Happy Thursday!

A funny moment from the cruise…we were all in the pool talking with a family from Flower Mound. A young man (we estimated late 20’s or so) asked us if we were here by ourselves or with our children. We then introduced him to Geni and Travis. In the course of the conversation Geni and Travis told this family their ages. Please picture Travis in the pool with tattoos on both shoulders and very muscular. When Travis told them he was 18 the young man’s surprised response was “Holy cow! You are 18. I thought you were a Transformer. I was waiting for you to change into something.” The entire pool absolutely hooted with laughter. We still laugh over that one!

Ezra 10: 10-11 “You have been unfaithful…Now, confess it to the Lord.” And 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone, everything is made new!”

Ya gotta love Ezra. He minces no words! He declares that there is just no time in our lives for guilt. Okay, let’s talk about guilt. How many of us carry around a load of guilt over something we have done? I know I have. The feeling and knowledge of guilt usually is over something we have done that is wrong and we don’t want anyone else to know about it. But, I would like to take a bit of a different tack on the subject of guilt. I don’t think guilt is such a bad thing. Guilt is the part of yourself that tells you right from wrong. Guilt is the nails on a chalkboard. Guilt is the horn on a car that gets stuck and won’t stop honking. The voice of guilt is so loud that it overshadows your thoughts and won’t stop screaming until you let it go. According to Max Lucado in his book Gentle Thunder, “Guilt is a healthy regret for telling God one thing and doing another.” The problem with most of us is that we hang onto our guilt instead of getting rid of it. According to Ezra, guilt takes us too much time!

God is the repository of our guilt. There is nothing that surprises God. There is nothing we can ever do that God won’t know about and care for us any less. God will love us no matter what, but when we confess our unfaithfulness to Him, He forgives us and the space in our lives that was taken up by the guilt we were carrying around can be filled with more of the love that God has for us. God takes our guilt and shame over our unfaithfulness (when we confess) and replaces it with His love. That new creation scripture talks about is us each time we confess our sins. God’s new life can continue to be planted and grow in new spaces in our hearts and minds. If we are to be more like Him, then we must become less like us in our worldly thoughts and actions.

So friends, let us with honesty confess our sins to Him who loves us so much that He asks for our guilt and shame so His love will grow in us.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. Love you, 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.