Another Year Living In The Goodness Of God

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in from Oklahoma again this week. I have so enjoyed being with many wonderful friends.

This weekend, we are singing at the fellowship meeting at Bethany Holiness Church. It is always a pleasure to be with Pastor Darrell Toliver and the Bethany church family!

Monday marked the beginning of another year in my life. My family and friends overwhelmed me with love and kindness and made my birthday extra special. My birthday was definitely a happy one in 2024. 

The Lord has abundantly blessed me. For the last couple of years, my testimony song has been The Goodness of God. I have lived the words of this song all of my life. Every time I hear this song, it moves me to tears, thinking of the bountiful blessings that God has poured out upon my life. I would not be here without His goodness to me!

I have featured the song Goodness Of God in a previous post. My favorite group, The Isaacs, recently released the song too. Now I have a new favorite version! Today was a great day to feature The Isaacs singing my testimony.

Goodness Of God is available now, and a full worship project from the Isaacs releases next week. I am so excited to have new music from the Isaacs!

I hope you enjoyed the song too! My prayer is for all of us to remember God’s amazing goodness in our lives! Let us pause for a moment and praise God one more time!

Thanks for joining me today! I will see you next time. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Odie

Happy Birthday Papaw Danny And The Isaacs July 2024

 Hey Friends,

This is Odie coming to you for another Saturday post. It is great to visit with you today. I hope all of you are doing well today.

Happy Birthday Papaw Danny

August 3rd is the birthday of Mom's Dad. The biggest of all, happy birthdays to my Papaw Danny!

We are so blessed to have this excellent man in our lives! Papaw is a fantastic person!

Once again, happy birthday! We love you so very much, and I hope you feel extra loved today. I could not let this day go by without celebrating you, at least a little bit!

The Isaacs July 2024

Recently, Mom and I decided to take a road trip at the last minute. We drove to Grayson, Kentucky, for the afternoon and evening. The Isaacs were singing at Kentucky Christian University. We were excited to see our family and spend some time with them. Here is a quick picture that I snapped during their soundcheck,

Being in Grayson also allowed us to see some Boggs family members. That was an extra special treat! George and Diana Boggs sat with us. We love our dear cousins!

Also, our cousin Rhonda Oney was there with some of her family. It was great to see her again!

Ready and waiting for concert time.

The KCU president started off the night by greeting the crowd.

The Isaacs then took the stage. They started the night off with Ain't No Grave.

Josh Swift is the Dobro master.

Greg Ritchie is a phenomenal percussionist. He has been special to us for many years, playing drums on all of our studio albums. We love Greg!

My beautiful Aunt Lily! I  love hearing her sing and give her testimony!

It was neat to watch Levi and Becky Bowman, a mother and son, play guitars together.

The one and only Ben Isaacs! He is a man of many talents, and he does all of them exceptionally well!

Sonya Isaacs is an amazing singer, musician and person! I am always left in awe of her! It is an honor to know her!

I always have a great time listening to the music and singing. It never gets old to me! 

The Isaacs' talent improves every time! I do not know how it happens when they are already the best!

Josh Swift has been an excellent addition to the group since 2020. He joins right in on the family antics on and off stage.

Geg Ritchie joined the Isaacs in 2022. He also fits right in with the family! 

They sang Three Bells, honoring a special request from a member of the audience.

Becky did a marvelous job on the Good Shepherd! That is a song from her solo record. I praise God for a miracle every time I see Becky perform! The Lord has helped her recover amazingly from the horrible car wreck in December of 2022. She is a trooper, overcoming the lasting complications from the accident daily!

Levi Bowman sang a song from his upcoming solo project. Levi has always been my buddy, and he is very talented.

The concert was outstanding from beginning to end. I hated to see the night end on the last note of Nothing But Good! I am already checking The Isaacs' schedule for the next time I can see them.

I love my Ben, Sonya and Becky more than I can express. It is always a joy to spend time with them!

They argue over who loves me the most and which one I love more. It has been a long standing discussion. 

I am blessed to have each of them in my corner. They all go out of their way to make me feel loved!

We had to get a couple photos with our Boggs Family before we said goodbye to them! We love George and Diana. They are some of the sweetest people that we know.

 

Soon, it was time to say our goodbyes for the night. Here is a picture of their bus as we left.

Then we pointed the Jeep toward Waynesville. Thanks to Mom for being my chauffeur! We talked about the exceptional day all the way home. I am so grateful that we got to make this road trip work! We missed Dad being with us!

That wraps up my Isaacs July 2024 recap. Thanks for tagging along. See you next week.

Odie

Memories Old And New

Quick Note From Davy:

By God's grace I will be preaching at our home church, Dryden Rd Pentecostal Church in Moraine, Ohio Sunday morning. This will be my first time preaching since the stroke over 11 weeks ago. I need God to lift me above my limitations. Please pray for me.

