Posts
Greetings from Austin St. ATT came through and we are back online!
Happy Tuesday! The butterfly count is 17. It was a good day at school. The students are getting kind of antsy. But there are still more tests to take and more learning to be done. Tonight we attended Travis final madrigal show at the high school. As May is a month of lists, that is one more event checked off. There are still many to go and we will enjoy being a part of each activity as Travis completes his journey through the public school system. Geni took her physics test and she said it was really hard. She has two tests tomorrow and one on Thursday. Bruce and maybe Travis will go and move her home on Thursday.
Jeremiah 6:16 “Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and yet shall find rest for your soul.”
Okay, I am beginning to get really griped about AT&T. They have been promising the internet will be installed for the last 10 days. Today’s latest promise is that the internet would be connected by 8:00 pm tonight. Well, no, it isn’t! And in the grand scheme of things this is not horrible, or devastating, or life altering…it is just really aggravating!
When Peter and some disciples were on the boat in the storm and got really angry at Jesus for sleeping through the storm, their anger only intensified the storm. Well, me being upset about being inconvenienced is sort of like that. If we call AT&T and really let them have it is probably not going to help the situation. We will be aggravating the storm. But if we continue to call each day and check on the progress with calmness then we are acting in love and not reacting in anger. So we are going to take the time before we call again and take a deep breath. We will breathe in the Holy Spirit and pray for a spirit of calmness, ask for a progress report and hope they will fix the problem as quickly. But if they are still not fixing the problem then we will try very hard to thank them politely and tell them we will call again tomorrow (and of course tell them to have a nice day). Where agitation is destructive, calmness is constructive. (I will let you know)
Sometimes I tend to avoid situations where I know there is going to be conflict. But if I do not have a choice then I pray before I enter into the situation and ask the Holy Spirit to go before me to make the pathway straight and clear. I also pray that I will have enough awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit to follow its lead and act on the instructions given. Staying calm is trust in action. Only trust in the living God can keep us calm when all others around us are losing it.
So here are our instructions for the day. When presented with a situation of conflict whether between people, machines or companies: STOP. Take in a deep breath of the Holy Spirit and when you exhale, breathe the power of the Holy Spirit on the situation and watch the situation change because you have gotten out of the way and God has taken over.
Take joy in the journey. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
PS Pray for my sweet dog Lamar. I think he may be sick. Love, gc
PSS Today at school, I found a large stack of old phonograph records. Real 33 1/3 lps! I also located a record player from the recesses of our school library. As my children were helping me carry these treasures back to the classroom I heard one of the children ask another child, “What are these?” The response was priceless. “They are giant CD”S!” Tomorrow we are going to have a bit of a history lesson on the phonograph and a stack of wax! gc
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Greetings from Austin St. via Starbucks. We still do not have internet, AT&T is still working on it!!)
Happy Monday! I hope this day finds all of you well. I taught school for the first time in a month today. My student teacher has been teaching for the last several weeks. It felt really good to teach again. And today I addressed most of the graduation announcements for Travis. The month of May is simply a month of check-off lists. One more thing on the to-do list has been done. Now we go to final concerts and awards assemblies and the big event in June. And the butterfly count is 18!!! And, I got a B on my paper and a B in the course. Praise God!!
Mark 4: 32, “Jesus said, A mustard seed grows up…and puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
I was blessed to grow up with my Mamo living close by. She was the most amazing woman. She made beautiful clothes. She made my school clothes throughout my school career and even made my wedding dress. Besides being a career seamstress, she was a gardener. She was so amazing that one time the small branches she used to stake out her tomato plants even budded out. That blew us all away. Anyway, one of my memories is of her garden. She could grow the most beautiful garden with the best vegetables and prettiest flowers ever. But mostly I remember her vegetable gardens. When I was little I would go with her to the back yard and help her plant the black-eyed peas, onions, radishes, green beans, tomato plants and mustard.
