The Lord Is My Strength!

It began with a Pastor asking us to preach both services on a Sunday near home. Awesome we can do that.

Then another Pastor in the next town up asked for the following Monday-Friday. That would make it Sunday-Friday at two churches not that far apart. Yep, we can do that.

Then the first Pastor called back and asked to change from two services on Sunday to Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning. I said yes without even thinking about the implications of now preaching Friday-Friday. Duh!

On Thursday, our Pastor asked us to preach that night. I did not hesitate to say, "Yes" because he is my Pastor. Now, we were scheduled for Thursday plus eight more days.

At some point in the mix, another church as us to preach the following Sunday night and I said yes without even thinking about it. Duh Again!

After preaching Thursday night at home church and then Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning, we did not get home in time to go to home church Sunday night. So we slipped into a church four miles from home and the Pastor asked me to preach that night.

Are you keeping track? Evidently, I was not keeping good track either.😍

At that point, we still had five nights of revival ahead of us and then rest Saturday and preach Sunday night. Except it did not work that way. Sunday morning, our Pastor asked me to preach again so you have to add in the second Sunday morning.

This is how it ended up. 

Eleven days

Twelve services

Twelve sermons

A bunch of singing

Five cities

Five churches 

And one day of not preaching.

That was absolutely normal for us in times past, but way out of reach in my current physical condition. But, by God's grace, we made it and we were able to finish strong. We enjoyed wonderful services and watched God touch His people in amazing ways.

Am I tired? Yes, tired right down in my bones. Yet, I am rejoicing that we were able to do it. KJo worked so hard and Odie sang like an angel and God stood near us at each service. Praise God!!

Thank the Lord for His help, His strength and His power! Hallelujah! We are climbing and gaining and will prevail by His touch! Please keep praying for us.

Thank you for spending a few moments with us. We always appreciate that.

Davy

Our Dear Friend, Bro. Wade Hicks

It has been a tremendous blessing for us to meet fine people all over this nation and in other parts of the world. Some of the best people in God's creation have crossed our paths and become our dear friends. What an amazing privilege God has bestowed upon us to know so many wonderful people.

Some of the best people have been right here close at home!

We have been blessed with over 35 years of friendship and fellowship with our dear friend, Bro. Wade Hicks. Last year and the year before had us at home more than usual and we became used to seeing him a little more. 

We sure miss him when we are out on the road. We do not get to see him as often as we would like, but we made us for that yesterday.

There is one Ruby Tuesday's in our general vicinity and it is about halfway between us and Bro. Wade. It is a great place to meet for lunch and we have done it a few times.

Wednesday, we met him for lunch and we enjoyed our time together.

The food was pretty good too.

We have been wonderfully blessed with friends and we praise God for it. He has been wonderfully kind to us. Thank you for being our friends. We are thankful for you too.

Davy

A Word For Wednesday - A God That Carries - A Testimony

It is time again for A Word For Wednesday. This morning, I am posting A Word for Wednesday on our YouTube Channel. Please give it a listen and leave us a comment here or on YouTube.

A God That Carries-A Testimony

God has been very good to us. God's people have been very good to us. Today I am praising God for his healing and thanking you for your prayers. Today's Word For Wednesday is a testimony to God's goodness. When we could not go forward, God carried us!

AND He will carry you, friend!

Thank you for reading and watching today.

Davy

How Do We Make Sense Of It All?

My mind gets tired of juggling things that need to be done. 

-I have several bus projects that must be done. Most of them, I am not able to do myself.

-Even though we were home a few days ago, we left a long list of things that need to be done and an even longer list of things that we would like to do.

-I have bookwork that is constantly piling up and getting out of hand. Ugh!

-I have sermons to prepare, sermons that need to be repaired and 100+ things that I need to be spending more time attending to in prayer.

-I have Mile Markers that need to be written and prepared for publication. Some of them are only vague ideas around the edges of my mind. They must be fleshed out, thought through, then typed and retyped a few times.

-I also need to work on A Word For Wednesday. I need to think, pray, write, record, edit and publish. All that needs to be done before church tonight and then I need to start all over. Next Wednesday will be here before I know it.

-I need to do so much work at being a better father, a better husband, a better preacher and a better friend. Wow! Lots of work to do and so little to work with!

-I have not even mentioned that my mind is often busy with scheduling, conflict in our society, world situations, the downward slide of morality and millions of lost men and women I would love to reach for and preach to.

I suppose that I am just like you. Many of us are juggling way too much in our minds and most of you are tired from the struggle. How do we cope with this? How do we make sense of it all?

