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Happy Saturday!
FROGS WIN! FROGS WIN!
Prayer: “Oh God, You are my God. My heart seeks Your face and You pour out Your grace on another day. Because of Christ my heart delights in Your Word, and I want to know Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
1 John 5: 3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
The commandments of God are impossible to keep by our own strength. The commandments speak of sin on a heart that is lost. The only way to keep the commandments is to be changed by the gospel of Jesus. When we come into relationship with God through Jesus our desires change and we find ourselves wanting to do His will. Our desire to follow the commandments is no longer a matter of just obedience but powered by the Holy Spirit. My meditation tonight says, “The walk with God is a life of faith, the flow of faith is love, and the flow of love is delight in living our His commandments.”
My friends, let us delight in the love of God as He changes the desires of our hearts. Tomorrow is Christ the King Sunday. Let us go and worship our loving Father and King of Kings.
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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Happy Friday!
I can’t believe I am already on Thanksgiving break. However, there is no rest for the weary. I have to read and write a paper this week to turn in next week. Update: I got an A on my education paper. Please keep praying.
Prayer: “Father, Your love is amazing. There are no words to describe that You have done in forgiving my sin through the blood of Christ. I praise You for the indescribable gift of eternal life that You have freely given me in Christ. Amen.”
Ephesians 3: 19 “To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
The love of God is not something we can achieve. God’s love is something we receive. God must have figured that we could not come to know Him through our intelligence so He sent His message of love through the power of the Cross. God’s love is enough. There is no way we can make Him love us less or any way we can make Him love us more. His love was made complete in Christ.
When we look at the love of Christ it is inexhaustible, unfathomable and beyond any description we could ever try to make. There is no circumstance or problem that can ever change the love that God has for us. His love goes beyond anything we have ever known. But because we know Christ, we know the love and fullness of God.
We have the love of God in Christ Jesus and nothing can ever change that. I give thanks and praise to God for His eternal love for us.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessing 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
I can’t believe I am already on Thanksgiving break. However, there is no rest for the weary. I have to read and write a paper this week to turn in next week. Update: I got an A on my education paper. Please keep praying.
Prayer: “Father, Your love is amazing. There are no words to describe that You have done in forgiving my sin through the blood of Christ. I praise You for the indescribable gift of eternal life that You have freely given me in Christ. Amen.”
Ephesians 3: 19 “To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
The love of God is not something we can achieve. God’s love is something we receive. God must have figured that we could not come to know Him through our intelligence so He sent His message of love through the power of the Cross. God’s love is enough. There is no way we can make Him love us less or any way we can make Him love us more. His love was made complete in Christ.
When we look at the love of Christ it is inexhaustible, unfathomable and beyond any description we could ever try to make. There is no circumstance or problem that can ever change the love that God has for us. His love goes beyond anything we have ever known. But because we know Christ, we know the love and fullness of God.
We have the love of God in Christ Jesus and nothing can ever change that. I give thanks and praise to God for His eternal love for us.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessing 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
Happy Thursday!
Prayer: Father, open my eyes to see others through grace. Sensitize my heart to notice those who are overwhelmed by sin and desperate for mercy and grace. Deliver me from selfishness and lead me, Lord! Amen.”
Jonah 4:2 “For I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.”
I think this is a verse we all need to give thanks for each day and use in our prayers. Mercy is a gift we ask for when we don’t actually deserve it. Jesus went to the cross with all of our sin to provide forgiveness to all who repent and believe in Him. God is greater than our sin and is able to manage His judgment and His mercy working side by side by the work of the cross. Holiness and judgment demand payment for sin, but Jesus’ love provides that payment for us. The mercy we receive is the Holy Spirit poured out on us, even though we really deserved to die. This is the message each of us received when we came into relationship with God through Jesus and this is the same message we are called to share with others as we act on our faith and claim His mercy each day.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes and a warm jacket. Count you blessings and say your prayers. We love you all so very much. Take care, friends, 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.
