Happy Tuesday!

Today for me Brite’s Reading Week lived up to its name. I read for most of the day. I am hoping to complete the reading tomorrow and begin the writing the paper on Thursday. Please continue to hold me up in prayer as I continue to honor God’s call.

Prayer: “Lord, as I begin this new day, thank You for the gift of a good night’s sleep as well as the opportunity of a new day. I want to simply say that I love You this morning and I praise You for the way You love me unconditionally. Help me to love You more today than yesterday, and even more than ever before. May my heart be fully focused on You today and may I love as a fully devoted follower that unashamedly bears Your witness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Psalm 119: 2 “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.

Tonight we were sitting at dinner and Travis announced that our home was not normal. I asked, “Why do you say that?” He said, “Well, you and Dad have been married for 30 years. You don’t fight or yell at each other. Geni and I get along. And I don’t have many friends who can say those things about their homes.” I was honored that Geni and Travis take pride in their home even if it is not “normal.” Bruce and I have always had as our number one goal since the beginning of our marriage that we would build our home as a household of faith built on the rock of Jesus Christ. We even had that passage of scripture in our wedding ceremony. I came from a family that always operated as a family united and under the banner that family always comes first. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

Jesus once was asked to declare the greatest commandment. His response was Matthew 22: 37, 38 “You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first and great commandment.” For we who are believers in Jesus, nothing is more important than loving Jesus with all of our hearts. Our commitment must be a whole-hearted commitment to the Lord and His Word. The scripture does not say “love the Lord, Your God with part of your heart or only on Sundays at church”. Half-hearted commitment to a relationship will kill the relationship and half-hearted Christianity will damage the Church as it pertains to meeting the needs of a lost and dying world. The commitment God commands of us is all - not part, not some and not maybe. God committed Himself with all of His heart when He sent Jesus to die for us on the cross out of His love for us. Let us commit ourselves to study, work, worship and prayer to this awesome God who loves us so much. He puts us first, let us put Him first.

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.