Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Saturday! All is well here at 811.

Dear God, It is so hard to give up control. There are so many times it is hard to know what to do in situations we face. Sometimes Lord, I get so caught up in my own little world that I lose my direction and I become resistant to your leading or I just don’t hear what you have to say. Forgive my resistance and thank you for your gentleness that helps me through these moments and times when I don’t see your face.  I praise you for your peace and goodness, comfort, grace wisdom and most of all I am thankful that you are God.  I love you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

God’s mercy and compassion are cause for praise. God rules heaven and earth. God cares for each of us knowing our deepest hopes, dreams, wants and needs. This is the heart of God and the grace that we are afforded out of His unfailing love for us.  There are those of us who are accustomed to being self-sufficient and figure out most of the issues in our lives and in the lives of others. We are usually thinking in the present and in the future.  I think God sometimes allows us to reach the end of our resources so we will turn to Him and seek His guiding hand and tender compassionate mercy. So my friends let us begin again. We do not have to know all the answers all the time. But we do have sources available to help us; read scripture, prayer and listening for God’s guidance.  God is good and love wins!

“The LORD look upon you with favor and give you peace.”

Numbers 6: 26

“Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long.”

Psalm 25: 4-5

Take joy in the journey remembering that faith, hope, prayer and praise do not disappoint. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene 

Greetings from Austin Street

TGIF! Today God is first!! All is well here at 811.  It was such a gorgeous day!!!

God I want to love you for who you are—even though my motivation is sometimes misplaced. Help me to know you and love you more each day. I can endure present problems because I know that your plan will be fulfilled and that I will see your wonderful glory.  I pray to walk purposefully with You.  Get my worldly self out of the way so that You may direct me one step at a time.  I pray to remain thankful each step of the way with a grateful heart.  I love you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

The opening sentence of my devotion tonight is “Do you love God for what He does or Who He is?”  Do we worship God to get what we want or because we stand in grace-filled awe of being in the presence of God?  I think God is a bit like us in that God wants to be loved for being God; for being who He is. The writer of my meditation tonight describes God using words such as; astoundingly imaginative, unwaveringly kind, steadfast, holy, completely powerful and wise.  Those are very powerful words to describe an indescribable God. And yet the God we serve and love, with all of these qualities desires most of all to have relationship with us so that we may experience His unconditional love. I will be the first to admit that I am needy before God, but I must also claim with all of my needy being that I am not complete without God. In my prayer time I have begun to pray and give thanks for every blessing and every need met and I also practice praise of the everlasting God of unconditional love.

“Who is this great king? He is the LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD; victorious in battle.”

Psalm 24: 8

“The earth is the LORD’S and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.”

Psalm 24:1

Take joy in the journey remembering that faith, hope, trust and prayer do not disappoint. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene

Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Thursday!  Generally all is well her at 811. Bruce continues to work very hard rehab and combined with the trip to San Antonio has really exhausted him. I would ask for prayers for him to get the rest he needs and for the fatigue to begin to lessen. Thank you.

Dear God, Thank you for being the skilled architect of my dreams and that my opportunity to build is just ahead.  I know that at the heart of every problem is a problem of the heart and that You are there to be sovereign over all I am, all I do and all I have. Please restore Bruce’s energy and give him the strength to continue to heal and be restored by your healing grace, his faithfulness and your kind and tender mercies. Make my heart a pure and welcoming place where you dwell and myself and others find a place of comfort. I love you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

“Do you have a dream…? Everybody has a dream.”  (The opening lines of Pretty Woman) Dreams are the passions of our hearts that fill our souls with a future that we desire.  Our dreams are not realized out of thin air, but are realized from hard work, time and laying a strong foundation. Sometimes laying a foundation takes a long time and great care so that it is solid without cracks. When the foundation is complete then the building begins. I am in the place of rebuilding once again. I still have many lessons to learn and when God opens the door for me to pursue the aspirations of my calling into ministry I know I will be filled with delight.  But I take joy that my foundation of faith has been laid and it is a strong solid foundation capable of weathering many storms. It is on that foundation of God’s grace and hope that I place my faith. God will be with me as I continue to study, learn, listen, and open the doorway of my heart letting God enter and pray each step of the way. Walk with me friends.

“When the builders had finished laying the foundation of the temple, the priests put on their robes and blew trumpets in honor of the LORD.”

