Happy Tuesday!

What a day! I began early with breakfast at Starbucks with a friend and progressed on to a mid-morning coffee with a member of the candidacy committee and then back home to begin reading a book on which I have to write a brief paper which is due next week.

Also, great news! Asia Brewer, new daughter of Jeremy and Addie Brewer, come into this world this evening at 3 minutes after 7. She weighed in at 8 pounds 6 oz. Congratulations and welcome to this world, little Asia!

Geni passed her second exit test! Praise God! One to go…

Prayer: “Father, I worship You for being a merciful God. I recommit myself to living in a way that honors the tremendous sacrifice You made on Calvary’s Cross. My greatest desire is to walk within the parameters of Your will. Give me wisdom to think and live as a Christian fully surrendered to You.”

Romans 12: 1-3 “I pray you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

Life lessons from Noah.
1. Always plan ahead. Remember it wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.
2. Stay fit. When you are really old God may ask you to do something really big!
3. Remember the woodpeckers inside the Ark were more dangerous than the storm that raged outside.
4. Stop what you are doing and do what God wants you to do.
5. Remember no matter how tough the storm there is always a rainbow on the other side.

I heard these on Sunday morning before leaving for worship. I found them humorous, profound and speaking to me.

As Christians we offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice on the altar of God’s grace. Noah, even though quite old, submitted himself to God, stopped what he was doing and began to do what God called him to do. This sort of reminds me of this time in my life. I am walking away from the only career I have ever known as a teacher and now I am following a new path to which I believe God has called me. I never knew what the path of discernment meant until I began this call to ministry as a second career.

In the passage of scripture we are told to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Noah had to make an enormous change from being a farmer (or whatever he was) to becoming the most famous sailor of all time. The change or “renewal” of his mind and thinking was that he was now submitting himself to God’s will. He put down what he was doing and began to do what God wanted him to do no matter how outlandish and impossible it may have seemed. And even thought Noah was quite old (about 600 years) God used Noah for a holy purpose. When God renews our minds, His direction is very clear because we are given the ability to discern God’s direction and plan.

Noah did not have scripture on which to rely and most likely he did not discuss this impossible plan with anyone, but I am sure he prayed to God for extraordinary strength, guidance and enough faith to finish the task. We have an advantage over Noah. With scripture, prayer and discussion with other Christians as guides, we will not only find the will of God, but also prove it to be good, acceptable and perfect.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers remembering that everyone is fighting some sort of battle. 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.