As a child, I remember that mustard was yellow and in the fridge, but Mamo planted mustard seed and grew the plant itself. It was the tiniest seed ever and it really did grow to make the largest bush in the garden. As it grew Mamo and I would go out to the garden and pinch off the young leaves and eat the mustard leaves right out of the garden. I thought that was totally cool. But that was not all my Mamo grew.
I can see Mamo now planting the rows in her garden, watering them, weeding and thinning out the plants so that there would be plenty of room for them to grow. And then I watched her go inside the house, complete in the knowledge that she had completed her task and that God would do the rest. Her mustard seed faith caused her garden to flourish every year. And I knew that before long the family lunch would be ready and the vegetables would be cooked to perfection and better than anything that we could ever buy at the store and that no matter how many were present for lunch; there would always be enough and leftovers to spare.
How big is our faith? God tells us in His Word that faith is one of His gifts to us and that it needs not be any bigger than that grain of mustard for God to act on our behalf and cause our faith to flourish to the size of the largest plant in the garden. So sometimes if our faith seems really small remember that God tells us that our faith can be small because His faithfulness to us is great. Trust in the One who gave us the gift and let Him grow His faith in each of us.
Take joy in the journey. Love you, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by 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 Monday! I hope this day finds all of you well. I taught school for the first time in a month today. My student teacher has been teaching for the last several weeks. It felt really good to teach again. And today I addressed most of the graduation announcements for Travis. The month of May is simply a month of check-off lists. One more thing on the to-do list has been done. Now we go to final concerts and awards assemblies and the big event in June. And the butterfly count is 18!!! And, I got a B on my paper and a B in the course. Praise God!!
Mark 4: 32, “Jesus said, A mustard seed grows up…and puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
I was blessed to grow up with my Mamo living close by. She was the most amazing woman. She made beautiful clothes. She made my school clothes throughout my school career and even made my wedding dress. Besides being a career seamstress, she was a gardener. She was so amazing that one time the small branches she used to stake out her tomato plants even budded out. That blew us all away. Anyway, one of my memories is of her garden. She could grow the most beautiful garden with the best vegetables and prettiest flowers ever. But mostly I remember her vegetable gardens. When I was little I would go with her to the back yard and help her plant the black-eyed peas, onions, radishes, green beans, tomato plants and mustard.
As a child, I remember that mustard was yellow and in the fridge, but Mamo planted mustard seed and grew the plant itself. It was the tiniest seed ever and it really did grow to make the largest bush in the garden. As it grew Mamo and I would go out to the garden and pinch off the young leaves and eat the mustard leaves right out of the garden. I thought that was totally cool. But that was not all my Mamo grew.
I can see Mamo now planting the rows in her garden, watering them, weeding and thinning out the plants so that there would be plenty of room for them to grow. And then I watched her go inside the house, complete in the knowledge that she had completed her task and that God would do the rest. Her mustard seed faith caused her garden to flourish every year. And I knew that before long the family lunch would be ready and the vegetables would be cooked to perfection and better than anything that we could ever buy at the store and that no matter how many were present for lunch; there would always be enough and leftovers to spare.
How big is our faith? God tells us in His Word that faith is one of His gifts to us and that it needs not be any bigger than that grain of mustard for God to act on our behalf and cause our faith to flourish to the size of the largest plant in the garden. So sometimes if our faith seems really small remember that God tells us that our faith can be small because His faithfulness to us is great. Trust in the One who gave us the gift and let Him grow His faith in each of us.
Take joy in the journey. Love you, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by 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, May 10, 2009
Greetings from Austin St. via Starbucks!! (still no internet—serious bummer!)
Blessed Sunday and Happy Mother’s Day to all of you! I have missed writing to you these last few days. We are back at home now after a whirlwind trip to Lubbock. (Geni and Travis arrived safely. PTL!) Our visit with family was just awesome and Kendall graduated from Texas Tech just beautifully. She has moved back to Allen and will begin to look for a job sometime next week. The keynote speaker was Scott Pelly from CBS News 60 Minutes. He proudly wore his Texas Tech western boots. The first statement he said to the graduates was “You picked a heckuva time to graduate college.” He spoke of courage, perseverance and dreaming big. He was inspiring and his talk was well received. We only had one tough moment on the entire trip. While we were eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel prior to graduation Mom and Dad’s car was broken into, the side window smashed in and Mom’s purse stolen. While my brother called the police, I cancelled all of their credit cards. There was also a fairly large amount of cash taken. Mom was so very upset and all but swears she is never going anywhere again. I ask for your prayers for them as they work to reclaim their financial lives and recover from the feeling of being violated.
