Saturday, August 7, 2010

Happy Saturday!

Psalm 31: 19 “Oh how great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the world.”

What a psalm of praise and thanksgiving for our God! The writer of this psalm claims the goodness of God and uses the wonderful adjective “lavish” to express how completely and extravagantly God comes to our aid when we ask for protection. It reminds me of the 23rd Psalm and the phrase “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” God takes care of His own to show the enemy, Satan himself, that he cannot have what belongs to the living God. God’s keeping power is present at all times not just as shelter from the storm but as security that He is the shelter. When we doubt and fear then we are not living in a loving relationship and resting in the shelter. What we must practice is saying repeatedly, “All is well.” The old song says, “Whatever my lot, You have caused me to say; It is well with my soul.” As a musician I was raised with the phrase, “practice makes perfect.”

Friends, make time to practice. Find time to pray even if it is just a sentence or two. A sentence or two throughout the day can add up to one amazingly enhanced prayer life. Take shelter in the Lord and repeat, “All is well.”

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. I am praying for you; please continue to pray for our family. 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.

Bruce and I will not be in worship at Advent tomorrow. We will be attending the ordination of a friend into the ministry of the Greek Orthodox Church. All I know about the Greek Orthodox Church is what I learned on “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” The service is 2-3 hours long and I think we stand a lot. It will be a day for flats! I will bring a full report. Peace, gc
Happy Friday!

And Happy Birthday Geni! Geni’s birthday began with a special brunch here at home and then the remainder of the day was spent with friends and family from Allen and Colleyville. From all reports everyone had a great time.

Ephesians 5:18 “Be not drunk with wine to excess, but be filled with the Spirit.”

God created each of us of love for us. God, because of His love for us, desires to spend time with us. Do you find it hard to have time for God? Not just blessing at the table or a quick prayer of thanksgiving, but spend real time with God. Jesus found it not only necessary, but essential to spend time with His Father. Scripture tells us of times when Jesus would get away and pray. Jesus found the need to get away from the noise, the crowds and the disciples and spend time in prayer. He modeled this action by rising early before the household or the disciples were awake. Jesus gave of Himself each and every day of His ministry in teaching, preaching and healing. He was human with a body that tired and he needed rest. Jesus’ way of resting was to rest with His Heavenly Father through prayer and daily renewal.

Years ago when my energy was waning I would reach for a Snickers candy bar and a Diet Coke. And as you can imagine the effect of the sugar energy would quickly go away and I was tired again. God renews us each day. The Holy Spirit continues to dwell with us far longer than my candy bar and diet soda or any energy drink. If we get away for a while and spend time with our Creator, our spirit becomes renewed (and doesn’t pack on pounds!). When we are renewed by the Spirit then we are made ready to be servants in the kingdom. Jesus found it necessary to be renewed daily by the power of the Holy Spirit and spend time with His Father to learn and receive instructions for the day. If Jesus found this so important, who are we to not follow the example He set?

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. I am praying for you, please continue to pray for our family. 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, August 5, 2010

Happy Thursday!

Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise.”

I have been asked to lead part of the Summer Women’s Bible Study at our church later this month. The study is on prayer. I was working on it today and then I read this verse and meditation tonight.

What an amazing affirmation of faith this verse holds. Jeremiah is not begging or pleading his case. He is claiming the awesome power of God to heal and the salvation of the Lord. All Jeremiah did was call. After he made the call then he said “You are my praise.” Jeremiah claimed victory in the name of the Lord over his healing and salvation. The moment Jeremiah called on God was the moment of His coming. Or as Forrest Gump said during a storm at sea, “God showed up!”

I have prayed lots of prayers for healing. I have tearfully prayed with a mother’s heart and begged for the life of my child. I pray for God to save and protect Bruce, Geni and Travis anytime they leave the house. One of my practices of prayer when faced with a really difficult situation is to claim victory in Jesus name and offer praise for the answer God will provide. I believe God hears and answers all prayers. God answers in His time, which is not necessarily our time. When God answers we have to believe it is the best answer for us given by His everlasting love for us and His abundant grace.

So friends, make prayer and communication such a part of your life that you have the faith to believe when you call on God, He will be present with you.

