Happy Monday! This begins the first week since the Christmas holiday that we will have a full week of school. Up until now all of the weeks in January have been four-day school weeks. I admit I could get used to a four-day week.

This evening I went to the funeral home for the viewing of our friend Deb Koplen. It was really nice to see our friends from St. John Lutheran in Grand Prairie. All three of our children were baptized there. Pastor Thomas McCrone was the pastor when we were members and he will conduct the service tomorrow. And I believe Deb was the assisting minister at their baptisms and at their confirmations. There were a lot of people at the visitation. People from church, Verizon( where Deb was employed), neighbors and the City of Grand Prairie where she was instrumental in the construction of the city’s dog park were all in attendance to honor Ms. Deb Koplen. There is a lovely plaque dedicated to Deb from the City of Grand Prairie on display commemorating her efforts in the park’s creation. I believe the words “voracious tenacity” were used to describe her actions in this project. Deb will be missed by many people.

Isaiah 54:13-14 says, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the prosperity of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.”

Last night I had a bit of trouble sleeping. I got caught up in prayer for Geni and Travis and it seemed as if God would not let me rest until He had gotten His message across to me. I was remembering their baptisms and their confirmations, their Happening experiences as participants, staff and leaders and remembering that they did all of these things with their brother Casey. As I watch them grow in so many ways I know they are very close to being out on their own and making their own decisions, choices and plans and living their own lives apart from Bruce and I. My prayer for them was that Christ would continue to grow in them and when they make their decisions, choices and plans that they will call and depend on Christ as they leave this home and make homes of their own. I also prayed that I had done and will continue to do a good job of showing them Christ in our home.

Then this morning I got in my car to drive to school and the scripture from Isaiah was the meditation for the morning. I could not believe it. It was like God was saying to me, “Gaylene, your children are in My care. I promise to teach them and prosper them I will not take My eyes off of them. So there on I-30 I gave thanks to God for His Holy Word and surrendered my children once again to the care and keeping of God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They were His children before he loaned them to Bruce and I. I gave thanks for Geni and Travis and for the love of Christ that is within each of them. And that God would choose me to be their mother. I am so blessed.

So friends, pray these verses over your children and claim them under the power of God’s Holy Word. I felt so much better after praying these verses and putting Geni and Travis names in the place of the word “children.” I am pretty sure I will sleep better tonight. Raising children is a journey into the unknown. There are moments when joy may not be easy to find, but there are also moments of indescribable and prolonged joy.

Claim the love of Christ in your own heart, pray the love of Christ over your children and then…take joy in the journey.

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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