– UPDATE – Daddy just called(8:30pm). Someone found Mom’s purse in a hedge behind a Wal-green’s store some distance from the Cracker Barrel. The only thing that was taken was the money. All credit cards and other information was left intact! PTL! They are going to ship it to her tomorrow.
This Mother’s Day was a bit different than previous Mother’s Days. The majority of the day was just wonderful. We all ate breakfast in our bed this morning. Bruce served coffee and prepared eggs while I watched the Sunday Morning Show. Then the kids joined us. It was great fun.
Worship was amazing. The anthem was so full of joy I am sure that Casey shushed the angel choir and said just listen, that is my Mom and Dad singing with the praise team. I know Casey would have approved. Singing the song Breathe will always evoke a strong emotion for me. It has always spoken to my very soul with the words “And I am desperate for You and lost without You.” But the words “Your very Word, spoken to me.” Since the afternoon when Casey told me God told him it would not be long and that he was not afraid, I have believed that God not only meant those words for Casey, but for me too. It was after I delivered the news to Casey that there was nothing more to be done on this earth that Casey told me that God told him he would go home soon and he was not afraid. I who seemed to deliver bad news each time, was blessed with the good news. I will treasure that moment in time for the rest of my life.
Following worship Bruce, Geni and Travis took me to lunch and then we went to see Star Trek. OMG!!! It is so totally cool! I highly recommend it. It will so come to live with us when it is available and it is very worthy of a repeat attendance.
John 15: 5 [Jesus said,] “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.”
I think that part of working through my grief, loss and sadness has been the recovery of our house. Through the actions of many, many people and their commitment to grace in action, our house is looking really nice inside and out. One of the things I have begun to do is plant flowers. I have different colors and kinds of flowers in clay pots on the porch, down the side walk and in window boxes on the house. I love driving up each day and seeing all of the colors and the vibrant signs of life that greet me. I know very little about the intricacies of gardening beyond, dirt, water and weeds. I purchase flowers because I like the colors and how they look. So I decided that I would use Miracle Grow plant food and potting soil to see if I could boost the flower population in my pots and window boxes. I wanted to give these plants every opportunity to grow as much and as long as they possibly could. My basic plan is to water when they are dry (sometimes daily or at least every other day) and plant food once a week.
I began to think that working with the flowers is a lot like my own spiritual life. I read scripture daily, pray during the day and attend worship once a week. In these three activities I am growing. I also planted multiple plants in each container. These plants have the opportunity to help each other grow and become beautiful, full flowered plants. I am so thankful for the Wednesday morning prayer group at school that helps me have other areas which are growing as well. We all help each other. But I also know that I have much to learn about plants. I also have much to learn about God, His Son Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. I know that if I neglect my flowers by not watering them and feeding them they will die. I also know if I neglect my spiritual life then my soul and actions will suffer and die. If I were to pollute my plants by watering them with gasoline or alcohol then they will surely die. If I begin to pollute my time with God with other “busyness” then my spiritual life as well as all of the other aspects of my life will suffer.
It is May and a very busy time for all of us. So let each of us put the busyness aside and put God first and keep Him throughout the day. He will keep us watered in our baptisms, feed us on His Word and keep us firmly planted in His abundant grace.
