Saturday, February 27, 2010

Happy Friday!

Praise alert!! Mom came home from the hospital today!! She sounds great, but says she is still a little tired and won’t be making it to the bridal shower tomorrow. She wants to save all of her strength for the wedding. So tomorrow after the shower Bruce and I will be going to Howe to visit and have lunch! God is so good!

Luke 17:6 “ If you had the faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, dig yourself up plant yourself in the sea, and it should obey you.”

I have been receiving Publishers Clearing House notices through email for a while now. I have been filling them out each time they come and sometimes think how silly this is as I really don’t expect to win, but for some reason I still fill them out. Now, if I had the faith required to make them select my name to win the big money, the worries and concerns about money would be scratched off of my list. Just as Forrest Gump said when Lieutenant Dan invested in Apple Computers and told Forrest he wouldn’t have to worry about money again, “that’s good, one less thing.”

Perhaps instead of praying for more money I need to pray for more faith. I need to remember that God has never failed me and I need to rest my trust in Him. I believe that God answers all prayers. I also believe that because He is God (and I am not!) that He does not always answer my prayers in the way I would like, but He answers them in ways that are best for me and in my best interest.

Yes this household is always in need of more money to pay the bills, put food on the table and gas in cars, but money is a worldly, necessary but worldly need, but it is temporal. God is everlasting and His faithfulness to us is so much greater than our faithfulness to Him.

God says in His Word that He will provide a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path and bread for the day. My I continue to pray for more faith and remember how faithful and loving our God is. How great is our God!!

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. 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.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Happy Thursday!

Mom is not home yet, but we are hopeful of a Friday dismissal for her. I talked with her today and it was a wonderful conversation. She still sounds really great. She still gets a bit winded when walking, but I guess there are no quick fixes and it will take some time to get everything regulated just right. But I am so grateful that she is doing better. I am anxious to see her this weekend.

Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Those of you who have been reading these writings since the Caring Bridge days will remember when I got really down. Casey was so sick and I was so worried. I missed Bruce, Geni and Travis so much. I missed my Mom and Dad and the other members of my family. I missed my school and my church. When all of that was going on Satan tried so hard to steal my joy. Finally I just faced Satan head on and told him he had no power here. That was when I began to take joy in my journey. When setbacks or bed news or sadness began to happen I began to claim victory in Jesus’ name and somehow God began to restore the joy to my life. Tonight my devotional reading told me that joy is the balm for all of the ills of the world. There is nothing that joy and love cannot do.

We all face tough times. Remember that Jesus’ light never shines so bright as in the midst of adversity. Don’t let Satan steal your joy. Claim the name of Jesus and say, “Jesus conquers, Jesus saves, Jesus restores in the face of every doubt, every sin, every evil and every fear.” Tell Satan he has no power here. Claim victory in Jesus name.

Take joy in your journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. 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.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Happy Wednesday!!

Recess today!! I don’t think we have had recess in weeks. It was a beautiful day to go out and play.

As far as I know Mom was not allowed to come home today. When I talked to her this afternoon she sounded really great and back to her old self. Perhaps tomorrow...

John 1:40 “One of the two men who followed Jesus after they heard John speak about Him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. (41) The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Messiah.”

Tonight Pastor Joel spoke about Andrew the disciple. It was Andrew who brought Simon Peter to Jesus. What a role quiet Andrew played in the start of the early church. Andrew did not know what chain of events would be set into motion because of this one act. Andrew had been listening to the “Teacher, Rabbi” and knew he could not keep this teaching to himself. So he goes and gets his brother Simon. After Jesus meets this large simple fisherman He renames him and gives him the name Peter. The next day He tells the brothers simply to “follow Me.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

There are only a few stories about Andrew but each of the stories is about Andrew introducing someone to Jesus. Andrew doesn’t receive the accolades of Peter and Paul. Andrew simply tells others about Jesus. What a quiet, simple and steadfast faith. Andrew was content just to introduce others to Jesus and tell them about Jesus’ love for them.

Do you remember how you felt when you first heard the story of Jesus? Were you so excited that you just had to tell someone? Who did you tell? If you were young did you tell a family member? Did you tell your best friend? Did you remember feeling that this was the greatest news you had ever heard and wanted others to hear about Jesus too?

We are disciples. We are followers of Jesus. Who knows what chain of events might be started in someone’s life if they are introduced to Jesus. Jesus calls us as He called those first disciples. Jesus wants us to introduce others to Him, not for accolades, but because just like Andrew “We have found the Messiah!”

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes (the Disciples wore “Jesus” sandals!). Count your blessings and say your prayers. 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.

Prayer request: My dad, Jerry is facing cataract surgery sometime in March. Please lift him up in prayer. Thank you, gc

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Happy Tuesday!

Not the same snow as a week and a half ago, but still nice to watch it fall from the sky even if it did not stick.

A praise alert!!! I spoke with Mom this afternoon and the heart doctor is ready to dismiss her today. Her regular physician is not ready to let her go home as yet, but maybe tomorrow! She sounded so good on the phone. I could already hear the energy coming back into her voice and she is ready to come back home. If she can come home very soon her plans are to go to the bridal shower with us this weekend. Thank you for all of your prayers and I ask you to continue to pray for her. We are so appreciative of all of your prayerful support.

John 8: 31-32 “Jesus said, “if you continue in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

When Casey was first diagnosed with sarcoma cancer, Bruce and I set about reading all we could about the disease. We learned all we could and then listened to Doc Adams for the rest. The truth is that in our research there wasn’t a great deal of information about this very rare cancer except that is was incurable. Even though our information did not give us hope for a cure it did tell us the truth. Now that we knew the truth we had to decide what to do with this devastating diagnosis.

All through Casey’s illness, treatment and death, the truth was always in front of me. No one ever sugar coated the truth. I would rather know the truth. In truth there is no gray area and I can deal with truth even if I don’t like it. When Doc Adams told us that Casey had only a few days left on this earth, that was the most devastating truth I have ever heard, but that truth allowed all of us to place all of our priorities in order and changed the way we looked at so many things.

The thing about God's Word is that it does give us truth and hope. The truth in God’s Word causes us to become more like Jesus. The more we read and study His Word the more we learn and know about the heart of God through His Son, Jesus. God’s Word is the nourishment we must have to fulfill our purpose in the kingdom. Feeding on God’s Word must become a priority in our lives. For a long time I did not find time for personal Bible Study or even a group study. What I did finally come to was the realization that I had to find a study time that fit my time. Now I listen to a drive-time devotion each morning based on God’s word and instructions and each night I read a scripture-based devotion and do some reflective writing about what I have read. It is not a lot of time, but my day is not complete if I don’t spend these two times in study, meditation, prayer and reflection. My day begins better and my evening ends peacefully.

Find some time to get into the Word. Learn about the heart of God and be nourished for the journey ahead.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. 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.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Happy Monday!

This morning my daddy called to tell me that Mom had to have an emergency pace maker. Her heart rate dropped to 30 and she was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other. She came through the surgery without a hitch. (Mom would have it no other way!) They have set the pace maker at 70. I got to talk to her as soon as she got back to her room. She already sounded better. The docs tell us that she will have boundless energy from now on. Please keep her in your prayers. Her name is Genita Helvey. My niece’s bridal shower is on Saturday so as soon as we are finished at the shower we will head to Sherman to see her.

Proverbs 3: 5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do and He will give you success.”

Lessons in trust are the hardest lessons. God wants us to trust Him wholly. God promises us that we will be helped, we shall be led and guided continually. God offers Himself to us as our guide, our shepherd and teacher to help us to learn our lessons in trust.

As a teacher I prepare lessons each day or the children I teach. But in truth it is my job to teach children and use whatever means I can to see that they are prepared to go on to second grade and have a successful school year. The children and their parents place their trust in me to teach them all I can so they are prepared for the next grade level. The problems come when children don’t pay attention and parents do not help their children. Our trusting relationship with God is a lot like this.

God prepares lessons for us and it is our job to pay attention and surrender our wills over to the Father for instruction. God loves us so much and His tender love will never fail. So, my friends, let us put doubt and fear aside. Think of how much faster we will grow if we take away the roadblocks of doubt and fear and replace them with trust and peace.

God can and will work in us and through us in things big and small. But it takes practicing trust on our part until trust and staying in touch with God becomes a way of life.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. 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.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Blessed Sunday!

Daddy called me around 8:45 yesterday morning to tell me that he had to put Mom in the hospital in Sherman. The congestive heart failure has hit once again. This condition causes Mom to retain fluids in her body, one area being n the sac around her heart which causes her heart to have to work harder than it should. The CHF was kept at bay for two years and it resurfaced at Christmas. This time it has returned in less than two months. Please pray for her as the doctors help her to gain control over this condition once again and that it will be kept at bay for a longer period of time.

Mark 5:34 and 36 “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over. (36) “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

We hear two stories of healing and two stories of faith in these passages. The 12 year old daughter of Jarius lies dead in her bed and her father goes to Jesus and begs for her life. The woman with the issue of blood believes if she can just touch the hem of Jesus’ tunic that she will be healed.

Jesus is the master healer. In these two stories Jesus heals these two people through their faith. Jesus restores these two people to health and well-being. Jesus hears our prayers when we pray for healing for ourselves and for others. I believe God answers our prayers for healing, but God does not always answer our prayers for healing in the way we would like. I prayed night and day for healing for Casey. I begged God for Casey’s life and to restore him to health and well-being, but it was not in God’s plan. Casey’s health was never restored. He never got well, but he was most assuredly healed. Casey’s last words to me just a few hours before he died were, “Mom, I want to stand up.” Well, he stands before God full and upright. Everything that was wrong with him is now in perfect healing.

As for our family we received healing also. When one member of your family has cancer, everyone has cancer. Not in the physical sense, but in every other sense. Our healing came in the prayers, the visits, the cards, letters, the quilts, the friends who would stay with Casey while we were at work and so many other ways. All of you were the “conduits” of faith that allowed us to heal in love. We will always miss Casey until we are united with Him at the feet of the Father at the throne of grace.

Healing does not always mean that bones are knitted back together and that cancer is removed from someone’s body. Healing is becoming whole. Healing is when we unite ourselves with God is faith and trust that God has all things in His power and under His control. Casey has received perfect healing. Our healing comes when we surrender all over to God and claim His lordship over our lives. Let us take a lesson from this passage in Mark and to be not afraid and have faith.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all and stay warm, 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.