Tuesday, December 9, 2008

What a day!! First, I spent the day with 67 first graders and 25 adults on the Tarantula Train that had been transformed into the North Pole Express. (The Tarantula train is a narrow gauge train that goes from Fort Worth to Grapevine, Texas.) The inspiration for this event is based on the book The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. It is a wonderful Christmas book and I highly recommend it to be added to your family library if you don’t already have it. We (teachers, students and parents) all dressed in our pajamas and robes, sang songs, listened to stories and had a visit from Santa all while riding the steam engine train in Fort Worth. So cool!!

And then tonight Bruce and I attended the Lamar Choir Holiday Concert. The choirs sang beautifully. It was a wonderful concert. It will most likely be our last Lamar Holiday concert to attend as Travis is graduating this year. We have been attending these concerts for almost 10 years. Casey, Geni and Travis were all a part of the LHS choir program from the time they were freshmen. What a wonderful way to spend an evening.

Mom update: I spoke with her today and she sounded wonderful. She is still in the hospital and says she feels really good. She says all systems are back in balance and she is waiting to go home. I hope she gets to go home soon. She and daddy are getting pretty lonesome for each other.

Deb Koplen update: she had radiation yesterday and a blood transfusion today. I am not sure what her blood type is, but she will need blood from time to time. I plan to donate blood on Saturday. I will ask Carter Blood Care about setting up an account so that Deb can receive the credits for blood donations.

Psalm 27: 14 says, “Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.” November 1, 2007, Casey and I were in DFW Regional Airport going to Houston for Casey’s admission to MD Anderson Cancer Hospital. The tickets had been donated by a co-worker of my Aunt Linda. We arrived at the airport and tried to get moved into first class due to Casey’s enlarged hip and the larger seats in first class would have made the flight far more comfortable. We had orders from Doc Adams to present for an upgrade to first class, but there were no seats available. I began to pray for God to make a way when there seemed to be no way. I saw the flight crew by the gate and went and presented our problem to them. They began to work the problem.

The crew boarded us last and placed us in the front row just behind first class in seats where the arm rest could be raised to provide extra hip room for Casey and I could sit in the seat next to him. Then our flight attendant, realizing the pain Casey was in, came by and said as soon as the flight leveled off then Casey could stand and be more comfortable. Then they called ahead to Houston and had an ambulance meet us on the tarmac. As soon as we landed Casey and I were swiftly taken to the hospital. What we had hoped for did not occur, but what God made happen was the first step in a journey of a thousand steps. It was our first step into the place of surrender into the hands of a saving God. Casey and I waited for God to lead us through each step of the journey and ultimately into the journey for the next year.

The lessons learned during the last year are lessons that will stay with me for the rest of my life. These lessons have become embedded in my daily living. God is always present. God may not always answer or provide an immediate solution to our problems or situations but if we ask He will answer and provide the answer or solution that is best for us even. Maybe when an answer does not come immediately then God is telling us that there is a better solution and to wait for His intervention and guidance. We are so used to immediate gratification that when we are not immediately satisfied then we go ahead with our own will and do not wait for the perfect will of God to make the way for us. The scripture says, “Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.” This must be a pretty important lesson because the instructions are given twice in the same sentence.

The students in my classroom this year are extremely talkative. In fact they are so talkative that they don’t listen very well. The situation was getting so difficult that I had to do something. I implemented a new set of instructions. In very large letters on a piece of chart paper I wrote: When Mrs. Chrystie gives instructions…1. STOP TALKING! 2. LISTEN TO DIRECTIONS. 3. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. I repeat these instructions throughout the day.

Do you think this is what God is telling us when we don’t listen? We live in a microwave, drive-through, online, instant message, text messaging satisfy-me-right-now world. How dare God tell us to have courage and wait?! Maybe I need to post these words in my car, at my desk, throughout the house and anywhere I need to stop, wait and listen to what God has planned and then be courageous enough to wait for His perfect will to be worked in my life. Sounds like a journey to me.

Take joy in the journey friends. Love you all and stay warm, 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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