Happy Thursday!

Today Geni and I had a wonderful lunch with one of my closest friends at Potager’s Restaurant. The correct name of the restaurant is Potager’s Natural Café and Other Stuff. The food was totally delicious and the conversation was wonderful. We were able to catch up on the goings-on in our lives. I think the holidays are a great time to renew friendships reminding each of us of how important friendships are to each of us.

Mom update: My Mom is sort of a miracle lady. When I spoke with her today she was cheerful and claimed to be in no pain. I personally don’t get it, but I do give thanks. She is relatively sure she is going to the rehab hospital in the morning. She is a bit apprehensive about all of this and so I told her that she had nothing to fear because she was the woman who, when she wakes up in the morning, Satan just says, “Oh, snap! She’s up again!” I know she will be a perfect patient and will push herself beyond what the therapists ask her to do. Thank you for all of you prayers and please continue to pray for both Mom and Dad.

Prayer: “Good morning, Father. You alone are God, and beside You, there is no other. I praise You for Your patience with my human failures, for Your gentleness with my compulsiveness, and for Your grace with my weaknesses. I choose to live for You alone, to live to please You alone, and to serve You above everything else today. My heart is Your throne today, and nothing else is there but You. Be magnified in my absolute abandonment to You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”

Leviticus 19: 4 “Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods; I am the Lord your God.”

In my Old Testament class I learned about the idols the nation of Israel would create when they would walk out of fellowship and obedience with God. But I also learned that God was less upset with the idols created and far more upset with the idols the Israelites had carved in their hearts. The Jews had not only set up idols of stone, metal and wood, but according to Ezekiel they had “set up idols in their hearts.”

John ended his first letter by saying, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21) Do we worship idols in our lives today? We have lots of circumstances in our lives that Satan will use to entice us to worship material things and turn aside from God. This time of year Satan is really in our faces 24/7. Let us remember the gift of salvation given to each of us in the life and death of Jesus. Let us fix our hearts on God and place our total trust in Him who loves us so much. The material idols can be broken and destroyed, but the love of Christ can overcome the idols of our hearts and can never be broken for it is fired by the salvation of the crucified Christ, shaped by His love and grace and faithfully promised in His holy Word. All we have to do is believe.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes (speaking of shoes, I received a gift from my beloved husband - a pair of purple Doc Martin boots. Travis called them “Frog metal jacket.” He is too funny.) Count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all and keep praying, 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.