Happy Wednesday! The life of a first grade teacher is always full of fun things to do. Today we dressed Murray, our Build-a-Bear groundhog in his jammies and placed him in his climate controlled den to hibernate until February 2nd. His climate controlled den is a cardboard Gevalia coffee maker box. He will live under my table until Groundhog’s Day. The kids thought it was fun.

Urgent prayer request. We spent New Year’s with our friends Carme and Dave Russell. While we were there Carme had to have a breast biopsy for a small abnormality. The results came in today and the small mass is malignant. She is meeting with a surgeon tomorrow. She is asking, as are we, that you not only pray for Carme, but her husband Dave and their daughter , Shaleena. I will post progress as I receive news of a plan for surgery and or treatment. These are our oldest and dearest friends. There were Casey’s godparents and since have adopted Geni and Travis as godchildren.

Geni is returning tomorrow. Pray travel mercy for her.

Matthew 6:27 says, “You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” Receiving the news of Carme’s diagnosis hit really hard. She is an amazing woman. She and I are about as opposite as two people can be and yet we have been close friends for almost 30 years. She is the one who stayed with Casey in Houston when I had to come back to work. She has the heart of a servant and an extreme passion for those whom she loves and counts as family. I could not believe the scripture lesson I opened to tonight. Of course I am worried about her. And I am scared for her. But I know that fear and worry are not from God. I think God would expect us to be concerned, but worry is not our job. God takes care of His children. Tonight, I attended Praise Team rehearsal. Our new piece we were given tonight is called, “Thank You for the Valleys.” One of the lines in the piece says, “But there are times when the road ahead leads through the valley of despair. Then you take my hand saying, “Follow Me, my child. You are in my care.”

So, tonight, I claim these words for Carme. I know Carme has already surrendered herself over to the care and keeping and the perfect healing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I think she is more worried about Dave than she is herself. When we spoke earlier this evening she said she was ready for the prayer warrior alert and to make sure and place Dave’s name in the list also.

Proverbs 2:6 says, “Only the Lord gives wisdom; He gives knowledge and understanding.” My prayer is that God will place Carme with physicians who are people of faith, superior in their craft and that God would equip them with knowledge, wisdom and understanding. God, through His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit gives, not makes us earn, but gives us wisdom, knowledge and understanding. We do not have to be physicians, or scientists, or scholars to receive these gifts from God. We just have to be willing to receive what God so desires to give to us. Then we take the gifts God has so kindly and generously given and share them with others.

Everyone is facing some kind of battle or is closely connected with someone who is fighting some kind of fight. Let us try not to worry, but stay close so they do not walk the journey alone. We are walking another journey, friends. Warriors, let’s lace up our combat boots, smear the oil of anointing on our heads and be ready.

Stay in the Word and prayerfully take joy in the journey. Much love to you all. Love, 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.