Happy Thursday!

“In every victory let it be said of me, my source of strength, my source of hope is Christ alone.” Carme Russell (This was my morning text from Carme today.)

Prayer: “Father, I confess that without You, I can do nothing. Thank you for the promise that I can do all things through Christ’s strength. Today I need that power so I can be a fruitful believer. My desire is to abide in You. Thank You for being the true Vine and for making me one of Your branches. Amen”

John 15—5-7 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

The opening phrase of my meditation tonight is “Before we can pray “Lord, Your kingdom come,” we must pray, “Lord, my kingdom go.” How often do we pray those words, “Your will be done”, when in reality we really want “our will be done” ? How often do we want a fast, easy answer? I have discovered that this is what the journey of discernment is all about. When God calls each of us into service we must follow earthly rules and procedures to enact the calling. Discernment is wading through the paperwork without sacrificing the original purpose for the journey. I am discovering during this time of transition from being a full time teacher to retirement to becoming a fulltime student, that decisions made must be made prayerfully especially when one has received a call by God into His service and to be His representative.

Have you ever prayed about something so hard that when the answer came you did not hear it, you did not understand it or you missed it all together? Well, I certainly have. I have also discovered that most of what we pray for will have a relatively simple answer if we just listen and stop trying by our earthly power to accomplish matters of eternity.

Today was such a day. As I have prayed for discernment about the path of ordination the answer came quite clearly…Christ alone. Victory in Jesus’ name was claimed today as I surrendered to these words…Christ alone. These words began in the darkness of early morning and resounded throughout the day in some form or another, even as I read the music selections in our church newsletter. The special music by the praise team will be “In Christ Alone.” So if any of you know me, I threw up my hands and said, “Okay, God I get it!!” I am being called to be a pastoral care giver. God has given me a name…I am an agent of hope. I am called to help those who are dying to have hope even in death and help families to live on in hope through the power of the living hope in Jesus Christ.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Please continue to keep me in your prayers while lifting each other up in prayer remembering that each of us is fighting some sort of battle. Love you all so very much mighty and faithful prayer warriors, 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.