Greetings from Austin Street via Wichita Falls.

Happy Saturday. This writing is being written in my dining room and then dictated to Bruce in Wichita Falls and then he will post it to you. Boy, I miss the internet in my house! ATT tells me that we will be back online on Tuesday. A co-worker of Travis' at Starbuck's confirmed that Earthlink is no longer in business.

The prison system in Texas (or at least in Iowa Park) closed down because of the flu. Satan works really hard on these weekends, but he is not winning this battle here. Even though the prison is shut down, the warden is allowing the Kairos weekend to continue. How cool is that? Don’t you know it really hacks Satan off when he doesn’t get his way? Yeah God!

Also, I put a final paragraph on my theology paper today. The last question of this paper is on the doctrine of eschatology, or the study of the end times. I really struggled with this section. It is just not a topic with which I have ever concerned myself. I am sure of where I will spend eternity whether it happens during this writing, after I am no longer a part of this world, or if I am witness to the return of the risen Christ. Anyway, I still have some editing and revising to do before Tuesday. Please continue to pray for me as I struggle through and continue to craft this paper.

Mark 6: 34 says “As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”

I have spoken to groups of people for many years and sometimes it is hard to know of what to speak. When I speak to Happeners, I usually look to the Sunday liturgy and tell a story that will have some meaning to a group of 15-18 year-olds. When Jesus spoke, he spoke to crowds that contained people from the ages of children to the elders of the town. How did he know on what to speak that would have meaning to all those in attendance? Besides the obvious answer, he was God on foot. Duh!!

Jesus knew that all these people needed to know that they were loved and accepted by God. He wanted them to know that forgiveness was for everyone and that the Kingdom of God was meant for each of them. The message that Jesus shared never changed. Jesus knew they were all lost sheep and needed a shepherd. These people, like me, had everything to learn. Jesus spoke a message of love and grace, not of law and judgment. In Seminary, I have everything to learn. I am being taught a new language, and I am slowly understanding what I am being taught. Jesus opened the minds of those to whom he spoke so they would begin to understand his message. I pray little prayers the whole time I am writing my paper for God to open my mind to better understand his word and how to apply it to the paper I am writing.

Let us say little prayers and thank God for his inexhaustible blessing and to open our minds to his teachings.

Take joy in the journey. Love you all, and see you in worship. 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.