Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Monday!  All is well here at 811. My writing is starting a bit late tonight. Bruce and I watched two of the DVD’s from our vacation. The ship records events on a day by day basis and then compiles them on DVD’s for sale.  They were wonderful.

Dear God, by your plan and power I grow toward the goals you set for me. There are times it is hard to imagine how you will meet all of the needs in my life, but you always meet each need in your time and your way. Your provision is always perfect in time and execution. Lord, thank you for the blessings of the past, the blessings of today and the blessings to come. Help me to not move faster than your plans allow even though my anxious heart is ready it is your plan and your timing that I seek. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

I was blessed with a Mom who was so very wise. She would never admit to this attribute. She was the salutatorian of her high school graduating class and when going through her things shortly after her passing I found her speech. It was typed on 3 x 5 cards and edited by her hand in red pen.  One of the statements in her speech was that the best things in life never happen quickly. 

I think about that statement when I am anxious about beginning a life in the ministry. I think about her wisdom as I prepare for ordination interviews and have gained a better understanding of the spacing between the interviews.  In both of these instances I must live into the calling upon my life. These are growing processes.  I taught for enough years to know that growing like learning is stumbliness and stumbliness of goodness.  But I guess as long as I stumble forward then I am still going in the right direction. Forward is the only direction to which we are called. 

Our relationships with God are times of growing and learning. It takes time to develop a loving, caring and strong relationship with God. The relationship that is developing is one that will endure and persevere in all things. It takes time to understand how God speaks and how to speak to God.  It takes time and prayer to understand how God makes His will, purpose and plan known to us.  And then it takes patient, faithful belief to wait on God.  My meditation tonight says, “God is a long-range planner.”  God’s long-range plans last over a life time and into eternity.  So my friends, let us hang in there and trust that God has all of this under control and try to get some sleep.  God is good and love wins!

“Oh that my people would listen…I would feed you with the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock. I would satisfy you.” (Do you suppose God says this every day!)

Psalm 81: 13, 16

Take joy in the journey praying as you go and listen to what God has to say.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene