Blessed Sunday to you all!

This morning during worship I was honored to receive two scholarships. One of the scholarships was from the Women of Advent. I was awarded the Myrtice Larson Scholarship. This extraordinary woman was a public educator for 40 years and has been working at leading the Texas Retired Teachers Association. She is just shy of 90 years old and she presented me personally with this scholarship. She greeted me with a strong warm hug and began to speak. It took all I had to control my emotions as she was escorted by two women to stand beside me in front of the congregation.

She challenged each of us to continue to support the practices of education and support those who are learning and leading in the classroom. Her legacy is quite amazing. She has taught grades 1 through 12 throughout her career and has an Arlington Elementary School named for her. I was standing in the presence of a woman who knew what it meant to be determined and hard working and knew the power of endurance to reach a goal. She was equipped with a notepad full of notes so she would not forget what she needed to say and then challenged each of us to stand on our faith and move forward to achieve our goals and to help others achieve theirs.

It was a moment in time I will not forget, for you see, I am the last one to receive this scholarship as the funds from the account have now been depleted. She said that this scholarship has been given to people of different ages, but I am pretty sure I am the elder one to receive this scholarship. Finally, she spoke directly to me and I received her blessing in my studies and hugged me again.

Luke 12: 48 “But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much even more will be required.”

Today I was presented with two gifts that someone or a group of someone’s thought I deserved. Today I received gifts of grace. These gifts were sent to the Cokesbury Bookstore in Fort Worth and paid for my books for this semester. But more than paying for the books, these folks called me to the task of receiving the education to enact the call of pastoral care with full ecclesiastical authority. I am expected to take the money they have given me and not just expand my knowledge and future career. I am now scripturally expected to further the Kingdom of God. They not only are supporting me with their finances, but with their prayers and love.

We have been given so much and we can also help meet the needs of others. We are all called to surround ourselves with those who believe in Jesus so that we may encourage and support one another to further the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus. There are so many ways each of us can help and support each other. We can listen to each other, we can visit, we can pray for each other or we can call one another just to say “Hi, how are you doing?” Christians are known by their love for each other and how they live in the likeness of God.

Step into the likeness of God today receiving His blessings and helping others to learn more about grace by inviting them to join our circle of friends.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all so very much, 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.