The Gift of Peace

Hey Friends, 

This is Odie reporting in from the road. We had a great week with our friends In Bernice, Louisiana. Now the BoggsMobile is Texas bound.

Today I am pondering once again the wonderful gift of peace. We are all in need of peace in our lives. Our world is constantly searching for peace. 

What is peace? There is no tangible item that is peace. There are moments of brief peace when I block out life's troubles. Those are heavenly moments for me.

Where can I always find peace? God is my peace and solace! He is my resting place, shelter and comforter. I have been running to Him for lots of peace in recent days. 

Here are three things that have been excellent reminders to me lately. I wanted to share them with you too. 

1. Dad's January 11th episode of A Word For Wednesday greatly encouraged my soul. I recommend checking it out for yourself. 

2. A friend sent me a portion of scripture last week. It was just what I needed for that moment. A reminder that God cradles us in His arms. There is no better place to be!

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:"

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭33‬:‭27‬ ‭KJV‬

3. A song sung by The Sound has been my heart's anthem. It is titled Peace Is. I can not get away from the song's tagline.

 "When I feel like my world is in pieces

You show me what peace is"

Take a moment to read the full lyrics and listen to the song clip below.

Peace Is

Hunter Leath and Nathan Woodard

Verse 1

So many questions seem to go unanswered

So many doubts are racing through my mind

But even when I wrestle all these restless thoughts

I know you're near

And even when I wonder where you're leading me

You have shown your love time and time again

Though this battle that I'm fighting is already won

I still fight the fear

But I hear you softly whisper "it's okay"

And I'm believing everything I hear you say

Chorus 

Cause peace is knowing

That you're with me in the valley

And you will never leave

Peace is having full assurance

There's no moment You will never see

When I feel like my world is in pieces

You show me what peace is

Verse 2

Maybe we aren't meant to have it all together

Maybe all these twists and turns shape our faith

We always want to stay up on the mountaintop

But even down here where my view is unclear

Chorus 

Peace is knowing that you're with me

In the valley and you will never leave

Peace is having full assurance

There's no moment  You will never see

When I feel like my world is in pieces

You show me what peace is

Bridge

Through all the struggle and the pain

I find there's still beauty in the rain

Peace is knowing that you're with me

In the valley you will never leave

Peace is having full assurance

There's no moment You will never see

When I feel like my world is in pieces

You show me what peace is

I am thankful for God's peace, which reaches far beyond all of my understanding! I hope these reminders have encouraged you as well. Thanks for stopping by to visit with me. 

Odie

A Status Symbol

The USA has always been a nation where it was possible for its people to be upwardly mobile economically, societally and socially. No matter how poor you are born and with no regard for the trying circumstances you endure in your youth, it is possible in our nation to get an education, work hard and rise above your hardscrabble beginning.

My formal education stopped after high school graduation. KJ and I were married twenty days after my last day of school and real life began. I could have continued my education and worked a full time job like thousands have done, but I did not.

However, I did not stop learning. I have always read about a wide variety of subjects and  I am confident my education has been furthered way beyond high school, one day at a time, one article and one book at a time. 

As we have progressed economically, it seems the nation might have outpaced us, but we have food to eat, a car to drive and a tube to live it. 

In our world today, those things are definitely things to be thankful for and we are extremely grateful. We do not feel cheated or "less than" at all.

We have never chased a status symbol. We have worked hard, purchased the supplies we needed and pressed on, just exactly like most Americans. It is living from day to day without any need or desire for a stamp of approval from those that have "made" it.

Some people may think the BoggsMobile is a symbol of status, but it is simply a necessary tool. We have lived in the bus for nearly 15 years. Trust me, there is no high class in that. It is more Partridge Family/Popular Mechanics than any type of emblem of success.😁

We have had no proof of upward mobility until now. I will present proof before this Mile Marker is ended that I have finally achieved status worthy of marking with a badge of honor. I am not sure what the tipping point was, but I have the evidence. 

I need to go back several years to begin to explain.

Many years ago, we needed some work completed on the roof of the bus. A tornado blew over us dropping a bucket of hail on us in a few moments. The roof needed to be stripped, painted and new clear coat applied.

We were in the south and needed to move out of the bus for 4-5 days. There was an advertisement for a vacation home in Navarre Florida that checked all the boxes on VRBO.