Take joy in the journey my gardener friends. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by 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 and Happy Mother’s Day to all of you! I have missed writing to you these last few days. We are back at home now after a whirlwind trip to Lubbock. (Geni and Travis arrived safely. PTL!) Our visit with family was just awesome and Kendall graduated from Texas Tech just beautifully. She has moved back to Allen and will begin to look for a job sometime next week. The keynote speaker was Scott Pelly from CBS News 60 Minutes. He proudly wore his Texas Tech western boots. The first statement he said to the graduates was “You picked a heckuva time to graduate college.” He spoke of courage, perseverance and dreaming big. He was inspiring and his talk was well received. We only had one tough moment on the entire trip. While we were eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel prior to graduation Mom and Dad’s car was broken into, the side window smashed in and Mom’s purse stolen. While my brother called the police, I cancelled all of their credit cards. There was also a fairly large amount of cash taken. Mom was so very upset and all but swears she is never going anywhere again. I ask for your prayers for them as they work to reclaim their financial lives and recover from the feeling of being violated.
– UPDATE – Daddy just called(8:30pm). Someone found Mom’s purse in a hedge behind a Wal-green’s store some distance from the Cracker Barrel. The only thing that was taken was the money. All credit cards and other information was left intact! PTL! They are going to ship it to her tomorrow.
This Mother’s Day was a bit different than previous Mother’s Days. The majority of the day was just wonderful. We all ate breakfast in our bed this morning. Bruce served coffee and prepared eggs while I watched the Sunday Morning Show. Then the kids joined us. It was great fun.
Worship was amazing. The anthem was so full of joy I am sure that Casey shushed the angel choir and said just listen, that is my Mom and Dad singing with the praise team. I know Casey would have approved. Singing the song Breathe will always evoke a strong emotion for me. It has always spoken to my very soul with the words “And I am desperate for You and lost without You.” But the words “Your very Word, spoken to me.” Since the afternoon when Casey told me God told him it would not be long and that he was not afraid, I have believed that God not only meant those words for Casey, but for me too. It was after I delivered the news to Casey that there was nothing more to be done on this earth that Casey told me that God told him he would go home soon and he was not afraid. I who seemed to deliver bad news each time, was blessed with the good news. I will treasure that moment in time for the rest of my life.
Following worship Bruce, Geni and Travis took me to lunch and then we went to see Star Trek. OMG!!! It is so totally cool! I highly recommend it. It will so come to live with us when it is available and it is very worthy of a repeat attendance.
John 15: 5 [Jesus said,] “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.”
I think that part of working through my grief, loss and sadness has been the recovery of our house. Through the actions of many, many people and their commitment to grace in action, our house is looking really nice inside and out. One of the things I have begun to do is plant flowers. I have different colors and kinds of flowers in clay pots on the porch, down the side walk and in window boxes on the house. I love driving up each day and seeing all of the colors and the vibrant signs of life that greet me. I know very little about the intricacies of gardening beyond, dirt, water and weeds. I purchase flowers because I like the colors and how they look. So I decided that I would use Miracle Grow plant food and potting soil to see if I could boost the flower population in my pots and window boxes. I wanted to give these plants every opportunity to grow as much and as long as they possibly could. My basic plan is to water when they are dry (sometimes daily or at least every other day) and plant food once a week.
I began to think that working with the flowers is a lot like my own spiritual life. I read scripture daily, pray during the day and attend worship once a week. In these three activities I am growing. I also planted multiple plants in each container. These plants have the opportunity to help each other grow and become beautiful, full flowered plants. I am so thankful for the Wednesday morning prayer group at school that helps me have other areas which are growing as well. We all help each other. But I also know that I have much to learn about plants. I also have much to learn about God, His Son Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. I know that if I neglect my flowers by not watering them and feeding them they will die. I also know if I neglect my spiritual life then my soul and actions will suffer and die. If I were to pollute my plants by watering them with gasoline or alcohol then they will surely die. If I begin to pollute my time with God with other “busyness” then my spiritual life as well as all of the other aspects of my life will suffer.
It is May and a very busy time for all of us. So let each of us put the busyness aside and put God first and keep Him throughout the day. He will keep us watered in our baptisms, feed us on His Word and keep us firmly planted in His abundant grace.
Take joy in the journey my gardener friends. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by 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, May 6, 2009
Greetings from Austin St. via…?