Take joy in the journey! Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. I am praying for you, please continue to pray for our family. 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.
Happy Thursday!

Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise.”

I have been asked to lead part of the Summer Women’s Bible Study at our church later this month. The study is on prayer. I was working on it today and then I read this verse and meditation tonight.

What an amazing affirmation of faith this verse holds. Jeremiah is not begging or pleading his case. He is claiming the awesome power of God to heal and the salvation of the Lord. All Jeremiah did was call. After he made the call then he said “You are my praise.” Jeremiah claimed victory in the name of the Lord over his healing and salvation. The moment Jeremiah called on God was the moment of His coming. Or as Forrest Gump said during a storm at sea, “God showed up!”

I have prayed lots of prayers for healing. I have tearfully prayed with a mother’s heart and begged for the life of my child. I pray for God to save and protect Bruce, Geni and Travis anytime they leave the house. One of my practices of prayer when faced with a really difficult situation is to claim victory in Jesus name and offer praise for the answer God will provide. I believe God hears and answers all prayers. God answers in His time, which is not necessarily our time. When God answers we have to believe it is the best answer for us given by His everlasting love for us and His abundant grace.

So friends, make prayer and communication such a part of your life that you have the faith to believe when you call on God, He will be present with you.

Take joy in the journey! Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. I am praying for you, please continue to pray for our family. 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, August 4, 2010

Happy Wednesday!

1 John 5:12 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”

I was raised with the faith expressed by my parents, but at 15 I found a personal relationship with Jesus. Since that time I have been to school, graduated, moved, taught school, married, raised a family and lots of other details and the one abiding presence through all of that life has been the presence of God through the life of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

I remember when I was in Houston with Casey. I wondered how anyone could ever face something so difficult and life altering as cancer without a faith and, more particularly, a faith in God through Jesus. What I discovered while I was in Houston was that I really could do very little so I had to trust completely on God and His tender mercies. When there was nothing left to do, but just depend on Jesus, then more was accomplished because I got out of the way. It was also during this time that I became firmly convinced that there was nothing that could pluck Casey or me or my family out of His hand, even though Satan did his best work in trying to separate us from the love of God. Eternal life means security not just for when we meet Jesus face to face in glory, but as we walk this earth in service to God in following the godly life modeled by Jesus.

Life happens every day and the good news is that God is in the midst of our life. We have the ability to be in constant contact with God through prayer. In prayer we get to know our Savior and Friend more and more. When we seek God’s presence in our lives then we truly have abundant life.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. I pray for all of you daily, please pray for our family as well. 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.
Happy Tuesday!

Today I received an email from the Dean of Brite stating that I had been accepted into the Master’s of Divinity Program. I was really excited. The counseling service received the Autobiographical Questionnaire. Tomorrow Bruce and I are meeting with our insurance rep. I have gathered all of the information I know of and hopefully she will be able to assess everything and give me an idea of when I can retire. After this meeting I am going to call the Dean of Brite and make a plan to accomplish this huge degree. I know I ask each day, but I ask your continued prayers as I continue to meld these two very important parts of my life.

1 Kings 12:24 “This is what the Lord says, Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is My doing!” So they obeyed the message of the Lord and went home, as the Lord had commanded.”

I know this may sound kind of silly, but I began to think through all of these different things that I am involved in and I began to be overwhelmed. Even though I set out a schedule saying that today I am going to accomplish this and tomorrow I am going to accomplish something different, etc…I need to remember that God has set me on this journey. In each thing I plan to do I need to joyfully surrender it to the One I serve and then the task will be a lot less stressful. I know I am meant to learn and to grow, but all of these different elements are just the initiation into the call. It is sort of like joining a club to which you have been invited. Sometimes there are tasks which must be accomplished before you can achieve membership.

When we join the church the pastor offers classes to help us better understand the meanings of the church, how to serve, how to fellowship and how to find ways to connect with others through interest, gifts and talents. This time of initiation is a priceless time to surrender ourselves over to the leading of the Holy Spirit and discern God’s purpose for each of us.