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in for another Saturday post. I hope you are doing well. Thank God for helping us through each day past and ahead. My family is blessed, and I am grateful!

Last week, I had a childhood memory play over in my mind. I was taken back to my 8 year old self. We were living in a ground floor apartment in Franklin, Ohio. 

Dad and I were home doing one of our favorite pastimes, listening to CDs. We had the Hemphills playing. Candy Hemphill Christmas came on singing Master Of The Wind. Dad and I sat in his old orange recliner, listening to this beautiful song.

In the mid-90s, I had not yet learned to savor a song's lyrics or apply them to my life. My Dad soaked in the words. His tears came, and soon, the Holy Ghost had settled into our little home. 

I did not know the storm my Dad was facing right then, but I am thankful God was there to comfort Dad! God let Dad know He was there with him! 

I did recognize the special visitation of the spirit of God on my Dad! At that moment, I experienced the splashover from Dad's special blessing. That has been a moment Dad and I will forever cherish! Master Of The Wind is one of our favorite songs of all time.

That night, I learned a valuable lesson, God can show up wherever you need him! Life changing moments can happen anywhere! I am so thankful that I had that time with my Dad!

Since then,  many song lyrics have helped me through life more times than I can count. Tears flow as their messages wash over my soul, and I stop in my tracks to throw up my hands to worship God.

Last Week, Dad worked with Mom on vocal therapy. We got to sing as a family again. My heart was so full, thanking God that Dad's voice is gaining strength. We are still praying for a full recovery!

Then Dad started singing Master of the Wind. I could not keep the emotions from getting me as he sang this chorus.

I know the Master of the wind

I know the maker of the rain

He can calm the storm 

Make the sun shine again 

I know the Master of the wind

We have been living the words from the song. I felt the same spirit of God that I felt at 8 years old. 30 years later, I settled over my family. This time, it was in my home, gathered around my keyboard. God had been so good to us! He has kept us together and given us a reason to sing and rejoice.

Today, we are all facing some type of storm. Remember, He is the Master of The Wind in my life and yours. The next step may be unknown, and the rain may be blinding, or the clouds may block the sun! He is right there with us even today!

Let me close with an updated version of Master of The Wind. The fabulous Becky Isaacs Bowman recorded this song on her solo project. She is joined by a special guest, Candy Christmas.

Thanks for joining me. I enjoy our visits each weekend. See you next week.

Odie

Peace In Trusting Even In 2024

 Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in for the first Saturday of the new year. If you have not read our posts for the last week, please go back and catch up with our current life. 

I hope you are having a fabulous 2024! When I wrote my final post for 2023, I was excited to leave that year behind! This new year had to be better than the last! 

Six days in, was I right? The answer is a big fat bold NO!! We are not spending today with friends in Tennessee, as planned for months. Today, we focus on getting Dad well. 

Last Friday, I was preparing things to leave my beach house. We thought the BoggsMobile was headed to Kentucky. My phone rang, stopping my work. I figured it was a momentary pause, but I was clearly mistaken. 

When I answered, I heard Mom alerting me that Dad was extremely ill. She was saying pray and prepare to go to the hospital. If the hospital was even on their minds, this was serious! Many thoughts and emotions were running through my mind. I was speeding around my house as fast as my chair would go. 

I was panicked, terrified of the unknown. Praying, pleading for God to help my Daddy. Then, I was praising all in the same moment. My brain was a jumbled mess, more than usual for me!

All the while,  I could sense God was working! Immediately, it was apparent to me that God had put several things in place for us. Those things are not just small coincidences. God was right with us, even in this shocking time, to all of our family and friends.

He had us in the right place, with the proper people there to help us! I knew God had carried us this far. He will never drop us! My family is safely in His hands.

I am reminding myself multiple times every day to trust Him! He is seeing us through each second of every day. Giving us the strength to face what is happening right then. We are blessed!

I am thankful that there is peace in trusting the Lord in all circumstances! I have had this song on replay in my head since we were in the ER last week. I decided to repost the lyrics today.

Blog archives told me I first shared Peace In Trusting on January 9th 2021. Wow, I did not know what that year held for us! There were definitely long periods of uncertainty for us that year as well. Dad's health problems began at the end of that month. He and I were first diagnosed with COVID  on January 31st.

We found our Peace In Trusting Him through a long COVID fight. Dad has lived to declare the goodness of God to many people since then! Dad has been a living miracle. Without a doubt, I know He will praise God near and far for bringing him through our current battle. I praise God in advance!

I will leave you with the song that has helped me this week. Thanks for joining me for a little bit of your day! I appreciate all of the prayers for our family!

