Posts
Happy Tuesday!!
Today is Groundhog Day. We celebrate and study this famed little rodent on my classroom each year. I have a small stuffed groundhog that lives in a Gevalia coffee box and hibernates under my reading table most of the year. He makes his appearance to check for his shadow on each February 2. Today in Gobbler’s Knob, PA, Puxatawney Phil saw his shadow, but in Fort Worth, Texas this morning, our groundhog, Murray, did not. So, we will see if there will be an early spring.
Exodus 16:4 “I will cause a flood to fall like rain from the sky for all of you. Every day the people must go out and gather what they need for that day.”
God delivered the nation of Israel from slavery. He led them across the desert with a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. He provided manna which they ate for forty years. God provided each of the House of Israel with what they needed to keep themselves fed and safe as they traveled across the desert to Mount Sinai. He gave them only one instruction concerning the manna, ”Only take what you need for the day.” Why did God tell the House of Israel to only take enough for the day? God wanted to teach the nation of Israel to trust Him.
We may not be the nation of Israel, but we are still held captive by our own lack of trust in God. God showed the Hebrews day after day and night after night that He was taking care of them in so many ways. Still there were those who did not trust God. They took more manna than they needed for one days worth of sustenance. When they went to use it the next day, they found it to be spoiled and unfit for consumption.
Just throwing this out there…How has God taken care of us? What has God done for us day after day and night after night without fail?
First, He has loved us unconditionally through Jesus and that will never change. Next, God has walked the deserts with us because He promised to never leave us or forsake us. God chooses to walk with us out of His love for us. God chooses to walk the journey with us and experience everything the journey holds. And when the path gets really rough and we are exhausted, He carries us. God gives us strength for the day. He gives us strength for the day because He wants to take care of tomorrow.
So my dear friends, walk in joy with the Father this day and gather the strength He offers. The strength of God will walk us safely across any desert.
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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Happy Monday! Happy February!
I hope this day finds you well and warm. At this time each year my classroom studies Groundhog Day. There is some very interesting science to the legend. I think the people in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, celebrate this old legend just to get hammered. They drag poor Phil out of his climate controlled apartment to see if the sun is shining or it the weather is cloudy. He is the sleepiest groundhog and would most likely just rather not!
Tonight I am writing in thanksgiving and great joy for Jeremy Brewer. He and his wife Addie are the directors of the Praise Team at our church. Jeremy was accepted to medical school this morning and the best part is that he will be doing his studies in Fort Worth! We have been praying for months as he has traveled all over the state doing interviews for different medical schools. We would have wished him well and Godspeed had he been called to study elsewhere, but we are so glad that he and Addie will remain here and do not have to move.
Jeremy leads a life of surrender and I feel fairly certain that this verse is written on his heart. Rick Warren says, “Don’t be afraid; nothing under His control can ever be out of control.”
James 4:7 “Give yourselves completely to God.”
Wow! Now there is a statement. Such a brief statement and yet it is the hardest passage for us to attain. God gave us the gift of free will. We can choose. I would love to tell you that I live a completely surrendered life, but NOT!! There are times I live more surrendered than others. When things are going well I give thanks, but I tend to rely more on me and a bit less on the One who loves me and knows what is best for me. When the road is rocky and filled with pot holes, valleys, and mountains to climb (lessons to learn), I seem to cling to the Father in faith and dependence on Him to see me safely to whatever destination set before me or teaching me the lessons I need to learn. It is sort of like the nation of Israel when they walked out of Egypt.
The Hebrew people were led from their captivity by the constant presence of God. God led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God took care of them by night and day. God never left their sides or went out of their sight. They surrendered themselves over to God and trusted that He would bring them to the place He promised. Not the place for which they asked necessarily, but the place that He had prepared for them.
God does the same for us each day. When we surrender ourselves over to the One Who knows us best and loves us most then He can do His greatest work, because we are free from fear, free from regrets, free from our past and free from our sin. God can then lead us to where He wants us to go to do what His will desires for our lives. We will then have attained the “High calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The best part is that God will never ask us to make this journey alone. God goes with us each step of the way. Praise God for His love for each of us.
