Happy Wednesday!

Tonight the praise team sang the Trunk-or-Treat neighborhood celebration at Advent Lutheran Church. The trunks were awesome, the kids and adults were dressed for fun and everyone seemed to have a really good time. This is an outreach activity Advent sponsors each year. The praise team and band played and sang some of our favorites. The crowd became involved in singing and clapping along with us. It was really great!

Prayer: “Lord, may my heart be desperate for a deeper loving relationship with You. Oh, God, help me to never take you for granted, and may I never place my ultimate dependence on anyone but You. Thank You for Your forbearance with me when I allow my mind to drift to all of the “what ifs.” Please draw me close to You and never let me go. I desire to finish well and to live in such a way that You will be glorified in and, yes, through my life. Jesus, I crown You King of my heart this morning. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Psalm 119: 9, 10 “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You. Oh let me not wander from Your commandments.”

One of the practices that is encouraged of pastors and aspiring pastors is to seek spiritual guidance. There are a number of local pastors who are willing to take on the spiritual guidance of seminary students. I attended my first spiritual guidance session today. Believe it or not we need spiritual guidance, too! I am being guided by a woman in whom I have the highest respect. She asked me to name my core beliefs, so I named the Holy Trinity, the virgin birth, that scripture is the inspired Word of God and scripture is where I encounter spiritual truth and instruction.

I think one of the strongest qualities of any Christian’s life is living a life that is moral and upright. When the apostle Paul was training Timothy in spiritual direction he called this action of living a moral life to a priority in 2 Timothy 2:22 “Flee also from youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” The psalmist knew as well as the apostle Paul that it takes obedience to God’s Word to keep his moral life clean before the Lord. I think the way to accomplish this is to read and study God’s Word daily and put it into practice. Another way is to hang around other believers and watch those who are mature in the faith and see how they react to situations or behave out in regular society. Scripture is for lifting up our hearts, comforting us when our hearts are sore, instructing and correcting. I really pray for God to keep me close so that I can be close to Him and lead a life that would be a Bible others would want to read.

I know this may sound silly but when a person is in seminary it is easy for them to lose sight of God with all of the busyness of studying, reading, writing, attending class, attending chapel and other seminars. It is my prayer that I can be like the psalmist would not wander from his Word and continued daily to surrender to God’s Word and will.

So here is the question for the night…Does our busy life, even those who are busy with activities within the church, cause us to lose sight of God and His love for each of us? My prayer for each of us is that God would keep us close and that we would stay close to God.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.

GO RANGERS!

PS Today I studied in the bookstore for about three hours. While I was there I purchased a TCU pink ribbon t-shirt. During the purchase process the clerk asked me if I wanted to sign a flag to put in the display on the campus lawn. I asked for two flags. I signed one flag for Carme as a survivor and my oldest and best friend. I signed the other one for my dear Mamo as she died from breast cancer while in her 80’s. These are two remarkable women who had and still have an extraordinary impact on my life with their brilliant smiles, courage and faith. I give thanks daily for these two precious women who each in their own ways are and were survivors. Peace, gc