Odie

Peace In Trusting 

Written by Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Jimmy Yeary and Becky Isaacs Bowman Makem Smile Music BMI, Sony Tree ATV, Cedar Church Music BMI, RI Bowman Music BMI

Verse 1

God only knows how I've cried

Heartbroken and my hands are tied

But He's been faithful time and time again

And although I don't know how it ends

Chorus 

There's peace in trusting the Lord

Peace when my faith and fear are at war

So I don't have to worry 

He knows what's in store 

And there's peace in trusting the Lord

Yes there's peace in trusting the Lord

Verse 2

If His will should not go my way 

If the answer is not what I prayed

Then I'll trust Him for what I can't see

Cause I know He knows whats best for me   

Chorus 

There's peace in trusting the Lord

There is peace peace peace 

Peace when my faith and fear are at war

So I don't have to worry 

He knows what's in store 

And there's peace in trusting the Lord

Tag 

There is peace peace peace

In trusting the Lord 

Thankful For Heaven

 Hey Friends,

This is Odie; today is a travel day for us. We are changing states this time around. The BoggsMobile is headed toward Wichita, Kansas. We anticipate a great week with Pastor John DiZazzo and the Bethany Revival Center church family!

It is November, our Thanksgiving month in the USA. I decided to write about things I am thankful for this month. This week, I have been thinking a lot about Heaven. I am so grateful that I can look forward to Heaven! 

We have had several friends finish their earthly lives this year. Lately, we seem to get sad news far too often. It has been hard to think I will not get to be with them again here.

The person who has left this life gets to leave this crazy world behind. Now, they forever live in a perfect place. They have finished their race. Heaven was their ultimate goal! They are winners! Once they have reached Heaven, they are healed, happy and whole. Most of all, they have met Jesus face to face!

Part of me is happy that they completed their life's journey. Then my heart aches for the family and friends left behind! I wish I knew what to do or say to help people in their time of pain! I always feel extremely inadequate in this area.

Saying goodbye down here seems so final. Nothing ever fully prepares you for those sad days! I do not care if it is an expected event or comes as a complete shock. The finality of that friend or family member taking their last breath on earth never gets easier.

There is a song Titled Better Off There by The Browns. It was released in 2020. I  have loved the message in this song for years. Earlier this year, I pulled it up to play for Mom. That is when I discovered Sonya Isaacs Yeary, her husband Jimmy Yeary and Wayne Haun co-wrote the song. No wonder the message is strong in the lyrics! Sonya and Jimmy are two of my favorite writers!

I have found this song coming to my mind many times over the last several months. I will forever miss all of my family and friends that have gone home before me. I know they are Better Off There! We will meet again someday soon!

I am so thankful that I have Heaven to look forward to. Do not get me wrong, I love my life now! I am blessed beyond measure and eternally grateful! When God says, my time is here is finished. I am looking forward to Heaven.

We all have a set time to live. God has numbered our days. Once a Christian has left this life, we get the reward of Heaven. If we have received Christ as our Savior and lived according to His word in the Bible. We will see Him and our Christian loved ones in Heaven! Oh, What a blessed hope we have!

Most of you reading this post are looking forward to achieving your goal of Heaven, too! It will not be long until we are all there together with Christ! We can praise Him for the first million years for all of His goodness to us! Then, meet me on the streets of gold. I will be running, catch me if you can! We will all be Better Off There!

There is one more thing I have to get out today before I sign off. Friend, if you are not a born again believer in Christ, I pray for you! Life here without having God to guide you is miserable. When this life is over, without Christ, hell and torment are all you have to look forward to. I do not want one more soul to have to experience hell. There is nothing fun or beautiful there! It will be a place of utter pain! Please do not go there!

I encourage you to find someone to talk to about Christ right now. You can always reach out to us if you need help finding Christ! We love to show others how to get to Him! Contact us here.

See you next week!

Odie

Karen Peck And New River September 2023

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in from Mississippi. We have had a great week with our dear friends in Richton. Tent revival with Pastor Scott Morris, the people of First Assembly and the friends who join us during the meeting is a highlight of our year! 

I am so thankful to God for helping us this week! Thanks to many of you who prayed for us this week! God heard and answered those prayers! I  wish you could have been in the services with us!

Today's blog post topic discusses one of my favorite things: music. I am always listening to music! I enjoy finding new music from older and new groups alike. My music catalog is constantly expanding.

A handful of groups have been in my favorites category for years! Their music, talent and songs have stood the test of time. I can not believe some group has been in my library of songs for thirty years!

One of those groups has been Karen Peck and New River. I first remember hearing KPNR 30 years ago. Their Restoration CD was the first of their projects in my library. I have listened to just about everything they have produced since then.

I have had the opportunity to see them sing live many times through the years. Every time, it has been excellent. They have always been so kind with every interaction with them! I first met Karen Peck Gooch and her sister, Susan Peck Jackson, when I was around 11.