It had a list of amenities kind of like this.

-Two bedroom

-Two bathrooms

-Shared pool

-BBQ grill

-Beach Access

-Within walking access to the fishing pier

-Gated access

-Private assigned parking space

-Private balcony

-Ocean view

-Central Air Condition

-Washer/dryer

-TV

-Internet

-Linens

-Fully equipped kitchen

-Dishes

-Pot and pans

And listed in the amenities as prominently as beach access and two bathrooms was a feature that blew our minds. Are you ready?

Corn Cob Holders

Yep, believe it or not, we actually stayed in a rental for most of a week that came equipped with Corn Cob Holders!

We have often wondered and laughed about how corn cob holders made it onto the list. Can you imagine the conversation?

"Hey, honey, help me with this list for VRBO. 

Sure, did you tell them about the beach? 

Yes. 

Internet? 

Yes sir.

Washer and dryer?

Check. 

The ocean view? 

Yep, sure did. 

What about the corn on the cob holders? 

Oops, I almost missed the corn cob holders!

You do not want to forget that. 

No one would consider renting our vacation home without corb cob holders!"

😁😊😂🤣😍

When we have looked at anything since then we have asked each other, does it come with corn cob holders?

Here is a nice place to stay.

Does it come with corn cob holders?

This one is right on the beach.

Does it come with corn cob holders?

 

This cabin is nestled in the mountains.

Does it come with corn cob holders?

Hey, this one is $200 cheaper than the others

It probably does not have corn cob holders.

I love the color of this Jeep

Does it come with corn cob holders?

These tires have a better warranty.

Check for corn cob holders!

Hehe! We have had way too much fun from that for years and still do!😎

Now, we are laughing again! I have proof that we are movin' uptown. The status symbol has arrived.

Look what I received as a gift during a Christmas game with KJo's family! 

I am the proud owner of my own set of corn on the cob holders! Can you believe it? I scarce can take it in!

I'm moving on up. To the top! I thought you might want to know. You can ride my coattails up if you like!

Thank you for reading Mile Markers today.

Davy

Goodbye 2022

Hey Friends,

This is Odie checking for one last time this year. Thanks for tuning in on the final day of 2022. Can you believe it? We have almost made it through another year?

Today I want to share some thoughts that have been rolling through my brain this week. 

God has been faithful once again! He has carried us through every single day of the year. He has been right there for every single bump in the road. Some of my best laid plans did not go according to my plan. Looking back, I can see God's hand at work!

I do not have a sad song to sing about 2022. This really has been an incredible year! I am thankful for God's mercy and grace that have helped me daily!

When the clock strikes midnight, 2023 begins. I am ready for a fresh start to a new year. I am ready to live each day and see what God has planned for the days ahead. 

We all have hopes, dreams and plans for our futures. It is impossible to see the big picture today. No one knows exactly where we will be 365 days from today. There is one thing I know about our futures! God will still be faithful!

My goal for the new year is to lean wholly on God! Here is a passage of scripture that has been on my mind. It is a great scripture to wrap up this year and say hello to 2023.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

23. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

24  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

See you next year.

Odie

The Blessing In The Barn

We hit the road to evangelize in January 2003. When we came home for Christmas 12 months later in December, 2003, we parked our fifth wheel in a campground. Sometime over the next year or so, my brother Steve invited us to park in their driveway when home. We did that through Christmas 2007.

Once we purchased the bus in March of 2008, we realized it was to big to park in my brother's driveway. They had blessed us abundantly by allowing us to park there, but it was time to move on.

Bro. Rex Lloyd was Pastor of Dodds then and he invited us to put a 50 amp plug on the fellowship hall and park there when we were home. From then through Christmas of 2013, we parked at Dodds.

It was a tremendous blessing to have a place to park, but the cold winter weather was about to get the best of me and the bus. If it was cold, most of my time and energy were spent trying to keep the bus from freezing or repairing what had frozen. My time at home for Christmas was miserable.

I decided the BoggsMobile had made its last trip north in the winter. We would park somewhere south and drive the car or fly home for a few days at Christmas. I was done fighting the cold and snow.

In August, 2014, the property we later purchased became available. This was not just any property. It had an old pole barn and was right next door to where we parked. I had contacted the owner about selling with absolutely no interest on their part.

We looked at the property with longing every time we were home.

