Greetings from Austin St.

Happy Tuesday! At this writing it is the top of the 9th inning and the Rangers are ahead 7 to 3. Go Rangers!

1 John 5:14, 15 “If we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us; And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him”

The group of children I have in my classroom this year need a lot of work on listening. Their life and success in the classroom would be far better (and my life would be a lot easier) if they would just listen to directions and then do what I ask. I must have said that very statement at least 20 times today. Here’s the thing, even though they may ask the same question a number of times, I always answer and then sometimes I ask them “Why did you not listen?”

Garth Brooks recorded a song about thanking God for “unanswered prayers.” While it earned Garth a lot of money, it is not how I understand the way prayer works. First, God hears all of our prayers and honors them with His thoughtfulness. Next, God always answers our prayers. Scripture tells us this very Truth. We are His creation and God does not ignore that which He has created. The cry of the human soul never goes unheard. The issue may lie not with God, but with us, His children, who fail to hear His response. When we pray to God we become one with Him and work in harmony; the human soul’s cry and God’s response. I’m sure we sound like the first graders in my classroom. We ask questions and make requests and then do not listen for the answers. The answers do not always come immediately, but they always are given in loving response to God who loves His children.

So my friends, it is time to get into listening position. Let us be quiet before God. Make our requests known before the throne of grace and lay them at the mercy seat of the Father and then, in trust, listen for the answer that will be given to each of us.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Let us continue to lift each other up in prayer each day. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

Rangers win 10 to 3!!!!!!