Saturday, February 23, 2013


Happy Saturday!

Prayer:  Lord, You are our great High Priest who goes before the throne of grace to our Father and pleads our case.  It does not matter whether we need forgiveness and mercy or comfort and peace, You still go before God and pray on our behalf. We continue to hope in this because You are the anchor on whom we place our trust. Thank you blessed Lord. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.”

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever…”
Hebrews 6: 19

Tonight my devotional reading began with these words, “I AM YOUR RISEN, LIVING SAVIOR! Through My resurrection you have been born again into an ever-living hope.”  We are being asked to remain hopeful no matter what is going on in our lives. There are many things in which folks put their hope: money, power, good health, medicine—but these are all insufficient without the hope we find in Jesus.

When Casey was undergoing chemotherapy I would pray for the blood of Jesus to flow through his body along with the chemotherapy drugs. It is with this hope that he was able to endure the harshness of the drugs. This verse tells us that Jesus is the anchor for our soul, firm and secure.  To help us to remember this hope is to whisper “Jesus, You are my hope,”  saying this as often as we need. When we affirm the hope of Christ we are strengthened because we remain connected to God.

God wishes us to remain connected to us through raging storms and calm seas. When we claim Jesus as our hope there are no limits to what God and His power and glory can accomplish. When we claim the hope of Christ we prepare to be transformed. For we who hope in Christ will not be disappointed.

Take joy in the journey and remember Hope does not disappoint. Wear comfortable shoes, pray with a grateful heart and get some sleep. 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.


Happy Friday!  And Happy birthday Carme!

Prayer:  Holy Lord, today I was reminded by a friend to give thanks for abundance and not dwell on scarcity. When we have You we live in abundance. Let me not look at the things around me as abundance, for all that I have on this earth is temporal. But let me praise You for the help of Your continued presence.  In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.”
Psalm 42: 5

My Lenten journey seems to be leading me to examine hope. Hope is the prayer I pray when I am upset or in need of guidance. Hope does not mean that everything will turn out like we want it to just because we pray to God. Hope in the New Testament is the hope of the resurrection in our lives that we will receive eternal life in Jesus when we are no longer on this earth.

We pray in hope when difficulties are all around us. But maybe, hope is rejoicing that God is present with us. Knowing that God is with us enables us to cope with whatever circumstances are happening so that we may be strengthened in our trust in God.  God is true to ALL of His promises. God is the living Word that affirms our trust in Him and draws us nearer to Him.
So, my friends, let us be bold in our hope that God is present with us. Let us not hold back the impulse to give hope a voice. When we worship God (not just on Sunday) a new hope will grow in each of us who believe.

Take joy in the journey remembering that hope does not disappoint! Wear comfortable shoes, throw an extra blanket on the bed, pray with a thankful heart and get some sleep. 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.

Thursday, February 21, 2013


Happy Thursday!

Prayer:  Holy Lord, tonight I pray one of Your own Psalms, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Thank You, Lord, for Your Word. It is Your Word in which we can find our way to trust in You. Thank you that we can pray Your Word and You listen. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

“You are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 32: 7

Our world today does not offer many places or instances where we can have some privacy. We live in an amazing age of electronics where if we run a red light, a camera takes our picture, when we walk into the bank there are cameras that watch where we walk and with whom we talk and even when we go to the grocery store and present our store card the computer knows our spending habits. I watch enough NCIS that I know with the push of a few buttons and a finger print scan my life story can be on someone’s computer screen. Places of safety and privacy are pretty hard to come by.

So when we need some time, some quiet private time God tells us in this passage of the psalm that He is our hiding place. All we have to do to access this place is call out to God and we will be protected and sing songs of deliverance.  God dwells in the praises of His people.  When we are feeling weighed down by difficulties in life, stop and take a moment to worship God inviting Him into the midst of the problem and find the heart of God.  In the Presence of God You will find strength. When we praise God in the midst of a hard day or ongoing trial both God and we are blessed. This is when God hides us in the secret place of His Presence.

Take joy in the journey remembering that hope never disappoints. Wear comfortable shoes, pray with a thankful heart and get some sleep. 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.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013


Happy Wednesday! 

Prayer: Lord, we are a week into Lent. As we journey through to the Cross and Easter Sunday may we all keep You in our focus and learn from you. Your very Word promises that You will be with us and watch over us wherever we go. Thank You, Oh, Holy One for Your words of faith, comfort and the assurance of hope. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
John 14: 16-17

Tomorrow I will participate in the celebration of life of one of the members of Rush Creek.  The family of Nita and those who knew and loved her so much have holes in their souls that were once filled with this presence of this lady in their lives. And though healing takes time and is not easy, Jesus has provided a helper for each of us to help in such times as this. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, God returned in the presence of the Holy Spirit and named this mystical presence as Helper. There is no deeper comfort on earth than knowing I am with you always. These amazing words of promise do not only apply to our life on earth, but in the next life as well. God is with us wherever we go and in the midst of our struggle, sadness, joy and victories.  When we are in a time of grief God is with us and all we have to do is accept God’s Presence with us as reality. When our minds and hearts are filled with sadness and loss it can wander away from remembering God’s Presence. The good news is we only need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us and find His delight in being our Helper. Even at times such as this it is hard to find joy and reasons to rejoice. So allow the Presence of the Holy Spirit to flood your being and fill that empty space with His Presence and know comfort and assurance of hope.

Take joy in the journey being ever mindful that hope never disappoints. Wear comfortable shoes, pray with a grateful heart and get some sleep. 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.