My Dad and I were standing at the crumbling fence dreaming about what could be done with the property next to Dodds Church.

The bus parked at Dodds, about 10' from the property and about 200' from the barn on July 4, 2014. You can see the barn over KJo's head.

A full view of the property in August 2014. It was not yet available when I took this picture.

The barn was rented to a man for several years. In late August, my Dad heard the renter was vacating the property. We were driving home from Vermont, when I got the call. I immediately called the owner and left a message.

When I arrived at Dodds, I walked over to the barn, introduced myself to the renter and asked if he had any interest in buying the property. When he said no, I told him that I did have an interest in it.

I also talked to the church and the great neighbors on the other side to see if either of them had any interest in buying the property. I would have been disappointed to miss the opportunity, but I did not want to step in front of them.

Long story short, the owner called in late September and we closed on the property in November 2014. This post has pictures of the first day we pulled into the barn in mid December. What a momentous occasion that was.

Yes, friends, that day literally changed my life. I knew I wanted to park the bus inside, but I did not realize how much of a blessing it was to get out of the wind.

Present Day

The whole bus would have been frozen the last several days if it was parked outside. There is no way to overcome the combination of below zero temperatures and high wind. We are so thankful for this old barn. It is an amazing blessing.

I intend to eventually insulate the whole barn so I can heat it a little in the winter, but these last nine winters have definitely been better than the winters before. Hallelujah!

Praise God for the blessing in the barn.

Davy

The Night Before Christmas

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in for this Christmas Eve 2022 blog post. I hope you are having a fabulous holiday! I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! 

I am also pausing today to think and pray for many of our friends who may be having a rough Christmas! Please know that we love you and we are sending you virtual hugs!

We will be spending time today with my Mom's side of the family! I am anticipating lots of good food, fun and family time! Stay tuned to see the photo highlights in the coming days.

The Night Before Christmas

This is the day before Christmas in 2022. It is hard to believe Christmas is finally here again. We look forward to this time all year. It is honestly my favorite time of year.

The other day I was thinking of the first Christmas. The world changed when God gave the world the greatest gift of all time! That gift was His son Jesus Christ. He was born on the first Christmas Day. 

My reflection caused me to think of the first Christmas Eve. Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. They were forced to take shelter in a stable. It was not a suitable environment for a baby, but it was all according to God's plan. 

I am always reminded of the outstanding character of Mary and Joseph. They were the people chosen by God to care for Jesus. They must have been extraordinary people. God knew He could trust them with His prized possession.

Mary and Joseph must have been terrified. They did not know the whole story, as you and I know it. They were faithful and followed the leading of God step by step. Mary and Joseph are excellent examples for us today.

I want to strive to live a life devoted to God. I want to follow His guidance. I pray that God finds me faithful and dependable when He needs me.

While I was pondering this topic, my brain remembered an old Christmas song. This song tells the story well of the First Christmas Eve. I decided to share it with you today. It is titled The Night Before Christmas,

The first time I heard this song was in the mid 90's. The Isaacs released it on their first Christmas project titled I Feel The Christmas Spirit. They also rereleased the song in 2000. It was on their revised Christmas Spirit project.

Take a moment to read the words and listen to this song. and reflect on The Night Before Christmas!

The Night Before Christmas

Verse 1

The night before Christmas

A couple was traveling

A baby was coming before the next day

They slept in the stable 

With animals around them

The Messiah was born

In a lowly barn in a manger of hay

Chorus

The night before Christmas 

The world had no Savior

No hope for redemption

To save them from wrong

God sent down His promise

The baby King Jesus

Salvation had come

For God gave His son

That Bethlehem morn

Verse 2

The night before Christmas

A new star was shining

Guiding three wise men from the east

In search of a king

It moved through the heavens

To the city of David

It shines today

To show us the way to Christ the King

Chorus

The night before Christmas 

The world had no Savior

No hope for redemption

To save them from wrong

God sent down His promise

The baby King Jesus

Salvation had come

For God gave His son

That Bethlehem morn

Chorus

The night before Christmas 

The world had no Savior

No hope for redemption

To save them from wrong

God sent down His promise

The baby King Jesus

Salvation had come

For God gave His son

That Bethlehem morn

Thanks for reading. May God bless you this Christmas!

Odie

A Word For Wednesday-The Folly of Focusing On Myself

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. 

