Happy Saturday! 

Frogs Win! Frogs Win!  It was a nail biter.  My Daddy always said, “You know they keep stats on all kinds of things, but in football there is only one stat that counts…the final score.”  My Daddy is a very wise man.

Our house has sprung a leak. We have 80 year old plumbing and it decided yesterday was the day to burst.  Bruce is currently under the house fixing the aging plumbing.  (It is currently 9: 58 pm) Say a prayer for this really good man.

Prayer:  Lord, I look forward to another day of walking with You. Because You are Lord of my life, I will follow You wherever You lead me. Sometimes You have led me through difficult places and painful experiences, but You have never let me down. Lead on, O King Eternal!

“Judge not, and you will not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6: 37—38

This passage of scripture comes shortly before the story of the “sinful” woman who anoints the feet of Jesus in the home of Simon the Pharisee.  I am preparing a sermon on this text.  As I read this passage from Luke (6: 37-38) I thought about Simon.  Simon, who had always lived a life of rules, thought he was without sin because he was a religious man and believed himself to have lived a good life.  But Simon’s sin was tucked away even hidden from himself.  His had formed a habit of judging others which shielded his neat and orderly life from the unpredictable power of grace. 

Both Simon and the woman owed a debt that neither one could repay.  Simon’s sin was less obvious, but far more dangerous.  Simon was following a path that he thought would lead to heaven, but when heaven walked into his house he did not even know it.  The woman on the other hand knew just how lost she had been and much she was in need of forgiveness. Because she had been forgiven so completely she learned to love much. She found heaven at the feet of Jesus. 

The questions for the night are these…How much debt do we owe and can we repay it?  Do we find heaven in being religious folks or do we find heaven kneeling in the forgiving grace at the feet of Jesus?

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep (and tonight we get an extra hour!) 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  Wednesday and Happy Halloween! 

I have been asked by the Dean of Brite Divinity School to meet with four members of the Board of Trustees and share with them why I chose Brite Divinity School, some of the challenges I have encountered and any thoughts I have for improving the school.  WOW!  Please pray as I prepare to share with these folks.  I felt very humbly honored to be asked.

Prayer:  “Lord, thank You for saving me. What a joy to know that I belong to You!  Your love amazes me. I thank You for using someone else to get the gospel to me. Help me to see myself as a link in your chain of grace. Help me pass the faith along today. Amen.”

“Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

1 Corinthians 3: 8

On Tuesday evenings one of my classes is called Theological Reflection. It is a group of students like me who are in ministerial internship at a church.  We discuss each week what we are doing in each of our churches and ministry experiences. One of the students is a minister intern at the Wesley Foundation on the TCU campus.  One of the projects in which he is involved is a community garden.  The purpose of the garden is to provide fresh produce for those who are in need.  When he speaks of the garden he refers to the work on the garden as a partnership approach.  They sow many seeds, water regularly, try to keep ahead of the weeds and leave the rest to God and mother nature.

This text is about Paul and Apollos and their evangelism approach in Corinth.  Paul knew that the harvest of souls would always be better when they worked together.  Paul sowed the seeds of the gospel and Apollos watered the seeds with preaching and explanation of the gospel and encouraging those Corinthians to be responsive to the call of the gospel and then left the rest to God.

As believers we are all called to live a life in community.  The harvest is always better when we work together and the work is always easier.  When we plant and water we are all working for the same goal.  Our goal is for folks to see and meet Jesus in each of us as we live out the gospel in our lives. 

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  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.

Prayer alert:  Please pray for Sharon James and her family.  Sharon is a former school nurse with the school from which I retired.  Cancer has pretty overtaken her body and she has been battling for several years.  Please pray for her, her husband Jeff and their two children.  Sheis being moved to hospice tomorrow.  Thank you. Peace, gc

Happy Tuesday!

I eat breakfast with one of my friends from Brite on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at McAllister’s. Each morning we have coffee in coffee mugs that have McAllister’s on one side and TCU on the other.  They have made these coffee mugs for sale.  So today I purchased one of these coffee mugs and got my breakfast for free.  A great way to start the day!

Prayer:  “Good morning Lord, I look forward to another day of walking with You. Because You are Lord of my life, I will follow You wherever You lead me.  Sometimes You have led me through difficult places and painful experiences, but You have never let me down. Lead on, O King Eternal! Amen.”

“Judge not and you shall not be judged, Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6: 37-38

I am preparing a sermon to be delivered on Nov. 11 at Rush Creek Christian Church.  The sermon is from the text in Luke concerning the sinful woman who anoints the feet of Jesus with her own tears and fragrant expensive oil.  Within this text Jesus tells a parable to the host of the dinner where the woman is in attendance.  The host, Simon the Pharisee cannot imagine why Jesus is allowing this “sinful woman” to touch him in such a manner.  Jesus obviously does not know what kind of woman she is.  The woman receives forgiveness for her sins. Simon has a much more dangerous sin, believing himself superior to others, has spent his life acting in judgment over others.  Simon does not believe himself to be sinful, therefore he believes he can act in judgment over others. 

Most of us have not committed the sins of the “sinful woman”, but how many times have we spoken judgment about someone else.  We have all been guilty of this.  Nothing is easier than finding fault in someone else.  Judging comes naturally, but followers of Jesus are not slaves to what comes naturally.  Jesus transforms us and helps us to desire a more spiritual or super-natural way of thinking about others.  Jesus teaches us to think more like the way He thinks of others.  Jesus calls us to love others and not pass judgment.  Jesus tells us that He did not come to judge the world so what would ever make us think that we could hold that entitlement?

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. 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.

Pray especially for our brothers and sisters in the east coast who are victims of Hurricane Sandy.  

Happy Monday!  

