Greetings from Austin Street

TGIF Today God is Good! All is well here at 811. We are preparing to attend the wedding of Ken and Sheena’s oldest daughter, Kendall. She is marrying a wonderful young man and we know they are going to be so happy. We are excited about seeing them begin their life together in the sight of God, friends and family. So tonight I ask you to pray for this wonderful young couple.

Dear God, I am thankful that it is my soul you love. You created me and placed your love inside me.  I pray that I would be faithful and honor you with the abilities you have given me. I ask to serve you no matter what I am going through. I know there are going to be very painful times ahead. And in that pain I place my hope in you. In the times when my physical strength may fail for a while I ask you to give me rest in your wings of mercy.  Help me to take the focus off of myself and surrender myself over to you and know that you are God. Lord, bless those who carry the disease of cancer and those who care for them. Give them hope and let them know that you are there and you love them.  Thank you for all of those dear ones who are praying for me and my family. Bless them richly Lord. I love you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Make no mistake; receiving a cancer diagnosis is pretty much a living nightmare that you keep praying for which you will wake up. I remember this feeling with Casey. Receiving a diagnosis for your husband having a massive stroke and being told he will not survive the night is another living nightmare. Sometimes attempting to be brave is hard. But here’s the thing, God never asked any of us to be brave. God realizes we will feel fearful at times.  I have never heard God ever say, “Gaylene, you have to be strong every day and I will check in on you from time to time to see how you are doing.”  What God does tell us is that we need to make a conscious decision to step out of fear and to step with faith-filled courage and dignity into a frightening situation believing that God protects us from behind, leads us forward and walks beside us through the journey with every step we take. God, spoke creation into being and led the Hebrew nation across the sea by his very words and breath knows us and knows our potential terrified that we may be.  This God--ordained courage that is called up in each one of us when difficult times come is how we face the future in the assurance that God stays really close to us. We fight the battles with courage knowing that we do not fight alone for God is with us.

“In god I trust and am not afraid. What an man do to me?”

Psalm 56:11

Take joy in the journey be courageous in the hope of the living God. Wear comfortable shoes, get some sleep and think pink!  Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene