Seeking God with Butch and Boomer: A Book of Family Devotions

By Leslie Ann Engle

BUTCH AND BOOMER are golden retrievers who love to share toys and treats, splash in the water, and make friends. In Seeking God with Butch and Boomer, childrens choir director Leslie Ann Engle shares the true escapades of her furry friends as a way to illustrate scripture and introduce biblical concepts to young children and early readers.

As Boomer and Butch embark on one adventure after the other, they share the good news that God is always with children whether they are afraid, lonely, happy, or sad. When Butch makes a bad choice, he teaches little ones to acknowledge mistakes to receive the gift of Gods forgiveness and love. As Boomer and Butch bounce in the waves and play hide and seek, they remind young people to always be grateful for happy moments. Through their gifts of unconditional love and zest for life, two furry friends offer reassurance to children that they too can find comfort in knowing they will never walk alone through life.

Seeking God with Butch and Boomer is a charming collection of devotions sure to inspire spirit-filled conversations with children that will help them mature in their journeys with God.

What a wonderful devotional book. Seeking God with Butch and Boomer is carefully organized, the stories interesting and informative, and the simple prayers reinforce the lessons that you want to pass along. Constance McAllister, former senior editor of Highlights for Children, instructor for Institute of Childrens Literature

I was privileged to preview Seeking God with Butch and Boomer. The devotionals are age appropriate and engaging. I especially enjoyed opportunities for interaction between adult and child (or introspection for older kids) in each short devotional. There is good basis for discussions with the young ones with whom we have been asked to share our faith. Kathy Zimmerman, Retired Preschool Director of Tiny Treasures, Hope Lutheran Church, Friendswood, Texas

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inspiring Voices
• Release date: Jul 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781462402519

Leslie Ann Engle

LESLIE ANN ENGLE is a children’s choir director and private music teacher who passionately shares God’s life lessons with all her students. Leslie Ann, her husband Terry, and their “furry boys” Butch and Boomer live in the greater Houston area where they enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and the beautiful recreational areas of Galveston Bay.

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Copyright © 2012 Leslie Ann Engle

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0202-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0251-9 (e)

Inspiring Voices rev. date: 7/25/2012

missing image file

Dear children in my life –

Haley Nicole, Rilie Anne, Mason Lane, Paige Evelyn, and your parents;

my students, Hope Children’s Music Ministry members, and your families:

you bring me immeasurable joy, love, and wonder.

May this book be a blessing to you.

For Mom and Dad who dedicated me to God and who always exhibited their faith, hope, and love. Your encouragement and guidance are cherished.

Thank you, Terry, my great God-gift. You made this book a reality

and our lives a Golden adventure. May our furry kids keep leading us.

Soli Deo Gloria

To God alone be the glory!

Contents

Introduction

A Best Friend

A Big Family

A New Day!

A Way to See

Apples, Pears and Strawberries

Bad Dog

Being Happy

Being Thankful Isn’t Always Easy!

Boo Boos

Brothers and Friends

Choices

Different Colored Crayons

Dinner Time

Direct My Paths

Don’t Worry!

Double Dinners

Empty Eggs

Feeling Sad

First Things First!

God Knows the Stars

God Takes Care of Me

Grumbling

Happy Birthday!

Helping Each Other

Helping Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa

Hide and Seek

It Takes Us All

January 1st

January 6th

Loving Baby Jesus

Making Friends

Many Presents

Moving

My Guide

Neighbors

School

Some Things Are Tempting!

Something Good Is About to Happen

Sometimes I’m Tired

Staying Happy

Sweet Dreams

Taking Care of Each Other

The Coat

The Things We Love

Time Out

Turning Around

Watching for God’s Signs

We Know He’s Here!

What Do You Think?

Whiter than Snow

Winning

Index By Scripture And Devotion

Index By Scripture

Index Of Special Days

Introduction

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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children,

and their children to the next generation. Joel 1:3

My children grew up on a steady diet of books of all kinds – including devotional books. Our rocking chair allowed at least two boys to perch together on my lap while we read and sang. The aspen tree in the front yard tinkled like wind chimes in the summer breeze as we read with neighborhood friends. Reading aloud shortened the time and deepened our bonds on trips. This devouring of books was a tradition passed from my grandparents to my parents to me and on to my children – as natural as eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and ice cream. Reading, telling, sharing – the tradition continues as a means to learn about God and share the Good News. It was, after all, a Master plan!

I end rehearsals of children’s and hand chime choirs with a Bible verse, devotion, and prayer. Experimenting with various resources, in the end it has been stories of my two golden retrievers – linked to the Bible verses and prayers, liturgical calendar, and the music with which we are working – to be the most captivating and pertinent way to introduce biblical concepts to preschoolers through fifth graders. Without fail they request to hear more! My desire is that these stories will also delight the children in your life and inspire spirit-filled conversations that will help them mature in their journeys with God.

For ease of use, these devotions are arranged in alphabetic order by title. Indexes tie special days to devotion titles and reference scriptures (in abbreviated form) to the devotions in which they are used. All creation can point the way to God, including golden retrievers. Thank you, Furry Boys, for