Auto update: the Ford house gets to see the “Old Girl” again tomorrow. After quite an expensive repair on last week, we put gas in the car tonight but the gas never made it to the tank - it leaked all over the Race Track parking lot instead. Evidently someone forgot to make a pretty critical connection under the car. Life is never dull around the Chrystie house. But I think the Ford House gets to pay for this one.

My teacher observation is over and we (my students and principal) made a corporate decision during my observation that the pizza man was definitely a community helper. Think about it…they deliver rain or shine, they help mom out when we need a break from cooking and if you are lost they can always tell you how to get somewhere because they drive everywhere. And other than three of my little girls decided to fight over a big book, I think the observation went pretty well. Gotta love first graders!

Hebrews 10:10 says, “We are made holy through the sacrifice made in His body once and for all time.” I have come to learn and know that without Christ I am nothing. But because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the love that God has for us we can step into the presence of the Father and pray boldly. We can ask God to prepare us to work and serve in His kingdom. We can sacrifice our time for others because Christ sacrificed Himself for us. Scripture tells us that Christ died for all mankind. Scripture does not say He died just for Christians, but for each human being that ever lived, lives currently or will live in the future. Jesus tried to get the Hebrew nation to understand that His sacrifice would be the last that ever need be made. They would not need to sacrifice any more because He had already made the ultimate sacrifice.

Walking into holiness allows us to pray with boldness. Living in the light of holiness allows us to be prepared to work and serve in the kingdom. Choosing Christ allows Him to permeate our lives and His blessings to rain down upon us. Because we are children of God, heirs to the kingdom even when we are walking a sinful path we are still in a place of holiness because God does not forsake us because of any wrongdoing we might choose. God does not kick us out when we mess up. Once He has chosen us (for His is always the initiator) it is a done deal and we get all of the rights, privileges and blessings of being a child of God. If anyone moves out of this relationship it is us, but even then God remains, though we might choose not to acknowledge His presence.

We cannot do anything to become holy by ourselves. We must have the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit allows us to walk before the throne of grace with joy, sorrow, guilt, sin, shame or praise and celebration and come away assured, forgiven and renewed. There is not another power, title, situation or organization that can make anybody holy. Only God through Jesus and His sacrifice and the power of the Holy Spirit can cause us to go from lowliness to holiness and from the gutter to grace with just these words, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Makes you wonder why anyone would say no to an invitation like that, doesn’t it?

Hug your babies tonight and take joy in the journey. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.