Prayer: Father, open my eyes to see others through grace. Sensitize my heart to notice those who are overwhelmed by sin and desperate for mercy and grace. Deliver me from selfishness and lead me, Lord! Amen.”
Jonah 4:2 “For I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.”
I think this is a verse we all need to give thanks for each day and use in our prayers. Mercy is a gift we ask for when we don’t actually deserve it. Jesus went to the cross with all of our sin to provide forgiveness to all who repent and believe in Him. God is greater than our sin and is able to manage His judgment and His mercy working side by side by the work of the cross. Holiness and judgment demand payment for sin, but Jesus’ love provides that payment for us. The mercy we receive is the Holy Spirit poured out on us, even though we really deserved to die. This is the message each of us received when we came into relationship with God through Jesus and this is the same message we are called to share with others as we act on our faith and claim His mercy each day.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes and a warm jacket. Count you blessings and say your prayers. We love you all so very much. Take care, friends, 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.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Happy Wednesday!
I turned in my Christian Ed. Paper and have no assignments due until after the Thanksgiving break, so today I completed a short assignment for Old Testament and sort of took the day off. I think I even napped with Jackson (the dog) briefly this afternoon.
Prayer: “Father, heaven is Your throne, and the earth is Your footstool. You said You could never be contained in a building made with hands, yet amazingly, You have chosen to live in me. Today, I pray that You will live the life and love of Jesus through me. In Christ I abide. Amen.”
1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
WOW! It is really hard to grasp that the God of all creation, the Lord of water, earth and sky with heaven as His tabernacle would choose to take up residence in our hearts in the form of unconditional love. When Jesus walked the road to the cross, He took our sinful hearts to the cross with Him. It was not only that Jesus died that day, but all of our sinfulness was crucified with Him. When we realized this extraordinary act of love we confessed Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. By the work of the Holy Spirit we have learned to know His love by responding to His Word. When the Holy Spirit came to live within us we were given new life and a new way to love with God abiding in us.
St. Augustine of Hippo was asked, “How do you know you have the Spirit?” He replied, “Ask your heart if it is full of love, you have the Holy Spirit.”
So here is the question…How different would we act, feel and respond if we truly recognized the divine God of heaven and earth living in us?
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes and a warm jacket. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
I turned in my Christian Ed. Paper and have no assignments due until after the Thanksgiving break, so today I completed a short assignment for Old Testament and sort of took the day off. I think I even napped with Jackson (the dog) briefly this afternoon.
Prayer: “Father, heaven is Your throne, and the earth is Your footstool. You said You could never be contained in a building made with hands, yet amazingly, You have chosen to live in me. Today, I pray that You will live the life and love of Jesus through me. In Christ I abide. Amen.”
1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
WOW! It is really hard to grasp that the God of all creation, the Lord of water, earth and sky with heaven as His tabernacle would choose to take up residence in our hearts in the form of unconditional love. When Jesus walked the road to the cross, He took our sinful hearts to the cross with Him. It was not only that Jesus died that day, but all of our sinfulness was crucified with Him. When we realized this extraordinary act of love we confessed Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. By the work of the Holy Spirit we have learned to know His love by responding to His Word. When the Holy Spirit came to live within us we were given new life and a new way to love with God abiding in us.
St. Augustine of Hippo was asked, “How do you know you have the Spirit?” He replied, “Ask your heart if it is full of love, you have the Holy Spirit.”
So here is the question…How different would we act, feel and respond if we truly recognized the divine God of heaven and earth living in us?
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes and a warm jacket. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
Happy Tuesday!
I am back tonight and the roles have been reversed. I am writing the journal and Bruce is editing my paper. He is such a champion! I am so very blessed to have an extraordinarily supportive husband. I think I’ll keep him.
I have Old Testament on Tuesday and Thursday. I think it is my favorite class. The teacher is totally brilliant and has such a wonderful heart. Today we were studying the Psalms. She began to talk about prayer. To quote Dr. Craven, “All you need to do to pray is have the desire to pray and breathe.” She was referring to the psalm that says “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” And that is how I began my day. How awesome!