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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
I hope this day finds you well and warm. At this time each year my classroom studies Groundhog Day. There is some very interesting science to the legend. I think the people in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, celebrate this old legend just to get hammered. They drag poor Phil out of his climate controlled apartment to see if the sun is shining or it the weather is cloudy. He is the sleepiest groundhog and would most likely just rather not!
Tonight I am writing in thanksgiving and great joy for Jeremy Brewer. He and his wife Addie are the directors of the Praise Team at our church. Jeremy was accepted to medical school this morning and the best part is that he will be doing his studies in Fort Worth! We have been praying for months as he has traveled all over the state doing interviews for different medical schools. We would have wished him well and Godspeed had he been called to study elsewhere, but we are so glad that he and Addie will remain here and do not have to move.
Jeremy leads a life of surrender and I feel fairly certain that this verse is written on his heart. Rick Warren says, “Don’t be afraid; nothing under His control can ever be out of control.”
James 4:7 “Give yourselves completely to God.”
Wow! Now there is a statement. Such a brief statement and yet it is the hardest passage for us to attain. God gave us the gift of free will. We can choose. I would love to tell you that I live a completely surrendered life, but NOT!! There are times I live more surrendered than others. When things are going well I give thanks, but I tend to rely more on me and a bit less on the One who loves me and knows what is best for me. When the road is rocky and filled with pot holes, valleys, and mountains to climb (lessons to learn), I seem to cling to the Father in faith and dependence on Him to see me safely to whatever destination set before me or teaching me the lessons I need to learn. It is sort of like the nation of Israel when they walked out of Egypt.
The Hebrew people were led from their captivity by the constant presence of God. God led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God took care of them by night and day. God never left their sides or went out of their sight. They surrendered themselves over to God and trusted that He would bring them to the place He promised. Not the place for which they asked necessarily, but the place that He had prepared for them.
God does the same for us each day. When we surrender ourselves over to the One Who knows us best and loves us most then He can do His greatest work, because we are free from fear, free from regrets, free from our past and free from our sin. God can then lead us to where He wants us to go to do what His will desires for our lives. We will then have attained the “High calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The best part is that God will never ask us to make this journey alone. God goes with us each step of the way. Praise God for His love for each of us.
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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Blessed Sunday to you all!
Worship this morning was held in Luther Hall due to construction in our sanctuary. Luther Hall is our multi-purpose building which houses Sunday School classrooms, the kitchen and a large gymnasium. The gym was set up with the stage area for the band, Praise Team, the Communion Table and in the back were tables. It was a very relaxed atmosphere for worship and I really loved it. I happen to think that this is a wonderful venue for contemporary worship. We will worship there one more week as the sanctuary is being rehabbed.
Luke 4: 16—19 “Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where He had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as He always did, and stood up to read. The book of Isaiah, the prophet, was given to Him. He opened the book and found the place where this is written: “The Lord has put His Spirit in Me, because He appointed Me to tell the Good news to the poor. He has sent me to tell the captives they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again. God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly and to announce the time when the Lord will show His kindness.”
This is a really short sermon. In just a few sentences Jesus announces his identity and His mission. Jesus has just come from His temptation in the desert by Satan. It is now time to begin the ministry for which he was created. If you read a bit further in the passage Jesus tells the worshipers in the synagogue that “While you heard these words just now, they were coming true.”
Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Just as He had done each Sabbath day for his entire life He attended synagogue and took His place among the people Today was His day to read the scripture passage. Jesus knew that today of all days it would mean more than just reading the scripture passage to those in worship, but it would be the starting place for the final walk to the cross. He told those who had known Him since He came to Nazareth as a boy who He was and what His intentions were.
Jesus told those in worship that the scripture was fulfilled in Him: Jesus. Then Jesus said that He had come to give sight to the blind, free the captives, bring Good News to the poor and to treat those who have been treated unfairly with kindness and fairness.
I have a picture of this scene in my head. Jesus is sitting near the front and waiting His turn to read. The priests in front of the congregation leading worship and here comes Joseph and Mary’s boy claiming to be God on foot, about to turn their world upside down and perform miraculous feats of healing and turn political beliefs upside down. The priests and worshipers were appalled at these proclamations and tried to take Jesus to the nearest cliff and throw Him over.
