Happy Wednesday!

Bruce is preparing to leave in the morning for the prison ministry weekend. He is doing laundry and putting the finishing touches on the talk he will give inside the prison this weekend. Due to a conflict with school on Friday, I will not leave until Friday afternoon for Wichita Falls. We will stay in a hotel at night so I should be able to post each evening, I ask you for your prayers for the 42 brothers in white who will be receiving the Word of God over the next four days. I ask you to pray for the safety of the team as they go inside and the outside team as they prepare meals and support the inside team and participants. I ask you to pray for all those who remain behind (Geni and Travis) supplying prayer support and awaiting our return.

Psalm 100:2, 4 “Serve the Lord with gladness…be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”

How appropriate a scripture for tonight as about 60 people are preparing to submit themselves in service within the walls of a prison. Tonight the entire team is most likely doing what Bruce is doing in preparation for their leave taking. Tonight is the easy part with laundry and packing. The prep work has been done. Cookies have been baked, food has been purchased and an advance team is already in place at the church making sure everything is in place for cooking, serving and worshiping.

Now is the time to surrender our hearts, earthly plans and schedules over to One who is sending us out on this mission and ministry and trust in God. Even if plans do not go as we plan for them if we do what God tells us then all will be well. It is now the time to follow the divine Commands and walk in unquestioning obedience. True sacrifice is putting the needs of others before our own needs.

During this weekend there will be love, joy, peace, listening, laughter, tears, singing, praying, worshiping, cooking and work. The greatest of these is the love with which each offering is made and the joy that is returned in the service rendered. When we go to serve we go with every intention of serving others and we always end up being served in return.

At Advent Lutheran Church, at the end of each worship on Sunday morning we close with “Go in peace and serve the Lord. We can go in peace because we know that God has sent us and will guide our steps and make each path straight.

Friends, I pray that each day when you go to work or school or greet others in your daily life you go in peace and serve the Lord with a smile, a kind word and an offering of God’s love to those you meet.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. 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.

ps. The next post will be probably Friday evening.