Happy Thursday!

Baby, it’s cold outside!!

I talked with Mom today and as she answered the phone she sounded particularly cheery. She told me one of the ladies at the rehab hospital “fixed her hair” today. That really made her feel great. Ladies, you know how a new haircut or style always makes us feel better! And then, I found out she went to the surgeon today for a check up on her shoulder (which is doing great by the way!). This translates that she got to leave the hospital for a while. She told me, “It was cold as the dickens, but the fresh air felt so good.” I think she was renewed and refreshed at these two ordinary activities. I was so glad for her that it made me feel glad all over.

My professor loves Harry Potter (me too!). Yesterday she used a metaphor for a practice we are being taught to use in our pastoral counseling about Harry Potter. As I listened to the metaphor I began to think of how I could apply this metaphor to my daily life. Here goes.

In the story of Harry Potter, Harry attends a wizarding school called Hogwarts. There are four groups of students at the school and they play the game of quiddich throughout the stories. Quiddich is sort of like soccer, rugby and basketball played in the air. There are three kinds of balls used in the game simultaneously: the bludger, the quaffle and the golden snitch. The bludger is used to knock people off their brooms. The quaffle is used to score 10 points when it goes through the hoops. The golden snitch, which is a golf ball sized gold ball with wings like a hummingbird, is “lightning fast and nearly impossible to catch”. All three of these balls are in play at the same time, but the team which catches the golden snitch receives 150 points and usually wins the game. There are several positions on the team and Harry plays the Seeker. The Seeker is the only one allowed to catch the golden snitch. There are a dozen players playing around him with balls flying everywhere as well as the other players do their jobs during the game. It is Harry’s job to ignore all that is going on around him and concentrate on the golden snitch. Everything around him is meant to distract him from catching the winning ball. Remember the team catching the golden snitch wins the game.

How often do we allow the distractions all around us to take our eyes off of the “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”? What takes our eyes off of the prize? In the busyness of our lives, where do we prioritize our time? Do we take time in our day just to focus on God in prayer, study and meditation? For just a few moments can we turn off the phone or TV and just spend time in the arms of the Father? Can we rid ourselves of distractions and only seek the deeper, more intimate relationship with the One who created us. He loves us so much and desires not only a relationship with him, but a deeper, more intimate relationship with us as we study the Word and have conversation with Him in prayer. We just have to block out all of the distractions and be a seeker of God.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, extra socks and a warm jacket. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Mom and Dad miss each other so much so please pray for 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.

PS Prayer requests: Mom for healing, Dad to hang in there until she gets home, Carme, for travel mercy as she travels to the Metroplex tonight and for our friend Laurie, who lost her father just this week. His Celebration of Life is tomorrow. Bruce is singing the service. Thank you, mighty and powerful prayers, gc