Let’s look at this from another view point. It is 2010 and we are seated before Jesus in our houses of worship and Jesus is speaking these words to us. Is there any among us who is not in need of our blindness being healed, our sins being forgiven because we are held captive by them or to be taught how to treat others fairly and with kindness? Is there anyone among us who can honestly say we are not in need of God’s grace? When we are face to face with Christ blinded by our sin, held captive by our own will and honestly look at the ways we have treated others do we just want to rid ourselves of the One who can free us from all of our guilt, shame and sin or do we bow at His feet and cry forgiveness and mercy because of his love for us?
It is a brand new week and a great time to begin again. This God of ours through Jesus is the God of the second chance and many, many more chances. Pray for forgiveness and mercy and ask God to teach each of us how to be like Jesus.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you, 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.
PS The church that burned down is Saginaw Park Baptist Church in Saginaw, Texas. gc
Worship this morning was held in Luther Hall due to construction in our sanctuary. Luther Hall is our multi-purpose building which houses Sunday School classrooms, the kitchen and a large gymnasium. The gym was set up with the stage area for the band, Praise Team, the Communion Table and in the back were tables. It was a very relaxed atmosphere for worship and I really loved it. I happen to think that this is a wonderful venue for contemporary worship. We will worship there one more week as the sanctuary is being rehabbed.
Luke 4: 16—19 “Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where He had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as He always did, and stood up to read. The book of Isaiah, the prophet, was given to Him. He opened the book and found the place where this is written: “The Lord has put His Spirit in Me, because He appointed Me to tell the Good news to the poor. He has sent me to tell the captives they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again. God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly and to announce the time when the Lord will show His kindness.”
This is a really short sermon. In just a few sentences Jesus announces his identity and His mission. Jesus has just come from His temptation in the desert by Satan. It is now time to begin the ministry for which he was created. If you read a bit further in the passage Jesus tells the worshipers in the synagogue that “While you heard these words just now, they were coming true.”
Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Just as He had done each Sabbath day for his entire life He attended synagogue and took His place among the people Today was His day to read the scripture passage. Jesus knew that today of all days it would mean more than just reading the scripture passage to those in worship, but it would be the starting place for the final walk to the cross. He told those who had known Him since He came to Nazareth as a boy who He was and what His intentions were.
Jesus told those in worship that the scripture was fulfilled in Him: Jesus. Then Jesus said that He had come to give sight to the blind, free the captives, bring Good News to the poor and to treat those who have been treated unfairly with kindness and fairness.
I have a picture of this scene in my head. Jesus is sitting near the front and waiting His turn to read. The priests in front of the congregation leading worship and here comes Joseph and Mary’s boy claiming to be God on foot, about to turn their world upside down and perform miraculous feats of healing and turn political beliefs upside down. The priests and worshipers were appalled at these proclamations and tried to take Jesus to the nearest cliff and throw Him over.
Let’s look at this from another view point. It is 2010 and we are seated before Jesus in our houses of worship and Jesus is speaking these words to us. Is there any among us who is not in need of our blindness being healed, our sins being forgiven because we are held captive by them or to be taught how to treat others fairly and with kindness? Is there anyone among us who can honestly say we are not in need of God’s grace? When we are face to face with Christ blinded by our sin, held captive by our own will and honestly look at the ways we have treated others do we just want to rid ourselves of the One who can free us from all of our guilt, shame and sin or do we bow at His feet and cry forgiveness and mercy because of his love for us?
It is a brand new week and a great time to begin again. This God of ours through Jesus is the God of the second chance and many, many more chances. Pray for forgiveness and mercy and ask God to teach each of us how to be like Jesus.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you, 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.
PS The church that burned down is Saginaw Park Baptist Church in Saginaw, Texas. gc
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Happy Saturday!
My apologies for not writing on last evening. I, who am rarely sick, came down with a ghastly sinus infection causing me pain that I was beginning to believe only amputation could cure. I am much better and looking forward to sharing with you this evening.
Our great niece, Bianca spent the day with us. It was a busy Saturday and she was a joy to have with us. Her dad, our nephew, is the manager of a restaurant and is beginning to work a lot of Saturdays so Bianca will be spending Saturdays with us for the foreseeable future. She is a lovely and delightful young lady (almost 9) and we are looking forward to spending time with her.
