Greetings from Austin St.

Happy Thursday! Tonight was memorable because my daughter and I had a wonderful conversation where we spoke on common ground; education. She is really getting into the heart of her degree and we are having discussions about education, educators, parents and her experiences in substituting in different schools. It has been such a joy to see her become excited about the craft of teaching and look forward to a career in teaching. We are so proud of her and excited for her.

Psalm 17:1 “Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goes not from lying lips.”

This passage is a prayerful cry of an individual who asks God for attention and protection from the enemy. It is a cry of anguish spoken from the heart of one whose heart has been broken and is in great need of healing. This prayer is begging God to hear the cry of the broken hearted one and for all to be well. The prayer of this passage does not believe that he has done anything to merit this anguish and is asking God to make this situation right.

I have prayed those anguished prayers. If you are a long time reader of this blog, many of you have prayed right along with me through Casey’s illness and death. The most difficult prayer I have ever prayed was prayed during the last days of Casey’s life. In one last final surrender, I gave Casey over to the care and keeping of our loving God, the Father, and simply prayed “God, be merciful.” Casey had done nothing to merit the pain and anguish of cancer and we had done nothing to merit the loss of our son. I prayed for Casey to be delivered from his pain and to be received into the hands of the Father. I think those anguished prayers from this mother’s heart were heard, as my devotion guide says, “above the music of heaven.”

God hears our cries. God sees and knows our pain. God knows when our hearts are broken. God is merciful and loving to those who are hurting from any type of brokenness. So friends, pray when your heart is sad and pray when your heart is glad and believe that God hears us when we call.

Take joy in the journey and wear comfortable shoes. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni, 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.

PS Tomorrow in FWISD it is TCU day. We are all encouraged to wear purple. We are all supporting the mighty Horned Frogs to remain undefeated. When I was at the TCU bookstore today, I noticed that the campus was floating about six feet off of the ground. Burton Hill has lots of TCU grads, students from TCU who are practicing and aspiring teachers and one divinity student. So we sort of bleed purple at our school. My little first graders actually color horned toads purple and I do not count it wrong! Go Frogs!!