Boojoyful

July 31 Heads up! God provides for all of our needs. Last week I was walking early in the morning with a friend. The husband of another friend drove by in his truck and stopped.  With fishing poles hanging out the back he hollered, "You wanta fish?"  I looked at my girlfriend and thought...well, that isn't exactly what we'd planned but I guess we could.  Turning back to this fellow I said, "Sure, we will go fish." He said, "No. Look in the back of the truck bed.  Do you want that fish?"  "Oh!" I exclaimed. "I'm not sure I could walk all the way to my car carrying it."  Actually, it was still flopping around.  Kindly, he drive the fish to our house, where our daughter answered the door and found a man holding a BIG fish. LOL. The night before I had been too tired to go to the grocery store, but the last thing I'd said before bed was..."I'd sure like to have some fish for dinner tomorrow night."  My...

July 30 Today I'm heading off to have a hole cut in my forehead to remove a carcinoma.  The doctor's office told me to be prepared to stay all day, because the type of procedure they are doing allows them to study the tissue after the first extraction and then go back in for more tissue should there be any cancer cells remaining.  I've put right much thought into what to wear.  The first assumption is that the office will be cold to keep germs away. Next I want to be comfortable and then finally, if blood drips on me I don't want the clothing to be any item that I would be concerned over that fact. How much thought are you putting into today's attire?  We should invest as much time on our internal appearance as our outer. The Adrian Rogers' study on the Armor of God was excellent!  He describes the articles of armor in this fashion: The Belt of Truth- Our Integrity The Breastplate of Righteousness- Our Purity The Shoes of Peace- Our Tranquility These ...

July 29 The summer protection solutions. ..Off and sunscreen! I'm embarking on a journey into Ephesians 6:10-20 with a group of friends tonight.  We will study God's protective armor, which is available to us as we battle through life in the spiritual realm.  Lots of good nuggets should surface to pass along to you the next few days.  If you have a chance tune into a Youtube sermon of Dr. Adrian Rogers on this topic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNK7RToBVXI Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everyth...

July 27-28 With lead lids drooping and my head ready to hit the pillow, I began to pray, "Lord, where are you? I don't sense your presence."  "I've gone nowhere, my child. It is you who have been slip sliding away from me," God replied in his fatherly tone which silently traipsed across my mind.. Come near to God and he will come near to you.   James 4:8 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them  the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?   Deuteronomy 4:7 Sometimes God speaks to us when we least expect it.  Other times our lives our such a clutter and flurry of activity we allow little opportunity for Him to be heard.  The weekend is here.  Your pace may be quickening or possibly puttering down. Which ever we face, God is still around and ready to converse if we set the stage for Him to speak. We are here Lord.  We love and adore You.  We need You. We want to hear from You toda...

July 26 While bathing our 1 and 2 year old grandsons together the other night, the two year old dumped a pitcher of water right on top of his little brother's head.  Immediately, I turned to him and said in a stern voice, "That was NOT nice."  He looked up at me, obviously shocked by my tone and said.... "Be happy!" Totally flustered by that response, I took his advice and in a much "happier" tone, explained how his antics were not enjoyable to his little brother. I highly recommend the "Be happy" quote when someone is getting on your case!  It makes one evaluate both his words and his tone. Discipline in love is necessary though. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Deuteronomy 8:5

July 25 This past week I studied a series of devotionals  by Lloyd John Ogilvie in his book Quiet Moments with God. The Seventh Beatitude entry spoke a truth into my life, which I wish I'd been praying all my life.  I hope  this writing blesses you and therefore those who encounter you in your daily living! I plan to turn this into a daily prayer for myself! Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God.  Matthew 5:9   Blessed Father, I praise You for the peace that came through Christ and the blood he shed on the cross.  Your Son came to bring peace and has called me to be a peacemaker.  Today in my relationship with You, Father, I want to express my family likeness by manifesting the fruit of the Spirit of peace, and will accept my calling to be a peacemaker. I pray that I will not sow discord, fan the flames of misunderstanding between people, take sides in petty conflicts, or participate in gossip....

July 24 Just rip my heart out and stomp on it.  These two are journeying to Bellingham, WA where our son has a teacher assistantship and will work on a masters.  It is SOOOOO far away.  This is the son we almost lost in a terrible accident ten years ago.  Moses is actually his dog, but ended up here at Shiloh.  Their parting was gut wrenching.  That bulldog knew it was their final farewell, as he is nearing the end of his earthly years. Farewell is defined in Webster's as meaning to get along well.   Ha, fare thee well!  These two will get along well, even after a ten day road trip to their new home. Scripturally speaking these two verses speak to how we should say farewell. All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them,  blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing.   Genesis 49:28 When our time was up, they escorted us out of the...