I met with the children’s director at Rush Creek today.  November ministry focus is children’s ministry. We have a wonderful children’s department with Sunday School, Children’s church, and children’s fellowship.  I am learning how I can plug in and help this part of the ministry of Rush Creek.

Prayer:  “Lord, I rise with gratitude in my heart and thanksgiving on my lips, for You have been so good to me. Before the day slips away, I want to stop and say, “I love You.” What a wonderful Savior You are! May the words I speak today be seasoned with Your love and grace. May I love others as You have loved me. Amen.”

“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 16: 11

There is truly joy in living in God’s presence.  Happiness is an emotion that sometimes needs a reason to occur.  The other morning when it first turned cold, I got up and put on my TCU pajama pants, a long sleeved TCU t-shirt and TCU crocs and socks (does anyone see a pattern forming here?) I looked at Bruce and said, “Wearing these clothes makes me happy.”  The circumstances of the cool, crisp morning, putting on my most comfy clothes and having coffee with Lamar were a wonderful way to begin a day.  But happiness is really fragile and lasts only as long as the circumstances are favorable.  But joy is recognizing the experience of having the presence of God in our daily life.  Joy rises above happiness and whatever is going on in our lives.

My meditation describes joy as, “a deep sense of pleasure and well-being based on God’s character, promises and ability.”  Joy has far less to do with us and far more to do with God.  Joy happens when we can rejoice in the Lord when the circumstances make us happy, but true joy in the Lord happens when we can rejoice when the circumstances are not wonderful and do not make us happy.  When it is tough to find the joy and the circumstances are difficult then find joy in our salvation.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Count your blessings and say your prayers. Tonight let us say prayers of safety and comfort for our brothers and sisters on the east coast.  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.

Blessed Sunday! 

Today I was witness to a precious blessing as Bruce and Geni sang in worship at Advent.  It was confirmation Sunday and they sang a beautiful song while a slide show of pictures of the confirmands from infancy to now. There was not a dry eye in the house including mine. 

Travis and Sarah returned home safely from Oklahoma. We are giving thanks to God for their safe return home.

Prayer: “Lord, I thank You for a new day.  While I do not know the challenges or struggles this day may bring, I choose now to trust in You. I may encounter people who need attention, or problems that need to be solved. Use me to interject the joy of Jesus into each situation. Amen.”

“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5: 12

Joy is the enjoyment of the good things from God.  Not everything that we experience is a good thing.  I do not believe that disasters in health, relationships or nature all happen for a reason. What I do believe is that the “joy” we experience is in our response to God’s working within the difficult times.  Real joy is in our personal relationship with Christ. Joy is the byproduct of our faith in believing One who will never leave us or forsake us. When we rest in God’s care we will find ways to rejoice and be exceedingly glad. 

I know I have shared this before, but Satan attacks us through our joy.  Satan will try to steal our joy.  When we believe that true joy comes from the good things from the hand of God then Satan will walk away empty handed.  When we think of all of the good things that have come from God and all of the good things that God has planned for us then the joy of God overflows.  We cannot experience true joy apart from God. So…

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, wear a jacket and get some sleep. Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Thank you for 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.

Prayer request:  I am preparing my first sermon for Rush Creek which I will present on Nov. 11.  I would ask your prayers that the Holy Spirit will guide my mouth, my heart and my head to prepare and deliver a sermon that would be worthy of preaching and hearing.  Peace, gc

Happy Saturday!  Unless you are a Horned Frog. 

It was a sad day for the Frogs as they lost to OSU this afternoon.  Travis and his girlfriend traveled to Stillwater to watch the game and sat on the OSU side cheering for the Pokes.  There will be no living with Sarah after this. 

I have been reading the Gnostic Gospels this week.  Some of it is weird stuff.  These writings include the Gospels of Thomas (not the disciple), Gospel of Mary (Magdalene) and the Gospel of Judas (not Iscariot).  They are writings of the saying of Jesus that could sort of be like proverbs.  They are not narrative writings, which tell a story, but wisdom writings with some of the verses just being a sentence long and some of the writings which allude to some of the stories from the gospels. 

Prayer:  Lord, I thank you that I can come boldly before You.  Thank you for understanding my daily struggles and needs.  I am Your child.  So Lord, speak to me and give me ears to hear as I spend time with You and in Your Word. Amen.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4: 16

I love Jesus.  God sent Jesus to the earth so that we might come to know the Divine on a personal level and so we could see Jesus interacting with others in earthly situations. Jesus was tempted and so he understands the daily struggles we have and is familiar with the problems of earthly folks.  Because God understands we can go boldly before the throne of grace and talk to God. 

I happen to believe that we can come to God with whatever we have on our minds through daily conversations and building a relationship with Him.  God hears our voice and because we have been in conversation with God, we hear God’s voice and understand.  When we go to God with whatever is on our minds we can expect mercy, grace, and help in our time of need. 

Tonight’s meditation offers a plan for getting to know God:

     1. Get up early in the morning before the demands of the day overtake us and spend time in prayer.

     2. Daily read God’s Word to provide nourishment for our spirits.

     3. Diligently put in maximum effort into prayer time to focus on God and God alone.

     4.  Yielding:  Be ready to say yes to God.  Believe in the voice of God and be obedient.

Let’s try this for a few days and see how our relationship with God deepens and becomes more intimate.  I want a full report!

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all and see you in worship, 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.

Prayers:  Little Tatum completed the month long radiation and steroid therapies.  About a year from now the remaining maintenance will be over.  These treatments will do whatever it takes to flush out any stray leukemia cells that might still be hanging about.  Please continue to pray for the Mighty T and her courageous family.

Please pray for Travis and Sarah to have a safe trip back from Stillwater tomorrow.  Thank you. Peace, gc