A Norvell Note 

March 1 – Vol. 30 No. 08

March 1, 1953

What were you doing seventy-three years ago today?

Many of you were not alive, and you who were had no idea, or interest in the fact that in the wee hours of the morning in Hope, Arkansas, I took my first breath. At least that is what I assume from my knowledge of childbirth. 

I’m not writing about my 73^rd birthday, so you will send me a gift. But if you insist, I will gladly supply you with my Venmo account information.

I am thinking of March 1, 1953, and how grateful I am that, shortly after that day, my mother (probably before) began telling me the story of Jesus and what it means to be part of His family. From that day forward, I learned from the words my mother spoke to and into me, from the life she and the examples of following Jesus most of the rest of my family lived in front of me. 

I am grateful that my mother loved the Lord and loved me enough same desire in her children to do the same.

March 1, 1973, is a day of celebration, not so much for me as for the heritage of faith that began when my mother gave birth to me 73 years ago. 

I love you.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2026 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

A Norvell Note 

February 22 – Vol. 30 No. 07

A Living Sacrifice

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1, NIV)

What if we, as Eugene Peterson said in The Message, “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”

At times in my life, I have spent many hours trying to determine what the Lord wants me to do. As a young adult, but not just as a young adult, I often prayed, “Lord, do You want me to do with my life?” “Lord, what is Your will for my life?” I have agonized over that question. 

I have counseled countless people as they have tried to determine the Lord’s will for their lives. “Lord, where do you want me to go to college, what do You want me do for a career, do You want me to be married or remain single?” 

When I have faced ministry changes, health decisions, and what to do in the second and now third seasons of my life, I have sought God and asked Him to show me His will for my life. He has provided wisdom, and I’ve tried to follow His leading. He has guided me through all those decisions and given me the strength to do whatever I’ve chosen. 

His response has always been the same. “Tom, love me with your whole heart and give me your life as a living sacrifice, and do whatever you choose. I will bless you and be with you wherever you go. If you choose to serve me as a minister, counselor, writer, teacher, full-time parent, or in the medical field, I will be with you. You are likely to face struggles and trials no matter what you do, but I’ll be with you, and together we’ll get through them. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake, or two, or many, just live a good life that brings glory to our Father. If you forget, get confused, or get off track, remember my words, start over if you need to, and keep following me. You will be fine. I love you whatever you do. 

Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Mic 6:8, NIV)

“Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.” Live confidently and know you are doing the will of God.

I love you.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2026 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

February 15 – Vol. 30 No. 06

Fix Your Attention on God

A lot is going on in the world these days. Surprise! I bet you did not know that. We wonder what is going on in the world. With a simple push of a button, you can receive multiple suggestions about who you should be and how you should live your life. There are days when I am overwhelmed by the life-choice proposals. 

Paul spent the first eleven chapters of Romans explaining that the most important decision in life is our response to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, in the first 2 verses of Chapter 12, he explains how and why we should make that decision. 

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you and respond quickly. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), Ro 12:1–2.)

First, fix your eyes on God. Considering all that God has done for us, keep your eyes on Him and give Him your full attention and energy. Let His work and the gift of His Son for our salvation consume us. (This sounds a little like Hebrews 12.) Then, He explains why.

Fixing our attention on God’s grace and mercy can help clear our thinking and drown out other voices and options.

Fixing our attention on God can help us recognize when we become too comfortable with the culture we live in. It is easy for us to fall into old habits and drift into new ones. 

Fixing our attention on God can help us readily understand what He wants from us and respond quickly. Maybe it is not as difficult as we think. 

As we go through the days ahead, let’s remember to intentionally fix our attention on God, trusting that His guidance brings clarity and peace amidst the noise and distractions of life. By keeping our focus on Him, we allow His love and wisdom to shape our decisions and nurture our hearts. May you find encouragement and strength as you embrace this perspective throughout the week.

I love you.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2026 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

A Norvell Note 

February 8 – Vol. 30 No. 05

Not How I Planned It

The snow did not come as predicted. The article was not finished. The medical test results were not as clear as we had hoped. The marriage did not survive. The child chose a different path than what we hoped, then moved back home. You said things or did something that you wish you could take back. Your candidate did not win. The dream job turned out to be a nightmare. We lost the game. The friendship turned toxic. The church was cold and full of cliques.

That’s not how I planned it.

Disappointment. David Jeremiah describes disappointment as “an unavoidable part of living—whether it stems from others’ failures or your own.” To avoid it, we will have to withdraw from living. Most will agree there are better options. Life does not always go according to our plans, so how do we deal with it? 

Try to see the disappointment from God’s perspective. He is in control, whether it seems that way or not. Spend time expressing your sadness and frustration. He is aware of it and understands it. Ask for His help in dealing with the disappointment, and accept it when it comes. That will not take all the pain away, but it prevents you from getting sidetracked from your sense of purpose. 

Ask God what He wants you to learn from the experience. There’s always something to learn. God’s lesson may be as simple and difficult as, “Keep trusting Me.” 

Move on. Grieve the loss, but don’t wallow in your grief longer than you need to. Acknowledge it and do what you need to do – seek help, be honest with your grief – but don’t quit. Search for another church. Be open to new relationships. Ask for forgiveness. Offer forgiveness. Keep living a good life. 

I try to be hopeful. If the weather forecaster says it’s going to snow (or, with our dry conditions, rain), I get my hopes up. When it does not happen, I get disappointed. Suppose someone makes a promise, I tend to believe them. If they fail to keep the promise, I am disappointed, sometimes angry, and always sad. When I mess up, I am disappointed, often angry, and always sad.

Life is not always going to go as we plan or hope. I have learned that life’s disappointments are only if I get bitter and quit trying to learn from them and stop trying to improve the life God wants me to live. 

“The thief (maybe disappointment) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10, NIV)

Keep living the full life God has planned for you. 

I love you.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2026 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.