What I and all of us must remember is that we are walking this path in service to God first and to His people. Each of us must learn the lessons of surrender in each of the smallest services we undertake in the name of Jesus. If we remember it is in God we Love and it is in God’s Name we serve then all that is accomplished will be to the glory of God.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. I pray for your each day, please continue to pray for our family. 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, August 2, 2010

Happy Monday!

What an awesome day! I completed a portion of the candidacy program today by taking two personality tests. One of the tests had 567 questions. Two of the questions I found particularly funny. (1) Would you like to be a singer? I answered no. I already am a singer. And (2) Do you have any pain in your neck? That question was about 250 or so questions into the test and I could have honestly answered Yes! By then my neck and shoulders were a bit stiff and they did not ask about my back side.

One of the tests assesses personality traits and the other assessed strengths and weaknesses. I am interested to find out what these tests say about me. I also sent an email to the counseling service with the loooooooong Autobiographical Questionnaire as an attachment. They will receive it in the morning. I think I am caught up as to the current requirements for candidacy at this time. I hope so. And last but certainly not least…I got an A in pastoral care class!!! I was so excited. Thank you for all of your prayers. The teacher is mailing our papers back to us via the USPS. I hope to receive them one day this week.

Job 42: 12 “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.”

I am sure many of you have heard the saying that God does not call the prepared, He prepares the called. I have heard this little proverb for several years now and today I began to understand what it means for me.

I am in preparation for the purpose to which God has called me. It is sort of like planting a flower bed. Before you plant the flowers or sow the seeds, you have to prepare the bed. Bed preparation takes quite a commitment before you ever put anything to sprout in the ground. The soil has to be turned so it receives more air. Then nutrients are added to help make the soil richer and provide the best possible bed in which to hold seeds or seedlings.

As I attended the class on pastoral care I began to realize how unaware and inexperienced I was in the different types of suffering that people go through. I am gaining a better awareness and the “bed” is being prepared for me to have greater understanding of my fellow travelers in this world. I am not ready to work in this field yet, but I am so willing to learn all I can and be led by God and His teachers, Pastor Joel and Pastor Marc. God has led our family through some very difficult times and it is my greatest hope that someday I can help others in their time of need as a pastoral care giver.

God prepares each of us for His service. The “bed” prep falls to us and God plants the seed. Our seed beds are prepared with prayer first, learning all we can through the Word, being courageous enough to allow God to turn the soil of our lives and add His richest blessings in the greatest measure through the love of Jesus and the love of His people. When our ground is prepared in love and the soil is at its richest and best then the seed is planted. The seed planted in the bed prepared by God can withstand the storms, the heat, and we can give thanks in joy when it is time to harvest.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. I am praying for each of you, please continue to pray for our family especially Geni who is still struggling in biology. 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.
Blessed Sunday to you all!

As those of you who read this blog regularly already know, I am in the midst of the candidacy application process for the Lutheran Church(ELCA). I have completed the 19 page Autobiographical Questionnaire. Tomorrow I am going to the church to take two tests which take about 3 hours to complete. I am taking my own coffee (after a stop at Starbucks). I have to be proctored by someone other than a relative, so Pastor Marc has agreed to administer the test and to certify that it was me who took the tests. One is a personality test and one is a test that assesses strengths and weaknesses. I ask your continued prayers as I continue on this journey of faith and service and endurance!

Also, please pray for Geni. She is really stressed over this biology class and her other class as well. It is nearing the end of summer and she is getting tired. Pray for her to endure as the tests are coming more rapid fire at the mid-term time.

Ephesians 2:14 “For He is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us.’

God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He removed the wall when Jesus came to live on the earth and became the priest between us and God the Father. There is no bond on earth that compares to the union between God and the ones who love God. Our friendship with God is the merging of heart, mind, and will. God seeks out of His love for us a oneness of Him and us.

In the Old Testament only the priests were allowed to achieve this oneness, but Jesus showed us that we could have this oneness with God by believing in the One whom He sent. When we have Oneness with Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have oneness with God the Father Himself.

The psalm we read in church today spoke of God speaking to all who have breath. God’s Word falls on the high and the low, the mighty and the powerless, rich and poor and ALL who have breath. We are all capable of receiving God’s love through His Word. His Word is truth and He is our peace.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. I pray for you each day, please continue to pray for our family. Love you all so very much, 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.