This is what works for me and helps me with the struggle in my mind. I push all this heavy mental load aside for a moment and focus instead on all of the wonderful things in my life that I have to be thankful for.

I have so many things to thank God for.

-I have been gloriously saved by the grace of God. My sins that were many are now gone. He has washed me and cleansed me from all sin! I am on my way to Heaven for eternity although I deserve hell! Hallelujah! I am thankful for salvation.

-Being part of the family of God has introduced me to many thousands of His children and I am blessed in immeasurable ways by knowing His family.

-God has opened doors for us to work in the ministry and He has given us favor among His people. That is a gift of amazing proportions. I can hardly fathom the depth of this gift.

-I have a lovely wife that is talented, hard working and Godly. She loves me and has followed me all over the world in ministry. She is beautiful, generous and kind and is also a terrific mother to our daughter.

-We have a daughter that has a heart for God and ministry. She loves and gives and is so kind and thoughtful. She loves her parents to a fault and we are blessed to have her.

-We are blessed with material blessings in ways that are difficult for us to even understand. Even when times are lean, God provides for us every step along the way.

-We are blessed with family. Both of my parents and both of KJo's parents are still living and play a big part in our lives.

-All of our siblings are alive.

-We have a great home church and a wonderful Pastor and churches and Pastors all over the USA that are a huge influence on us.

Obviously, I could go on and on detailing the many blessings that we have to be thankful for. Can you take a moment to count your blessings? Go ahead, name them one by one. I suspect that your problems may mount to the sky, but I also suspect that your blessings are even greater!

How do we make sense of all the problems? We put our problems in perspective by praise. We have many reasons to praise God!

I hope that is helpful. Thank you for stopping by.

Davy

One Year Ago Today, March 24, 2021

March 24, 2021, is a day that will remain in my memory banks for a long time to come. Allow me to take a moment to tell you why.

On Sunday, January 31, 2021, Odie and I tested positive for Covid in Bernice, Louisiana. By the end of that day, we were loaded up in the BoggsMobile and on our way home. We arrived home about noon on Tuesday and by Thursday I was as sick as I had ever been in my life.

By the seventh day, Saturday, February 6, 2021, I was beginning to believe that the extreme body temperature fluctuations would kill me. That night, Bro. John and Sis. Ann Gabbard called and prayed Heaven down on me. I will never forget that night either. I will explain in a moment.

By Wednesday, February 10, I could not absorb enough oxygen. It was pretty scary. Two preachers brought me supplemental oxygen about midnight in a snowstorm and saved my life.

From there, I started gaining. After three weeks or so, I was mostly using supplemental oxygen only at night. Soon, I was working in the barn and preaching single services here and there.

The truth is, I was probably overdoing it. I was trying to do the right thing by exercising my lungs and not sitting down, but I am pretty sure I was harming my lungs rather than helping.

On March 13, I began sliding backward in my ability to absorb oxygen and in a few days I was laboring to get my breath at all. On Wednesday morning, March 24, I was struggling to breathe and I told Kelly Jo that my lungs felt like they were almost full. I had no signs of pneumonia, but my lungs felt nearly full.

I suspected that once they were full, I would not be able to breathe. I could not keep my oxygen level in the mid 80's even with full supplemental oxygen. I was in a dangerous place.

A few minutes before 9:00 PM that Wednesday night, March 24, 2021, one year ago today, Pastor Mike Metzger called. He said "I am going to my knees to pray for you right now." AND pray he did!

He prayed for 20 solid minutes while we prayed with him and enjoyed the presence of the Lord in the BoggsMobile. I took off my oxygen and marched in place for several minutes expecting to be healed any moment. It was a glorious touch from the Lord.

After 20 minutes or so, Bro. Metzger said I am going to keep praying after we hang up. I do not know how long he prayed, but I suspect it was quite a long time. We rejoiced quite a long time in the Lord that night even though I was not completely healed in that moment.

I was not able to rest that night after the glorious experience, but each day after that, I felt a little bit stronger. 

But I want you to know something. When Bro. and Sis. Gabbard prayed for me on February 6, the Holy Ghost fell on me and I felt the Lord every moment of every day for over three solid months.

When Bro. Metzger prayed for me one year ago on March 24, the presence of the Lord intensified on me and carried me through the valley of the shadow of death. Hallelujah!

I will never forget those prayers. I will never forget the closeness of the Lord. I will never forget how He walked with me and talked with me every single step of the way.

It was near the end of August before I was able to travel and preach anywhere near consistently. It was mid December before I set aside the portable oxygen machine. I am still pulling with all of my might, trying to be able to preach every night as I have for over nineteen years. I still need God's help.

However, I will never forget the Lord's presence that I felt more steady and strong than I have ever felt Him before. Hallelujah!

When I tell this story in a few years, I believe the main point in my mind 

Will not be the sickness and suffocating, but the presence of the Savior! 

The focus will not be disease and discomfort, but the Deliverer!

The focus will not be the hardship and heartache, but Heaven that rested on me

The focus will not be Covid, but Christ!

Hallelujah!!!

If the Lord does not come back for his church in the next several years, I will face death once again. Time will see to that. However, if the Lord will come near me like he did one year ago, I will be able to walk that lonesome valley.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Davy

Chloe Jean Shoemaker Update

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in from the road. The BoggsMobile is bound for Staunton, Virginia. We anticipate a great time on our tour through Virginia and West Virginia over the next several weeks. 

We had a good time this week in Georgia. I enjoyed getting to be with Pastor Jonathan, Sis. Sabrina Prickett and their family. It was also wonderful to see more of our friends along the way.

Chloe Jean Shoemaker Update 

My cousin Deidre gave me permission to write an update and a praise report today. A few weeks ago, I asked you to help us pray for baby Chloe Jean Shoemaker. The prayers definitely are working!

Our sweet baby girl was very sick. Around three weeks old, she started having some severe health issues. A few different things were going on in her tiny body. It was terrifying! Some of the things were treated with a special formula and medicines.

They spent over a week in the hospital in Mobile, Alabama. Doctors tried their best to pinpoint and treat all of her problems. They were confident that she had a serious liver problem. 

Then Chloe Jean was referred to specialists in Birmingham, Alabama, to determine the exact issue and the best course of treatment. Deirdre and Ben, Chloe's parents, were overwhelmed. The questions kept coming and finding answers was extremely difficult. We kept praying and believing for God to give them a miracle. 

The specialist in Birmingham checked Chloe Jean out thoroughly. Their reports say there is nothing seriously wrong with her liver! We praise God for hearing and answering all the prayers that were prayed for her liver!!

Right now, the main focus is getting her to gain weight. She has been on the right path and gaining a little weight. We are so thankful for every ounce of progress! 

They are also monitoring a couple different issues. I know God moved on, Chloe Jean. I believe that God will perform a complete miracle in her little life!

Miracles happen when the people of God go to Him in prayer! We are so thankful and we are praising God! Many of you were sincerely praying with us for God to heal Chloe Jean and He heard you. 

We are so grateful for every single prayer our friends prayed for Chloe Jean! Thank you for continuing to pray for her! I really appreciate many of you asking for updates and your sincere concern for Chloe Jean! 

Also, thank you for praying for Deirdre, Ben and Charlie. They are thankful for all the prayers that were prayed for their family!

Below I included some of my favorite recent pictures of Chloe Jean. Deirdre helps her text Auntie O. It always makes me smile to see a message from my precious Chloe Jean. 

Charlie loves his baby sister! He is a sweet and attentive Big Brother! He calls her" Bowie Jean." I think his name for her might stick around because I find myself calling her Bowie Jean too! 😊

Thanks for visiting with me today. I look forward to our time together next Saturday. Have a great weekend and I pray God blesses you!

Odie

Wonders of Numbers!

For much of January, KJo and I were crunching financial numbers for 2021 for Boggs Family Ministries. We have to do this for four reasons. 

First, budget. We live personally and Boggs Family Ministries runs on a budget. In order to know whether or not the budget is working, you have to know the numbers.

Secondly, we had our annual Boggs Family Ministries board meeting last week and I always give them an overview of our ministry finances. I hold myself accountable to them and I ask them to guide me along the way. I need numbers for that.

Thirdly, as a 501c3, we are required to send donation receipts to individuals and businesses that give directly to Boggs Family Ministries. Those must be emailed or snail-mailed by January 31.

Finally, Boggs Family Ministries is a 501c3 but not a church. Therefore, we must fill out form 990 EZ for the IRS by May 15 each year. It is not a tax return, but a reporting form. The 990 EZ is anything but easy. It is a multiple page undertaking and I need all the financial numbers to complete that task. 

The numbers are in. The results are both frightening and enlightening.🙌

Because of sickness and being home for nearly seven months, the ministry's main income in 2021, which is revival income, was about half what it was in 2020. Keep in perspective that 2020 was also an abbreviated and unusual year. So, our 2021 revival income was a little over 1/3 of our normal revival income.

Much of our ministry and personal expenses continued as if we were working as normal. Property taxes, house and barn maintenance, barn insurance, house insurance, bus payments, bus and car insurance and higher utilities since we were home. Plus, food costs were way up for everyone.

We did have a few personal expense categories that were lower since we were not traveling as much. We were not buying as much diesel and we were not spending as much on bus repairs. Realistically, the bus repairs will still have to be done, but that particular personal expense was pushed down the road a bit.

All of that to say, it would have been very difficult to survive all year on about 1/3 of our normal ministry income. Thinking about that is frightening. However, we not only survived, but with God's help, we thrived all year.

Churches and individuals and families and businesses were extremely kind and generous to us all year long. Most of the churches that we had to cancel, sent an offering anyway. Some of them sent offerings twice, some of them three times.

Boggs Family Ministries was able to keep its obligations and commitments and to pay us even though we were not capable of producing income. We were not only able to feed our family and pay all of our regular bills on time, we also were able to help others, fulfill all our foreign and home mission commitments and added more mission giving besides.

We knew we had been divinely helped and blessed, but adding the numbers and comparing the dates of miraculous income and outflow was enlightening. God walked with our family down through the valley of the shadow of death and kept pace with us all along the way! He never left our side one moment!

We are overwhelmed with the goodness of God and the goodness of the people of God. Many of the people that stepped up and did amazing things for us read these Mile Markers every day. It is difficult to know how to express our extreme gratitude.

We have tried to thank each of you personally, but you deserve public appreciation as well. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for helping us. May God bless you for blessing our ministry and family.

It is our sincere hope and prayer, that we can work in revivals all year long in 2022 with very few interruptions. That is our heartfelt desire. But we will never, ever forget God's incredible and almost unbelievable provision for us in 2020 and 2021. He truly helped us when we could not help ourselves.

The last two years have been difficult years for everyone. We have all lost way too many friends prematurely. Many of you and us have been sicker than we have ever been and for longer than we have ever been sick. These are troublesome times.

Yet, these last two years have been unbelievably wondrous and miraculous too. We will never forget God's marvelous works. He is great and greatly to be praised!!!

Thank you for reading today. In the midst of your trouble, I hope you can see the fingerprints of God's goodness in your life.

Davy

It Has Actually Been A Great Year!

We interrupt our normal broadcast for a special bulletin. Please tune in tomorrow at this same time for The Weekend Dispatch that you would normally find here on Monday.

It Has Actually Been A Great Year!

We celebrate dates here on Mile Markers. It is one thing we do consistently. We mark birthdays, anniversaries and special days of all kinds. 

We usually do not mention dates that mark events that we would rather forget, but marking dates happens in my mind whether I want to remember the date or not. It is part of my psyche. It is who I am.

Even though the dates I would rather forget stick in my mind like neon billboards, I usually do not commemorate them here among all of the hallowed dates. I especially do not push off a normal weekly feature post to mark such a date, yet here I am.

This date, January 31, has some significance because it is a date that is relatable to my readers. It may not be your date, but many of you have a date in the last two years that rings true with my date.

One year ago today, January 31, 2021, is the date that Odie and I tested positive for Covid in a small hospital within walking distance of where I sit this very moment at Abundant Life Holiness Church in Bernice, Louisiana.

Yes, January 31, 2021, is a date that I would rather forget for many reasons. It is a date that I wish was wiped off the calendar and all of the bad events of that day with it.

Beginning on that date, Odie and I became sicker than we have ever been in our lives. We stayed sicker longer than we have ever been sick in our lives. One year later, I am still dealing with after effects of that horrible day. 

On the evening of January 31, we pointed the BoggsMobile toward home. On February 2, we pulled the bus into the barn. The trip home had been difficult, agonizing and stressful on all three of us, but by God's grace, we made it!

In the course of those three days of driving, at least four Pastors had invited us to park at their church while healing. For nearly 1000 miles I wondered if I should have taken one of them up on their kind offer. It surely looked like we were not going to make it home.

Over the next few months, I would praise God repeatedly that He had given us the strength to make it home. Hallelujah! Once we made it to Ohio, we were so glad to be there!

Two days after arriving home and pulling into the barn, there is no way in the world I could have driven the bus one mile. I was too sick to do it. We are very thankful that I did not reach that breaking point out on the Highway somewhere.

By the seventh day, February 6, my body temperature had been wildly fluctuating for over 36 hours. It would go from outrageously low to dangerously high and back again in only minutes. I was tracking the violent temperature swings with two thermometers and I felt like my body could not take it anymore.

I do not mention the actual temperatures, because I am not sure that anyone beyond people that know me well would even believe the numbers.

About 9:00 PM on February 6, Bro. John Gabbard called and said, "Me and Ann are going to prayer right now." And boy howdy, did they ever go to prayer. I was instantly saturated with the Holy Ghost as they prayed and while they were praying my body temperature went to normal and never rose or fell again!

Put a finger right there in the story because it is important.

I had been marching in place and singing several times a day since we had arrived home. I knew I must keep moving and I intended to build my voice strength. I thought I would be back to revivals in 2-3 weeks and I knew I must have breath and my voice.

On day 11, four days after God touched my temperature, I could not breathe. Through miraculous intervention two local Pastors, Bro. Philip Hoskins and Bro. Danny Lamb brought an oxygen bottle to me and later that night an oxygen machine. They did this late at night in the middle of a snowstorm and saved my life.

In week number six I started struggling to breathe again, even with supplemental oxygen. In week seven, as my lungs filled with inflammation, I felt like my breath would soon stop. With full flow oxygen, my levels were very, very low. 

One evening that week, Pastor Mike Metzger called a few minutes after 9:00 and hit his knees in fervent prayer. KJo was in the bus at the time and she is my witness.

While Bro. Metzger prayed, the Holy Ghost covered me and Kelly Jo. We rejoiced, praised God and we were lost in His Spirit for over 20 minutes. I was not instantly healed, but I received a glimmer of hope that I might live to preach again.

Now, let me go back to the night of prayer on February 6. From the moment Bro. John and Sis. Ann prayed for me until way up into May, the presence of the Lord was near me, more consistently near me than I have ever felt Him in my life.

All I had to do was raise my hand or whisper His name and His sweet Spirit would overwhelm me, strengthen me and help me. It was an absolutely amazing three + months and that is reason enough to mark this terrible day.

January 31, 2021, was the beginning of something awful in our lives. It was also the beginning of three of the best months of my life. Hallelujah! I never want to be that sick again, but IF I could have God that present and real every moment, I believe I could take it.

There is no time to tell the whole story here, but we remained mostly in our home area for 203 days. It was late October, over ten months before I felt like I had turned a corner and began to build strength. It is still a road we are walking. 

Yet, from the very beginning, good friends would call and text and remind me that God had told them I would rise up and preach again.

Thank God for His sure Word of prophecy! 

Thank God for His protection. 

Thank God for His provision. 

Thank God for His healing power

Thank God for His people. 

He has brought me, yes He has brought me a mighty long way!

So to sum up this January 31 anniversary, it has actually been a great year. It has been a horrendous year and it has been a wondrous year! We look forward to another year that is hopefully and prayerfully more wondrous than horrendous.

Thank you for riding along with us. You prayed with us and you stayed with us and we will never forget it. May God bless you abundantly for it.

Have a great week.

Davy

Praise God For Sweeny, Texas

Over thirty years ago, probably 1991, we were on our way from Florida to preach a revival in Oklahoma. We went a few miles out of our way to visit Lighthouse Full Gospel Church in Sweeny, Texas. It was our very first visit although KJo had been here as a small girl with her family.

We knew Pastor Larry Lamb and he was familiar with all of our families, but he did not know me specifically. We arrived for midweek service and Bro. Lamb asked me to preach. I did and God blessed His people with a wonderful move in the altar.

Bro. Larry Lamb 2022

Bro. Lamb asked if we could stay for a few nights of revival and we were gladly able to do it. We had a wonderful revival with these wonderful people and along the way, we made friends for life.

We preached a couple of revivals in Sweeny during those early days and we loved every moment. When we purchased our first used fifth wheel to travel in, Bro. Lamb and the church sent us $500 toward the $4000 price. We never forgot their kindness.

We were traveling in a car back then and we stayed in the evangelist quarters. There is definitely one thing about that visit we will never forget. Frank Peretti's first two books were huge then and we had bought his first book on cassette tape in Florida.

We were staying in the evangelist quarters which is a single room in the big dark church. We were in the bed and Odie was sleeping on a pallet on the floor. Each night we would start the tape player, turn out the lights and climb into bed. 

We would listen to one side of one tape each night. When that side finished, we would go to sleep. Or I should say, we would try to sleep. We all had spooky dreams full of devils and angels fighting all night long. If you have read about Sally Beth Roe and her journey to Christ, then you understand.

