Happy Wednesday, this Thanksgiving Eve. It has been a busy day. I spent the morning at the hospital with our friend Deb. She had a biopsy yesterday evening, but no definitive results as yet. So for now she is receiving pain medication and some medication for back spasms. The one thing I am sure of is that Doc Adams will not begin treatment until he knows exactly what to treat. Deb had several visitors today and Geni and Travis arrived with her favorite drink from Starbucks. Hopefully by Friday there will be results from the biopsy and treatment can begin. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

Tomorrow we will travel to Allen, Texas to spend Thanksgiving with our family. I have lost count of how many are expected for lunch, but I think it is 25 plus. We are looking forward to the day.

Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” As I ponder the Thanksgiving holiday I am reminded of how much I have and how I do not live in want for too many things. Tomorrow I will look upon the tables full of deliciously prepared food. Prepared by my Mom, aunts, my brother and sister-in-law and some by me and know I am not in want for food. I will be surrounded by my favorite people on the planet; Those who have known and loved me all of my life and those that I will bring to the gathering, Bruce, Geni and Travis, and I will not want for love. My Dad, my brother or I will deliver the grace before we eat and thank God not just for the bounty on the table, but for all who are gathered together and ask for the continued blessings on our family and thanks for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I will not want for the Savior and His grace. And even though our family is down by one member this year, I will not want for the knowledge of where Casey is and how he is doing. I know Casey is happy. His fondest wish was to be home for Thanksgiving this year. He is not at 811 Austin St. except in our memories, the gallery on Bruce’s and my desks and the slide show on our computers, but he is home. Casey returned to his creator and heavenly Father and sits at the Table of Thanksgiving every day. As I thought so much about him today and the Thanksgiving spent last year in “The Park” at MDA, with a meal prepared by Luby’s and shared with another family. I will always remember our late friend Dave’s blessing which said, “Lord we are not thankful for why we are here, but we are glad we are here.” I will not be in want for hope.

Instead I am remembering a more modern writing of this psalm which says, “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything that I need.” I have all I need because Christ who died for me has supplied all of my needs. God gave His Son so that I might have not only everlasting life, life beyond the earth, but abundant life while on the earth. God gave me the ability to work and cook so that my family and I would never know hunger. God gave me a companion for life in Bruce, so that I would not only be able to make music, but live and love in perfect harmony. God gave me my family; the family that raised me and the family He gave me to raise so that I would be taught unconditional love and be able to love my own family with the same unconditional love.

So even though this Thanksgiving is laced with sadness and gladness, we have much to be thankful for. We are so very thankful to all of you for all of your prayerful, thoughtful, heartfelt and constant support throughout the last year. It has been like living in and with a “great cloud of witnesses” during the most difficult year we have ever spent. Our prayer for you is that you have the most amazing Thanksgiving ever and know that the Chrysties are praying for you and giving thanks to God for His abundant grace, His eternal love and everlasting grace found in you our friends.

We 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.