Happy Thursday!

The last of the boxes and supplies from my classroom placed in storage today. I was amazed that these items filled up a 5’ by 10’ storage unit we rented.

Bruce has a carotid artery ultrasound and lab work being done tomorrow. It is a hospital procedure. The doc says that because the arteries to his heart were clear he is expecting that the carotid artery will be clear as well. I am not sure how long we will be there. Please be in prayer as we continue to prepare for Bruce’s surgery.

Prayer: “God, my life is Yours. You created and redeemed me. All that I have comes from You and belongs to You. You deserve my very best today because You gave me Your best at Calvary. Amen.”

Luke 12: 15 and 21 “He said to them, “Take heed and be aware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses…Life is more than food , and the body is more than clothing.”

In Luke 12 we find the story of the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler had accumulated so many things that he did not have enough storage space to hold it all. So he decided to tear down his barns and build bigger barns that would hold more possessions. The bottom line is that his possessions owned him and not the other way around. This young man was trying to fill a space in his life with “stuff” and there was never enough stuff. The rich young ruler thought that accumulated wealth would bring him happiness.

Jesus’ message is so different. Jesus tells us that life is more than food, clothing and stuff. These are temporal things. These things will pass away and will have to be replaced. The love of Jesus is eternal. Once we are in a relationship with Jesus the holes in our lives begin to fill up with his love, grace, forgiveness and tender mercies and the need for so many temporal things changes. We need to spend our lives seeking the kingdom of God first and live for eternity. When we do that, the holes we are trying to fill ourselves with - the things of this earth - will be filled with joy and peace. Then we really learn what ownership is all about. With God, what we own is not what is important, it is what we offer back to Him for His use and good purpose that is important. It is time to clean out the closet!

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. When you pray tonight pray for those who do not have and see what you can share. 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.