I suppose we were not the smartest kids in the world, but we get a good laugh about it now.

Beginning in 1993, we spent six years home working a public job and attending our home church, followed by nearly four years pastoring in Wichita, Kansas. Shortly after we went back to road life, Bro. Lamb contacted us about coming back to Sweeny and we have been coming back ever since.

We have not been here every year over the last 19 years, but we have been here most years. We have had some great experiences at Full Gospel Lighthouse and we have created some great memories with these tremendous friends.

It is easy to trace the fingerprints of God's goodness to us, by remembering the people that He has brought into our lives. Praise God for His grace and mercy! Praise God for Sweeny, Texas

Thank you for reading today. We sure appreciate you as well. May God bless you every single one.

Davy

He's Got It All In Control

On February 4, 2021, I posted a video of us singing He's Got It All In Control at Beech Creek Assembly on January 24, seven days before Odie and I tested positive for COVID. We were amazed at the providence of God bringing such reassurance to us only days before we needed that reassurance so badly.

Little did we know what a blessing we had received from the LORD. In the next few days, weeks and months our lives were turned upside down, but God had already spoken peace into our hearts. He's Got It All In Control!

In the next few paragraphs, you can read what I wrote on February 4 about the wonderful service on January 24. Below that, I had added my thoughts today with the benefit of living through the next 10 months and knowing firsthand some of what God has done for our family.

After that, I have embedded the video again. I hope you enjoy.

February 4, 2021

We have posted us singing this song as part of revival services many times, but this one holds a special place in our hearts. Pastor Don Goodwin asked us to sing in the Sunday morning service on January 24 at Beech Creek Assembly and the Lord manifested Himself in the service. Hopefully, it was a special moment to the church, but I know that it was a special moment for our family.

God was speaking right into our souls and we had no idea how much we would need this assurance in our current place in life. This is a live service, warts and all, and it is a little lengthy, but I hope you will give it a chance. 

I believe you will be able to sense God encouraging us in a great and might way. By the following Sunday morning, Odie and I were sick. This was our last public worship service before we got sick and we were incredibly and I would say providentially prepared for what was to come. 

It is plain to see that many, many people are carrying and facing far tougher things than we are right now, but this is our current trouble. The fact that others have it worse provokes compassion in us, but it does not lessen the weight on our hearts in our own difficulty. There is something that does lessen that weight though. It is this fact, He's Got It All In Control.

The way God spoke to us in this service while we were ministering to others is an incredible testament to God's tender watch care and preplanning for us! Hallelujah!

January 18, 2022

I posted the words above on February 4, 2021. By that evening, fever was raging through my body and I was going down fast. Five days after posting this, I was suffocating and needed supplemental oxygen.

Long story short, we were off the road 203 days and I was on supplemental oxygen for over ten months. When we did go back on the road at the end of August I was as weak as water and I needed God's strength each moment. It was not until the end of October that I felt like I was turning the corner for the good.

YET, I want you to know this more than anything. God walked with us every single step of the way. He was so near us and became more dear to us each moment. For three solid months, I could reach my hand for God above my head and the presence of the Lord would saturate me. He overwhelmed me with His Spirit for over 90 days. Hallelujah!

God provided for us in ways that were as miraculous as God sending bread and flesh twice a day to Elijah! It was absolutely incredible! Please trust me when I say, God proved over and over and over again, He really does have it all in control!

We posted this with the permission of Pastor Don Goodwin and we appreciate them allowing us to do so. Here is the link to a page where you will find this service and many others in their entirety. www.facebook.com/beechcreekag/ 

He's Got It All In Control 

Written by Archie Paul Jordon

Universal Music Publishing Group

Thank you for joining us today.

Davy

Bitter Cold , Barns Old and Gratitude Bold

We purchased the BoggsMobile in late March 2008. From then until December 2014, we parked outside whenever we were home for Christmas or any other time. Can you see the Dodds Church van and the funnel cake trailer parked at the church next door about 200' away?

The van and red trailer are parked where we parked with permission for a week or two at a time for nearly seven years when we were home. We were grateful to have a place to park at home. That was a wonderful blessing. 

But the winter weather at Christmas was ridiculous. 

We have had frozen everything there more than one time. The challenge to keep the bus from freezing was about to drive me crazy and I had determined not to bring the bus home for Christmas ever again.

Then the property next door with the big red pole barn came up for sale and we jumped as quick as we could. The guy that rented the property was there one day and I went to talk to him. First, I wanted to make sure that he was not trying to buy it. I did not want to step in front of him.

Next, I wanted permission to measure the door. When the height measured 14', I nearly shouted. Do you have any idea how many perfect places we found for sale and the door was 10' or 12' and could not be raised without removing the roof and trusses?

We knew we had found a home for the BoggsMobile!

An individual stepped up and loaned us most of the money we needed to purchase the property and we have thanked God for them a thousand times. Everything has been completely paid for over a year and we are very thankful for that too.

We are so incredibly thankful for what we call The Lazy OD Ranch and especially thankful for the only building on it when we purchased the property in December 2014. That building is the red barn. It is a pole barn built in 1982.

It needed some structural work and a roof when we bought it. That and many other things have been done and there still remains a lot to be completed. I would love to eventually have it totally insulated and fairly airtight and maybe even heated. That is the end goal.

However, it was great the first day we pulled the bus inside in December 2014. 

It changed our lives for the good and removed a heavy burden from my shoulders. The bus is out of the wind and easy to heat while it is inside the barn.

What makes me think and write of this now? Good question. It is never too far from my mind, but winter has hit with a vengeance this week.

It was already cold and then it was 20 shortly after midnight Wednesday night and felt like 7. Yikes!

Thursday morning it was 15 about 8:30 AM and felt like 9. 

It was supposed to get to 23, but I do not think it did. By 5:00 Wednesday evening, it was 19, snowing and felt like 9.

Eventually, IF it stays this cold, the barn will get below freezing too. But at this point, it is still 37-38 degrees just inside the front door. I will take that any day over being outside in the cold, snow and wind!

I do not think the pipe will freeze, but I always have a lightbulb in the place where the water enters the barn underground. I usually turn the water off while we are gone in the winter just in case there is a break from a frozen pipe.

Can you see why we are thankful for this old barn? Praise God for a barn! Praise God for protection, provision and providence! God knew what we needed and had a guy build it for me in 1982 when  I was 15 years old!

Yep, I am sold on the providence of God enough to believe that!

I am thankful for you, too! Thank you for spending a few minutes with us today.

Davy

Tuesday Testimony Time

Hey Friends,

This is Odie checking in with you again. How are you doing today? I hope you are enjoying a wonderful week.

Remember that I told you Saturday's weather was gorgeous? Well, that good weather did not stay for long. Sunday, the temperature was much cooler. Then it stormed most of Sunday night. 

Yesterday was frigid. Below is a screenshot of our weather in Waynesville. My Mamaw would describe this forecast as "bone hurting cold"! 

I was glad that I did not have to leave my cozy house all day. I rushed out a few times to retrieve a package and a couple of decor pieces that the wind toppled over. I rushed back inside as soon as I completed my task.

Tuesday Testimony Time

Now I will share a couple testimonies with you. The first one happened yesterday morning. I prayed and asked God to help me out of a crazy predicament. He answered my prayer! I promised Him that I would praise Him for answering my prayer!

Yesterday morning, I reached for my phone to check the time. It slipped out of my grip and disappeared.  My phone fell through a crack between my bed and wall. Thus "Operation Retrieve Phone" began.

I could have called several people. They would have happily come to my rescue at some point during the day. I was determined to get the phone myself.  My Mom often tells me, "Andrea, you can do anything that I can do!" Her voice was ringing in my head. Therefore I worked and prayed that I could get my phone. 

This is the tiny space that I had to fish my phone through. I do not have pictures of the process.😆My phone's camera is the device that I use to take photos for the blog.

I was thankful that I could answer texts and calls from my Apple watch. Also, the "Hey Siri" iPhone feature came in handy for me. I could control my phone's flashlight with Siri. I was glad the battery on my phone was fully charged too.

Twice I had it almost out and I dropped it again. I was so bummed when that would happen! I would take a break and try again later with a different method. After several failed attempts and a few hours of trying, I finally had my phone back in my hands. My phone was unharmed! 

I really do thank God for helping me achieve my goal! Operation Retrieve Phone had not been on my to-do list for Monday. It is not a mission that I care to repeat again, but Praise God my mission was successful!

Testimony number two is named Oliver Tinnon. My friends, Bro. Jonathan and Sis. Whitney Tinnon welcomed a new addition to their family last month. This is a picture of them that I took in October.

I have been so excited about the gift God was giving them. We have been anxiously awaiting Oliver's arrival into this world. He was supposed to arrive in January. Due to complications, Oliver arrived several weeks early, on November 3rd. 

