Approaching each mound, I realized there was a log (plank) in each place creating the back up of debris. For two hours I hung in that creek with God and had some deep, deep conversations. He immediately began by illustrating that what seems to be a mess on the surface most likely has a bigger sin issue underneath. Kindly, He shared, "Sin is the bottom line, but nobody wants to admit that." Another interesting lesson came as the water flow was increased by me moving lots of little river rocks out of the way. The small sins we engage in build upon one another and decrease the flow of the Spirit in our lives. Today, I can hardly move due to all the lifting, rolling, squatting and hauling I...

March 18 From Wikipedia Mind your Ps and Qs is an English expression meaning "mind your manners", mind your language", "be on your best behavior" or similar. There are several different theories as to the origin of the phrase, but there is no definite proof as to which is correct. One origin of the story of "mind your Ps and Qs" comes from early printing presses. Printers placed individual letters on a frame to print a page of text. The letters were reversed, making it easy to mistake lowercase p's and q's in setting the type. A reminder to stay watchful of the details could have come from this time as well. In a similar setting, the expression has been attributed as an adage for teaching children to spell. Another origin comes from English pubs and taverns of the seventeenth century. Bartenders would keep a watch on the alcohol consumption of the patrons; keeping an eye on the pints and quarts that were consumed. As a reminder to the p...

March 17 Moses, our bulldog, began to whine around 11:15 wanting to go outside and gaze at the stars. I had only been asleep about thirty minutes and was not at all pleased with this decision. Coming back to bed, my mind began to wander (funny, first I typed wonder ...it did that too). Unfortunately, it drifted to troubling things and I could not get to sleep. By 2AM I was so agitated, I couldn't even get ABC prayers going. I probably should have gotten up and read, but instead I plugged in my IPOD and prayed praise would help me drift off to sleep. We pray so often for physical well-being, but it is just as important to pray for the protection of our minds. Check out these scriptures today. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ...

March 16 The clock read 5AM. Wait, that is really only 4AM, because of Daylight Savings Time. Trying to close my eyes and go back to sleep the Lord had another idea which required me to get up out of my cozy bed. I balked at first using the excuse that He certainly didn't want to break my morning routine of a quiet time with him. The response..."Oh, believe me, you will be more awake and receptive to our quiet time after you do this." The humanness of my soul switched into a bargaining gear. "So, if I do this You are going to bless me and maybe answer some of those prayer requests we have been discussing?" "No, I am simply asking You to do this because You love me," was His reply. Ugh...those are the kind of moments you know you've heard from God. My feet hit the ground and as I headed out of my bedroom I thought...How often do I do something for the Lord simply because I love him? Motherhood and married life are full of actions done pure...

March 15 How often do we praise the Lord? Yesterday morning, while typing away on the devotional, my heart was stirred to go downstairs to the piano and play some praise. PTL there are no neighbors near by, although sound does carry rather effectively over water. Sorry fellow "cove" ers. Instead of following my instinct, I procrastinated, passing on the praise time and heading into the mundane chores of the day. What was I thinking...passing on praise...pathetic. Finally, I made my way to the piano and my countenance was lifted higher and higher as I sang praise to the Lord. There are 194 references which come up when you search "Praise the Lord" on Biblegateway under the NIV translation. Sounds like there was a lot of praising going on! I will praise the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of the God! Deuteronomy 32:3 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior! 2 Samuel 22:47 Studying in Deuteronomy chapter 10:12-2...

March 14 What a beautiful weekend we had here in SW Virginia. Sitting out on our patio yesterday, I became so hot I took off my sweater. No sooner had it dropped from my shoulders than a wild wind whipped in sending a chill across my body which had me scrambling to get my arms back into that sweater. Once again I thought about the amazing power of God to change things in an instance. Looking down on my lap, at the Numbers passage in my study Bible, this question was posed on the page. "Under what circumstances are you most prone to forget who God is and what he's done for you?" As I finished reading, the wind whipped up again like a roaring lion! I journaled... Over and over again, like the tides of the ocean or the sun coming up each day, You are faithful. Your faithfulness does not mean life is easy, but that you are with us through it all and waiting for your perfect time to bring us home. The fellowship was so sweet, but rudely interrupted as three crows flew int...

March 12-13 Life can change in a second! Just ask Seth Greenberg, the basketball coach at Virginia Tech. In last night's ACC tourney, victory was sounded for the Florida State team, but after review, the basketball had not left the players fingers when the clock ticked down to zero. The escalating and deflating emotions both teams experienced had Greenberg and probably many more in tears. Those shell shocker moments in life when you don't know what to think, like diagnoses of cancer, death, divorce or even earthquakes and tsunamis as Japan is experiencing, are heart stoppers . When the unexpected happens, where does it leave us? There is more to miss in life than baskets. I believe with all my heart that God desires to speak to us daily. Some days the snippet of His purpose may be as simple as reaffirming He is with us as we step outside to see a flower which has just bloomed; or He might prick our conscience with the promise of his provision as we see a robin flying to a ...

March 11 Rather than read today. Take 9 minutes and click on the godtube link below and really listen to this message by The Skit Guys. Powerful, powerful. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 www.godtube.com/watch/?v=J2CC0JNU So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 God did such a great job when he created you. PT Creator God, you do hold us in the palm of your hand and lift us up. Thank You. Forgive us for the standards we set, which are not Yours. Bring on the chisel, so that others may see Christ in us. In Jesus' Name, Amen

FORGIVENESS- IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE SMILING! March 10 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 Last week when we went to visit our grandson we took an art easel. Loving to construct, he really enjoyed watching my husband put the easel together. There are two sides to the easel...a dry erase board and a chalk board. Both of these materials offer a way out when you make a mistake. What a blessing that God had the same idea when He sent Christ, out of the comforts of heaven, to come to earth and be the Eraser for our mistakes. The boards on the easel are not cleared without some effort on the artist's part. The eraser must be picked up and put into action. Likewise, the forgiveness of our sins takes action on our part. We must set up the initial account accepting Christ as our Savior. After that we must actively confess our sins and ask to be washed as white as snow. What a beautiful picture of love! P...

Bless Be The Tie that Binds March 9 Four AM I awakened and I was singing... Blest be the tie that binds, Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds, Is like to that above. ( The entire hymn, with a a link to organ music, can be found above under "Hear Ye Hear Ye". Me oh my, do we live up to the hymn though? Is our example of Christian fellowship reflecting what is to come in heaven? Some of the encounters we experience with fellow believers signal warnings to the rest of the world... "If that is Christian camaraderie, count me out. I will find amity elsewhere." Researching the definition of bind and considering it in the context of being bound to our brothers and sisters in Christ was quite thought provoking. There were negatives which are visible in certain religions/churches/relationships: To confine, restrain, restrict and to put under obligation. Let's dwell on these positives and evaluate whether we can say this is unswervingly true o...

March 8 Sarah Young warns in Jesus Calling ..."Be on guard against the pit of self-pity. When you are weary or unwell, this demonic trap is the greatest danger you face. Don't even go near the edge of the pit. Its edges crumble easily, and before you know it, you are on the way down. It is ever so much harder to get out of the pit than to keep a safe distance from it. That is why I tell you to be on guard. There are several ways to protect yourself from self-pity. When you are occupied with praising and thanking Me, it is impossible to feel sorry for yourself. Also, the closer you live to Me, the more distance there is between you and the pit. Live in the Light of My Presence by fixing your eyes on Me. Then you will be able to run with endurance the race that is set before you, without stumbling or falling." Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteou...

March 7 When you have a bank account you usually make deposits and withdraws. If we could view monthly statements of our spiritual lives how would they appear? The deposits would come from the securities and investments we are making to enhance our spiritual growth... Bible studies, prayer lives, sermon notes, etc. The withdraws become visible when we put those "learnings" (kind of like earnings) into action in a way which brings glory to God and gives others a glimpse of what Jesus is like. From an early age, Jesus knew what it meant to be about His Father's business. And when they (Joseph and Mary) saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Child, why have You treated us like this? Here Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You. And He said to them, "How is it that you had to look for Me? Did you not see and know it is necessary for Me to be in My Father's house and about My Father's business? But they did not comprehend what He was ...

March 5-6 Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson is a challenging book. The Wild Goose equates to the Holy Spirit. This book will take you out of your comfort zone...it was a gift to me from the type of friend we all need in our lives...a godly one, who keeps you accountable. (More to come on accountability in the days ahead.) Standing at the ironing board my Spirit was moved by thoughts that were definitely from God. You know the ones which are not things you would bring upon yourself. A call to uncomfortable obedience, which can cause you to scurry and get busy or hope someone calls on the phone and interrupts His instructions. No such luck, He got his request out. Immediately I responded with several "I don't want to's". I KNOW BETTER. The request related to an area of disobedience which I have struggled with for nine years! PTL...the phone is ringing, I don't have to confess specifics. :) The Lord let me get out all my expressions of why I didn't want...

March 4 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Matthew 28:20 "The big eye, don't lie!" was a quote my older brother used often to firm up his arguments. Unswervingly, I hold to the belief that God's watchful eye is upon us. Many occurrences in my bear witness to how God steps in and makes a way out! Presently, I have some huge prayer issues before me and the only direction I want to go is God's direction. A friend told me about a fast she is doing for a specific prayer need, so I decided to try a modified version eliminating meats, sweets, and all beverages except water from my diet. Not easy when you are married to a sweets and meat lover! The other day I was craving just a snippet of chocolate and went downstairs and opened our snack (funny, I just typed snake) drawer, wh...

March 3 Are we in sheep shape and willing to follow our Shepherd? I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. John 10:14 Is our heart's desire to be able to say as Job did... But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. Job 23:10-11 Are we willing to follow Christ's lead and walk in his ways? Loving, because He first loved us. Forgiving, because we are forgiven. Making intercession for others, because He is our great Intercessor. Trusting and seeking our heavenly Father, because Christ was our example to live in such a way. I just did a hundred crunches this morning, working on my physical shape. Now I am going to read Psalm 100 and rejoice as I say... "I am a sheep from his pasture!" Psalm 100 from The Message I chose this translation because of the word sheer :) I know that's baaaaaaaad. On your feet now-applaud God! Br...