Ezra 3: 10

“They took turns singing: ‘The LORD is good! His faithful love for Israel will last forever.’ Everyone started shouting and praising the LORD because work on the foundation of the temple had begun.”

Ezra 3: 11

Take joy in the journey remembering that faith, hope, and prayer never disappoint.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart mind soul and strength. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene

Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Wednesday!  All is well here at 811. I love being able to say that all is well here at 811. Bruce’s healing is sort of like Moses trek across the desert. The healing is slow moving, but always in a straight line and has never suffered a setback.  I offer up the sacrifice of praise and give thanks for the miracles being worked in Bruce and that I have been witness to healing grace and steadfast love. God is good and love wins.

Dear God, I praise the splendor of your holiness and the glory of your grace. Thank you Lord for helping in all the battles we face.  Thank you for reminding me that you are in control. There is nothing I need to fear for you provide all I need. Lord, I will do all I can to claim this each day. I love you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

When I was in graduate school I re-discovered the library and learned the meaning of resources.  As research papers were assigned there was a lengthy list of resources made available to study and go into depth about the research topic. I grew to depend on these scholarly resources to learn and write an academically acceptable paper and to gain knowledge beyond the classroom. And even though the resources were many they were also limited. God is not limited in His resources.  God’s provision is more than enough to provide for us when we are in need.  We have access to this infinite storehouse of provision through God’s Word, trust and praise. God inhabits the praises of his people and whatever battle we are facing God will be there with us.  When we lift our voice in praise, ask for help in Jesus name and trust that we dwell in the Presence of God, I believe that we will have at our disposal all of the resources necessary to claim victory in the battles we face.

“God is at their side; with God’s help they make it.”

Psalm 24: 5

Take joy in the journey remembering that faith, hope, praise and prayer do not disappoint. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Wear comfortable shoes; throw an extra blanket on the bed and get some sleep. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene

Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Tuesday!  All is well here at 811. 

Dear God, please increase my love for you and for others so that people will know that I truly belong to you. Lord, move in me, that I may see life from your point of view.  May my soul listen to your Spirit in all things. Make me each day more aware of your presence. I love you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

How do people know we are Christians?  Do others see us with our crosses on chains around our necks? Are we carrying bags with studded crosses across the front or sporting tattoos (I love your tattoos Geni and Travis) or walking aAround in western boots with crosses embossed on them? (I really would like a pair of those being a western boot fan.) You know what we wear and how we look really do not say what is in our heart? The defining factor in identifying a Christian is how they express their love.

So my friends, how do we express our love?  Expressing our love does not mean we walk around trying to be what we deem as perfect through rules and ritual.   When we love God we love out of care and respect for God and others allowing God’s love to flow through us and humbly love others desiring what is best for them. John 13: 34 “I love you a new commandment:  love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.” 

“By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13: 35

Take joy in the journey remembering that hope, prayer, faith and love will not disappoint. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Wear comfortable shoes, put an extra blanket on the bed tonight and get some sleep.  Continue to pray for Carme’s family. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene

Greetings from Austin Street

Happy Monday!  All is well here at 811.  We ask that you continue to hold Carme, Shaleena and all of the family and friends at the Hill country Christian Church in your prayers as they begin the road to healing their broken hearts continuously lifting up each other and surrounding Carme with their love and tender kindness.

Dear God, help me to love you with all my life and reflect your righteousness, compassion, and wisdom so that you will be glorified.   In Jesus name, amen.

As I listened to Carme’s words at the service for her beloved husband Dave what I kept hearing were ( as she named people in attendance) “He loved you.”  David lived his life in the love of God, family, friends and the Church.  You did not have to earn Dave’s love, you just had to be a part of his life and you received his love. It was love without condition.

There is nothing we can do to earn the love of God, but we can live our lives in such a way that honors God and shows God and others how much we love Him.  Living a life of honesty, modeling love of justice, living a just life, loving mercy while acknowledging the wisdom of God is more than sufficient to guide our lives.  David Russell learned these lessons well and lived them out among the great cloud of witnesses that were a part of his life.

“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah6: 8

“Love the Lord your God and always obey all his love.”

Deuteronomy 11: 1

Take joy in the journey remembering that hope, love, prayer and faith do not disappoint. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene