Blessed Sunday to you all! 

It was such a wonderful day. Today marked the first year since Mom passed away.  Ken and I gathered our families and went to church with Dad.  We filled an entire row in the sanctuary.  Dad was really brave today in that I think the memories were so very close and he had just had surgery on his hand.  So besides the anguish in his heart there was pain in his hand.  He never complained. We took him to Olive Garden in honor of Mom as it was one of her two favorite restaurants. We then went back to Dad’s house.

I found myself going room to room opening drawers and cabinets searching for memories. I saw a number of things that I will collect later, but the item that caught my eye and came home with me was her recipe box.  It is a lifetime of collected recipes, some from magazines and the backs of bags of flour and sugar, but the ones that touched my heart were the ones that were written in her own beautiful hand.  The first card I picked up was the broccoli rice casserole.  

The funny story about this recipe is that when we first married Bruce mentioned to Mom how much he loved that casserole.  So every time we would visit for the next year or so, she would make it. The last time that she made the recipe, she did not have quite enough Cheese Whiz so she added a tablespoon of jalapeño squeeze cheese. Bruce does not do spicy food at all and he could taste the jalapeño pepper. It was a story they shared and laughed over for the remainder of her life. (She never put any hot cheese in it again!)

I don’t know if God allows those who have gone on before us to peek in and check to see how we are doing, but if God let her then today she would be so proud of her family. Today I saw reminders of her in those who sat around the table at the Olive Garden. I saw and heard their love, laughter and faith as I led grace around the table and the joy we shared being together around the table as a family.  Perhaps today God looked at her as she beamed with love down at her family and told her, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” 

Prayer:  Lord, today I rest and trust in the promises of Your patience and love once again. I pray that as I go through this day that I will remember all You have done for me and blessed me with. And God, give me strength through Your Spirit and allow You patience to overflow out of me unto the lives of others. Amen.

“For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying ’Surely blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you.’ And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

Hebrews 6: 13-15

Each of us experiences ups and downs in our life.  When Mom passed so suddenly, my heart broke for Dad because of his undying love and devotion to her for nearly 60 years. I was also sad that she would not see me graduate with my master’s degree.  She valued education, family and faith above all else and here is her daughter, fulfilling all three of her most prized values and she would not be here to see me graduate. One day last March as I was weeping in the car over losing her I promised her out loud that I would achieve this degree no matter what.

As I continue this journey I am reminded of what Casey’s oncologist told us, “The destination is never in question, but sometimes the journey sucks.”  Losing Mom was the pits, but this phrase was meant for me as well. I will achieve this degree through the journey of faith and education and following being hooded my journey will continue. The verse from Hebrews says that God promises. God did not say “maybe I will bless you.” God said, “I will bless you and multiply you.”  I must believe God has plans for me to continue in this journey of faith and ministry. I must trust God, and then wait for God to fulfill what He has told me.”

If you are waiting on a blessing from God I encourage you to remember God measures time in eternity. So talk to God, trust Him and wait. God’s timing is always perfect time.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni, Travis and Sarah.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

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