Prayer alert!! I received a text message from my principal, Tammy Dugan, telling me that her church, Saginaw Park Baptist in Aledo was burned to the ground last evening. There were several fires set throughout the building. I ask you to pray for this community as they come together in their grief and loss and count on Christ to direct their path.
Romans 6:13 “Give yourselves to God…surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes.”
I don’t know about all singers who sing primarily contemporary Christian music, but I know of some who have a “go to” song when they are really down or when things are really going south or a moment of heartache occurs. For me the song is “In the Name of the Lord.” I go to that song for this one line “And when my plans have fallen through. And when my strength is nearly gone. When there is nothing left to do but just depend on you and the power of Your Name.”
As I try to put myself in the minds and hearts of the worshiping community in Aledo and the loss of their building, I pray they remember that what made them a worshiping community was not the building. What made them a worshiping community was their relationship with God. God is at the heart of their worship and bringing glory to God. Offering ourselves to God is what is at the heart of worship. It will take not only the surrender of the community of faith, but the surrender of each individual that makes up this community. It will take prayer by this community who has experienced this devastating loss, but the prayers of the larger community of believer s in support of this community. Let us join together in our prayers that even though the building is gone, the Spirit of God is still very present in the hearts of those who worship Him in love and in the belief that God will lead them out of the ashes and into a renewed purpose to glorify God in all things.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. See you in worship. 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.
My apologies for not writing on last evening. I, who am rarely sick, came down with a ghastly sinus infection causing me pain that I was beginning to believe only amputation could cure. I am much better and looking forward to sharing with you this evening.
Our great niece, Bianca spent the day with us. It was a busy Saturday and she was a joy to have with us. Her dad, our nephew, is the manager of a restaurant and is beginning to work a lot of Saturdays so Bianca will be spending Saturdays with us for the foreseeable future. She is a lovely and delightful young lady (almost 9) and we are looking forward to spending time with her.
Prayer alert!! I received a text message from my principal, Tammy Dugan, telling me that her church, Saginaw Park Baptist in Aledo was burned to the ground last evening. There were several fires set throughout the building. I ask you to pray for this community as they come together in their grief and loss and count on Christ to direct their path.
Romans 6:13 “Give yourselves to God…surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes.”
I don’t know about all singers who sing primarily contemporary Christian music, but I know of some who have a “go to” song when they are really down or when things are really going south or a moment of heartache occurs. For me the song is “In the Name of the Lord.” I go to that song for this one line “And when my plans have fallen through. And when my strength is nearly gone. When there is nothing left to do but just depend on you and the power of Your Name.”
As I try to put myself in the minds and hearts of the worshiping community in Aledo and the loss of their building, I pray they remember that what made them a worshiping community was not the building. What made them a worshiping community was their relationship with God. God is at the heart of their worship and bringing glory to God. Offering ourselves to God is what is at the heart of worship. It will take not only the surrender of the community of faith, but the surrender of each individual that makes up this community. It will take prayer by this community who has experienced this devastating loss, but the prayers of the larger community of believer s in support of this community. Let us join together in our prayers that even though the building is gone, the Spirit of God is still very present in the hearts of those who worship Him in love and in the belief that God will lead them out of the ashes and into a renewed purpose to glorify God in all things.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. See you in worship. 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.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Happy Thursday!
Baby, it’s cold and wet outside. I am grateful for the warmth of our home. It is not only warm from the heaters in each room, but warm from the family that sat around the table tonight and laughed over scrambled eggs and bacon for dinner. I got to share a joy tonight at dinner. I got an A on my first paper in my class at Brite. This class is so much more enjoyable than last semester.
Hosea 11:9 “I am the Holy One and I am among you.”
Tonight in my class on the Book of Common Prayer we were presented with a case study about inclusive language. Inclusive language is one of those politically correct entities that is filtering down through all areas of our lives. Inclusive language is supposed to give names to God that are gender neutral. So we began to list some other names for God that would not name God with “He.” We thought of Savior, Redeemer, Healer, and others.
When I sat down to read my meditations for the evening this scripture verse was within the meditation. I don’t think we thought of “Holy One.” The name Holy One would identify God and then along with the name, the verse tells us where God is…God is with us.
If it ever seems that God is far away we only have to claim this verse to realize that God is the Holy One and God is with us. You see, if you don’t think God is where you are, I am pretty sure God is not the One who moved.
God loves us and wants a relationship with us. This verse reminds us that God is and remains with us no matter what and no matter where we move.
So if a tough road is before you and you need some assurance that God will be with you, fear not…God is already there. Go into battle armed with the promises of God.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, carry an umbrella, count you blessings and say your prayers. Love you, 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.
Baby, it’s cold and wet outside. I am grateful for the warmth of our home. It is not only warm from the heaters in each room, but warm from the family that sat around the table tonight and laughed over scrambled eggs and bacon for dinner. I got to share a joy tonight at dinner. I got an A on my first paper in my class at Brite. This class is so much more enjoyable than last semester.
Hosea 11:9 “I am the Holy One and I am among you.”
Tonight in my class on the Book of Common Prayer we were presented with a case study about inclusive language. Inclusive language is one of those politically correct entities that is filtering down through all areas of our lives. Inclusive language is supposed to give names to God that are gender neutral. So we began to list some other names for God that would not name God with “He.” We thought of Savior, Redeemer, Healer, and others.
When I sat down to read my meditations for the evening this scripture verse was within the meditation. I don’t think we thought of “Holy One.” The name Holy One would identify God and then along with the name, the verse tells us where God is…God is with us.
If it ever seems that God is far away we only have to claim this verse to realize that God is the Holy One and God is with us. You see, if you don’t think God is where you are, I am pretty sure God is not the One who moved.
God loves us and wants a relationship with us. This verse reminds us that God is and remains with us no matter what and no matter where we move.
So if a tough road is before you and you need some assurance that God will be with you, fear not…God is already there. Go into battle armed with the promises of God.
Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, carry an umbrella, count you blessings and say your prayers. Love you, 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.
Happy Wednesday!
Please allow a proud parent moment…Bruce and I proudly announce that Geni has made the Dean’s List at UNT! Again! She messaged me at school to tell me the news. I was so proud and excited for her. She has worked really hard and deserves this wonderful recognition. Way to go baby girl!!
Romans 12:1 “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is true worship that you should offer.”
At Advent Lutheran Church there are electrical as well as heating and air conditioning repairs going on in the sanctuary. We will be having worship for the next two Sundays in Luther Hall, the large gym and multi-purpose area. Being a member of the Praise Team, I am really excited about this new location to worship with the band and congregation. There are still some logistics to be worked out, but I have full confidence in Jeremy and Addie to make all things well before our arrival on Sunday.
But tonight I want to share a Holy moment. Many of my holy moments happen in music. Tonight was no exception. One of my favorite songs is Revelation Song. The song features a beautiful soloist singing three of the verses with the team joining her on the chorus. Tonight in rehearsal as she sang the verses to the song, the passion she poured into the beautiful words of this song caused the praise team to miss our entrance and forget to sing when it was our turn. Addie stopped us and said we were all sitting there with our eyes toward heaven and completely caught up in the holy moment of this piece. The tears began to flow as we struggled to get back into the song and the moment of worship that happened in rehearsal had taken us to another place.
Worship is not just done with our lips and voices. Worship happens each time we respond to the call of Christ in our lives. When it comes to worship, we need to understand that it is not just a spectator sport. Sometimes those who lead worship forget to worship. For some it becomes a job or a service instead of surrendering to the holy moments worship can provide.
Tonight the praise team worshiped as we offered up the sacrifice of praise during rehearsal. It was such a powerful moment that we asked to sing the piece again in Luther Hall as we prepared for Sunday morning. No matter where we are in our lives and daily let us never pass up a chance to worship with our lips, our voices, our service and our prayers. Don’t let a holy moment pass you by.
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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
PS A funny moment happened when we were singing the Revelation Song and we missed our entrance, Addie told us to not forget to sing! We laughed hysterically for about five minutes. Take joy…gc
Please allow a proud parent moment…Bruce and I proudly announce that Geni has made the Dean’s List at UNT! Again! She messaged me at school to tell me the news. I was so proud and excited for her. She has worked really hard and deserves this wonderful recognition. Way to go baby girl!!
Romans 12:1 “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is true worship that you should offer.”
At Advent Lutheran Church there are electrical as well as heating and air conditioning repairs going on in the sanctuary. We will be having worship for the next two Sundays in Luther Hall, the large gym and multi-purpose area. Being a member of the Praise Team, I am really excited about this new location to worship with the band and congregation. There are still some logistics to be worked out, but I have full confidence in Jeremy and Addie to make all things well before our arrival on Sunday.
But tonight I want to share a Holy moment. Many of my holy moments happen in music. Tonight was no exception. One of my favorite songs is Revelation Song. The song features a beautiful soloist singing three of the verses with the team joining her on the chorus. Tonight in rehearsal as she sang the verses to the song, the passion she poured into the beautiful words of this song caused the praise team to miss our entrance and forget to sing when it was our turn. Addie stopped us and said we were all sitting there with our eyes toward heaven and completely caught up in the holy moment of this piece. The tears began to flow as we struggled to get back into the song and the moment of worship that happened in rehearsal had taken us to another place.
Worship is not just done with our lips and voices. Worship happens each time we respond to the call of Christ in our lives. When it comes to worship, we need to understand that it is not just a spectator sport. Sometimes those who lead worship forget to worship. For some it becomes a job or a service instead of surrendering to the holy moments worship can provide.
Tonight the praise team worshiped as we offered up the sacrifice of praise during rehearsal. It was such a powerful moment that we asked to sing the piece again in Luther Hall as we prepared for Sunday morning. No matter where we are in our lives and daily let us never pass up a chance to worship with our lips, our voices, our service and our prayers. Don’t let a holy moment pass you by.
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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
PS A funny moment happened when we were singing the Revelation Song and we missed our entrance, Addie told us to not forget to sing! We laughed hysterically for about five minutes. Take joy…gc
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Happy Tuesday!
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Psalm 33:11 “God’s plans endure forever; His purposes last eternally.”
It seems that God continues to teach me about keeping continuously in His presence. In my daily devotion the meditations are dwelling on keeping God uppermost in my thoughts no matter what is going on. The first phrase of tonight’s devotion is “keep your Spirit-life calm and unruffled.” That says to me that no matter what is going on around me that I am to focus on God for guidance and leave all cares to Him.
When we enter into a relationship with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ it is a relationship that goes beyond this earth. That means that each choice we make while on the earth has rewards or consequences. So it causes me the think about what I hold important and how I go about making decisions. So in my prayer time I am praying to remember to go to God first when making not just important and big decisions, but the small ones throughout the day. The meditation called this “living in the light of eternity.” I need to look past what is temporary and focus on what will last forever.
The things of this world will not matter when I stand before the throne of grace in the light of God’s Holiness. What will last forever will be the way I have treated others. What will last forever is the way I have reflected the love of God to those around me. Have I treated those I have come in contact with Godly love? Have I shown the love of God to friends, family and strangers? And have I shared the message of God’s love and grace through Jesus when the opportunity presented itself?
Okay, so do we live in the “light of eternity”? Eternity begins when we enter into the relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Give it some thought and 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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Psalm 33:11 “God’s plans endure forever; His purposes last eternally.”
It seems that God continues to teach me about keeping continuously in His presence. In my daily devotion the meditations are dwelling on keeping God uppermost in my thoughts no matter what is going on. The first phrase of tonight’s devotion is “keep your Spirit-life calm and unruffled.” That says to me that no matter what is going on around me that I am to focus on God for guidance and leave all cares to Him.
When we enter into a relationship with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ it is a relationship that goes beyond this earth. That means that each choice we make while on the earth has rewards or consequences. So it causes me the think about what I hold important and how I go about making decisions. So in my prayer time I am praying to remember to go to God first when making not just important and big decisions, but the small ones throughout the day. The meditation called this “living in the light of eternity.” I need to look past what is temporary and focus on what will last forever.
The things of this world will not matter when I stand before the throne of grace in the light of God’s Holiness. What will last forever will be the way I have treated others. What will last forever is the way I have reflected the love of God to those around me. Have I treated those I have come in contact with Godly love? Have I shown the love of God to friends, family and strangers? And have I shared the message of God’s love and grace through Jesus when the opportunity presented itself?
Okay, so do we live in the “light of eternity”? Eternity begins when we enter into the relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Give it some thought and 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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
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