The Folly of Focusing On Myself

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

I have a true story for you today that illustrates the Folly of Focusing on Myself. It is ridiculous for my focus to be on me, my comfort, my wants and desires, when my assigned task is to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Christ!

Thank you for spending a few minutes with us today.

Davy

A Fresh Vantage :Point From The Window

I am sitting in the BoggsMobile looking out the window.

My place in the bus is a chair at a small table, next to the window. On that table sits a laptop. I spend many hours each day in that chair, at that table, using that laptop. I use those hours each day in three main pursuits. 

The first is sermon preparation and the second is before you on this screen, Mile Markers. The third is writing, editing, uploading and writing descriptions for A Word For Wednesday and other YouTube clips.

Now, I do not spend eight hours in sermon preparation for each day that I preach as Bro. Bill Houston endeavored to do. Bro. Bill set the bar high! Wow! But I do make a sincere effort to be diligent in my calling and faithful to my master.

There are many days when I am in that chair reading, researching, praying, meditating on God and his Word and typing away at that laptop for many, hours. It is not a chore. I enjoy it.

But that is not what my subject is today. I intend to tell you about the window that is next to my chair, table and laptop.

Most weeks, the view out my side window is the wall of a church or a churchyard with little to no movement all day long other than a squirrel or two. This week, we are in a campground and the entertainment options are nearly endless.

Just the other day, it was very dificult to concentrate on work for a couple of hours. The window entertainment was too entertaining.😎

I watched a 30ish aged couple hook up to their RV and pull out of the park. It was one solid hour of entertainment watching him empty the holding tanks! It was hilarious!

I could take the high and noble road and tell you that I was not laughing AT them, but that would not be true. I was laughing out loud, smacking the table and slapping my leg in wonderful fits of laughter. It was the best entertainment I have had in a while.

TV has nothing over real life, that is for sure.

The trailer and the truck were absolutely brand spanking new. This may have been the first time they have camped anywhere in their new rig. I remember those days very well. That is why I am comfortable laughing at them from my window. I earned the right.😜

Our first rig was 30 years ago. It was late in 1992 and we had a 1979 Holiday Rambleette Fifth Wheel and a 1989 F250 extended cab truck. It was quite a setup in more ways than one and I learned a lot of things the hard way.

-I left our first RV plugged into the electrical outlet and nearly drove away and ripped it out of the wall the very first time I pulled the trailer. 

-I had a very bad tire blowout on the trailer on our second trip. Tires that look good are not always good!

-I literally threw up every time I emptied the holding tanks for three months. Gross? Yep, but true.

-We have had milk containers fall out of the fridge and watermelons explode on the floor while driving.

-I nearly took out fence posts, light posts, electrical pedestals and water hydrants more times than I can remember.

The man I was watching this week had what looked like a hazmat suit to empty the holding tanks. Watching him was a riot. But if he stays at it, he will be eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while doing that chore in a few years.

He will learn to unhook the water hose the day before when the temperature is a little warmer. It was cold the other morning and he wrestled that 50' anaconda for at least 10 minutes. Even his wife stood off at a distance and chuckled at that sight.

He will learn to hook his truck to the fifth wheel in one smooth motion. He will not have to climb in the bed of the truck six times. He will get the hang of it.

That is my point today. You will get the hang of it too. Let the watchers laugh. Let the critics sneer. Let the scoffers jeer. Let the haters hate. You will get the hang of it.

We have all been there before. We all learned somewhere. The haters and all of the rest may forget, but those of us that are chuckling, we remember. We remember our own first steps and feeble attempts and we are chuckling for two reasons. 

First, we are chuckling at our past selves and we are chuckling because we know you will eventually learn the ropes. It will get better. Please forgive us. We are rooting for you from the window!

Life is hard sometimes. We fall down and we get up. Our knees and elbows may be scraped and bleeding. We may be beaten and bruised. Life may slap us up one side of the head and back down the other side. 

It is Okay! We will get the hang of it. You will get the hang of it. Get up, friend. Dust yourself off and climb back on that horse. Even your friends may be laughing, but they know it is all part of learning to ride.

You may wonder, why I did not go outside and help that couple. That would have been a bad idea. They had a checklist and the worst thing I could do would be to interrupt their checklist and cause them to miss something critical.