Happy Tuesday! 

Okay, my mistake…I started over to Fort Worth to the Coffee and Theology event this morning. As I was stopped at a Stop sign I looked once again at the paper with the information and discovered the Coffee and Theology was being held at 8: 30 pm tonight, not AM as I thought.  But the Brite Luncheon was wonderful and I am glad I went.

Prayer alert: Nita Davis, wife of Ken Davis passed away this morning. Please keep Ken, his children and family in your prayers in this their time of sadness and loss.

Prayer:  Lord,  we have friends and family who are going through tough times right now and are in need of knowing Your presence is there to help them and give them peace and comfort.  We have friends who are ill, facing loss of family members, loss of jobs and uncertain futures.  I ask you to take their sadness, their grief, their uncertainty and troubles and show them to a door of hope. Help those who need this door to be opened to know that there is a future of hope in Christ Jesus.  In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11: 28-29

My friends, let the delights and comforts of the Lord fill your soul. Life hands us so many things to be anxious about that sometimes there are too many to count.  When things are in a mess, whisper Jesus’ name for help. When we whisper Jesus’ name we are asking God to be present with us in the power of the Holy Spirit and the risen Christ. When we call on the name of the Lord our whole attitude changes and we can expect the pleasure of receiving comfort. When problems arise instead of being discouraged, let these times of trouble be reminders to seek the Presence of the Lord, the peace that God can provide, the love that has been lavished on us by God’s own choice.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, throw an extra blanket on the bed, carry an umbrella and get some sleep. 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.

Monday, February 18, 2013


Happy Monday!

I do not have classes this week because it is Minister’s Week at TCU, University Christian Church and Brite. There are disciples ministers from all over the country attending this convention style event.  There are many workshops and seminars to be held this week. I am not attending a lot as I have much studying to do this week, but tomorrow I am going to attend a conversation entitled Coffee and Theology. Is that perfect for me or what?!! It is going to be held at the Avocca Coffee Shop in Fort Worth at 8: 30 tomorrow morning.  I promise a full report. Because I assisted in registering pastors and others for the Minister’s Week activities I was given a gift of a Brite Luncheon ticket to be held tomorrow. So after Coffee and Theology and lunch I think it will be study time for me.

Prayer alert:  I am asking for prayers for the Dan and Vickie Davis family as their mother (in law) Nita Davis, wife of Ken Davis,  has experienced a stroke and is not expected to live.  This is a family from Rush Creek and Vickie is the leader of my Lay Training Committee.  Please keep this family in your prayers in this most difficult time.  Thank you.

Prayer:  Lord, bring peace to those who are going through such difficult times. There are those who have a large hole in their lives that was once filled with a loved one. You are the only One who can fill that space with a loving presence and a peaceful countenance.  Even though we are sad when we lose someone we love either to brokenness or in death we count on Your loving presence to fill us with comfort. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The Lord be with all of you.”
2 Thessalonians 3: 16

Jesus is the Lord of peace and gives us peace each day and at all times.  I cannot imagine going through anything as difficult as the death of a loved one without the Presence of the living God in my life.  Those who do not know Jesus try to fill that empty space with all kinds of different things or pretend that nothing really happened at all. What all of us fail to recognize is the full extent of our need and just to what extent God will go to bring about healing and full---fillment within us.  We must recognize our need and then believe that God can and will supply every need we have because the scripture says, “at all times and in every way.”

Jesus tried to prepare the disciples for His crucifixion. He tried to let them know that even though He would not be with them physically, He would be with them by prayer and through the power of the Holy Spirit bringing them the peace they would so dearly need.

The peace of Christ comes in full measure. The promise of peace is there for all who ask for it. We can receive God’s peace at any time. Last night we learned a simple sentence prayer, “Help me, Jesus. Fill me with your peace.” Now let us each affirm our openness to receive God’s peace and tell our Lord, “Jesus, I receive Your Peace.”

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, pray with a peaceful heart and with thanksgiving and get some sleep. 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.



Sunday, February 17, 2013


Blessed First Sunday in Lent. 

Prayer:  Lord, today I felt your presence in those around me who are seeking You to explain difficult parts of this life in Christ we lead. I offer thanks and praise that You are greater than all of our questions and rejoice in our relationship with You when we ask our questions and wait on answers. I am also grateful that You have provided a direct path to communicate with You in the risen Christ and the act of prayer. Thank you for already knowing our struggles and have mapped out ways to understand.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”
Micah 7: 7

There are so many folks out there right now who are suffering. All of us know how it feels to be so overwhelmed with difficulties and strife that sometime we are unable to put the words together to pray. 

Here is the good news.  God sent the Holy Spirit to intercede for us with the groans that we are unable to express. These are the prayers that rise from the depths of our souls and reach all the way to heaven.  God is present in the Holy Spirit and asks us in the Holy Scriptures to watch and wait in hope that God will hear our prayer. Sometimes it is so hard to wait, but God will always do what is best and in time that is not marked by the calendar or clock. God marks time by eternity.

So when it is hard to pray just let us breathe the name of Jesus or memorize a simple phrase like Jesus fill me with Your Peace.  Just breathe this simple prayer - offer it as often as you need it. God will send His unfailing love that will rest peacefully upon each of us. Scripture also tells us to find joy in our trials. That is really tough. But here is the good news about that…maybe if we trust our trials, difficulties and striving to God in prayer then they will not feel so heavy and maybe just maybe a little joy might sneak its way back into our lives.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, pray with a heart filled with gratitude and sleep peacefully.  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.