Boojoyful

November 3 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful . Colossians 4:2 A leaky toilet has brought damage to our bathroom. Yesterday, I waited for two delivery trucks, a plumber and an electrician who all said they were coming. One delivery truck came and no one else. The frustration level was high and the day felt wasted. The other episode of waiting was on more of an emotional level. A dear friend's eleven month old grandson was undergoing a biopsy to see if he has a brain tumor. She called once to say the surgery had been delayed and then the second call came with the news he did in fact have a tumor. This sweet family has lived out Colossians 4:2 for several months now and even with this news this grandmother was trusting in the Lord to be her strength and to stay thankful. Feeling like Pigpen in the Peanuts Cartoon, I, on the other hand, allowed a cloud to come over me and suffocate my joy. There is an online devotional called Wisdom Hunters and today’s mess...

November 2 Adrian Rogers' Ministry, Love Worth Finding, broadcast a great message yesterday on choosing to follow the Lord. http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/love-worth-finding/ He told a story about following a friend to a destination and all he had to do was follow the tail lights of the car. His message was based on Joshua 3:3: giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. God gave Moses a set of tail lights, by which to lead the Israelites, in the form of a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. 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 task is a little more difficult for us, first off because it goes against our natural grain of serving self and setting selfish desires. Did you hop out of...

November 1 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 Ugh! I just had one of those late for the airport, gonna miss my flight dreams. The details are so vivid. There was road construction and we were in a left turn lane, which had been closed. My husband was driving, so I got out of the car, walked across the highway and asked a construction worker for permission for our car to turn. In the meantime another worker forced my husband to go forward, but I didn't see that. Waiting and waiting for him to turn I began concerned when he didn't show up, but I didn't have my cell phone. We were in an unfamiliar area, but I new this was the road to the airport so I began to walk. Looking down I had on one black shoe and one brown shoe. Along the way I hit an icy patch and slide down a hill getting mud all over my pants. I ended up on a college campus, walked past a rugby team and finally found a man who would allow ...

October 31 Yesterday, as I was looking for whipping cream in the grocery case my eyes settled on a dairy product in an Almond Joy flavor. It didn't say exactly what you were supposed to do with it, but I surmised it was a coffee creamer. I've never had a cup of coffee, but I really love Almond Joys and I like hot chocolate, so I was thinking I could use it in some way to enhance my hot chocolate. As I unpacked my groceries I was curious about this product, so I took a swig. It was tasty, so I had another swig and placed it in the refrigerator. Before all the groceries had been put away, I was feeling rather nauseous and guessed it was from consuming the Almond Joy juice, straight up, on an empty stomach. My treat, tricked me! There are many things in life which are enticing, but in the end trick us and are not the treats we thought them to be. When we take our last breath and step to the other side, we will be in for a trick (rude awakening) or a treat (the heavenly rea...

October 29-30 Call Upon the Father The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 For years we lived in our hometown where our parents were. It was such a blessing for our children to see their grandparents on a regular basis and for us to have the support of our parents. My husband and his father coached football and basketball together for twenty years. My father, who's occupation was a road builder, has a brilliant engineer's mind and has helped us design everything from home additions and play grounds, to bridges across our creek. Growing up help was always just a phone call away. Even if he was away bidding a large highway job, he had an office staff, work crew and heavy equipment to solve any problem. We had a small elevator in our home growing up and I remember my mother getting stuck in it and telling me to call Carl, one of the best of the company's superintendents. He arrived and had her out on no time! Those were the g...

October 27 This week my husband has been out of town attending a conference. Wednesday morning, when he was quietly finishing his packing in the wee hours of the morning, I called out to him..."Are you journey proud?" "Am I what?" he replied. Laughingly, I said, "I don't know, that is something my mother and grandmother used to say. I guess it means are you excited about your trip?" Then it hit both of us! As believers, we are journey proud, for we are headed for the ultimate destination. A journey beyond comparison! My mother looked forward to heaven. The verses she wanted read at her funeral were John 14:1-3. On my calendar that year, which had a daily scripture verse, was this reference the day she died. God is so good! Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me . My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a...

October 27 The frothy whipped cream atop my steamy hazelnut hot chocolate left a mustache above my lip that our bulldog longed to lick off. The sun had left our yard and was shinning on the tree tops across the lake, so there was a chill in the air. Being alone this particular evening I looked at Moses and said, "Let's grab my Bible and steal away with Jesus." Wrapping a raggedly knitted scarf, which I made years ago, around my neck I grabbed a cozy blanket and we headed for the hammock. (Getting Moses in that hammock was a feat!) I opened my Bible to Isaiah 43:1-4 and felt the love! Isaiah 43 When You're Between a Rock and a Hard Place But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When y...