Believe me, I have been the one with the checklist many times.

And some things are better learned by experience. I have plenty of experience that tells me that is true. How about you?

Thank you for reading today.

Davy

Purposely Thankful!

Several years ago a Pastor opened up a revival service for testimonies and his young son was one of the first to stand up. We could see the lump in the Pastor's throat and apprehension in his face as he wondered what his son would say. He was probably questioning his own decision to open up the floor to testimonies.

The young man said with complete sincerity, "I want to thank God for my family. We are not a perfect family, but we are a family."

I know the Pastor/Dad felt like crawling into the Bible stand as we all smiled politely and laughed like crazy inwardly. We all had a good tease and laugh about it later but it has become a common phrase in the BoggsMobile.

We will look at one another quite often and say, "We are not a perfect family, but we are family."

That pretty much sums us up. Even though we might like for the world around us to view us without all of our warts and other imperfections, the truth remains we are not perfect, we are not whole, we are not exactly what we planned to be by now. Yet we are thankful we are not what we use to be and certainly not as low down as we could be.

We are very thankful as a family that God has been so very good to us. That does not mean that everything is rosy or that we can even begin to understand some of the things that are going on around us. It simply means we are thankful for the place that God has brought us to at the moment in spite of what we think about the present circumstances.

We are thankful every day. We must be. When Paul describes the perilous times we live in, he includes two words grouped together; unthankful, unholy. I do not believe these words are placed side by side on accident. When we are unthankful, unholy will not be far behind.

I am determined to be purposely thankful. God has been so good to us. He has walked beside us and blessed us every step of the way. Surely, His goodness and mercy follow us each day.

 

There is no doubt that we live in an evil world, infected with 6000 years of sin that will beat you up at every chance. But we are determined to trust God and allow Him to work things out for our good according to His will.

Thank you, God, for loving us and helping us and guiding us.

Thank you, friends, for walking through this life with us.

Davy

Is My Light On

Hey Friends,

This is Odie checking in from Texas again. We had a great week in Fort Worth. I enjoyed meeting more friends at Arlington Heights Assembly. 

Revival is scheduled to begin tomorrow in Gainesville, Texas. We love our precious friends at House of Prayer! I am looking forward to seeing everyone again. 

Childhood Memories 
Mom said a phrase a few days ago that inspired this post. She said, "I will leave the light on for you." My response was, "Thank you, Mr. Tom Bodett." 

I was taken back to my childhood. We traveled countless hours and often listened to the radio to pass the miles. The voice of Tom Bodett doing the Motel 6 commercials was a regular part of life. I still smile when I hear his voice on a podcast or on the radio. I feel like it is my long lost friend.

The commercials always had a tagline, "I'm Tom Bodett for Motel 6, and we'll leave the light on for you."  According to Wikipedia, Mr. Bodett has been the spokesman for Motel 6 since 1986. 

The advertising campaign worked. We spent numerous nights in Motel 6 all over the country. It was our home away from home when I was younger!

 
Is My Light On
"I will leave the light on for you" has stayed with me for days. Matthew 5:16 came to mind. 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Here is a question that I have been pondering. Is my light on? I want to leave my spiritual light on so someone else can see Jesus in me. I thank God many people's lights have lit the path of my life to lead me to Jesus!

As I pondered this thought, Matthew 5:14 has inspired me this week.

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

The world we live in is growing darker every day. People around us are blinded by sin. Life has beaten them up. They need a beacon of hope!

Friends, we have their hope. Jesus is the light! He gives us something to hope in! Jesus still changes lives in 2022.

My prayer today is for my life to shine the love of Jesus abroad. I want to be a tool that influences everyone around me. Lord, please do not let me hide my light.

That is my little nugget of thought for the day. Thank you for spending a moment of your day with me.

Odie

A Word For Wednesday, We Are Going To Church, Life Decisions

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.

We Are Going To Church, Life Decisions

There are situations in life that require us to make quick decisions. That is not my strong suit. I have found it is best to make some decisions ahead of time.

We have made decisions in the past, based upon solid Biblical principles and personal values so that in times of crisis, the decision has already been made. All we have to do is follow through on our previously made decision.

IF I make decisions based solely on circumstances, I am likely to make the wrong decision. It is better to make the decision on principle before the circumstances ever come along!

Thank you for spending a few minutes with us today.

Davy