Prayer: “Father, I praise You. You are the all-powerful, all-knowing God of the universe. Nothing I encounter today will come as a surprise to You. And no matter what I face today, I know that You are for me and are working all thing together for good. I praise You as the source of all good things, and I thank You for Your incredible commitment to provide everything I need to do Your will. Nothing I encounter today will be too hard for You! Finding my life in the gospel, I walk into another day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Romans 8: 32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely gives us all things?
God amazes me. God defies description and sometimes our comprehension of God cannot be put into words. There are so many things that happen that we do not understand. I do not mean the big things that draw us closer to God, but the little everyday things that are out of our control or we can’t figure out. I think about people who yell at traffic. Is there anything we can do to make traffic move faster? No, but yet we holler and say unkind things and work ourselves up into a really good mad.
When you are stuck in traffic, why not try turning off the radio and spending some time in prayer? You don’t have to close your eyes (bad idea) but quiet the car and your heart and invite God to spend time with you. It is easy to go to God when disaster strikes, but do we go to God when something like traffic really gets under our skin.
So here is the question…How do we approach our relationship to God? When everyday things don’t go our way, do we stamp our feet and throw a fit or do we remember all of the blessings with which we have been showered? Do we remember the act of love on the cross that proved God’s unfathomable love for us? We need to remember the verse from Romans 8 that asks us, “If God be for us then who can be against us?”
Let each of us ask for God to abide in our souls and remember His presence in our lives. Then we can share His presence with those in whom we are aggravated and, through prayer, bless them with the love of God and wish them joy in the journey.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
I am back tonight and the roles have been reversed. I am writing the journal and Bruce is editing my paper. He is such a champion! I am so very blessed to have an extraordinarily supportive husband. I think I’ll keep him.
I have Old Testament on Tuesday and Thursday. I think it is my favorite class. The teacher is totally brilliant and has such a wonderful heart. Today we were studying the Psalms. She began to talk about prayer. To quote Dr. Craven, “All you need to do to pray is have the desire to pray and breathe.” She was referring to the psalm that says “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” And that is how I began my day. How awesome!
Prayer: “Father, I praise You. You are the all-powerful, all-knowing God of the universe. Nothing I encounter today will come as a surprise to You. And no matter what I face today, I know that You are for me and are working all thing together for good. I praise You as the source of all good things, and I thank You for Your incredible commitment to provide everything I need to do Your will. Nothing I encounter today will be too hard for You! Finding my life in the gospel, I walk into another day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Romans 8: 32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely gives us all things?
God amazes me. God defies description and sometimes our comprehension of God cannot be put into words. There are so many things that happen that we do not understand. I do not mean the big things that draw us closer to God, but the little everyday things that are out of our control or we can’t figure out. I think about people who yell at traffic. Is there anything we can do to make traffic move faster? No, but yet we holler and say unkind things and work ourselves up into a really good mad.
When you are stuck in traffic, why not try turning off the radio and spending some time in prayer? You don’t have to close your eyes (bad idea) but quiet the car and your heart and invite God to spend time with you. It is easy to go to God when disaster strikes, but do we go to God when something like traffic really gets under our skin.
So here is the question…How do we approach our relationship to God? When everyday things don’t go our way, do we stamp our feet and throw a fit or do we remember all of the blessings with which we have been showered? Do we remember the act of love on the cross that proved God’s unfathomable love for us? We need to remember the verse from Romans 8 that asks us, “If God be for us then who can be against us?”
Let each of us ask for God to abide in our souls and remember His presence in our lives. Then we can share His presence with those in whom we are aggravated and, through prayer, bless them with the love of God and wish them joy in the journey.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Happy Monday.
This is Bruce. I have been asked to step in and write for Gaylene as she works on completing a rather significant paper which is due Wednesday. Before I begin, I want to wish Gaylene Happy Birthday!! Her birthday happened to coincide with my last day of official cardiac rehab, so we both celebrated.
I am beginning a 6 month journey. On this journey, with the help of God, I will collect a group of about 65 free world Christians from perhaps a dozen different denominations, join them together, train them into a cohesive group, and arrange for them to go inside a maximum security prison to take their story of what God has done for them to a group of 42 inmates. Some of the inmates will be Christians, some will not. The team will spend 3 ½ days with the inmates, eating with them, talking with them, listening to them, laughing with them, sharing with them, praying with them, teaching them…
By the time we finish our weekend in April with the inmates, for the most part, the inmates will have stopped being totally self centered individuals, and will have begun to not only care about but pray for others.
When I first began to work with the Kairos prison ministry, I told a fellow church member what I was doing. His response was “I think they should lock them all up and throw away the key”. My response was that we are not trying to get them out; we are trying to take God into them.
I have since changed that response because I have come to understand that there is no place on earth that man can be that God isn’t there, too. I found that God is already in the prisons, working among the inmates. The problem is that most of them are not “tuned” in to either see God or hear Him. The weekend helps these 42 to be able to see and hear God’s presence in their lives. As they come to know God, their lives are changed. Instead of putting up walls around themselves for self protection, they are able to reach out and care about others. It is the beginning of a changed life for many of them.
They are in many ways like we are. We get so involved in the “stuff” that occupies our days that we forget to watch and listen for God who works daily in our lives. We forget to look for and listen for the opportunities He gives us to share the love He has shown us with those who may not know Him or who may need a kind word to get them through the day.
I would encourage you to listen and watch for chances to share what God has done for you. People around you need to hear, need to experience God’s love. You may be the only chance they have.
Take joy in your journey. Share the Word. Share your story. God is good. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
PS - I would solicit your prayers for strength for this task and that I keep my focus on God during this journey. Peace.
This is Bruce. I have been asked to step in and write for Gaylene as she works on completing a rather significant paper which is due Wednesday. Before I begin, I want to wish Gaylene Happy Birthday!! Her birthday happened to coincide with my last day of official cardiac rehab, so we both celebrated.
I am beginning a 6 month journey. On this journey, with the help of God, I will collect a group of about 65 free world Christians from perhaps a dozen different denominations, join them together, train them into a cohesive group, and arrange for them to go inside a maximum security prison to take their story of what God has done for them to a group of 42 inmates. Some of the inmates will be Christians, some will not. The team will spend 3 ½ days with the inmates, eating with them, talking with them, listening to them, laughing with them, sharing with them, praying with them, teaching them…
By the time we finish our weekend in April with the inmates, for the most part, the inmates will have stopped being totally self centered individuals, and will have begun to not only care about but pray for others.
When I first began to work with the Kairos prison ministry, I told a fellow church member what I was doing. His response was “I think they should lock them all up and throw away the key”. My response was that we are not trying to get them out; we are trying to take God into them.
I have since changed that response because I have come to understand that there is no place on earth that man can be that God isn’t there, too. I found that God is already in the prisons, working among the inmates. The problem is that most of them are not “tuned” in to either see God or hear Him. The weekend helps these 42 to be able to see and hear God’s presence in their lives. As they come to know God, their lives are changed. Instead of putting up walls around themselves for self protection, they are able to reach out and care about others. It is the beginning of a changed life for many of them.
They are in many ways like we are. We get so involved in the “stuff” that occupies our days that we forget to watch and listen for God who works daily in our lives. We forget to look for and listen for the opportunities He gives us to share the love He has shown us with those who may not know Him or who may need a kind word to get them through the day.
I would encourage you to listen and watch for chances to share what God has done for you. People around you need to hear, need to experience God’s love. You may be the only chance they have.
Take joy in your journey. Share the Word. Share your story. God is good. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
PS - I would solicit your prayers for strength for this task and that I keep my focus on God during this journey. Peace.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Blessed Sunday to you all!
Bruce made it home safely from the KAIROS Training in Granbury. I ask your continued prayers for Bruce as he prepares to be the leader of the KAIROS Weekend in April of 2012. It is a mighty task with great responsibility. I believe him to be equal to the task and ask for your prayers for his continued strength as he leads the team in spiritual growth and leads the inmates into relationships with God.
