Happy Friday!

The catch phrase at 3:30 pm today was “I survived the first week of school!” The first week of school is always exhausting. It was a good week and I have a very interesting and really sweet class of students. We have a full year ahead of us and the journey will be one of learning, laughter, some bumpy roads and fun, but the most important path we take as a community of believers is that we always move forward.

Psalm 23: 2-3 “He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters…He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

Isaiah 30:15 “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.”

Tomorrow is the long awaited Summer Women’s Bible Study event. I am excited about the event. I am looking forward to hearing the speakers and their perspectives on prayer. I am looking forward to sharing prayer with a truly spiritual group of women who value and practice prayer in their lives. I am humbly honored to be counted in the women asked to present different aspects of prayer to a room of women who are mighty prayer warriors.

I love the 23rd Psalm. It houses within its few verses so much about faith, affirmation, hope and a life with God through Jesus. This pair of verses speaks of quiet confidence. The quiet confidence is the knowledge that God is present all the time and leads us faithfully. When the pace of life gets really out of hand God provides a place of still waters for us to walk beside and focus not on the business of life, but on His life in each of us and how precious it is.

You know sheep are not very smart and if they wander into rushing waters their wool becomes very weighed down and they do not have the strength to walk out of the water to save themselves. But if they wander into a still stream, their wool still gets wet, but they can walk out when the shepherd calls onto the shore in safety. The sheep only know to respond to the shepherd and confidently they follow to him to food, shelter and safely. They trust that the shepherd will not allow any harm to come to them. He will lead them only to where the grass will be green and the meadow will be free from any other animal seeking to harm them. The only time the sheep gets into trouble is when they wander off on their own out of the sight and earshot of the shepherd. Ah, free will strikes again!

How we are like those sheep, especially when we wander away and get into trouble! The difference in an earthly shepherd and the living God is that God has provided us with His very presence in the Holy Spirit so that we are never out of ear shot of His voice and we are never out of the realm of His love and grace no matter how far we wander away from the fold. God simply asks that we trust Him in all things and trust that He will lead each of us safely, faithfully and confidently beside the still waters. God desires us to place all we have within His supreme control and trust that we will not be swept downstream, but into His loving arms.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes (I have new black heels for tomorrow.), count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all so very much, 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.

Prayer alerts: our friend Kimmie is having some immediate financial worries. She is married with a young child and is very scared and has asked for God to intervene and provide a miracle.

Tucker Zaskoda, a 4 year old brother of one of my former students has had a violent, adverse reaction to immunizations and is in the hospital. Please pray for little Tucker and his family.

Travis competes tomorrow in a power lifting event. Please pray for him to compete well and remain injury free. Peace, gc