Thursday a.m.

Good morning! I hope your week is going well. Today is sermon prep day for me, so that will be my focus most of the day. I will do some hill repeats, here in a little while. It will be good to get them in before the weather gets too crazy. Tomorrow is an off day from running, so I will get on the bike trainer in my basement for an hour or so, plus I will do my 3rd core workout of the week. I've expanded that (the workout not my core), making it a little more difficult.

Yesterday I went to Clarksville to see a family surrounding a loved one who was passing from this life. He completed his journey around 5.30 last night. On the way back home, I stopped in Salem to see a guy in the nursing home there. He was doing well. Then it was on to see someone else, followed by some more study and prep for class last night.

Last night in class we talked about Genesis 1. Wow, there is so much to consider! So many questions and so few answers, but, by faith, it is the beginning of God's Story, which is the beginning of our story. Where you stand determines what you see, and where you stand in regard to (any) story determines how you live. I think the problem we have is that we try to fit God's story into ours as one compartment in our compartmentalized lives.

God's story says, "You start here, and then you will make sense of your story and your world. No compartmentalization required! It's all mine." But it takes faith. In fact, any governing story requires some kind of faith. I am going to put my faith in God's story and accept it, even with all the unanswered questions. Isn't that the essence of faith - to trust God in spite of doubt that is found in the context of unanswered questions?

Hebrews 11:1-3,6

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.