Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Thursday!  All is well here at 811. Bruce is progressively getting over his sinus infection and even worked some today.  He will go to rehab tomorrow for the first time this week. The funny thing is that this was the first week he was to begin the step-down process to discharge. The plan was to go to rehab on MWF. Well, this week he is only going on Friday.  Tomorrow is another family conference and so we will see if anything changes. 

The candle is lit…

Dear God, Help us to stay steadfast in hope and to trust your perfect will.  Lord, we place our hope in you as we walk together in this life here on earth. Sometimes the road is smooth and it is easy to stay in step with you. And then sometimes the road is rough and steep and we are tempted to look to the past and see mistakes and bad choices. Forgive us Lord when we fall out of step with you and try to walk this life on our own strength. Help us to remember that any strength we have comes from You. And Lord, when we fall behind and don’t know what to do please rescue us by the calling of Your name.  We love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

I have been to despair. It is no fun.  But as I have thought about the times I have been in despair over something I finally figured out that despair happens when we seek out options to problems and do not include God.  We believe we know what is best for us and we may have even convinced ourselves that God has abandoned us when in truth we have left God out of the hope of correcting the situation. 

We all know that without God there is no hope.  The truth is that no matter what is going on in our lives God is always there to help.  The catch for us is that God’s timing does not always coincide with our time table. Being ever mindful that we live in 24 days and the first of the month while God lives in eternal time, I believe there is a way to not fall into despair.

While we are waiting for God to work in our lives it is vital that we stay in tune with God and daily meditate on God’s Word. Spending time in conversation with God throughout the day through prayer helps to hold on to our real hope which is in God through faith in Jesus.  Then as we wait…wait with the expectation of God’s goodness to flow down upon us filling  us with God’s very best.  God is good and love wins!

“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!”

Psalm 27: 14

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

Psalm 27: 13

Take joy in the journey praying, praising, giving thanks and encouraging others along the way. Stay in step with God and call on God for help no matter what!  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene