Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Monday!  All is well here at 811. It is the first day of my thanksgiving break and I got my extra errands done today before the cooking frenzy begins. Tomorrow I am trying a new dinner roll recipe that you make with a cake mix.  Sounds interesting! I promise a full report. But the best part of today was the long wonderful visit we had with Bruce’s brother, Dale from Memphis.  We had a long leisurely dinner and such a wonderful visit. We got caught up on kids, pets, music, his precious wife Twylagayle, holiday plans and when we will see each other again.  It was great!! In my devotional time this morning about thankfulness I was reminded that God plants treasures of thanksgiving throughout the day and by the end of the day we have a whole bouquet of things for which to be thankful.  Our visit with Dale tonight was among one of the most wonderful treasures. 

Dear God, thank you for the treasure of Your presence in our lives. Thank you for family and the safe arrival of Geni and Cody in Florida.  Thank you Lord for your love and grace and that Lord I can find your heart to be a resting place and a home.  Lord, tomorrow I will begin working on the logistics of the final ordination process. Help me to breathe and have a calm heart and take this final leg of the journey one step at a time. I know Lord that You will help me to do my very best and I have total confidence in You that You will do as you have promised. You have promised to provide the desires of my heart and I know you will help and inspire as I write the final paper. I am trusting my ways to you Lord and asking you to work on my behalf. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

God created each of us and calls us children of God. We are collectively the children of God no matter what we believe, how we act or what we believe. But until we enter into a relationship with Jesus we do not come to know God intimately and personally. When we enter into that relationship we are given the identity as child of God and brother/sister to Jesus. We are marked with the cross of Christ forever and begin an eternal relationship.  God sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in us making an eternal connection to the Presence of God in our lives. We can never lose this relationship because it is not based on anything we can do or should do. It is solely based on God’s great love for us. 

I have known all of these things for a long time, but tonight my meditation shares this extra piece of knowledge. When we sin we show God dishonor because the Holy Spirit is in our heart telling us, “Stop resisting my, beloved! Trust me. Rest in me. I will satisfy you and give you plenty.”  These words are ideas I will continue to ponder, but they have certainly shed a new light about the presence of the Holy Spirit. Since my heart is the home of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence in me through faith in Jesus lets me know I need to listen to the Holy Spirit a lot more carefully.  I know I have no fear of losing the Holy Spirit within me, but maybe I need to listen more closely when my heart needs a good cleaning so that there is more space for God to dwell.

“This is my resting place forever. Here is where I want to stay. I will bless her with plenty.”

Psalm 132: 14-14

“O Lord, arise, and come to your resting place.”

Psalm 132: 8

Take joy in the journey praying, praising, laughing and encouraging other as you go. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene