Greetings from Austin St. (maybe!)

Happy Tuesday! Happy Cinco de Mayo! Today has been an interesting day. I traveled with Bruce to Corsicana today. We had a great trip and it was nice to get away even for just a few hours. I also finished reading a Harry Potter book. I have never read a Harry Potter book before and I really enjoyed it. Then the internet went down due to a weird set of circumstances and so I am not sure when we will back online. I may be sending this from Starbucks. Also I was not able to submit my paper due to the internet being down, but my professor was very kind and said to send it when I can. He is a great guy! And the final news of the day is that Fort Worth ISD has been called back to work. I go in on Thursday and we have students on Friday. It has been quite a day!

Psalm 56:8 says, “You have recorded my troubles. You have kept a list of my tears.”

As I approach this coming weekend there will be some bittersweet moments. First, the joy is that our niece, Kendall, will graduate from Texas Tech on Saturday. We are so proud of her and wish her only the best in her chosen field of hotel and restaurant management. She will be fantastic! The family is gathering on Saturday for a brunch honoring Kendall. We will also celebrate Mother’s Day. I rejoice that my mother will be there and I will honor her for the most amazing woman and loving mother I have ever known. I will also take great joy in having Travis and Geni there with me to celebrate this time set aside to celebrate mothers. But I also will miss so very much the one who first called me Mom. Casey was not a mama’s boy, but he did love his mama. And his mama loved him. When I talked to Casey on his last weekend with us I told him how much he meant to me and how he was the one who taught me how to be a mom.

Someone in our church purchased a choir anthem for the Praise and Worship service in honor of Casey. The title of the anthem is “Let Everything that Hath Breath.” It is the most awesome anthem. It has a totally gospel feel and we all really love to sing it. The praise team will be offering this anthem on this Mother’s Day during the 11:00 service. It will rock the house!

As I was writing this theology paper I had to write on the Doctrine of Theodicy; the doctrine of suffering. A large body of my paper is dedicated to this particular doctrine. As I was writing I realized that God suffered at the loss of His Son, Jesus. Because God suffered at this loss, He understands our suffering and loss. The death of His Son broke His heart just as much as Casey’s death has broken mine. I don’t know if my heart will ever mend on this side of heaven, but I positively believe that God’s promise of eternal life with Him will mend this broken heart when I am united with Him when I leave this earth. We have such a loving God who knows when we are hurting and knows when we shed tears and finds a way to wrap His loving arms around us to let us know that we are not alone in our misery.

So as I approach this first Mother’s Day without Casey I will rejoice in the presence of my mom and be exceedingly glad having Geni and Travis at my side and remember with thanksgiving the time I had with Casey. Thank you for letting me work out my grief with each of you in these writings.

Take joy in the journey. Love you, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

PS Please pray for travel mercy for us as we travel to Lubbock with mom and dad on Friday. Also pray for Geni and Travis as they will travel late Friday to Lubbock to be with us.