People across the nation have been praying for Oliver and his parents. The Lord has answered those prayers, and He has performed numerous miracles for their family! It has been amazing to watch the progress from a distance.

Oliver is a fighter! He has already faced and conquered so many obstacles. December 5th, he was able to go home! When I received that news Sunday afternoon, I was overjoyed! That was definitely an answer to countless prayers!

Oliver made his first appearance at church Sunday night. I was excited to get a glimpse of him on the BHC Livestream. His parents are training him to be a faithful church member!

I am already anticipating my next scheduled visit to Virginia next spring. I want to see this living miracle with my own eyes. I look forward to spoiling him when I get the chance. I already told his mama to schedule a few moments for me with Oliver when we get to BHC.

Thank you, God, for blessing Bro. Jonathan and Sis. Whitney with a precious child! Thank you for all the answered prayers in Oliver's short life! I can not wait to see what God has planned for Oliver in the future!

Thanks for reading my testimonies that were burning in my heart today. Friends, remember that God hears every prayer you pray. I believe that He is answering prayers for you today.

Odie

Praise The Lord!

We had an excellent first night of revival at Crosslight in Moore, Oklahoma! Hallelujah! I am expecting it to be gooder and gooder all the way through Sunday.

Several weeks ago I asked you to pray for my Dad, Eugene Boggs. He was scheduled to have a procedure and we were asking God to help all go well. The day before the surgery the surgeon's office called and told him the procedure was delayed two weeks. Ugh!

Two weeks really drag by when you are in pain and hoping for help! The day arrived and Dad finally had the surgery. The doctor thought everything went very well and we were all glad to hear that.

He came home after a couple of days and it is now nearly two weeks later. He is still very much in the healing process and it remains to be seen how successful the procedure was, but Dad is seeing good signs.

We are praising God for His help and we are believing God for my Dad to be completely well. We do appreciate you all praying for him and several of you asking about how he is doing. Thank you for that very much. God's people continually overwhelm us with kindness.

We have a friend that needed surgery and it was delayed by COVID. She was recently cleared for surgery and came through it well. She is healing up and we are thankful for that too.

Thank you for being our friends and covering us with prayer. We appreciate it! 

Have a great day.

Davy

As Thy Days So Shall Thy Strength Be

I mentioned last week, that I had not done very well with our schedule on this stretch. We are trying to ease into our normal road life, but during this space of time, I packed meetings in pretty tight. 

We are busier in this three-week stretch than we need to be. I have done better the rest of the year, but we have to get through this first.

We have now made it about halfway through the over-scheduled patch and I am holding up OK. I was way more tired than I should have been Monday, but no more tired than I expected. I rested as much as I could during the day and pulled through by God's grace.

Honestly, it could be a bit discouraging not to be as strong as I have been and as strong as I need to be, but I can see the hand of God all along the way. He promised in His Word

...As thy days so shall thy strength be... Deuteronomy 33:25

God is true to His Word, friends. Hallelujah!

I do not have as much strength as I would like, but I have enough for each day. I believe that God will continue to provide the strength that I need as I need it.

Thank you all for praying. Please keep it up. God sees, God knows, God hears and God answers!

Davy

50 Years A Missionary In Kenya

50 years a missionary. Wow!

We had the privilege recently of meeting a man who has been a missionary to Kenya for 50 years. His name is Evan Erickson.

He and his wife and first child moved to Kenya as missionaries in 1971. I think he said his daughter was one year old at the time. For 50 years they have raised their family and ministered in Kenya.

They have stayed in Kenya for four year terms and then came back to the states to reconnect with family and supporters for the fifth year. That is an amazing life!

They have planted churches, built churches and trained local leaders in Bible schools in Kenya. Many of the students they trained are Pentecostal leaders all over Africa and the world.

He is part of the missions program with the International Pentecostal Church of Christ and when we met him, he seemed to be going strong. They helped him to the platform, but when he took the mic he was a dynamo.

50 years as a missionary to Kenya! His passion for souls to be able to hear the Gospel was inspiring and I hope I do not soon forget it. May God give him many more years of useful ministry!

I can not imagine doing anything for 50 years. I guess I have been walking and talking for over 50 years, but not much beyond that.

This Week

We have been working in the barn during the day this week and going to church at night. We were not in church last night, but after a break for supper, we worked in the barn until time to get ready for bed. I am anxious to show you some pictures of the barn project, but I will wait until a bit more is completed.

Thank you for stopping by today. We plan to be at home church tonight and have service online Friday at 7:00 PM Eastern. I hope you will join us.

Davy