Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Tuesday!  All is well here at 811. I met with Chris today and began work on the ordination packet. We also began to put some language together for the paper. It was a really good meeting. I am very grateful to him for all of his help. I also made the dinner rolls with the yellow cake mix. They are pretty easy and really yummy. They are a sweet dinner roll, but if you butter them with salted butter the flavor balances well. I also thought that when the after thanksgiving lunch munchies occur these rolls will be awesome with a piece of ham as a slider.  Just a couple of hints:  I kneaded in the final cup of flour by hand on a cutting board, I oiled the bowl and the top of top of the dough at the first rising, the second rising takes around 30 minutes.  My recipe made 24 large rolls. I think I may try to make the dough into individual rolls and not cut them in the pan as the directions tell. 

The candle is lit…

Lord, I do believe in You! Thank you for sending Jesus to open the way to you and for constantly shining light on my life.  Thank you for the gift of thankfulness and when I fail to be thankful please forgive me. May I be ever mindful how fragile life is and be thankful for all of your countless blessings. Lord, thank you for loving me as if I was the only one in the world. As your child Wynonna says, “To the world I am one, but to One I am the world.”  Thank you loving Lord for prayer, watching over me and again the gift of thankfulness.  I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In just a little more than 24 hours we will dedicate an entire day just for giving thanks.  According to Sarah Young, the author of Jesus Calling, “ A thankful attitude opens windows of heaven through which spiritual blessings fall freely.” There is a wonderful song with the lyric, “Thankfulness, thankfulness is all I long for. Thankfulness, thankfulness is all I need.  Thankfulness is all You want from me.”  God requires and thankful heart, a heart of gratitude and the blessings from the storehouse of God’s love will rain down upon us. Scripture tells us that being thankful is vital to our health and well-being and to our healing and wholeness.  Because thankfulness is a gift from God it is a spiritual blessing.

God, who loves us so very much, is the God of grace and if we forget to be grateful then all we need to do is to ask for forgiveness and be thankful for that forgiveness.  Thankfulness is a priceless gift and if we remember the cost of Christ on the cross it will help- each of us to practice thankfulness throughout the day.  God is good. Give thanks and God wins.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. “

Psalm 100: 4

“Blessed be the God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

Ephesians 1: 3

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