This is one of the "critters" the staff left on our bed every night. They even had a class in how to make them!

Happy Monday!

Today was the first day of teacher inservice for FWISD. It was a long day with good information and I made a bit more progress on my classroom.

Isaiah 55:12 “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

You know, most teachers do not go into the time of inservice with joy and gladness! I know I don’t. I would rather be in my classroom getting ready for the children who are coming on Monday. After totally having to redo my classroom there hasn’t been enough time for lesson planning. My stress level is a bit high, but it is at its peak and should be all downhill from here.

Today two of my dear friends have shared news with me. One friend called to say that her father has maybe a day or so to live and another called to say that her brother is going in for tests tomorrow for what they believe is serious cancer. Tonight I listened to both friends and prayed with one of them. How difficult is it for them right now to go forth in joy and gladness when their hearts are filled with pain, fear and are torn into little pieces.

I know exactly how they feel. I so wish I did not know their thoughts and feelings, but I do. So tonight as we were at the hospital visiting, one of the nurses came over and reintroduced herself to me. As she asked me how we were doing, I responded we were doing fine. We miss Casey every day and sometimes it tears us apart, but for the most part we are okay. Anyway, Tiffany (the nurse) said, “Casey is with God and that is what we all strive for in this life.” And then I remembered that is a place of peace for me. Casey is doing just fine. He stands or kneels in God’s holy presence and in His light all the time now and forever more.

As I read this scripture verse I thought, “If I don’t praise God with joy in the knowledge that Casey is with the living God then someone or something else will praise God for me.” The only way I can honestly do this act of praise is through faith: the gift of faith God gave me at the point of my salvation and the growth of faith I experienced in the last year of Casey’s life.

Faith, during such a difficult time as losing in death someone you love beyond your own life, requires that we breathe in the Divine Spirit of God. At a time of such grief and pain our whole mind, body and soul need help. God calls us to draw near to Him and He will not just shower us, but He will soak and saturate us in the Spirit of grace and comfort. And believe it or not, He will restore laughter when we thought laughter would never return.

The rocks, hills and streams will not cry out in language we understand, but if we do not praise God even when it is hard…he tells us in his Word that the trees, rocks, hills will praise His name and God will understand their praises because He is their creator. When we have broken hearts, God hears our cries and has compassion and sorrow for our tears. But God rejoices when His children try to see beyond their hurt and find a moment of praise. When we find that moment of praise in the midst of our sorrow God knows that we are aware of His presence and we have given Him Lordship over our suffering.

I ask you to pray for these two friends and their families. Please pray for healing and tender mercies for all of the hearts, minds and souls that are broken tonight. Claim these hurting ones to God’s care and keeping claiming victory with a song of praise.

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.