Karen and Susan were both expecting back then. Those "babies," Kari Faith and Joseph, are now 26! Kari Faith got married this year. I watched their children grow up from a distance! 

Recently, We had the chance to attend a fun Karen Peck and New River concert in Alabama. This is a yearly event for the group and Lusk Baptist church. I always see it on the KPNR schedule but never have been able to attend.

We were in the area a few years ago but had to be at another church. We passed their bus as they were headed to Lusk! I was so disappointed back then. I am glad it worked out where we could go this time around.

This is an outdoor event. It had been extremely hot that day, but the weather was nice by evening! Great music and weather made for a beautiful night! Here are some of my pictures.

The Pastor of Lusk Baptist Church.

KPNR

The members of the current KPNR are Grant Gibson, Karen Peck Gooch, Kari Faith, Susan Peck Jackson and Mathew Gooch. Karen's husband Ricky is always working behind the scenes!

The Crowd

Prayer time.

Karen asked this young lady to sing her favorite song with KPNR to end the night. I know it made her day!

This picture was taken with permission! Kari had shed her heels and opted for new fashionable footwear. 

Karen Peck Gooch has a unique way of making everyone feel like her friends! Whenever I start a blog post with "Hey Friends," I hear Karen's voice saying, "Hey Friend." 😊She is genuinely so sweet.

I always enjoy visiting with Karen's son Mathew. He and his wife will soon have two children! God has blessed them!

It was a joy to see KPNR one more time! I plan to see them again early next year! I am looking forward to it already!

This was not our first time to visit Lusk Baptist Church. We spent time there with the Isaacs in February 2017. Then, it was way too cold to be outside. We were packed into their church building that night. Look back on that night by clicking here.

Thanks for visiting with me today.

Odie

The Isaacs In Blanchester, Ohio August 2023

Hey Friends,

This is Odie checking in for another Saturday post. I hope you are doing well today. Things are going good for me. I have enjoyed my time at home the last couple of weeks. We have been busy but had a blast in the process.

Today, I will give you a glimpse into one of our fun days. We were able to see The Isaacs for an afternoon and evening. They were 30 minutes away from us, in Blanchester, Ohio.

We were thrilled to see, visit, and hear our family again! Yes, we just saw them two months ago in Oklahoma. Click here if you missed that post. I was ecstatic to be with my family again and not have to wait so long between visits. I could see them every week and not get tired of it!

Elevation Community Church hosted this night with the Isaacs. This was the first event in a worship series the church is starting. They picked a fantastic group to begin the new endeavor to reach their community.

Pastor Phil Nelson and everyone connected to the church were friendly and accommodating. It was a wonderful evening! Below are my pictures from that night.

I had to get a picture of Mom and Sonya together. Two of my favorite ladies in one photo!

Becky is an amazing person! Love her so much! She is high atop my vocal heroes list!

I am the self-proclaimed Ben Isaacs #1 Fan! Ben proudly has me show off my phone case, declaring my fan status to others around. I do love my Ben! He loves me back deeply!

I loved spending some time with my sweet cousin Evya Yeary! She is always making me laugh!

Levi Bowman will forever be my buddy! He is a sweetheart!

VeeVee works so hard, mainly behind the scenes. She is a wonderful lady!

Ready for a night of excellent music and singing.

The night kicked off with the song Walk On.

Josh Swift is an incredible addition to the band. The dobro is one of my favorite instruments.

Greg Ritchie is a phenomenal percussionist! I love getting to hear him showcase his talents! 

I love hearing my family! I have lost count of how many times we have seen them perform. We have crossed paths with them in around 17 states.

  

Every time I hear them, I sit in awe with a gigantic smile on my face. It just keeps getting better. I am trying to figure out how the best of the best keeps improving!

Becky has come so far since her car wreck last year. She is a walking miracle! Thank you for helping us pray for her. She still has daily hardships! We will continue to pray and believe for her total miracle!

The Awesome Ben Isaacs!

Becky's son Levi Bowman.

The Isaacs 

Sonya is still picking and grinning and never misses a note! WOW!

The Kippahs "help" Josh and Greg play in Hebrew. 😂

We love Aunt Lily!

It is fun when Gatlyn and Evya join the Isaacs on stage!

I want to sing like Evya when I grow up. 😍

Gatlyn is already multi-talented!

We were thrilled to see Julia and Jordan! 

I often do not see my beautiful cousin, Amanda, so this was a treat.

A selfie with Jordan. He is the life of the party!

Cousin Deb and me.

This is two more cousins, Matt and Jacob Isaacs.

That wraps up my recap of the Isaacs in Blanchester, Ohio. Who knows when or where we will connect with them next time? I can tell you this much: I am already looking forward to it!

Thanks for reading. See you next time.

Odie