Prayer: “Lord, today keep me in Your love. Thank You for Your love, and I know how much it cost for You to love me. Help me to love others no matter the cost. Help me to realize that every person I meet today was made in Your image. I know there is someone I will meet today that may be in pain. Allow me to be an instrument of Your healing love. May your loving-kindness revealed in me win an unbeliever to Christ. Amen.”
Jude 21 “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into eternal life.”
As believers in Christ we need to keep ourselves built up in the love of Christ so that we can build up others. How do we do that? I think we spend time getting to know the author of all love. We need to spend time with Jesus. We need to spend time each day talking with Him and listening to what He has to tell us. I love my prayer time each day. I pray throughout the day, but on my way to school each day, I crawl up in Jesus’ lap and converse with Him.
I believe we learn to love by reading scripture that tells us about the love of God through Jesus. After all, God sent Jesus to the earth so that we could know Him and learn to love others the way He loves us. We can surround ourselves with other Christians finding out how they show the love of Christ. Finally, we surrender our fear and doubt over to God and put ourselves out there and show others what real love is all about. Sometimes showing love is a simply a smile and a kind word. Sometimes love is a card, a phone call, a text message or a visit. Sometimes others can experience the presence of God through a hug, sitting quietly or waiting for someone who trusts you to take care of their heart. So my friends, show others what the love of God has done for you and let them know that they are loved with a love that will show mercy, compassion, forgiveness and extraordinary joy.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Show someone today how much you love them. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
Prayer alert, Our friend Nichole is going through a really difficult time. She lost her dad last weekend and is visiting her great aunt who is in the final stages of cancer and will most likely pass very soon. Please pray for her strength and peace and for God to grant her aunt and her family His tender mercies.
Praise: Bruce will complete cardiac rehab tomorrow. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Bruce made it home safely from the KAIROS Training in Granbury. I ask your continued prayers for Bruce as he prepares to be the leader of the KAIROS Weekend in April of 2012. It is a mighty task with great responsibility. I believe him to be equal to the task and ask for your prayers for his continued strength as he leads the team in spiritual growth and leads the inmates into relationships with God.
Prayer: “Lord, today keep me in Your love. Thank You for Your love, and I know how much it cost for You to love me. Help me to love others no matter the cost. Help me to realize that every person I meet today was made in Your image. I know there is someone I will meet today that may be in pain. Allow me to be an instrument of Your healing love. May your loving-kindness revealed in me win an unbeliever to Christ. Amen.”
Jude 21 “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into eternal life.”
As believers in Christ we need to keep ourselves built up in the love of Christ so that we can build up others. How do we do that? I think we spend time getting to know the author of all love. We need to spend time with Jesus. We need to spend time each day talking with Him and listening to what He has to tell us. I love my prayer time each day. I pray throughout the day, but on my way to school each day, I crawl up in Jesus’ lap and converse with Him.
I believe we learn to love by reading scripture that tells us about the love of God through Jesus. After all, God sent Jesus to the earth so that we could know Him and learn to love others the way He loves us. We can surround ourselves with other Christians finding out how they show the love of Christ. Finally, we surrender our fear and doubt over to God and put ourselves out there and show others what real love is all about. Sometimes showing love is a simply a smile and a kind word. Sometimes love is a card, a phone call, a text message or a visit. Sometimes others can experience the presence of God through a hug, sitting quietly or waiting for someone who trusts you to take care of their heart. So my friends, show others what the love of God has done for you and let them know that they are loved with a love that will show mercy, compassion, forgiveness and extraordinary joy.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Show someone today how much you love them. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.
Prayer alert, Our friend Nichole is going through a really difficult time. She lost her dad last weekend and is visiting her great aunt who is in the final stages of cancer and will most likely pass very soon. Please pray for her strength and peace and for God to grant her aunt and her family His tender mercies.
Praise: Bruce will complete cardiac rehab tomorrow. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
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