Happy Wednesday! The paper has left the building!! I prayed over it as I wrote it and prayed again just before pressing the send button. I went to Starbucks and got on wifi so I could send the paper to Dr. Jones.
Fort Worth ISD has called us back to work tomorrow. Teachers only tomorrow and the kids come on Friday. I will call for a substitute for Friday as we will be traveling to Lubbock. Please pray for us as we travel and for the kids as they travel late into the night.
This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. The praise team will be singing the anthem purchased and given in the celebration of the life of Casey. Many of the songs of praise that were sung at Casey’s Celebration of Life will be in the body of worship this Sunday. The music this Sunday is going to be awesome. I invite all of you to come to Advent Lutheran in Arlington and be a part of this most special worship.
Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
This is normally the day our prayer group at school meets. I had planned a lesson for today so I thought I would go ahead and share it with all of you tonight.
Are we tired? If we are tired, what do we do to become untired? We sleep, we chill in front of the TV, we listen to some nice music and let ourselves relax. But what do we do when we are weary? Tired is usually associated with physical exhaustion and some sack time will usually take care of it. But weary is another matter. Being weary involves our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits. When we are weary everything feels like an uphill climb in six inch heels with a backpack loaded with bricks on a hot day in July in Texas (how’s that for a word picture? that’s tough!!) Being weary means being burdened. Being weary means being weighed down with the situations in life that are just seemingly too heavy to carry.
Jesus has the answer for weariness. Jesus’ answer for weariness is “give it to Me, I want your weariness, I want your burdens.” God promises that if we give Him our burdens and weariness then He will give us rest. Have you ever slept but never felt rested? That is weariness. Jesus carried that cross down the Via Dolorosa. Jesus walked in weariness because of His love for us. He carried that cross so that we would not have to be weary again. Jesus has asked for our weariness and our burdens because His shoulders and His heart are strong enough to carry the weight of the world. Have you ever heard that song, “If He carries the weight of the world upon His shoulders, then brother and sister, He can carry you”? God, through Jesus, will give us rest from our weariness if we give our burdens to Him.
So friends, let us trust God with whatever keeps us up at night. Get a good night’s sleep and rest in the One who carries the weight of the world. He loves us so much.
Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by 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 Wednesday! The paper has left the building!! I prayed over it as I wrote it and prayed again just before pressing the send button. I went to Starbucks and got on wifi so I could send the paper to Dr. Jones.
Fort Worth ISD has called us back to work tomorrow. Teachers only tomorrow and the kids come on Friday. I will call for a substitute for Friday as we will be traveling to Lubbock. Please pray for us as we travel and for the kids as they travel late into the night.
This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. The praise team will be singing the anthem purchased and given in the celebration of the life of Casey. Many of the songs of praise that were sung at Casey’s Celebration of Life will be in the body of worship this Sunday. The music this Sunday is going to be awesome. I invite all of you to come to Advent Lutheran in Arlington and be a part of this most special worship.
Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
This is normally the day our prayer group at school meets. I had planned a lesson for today so I thought I would go ahead and share it with all of you tonight.
Are we tired? If we are tired, what do we do to become untired? We sleep, we chill in front of the TV, we listen to some nice music and let ourselves relax. But what do we do when we are weary? Tired is usually associated with physical exhaustion and some sack time will usually take care of it. But weary is another matter. Being weary involves our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits. When we are weary everything feels like an uphill climb in six inch heels with a backpack loaded with bricks on a hot day in July in Texas (how’s that for a word picture? that’s tough!!) Being weary means being burdened. Being weary means being weighed down with the situations in life that are just seemingly too heavy to carry.
Jesus has the answer for weariness. Jesus’ answer for weariness is “give it to Me, I want your weariness, I want your burdens.” God promises that if we give Him our burdens and weariness then He will give us rest. Have you ever slept but never felt rested? That is weariness. Jesus carried that cross down the Via Dolorosa. Jesus walked in weariness because of His love for us. He carried that cross so that we would not have to be weary again. Jesus has asked for our weariness and our burdens because His shoulders and His heart are strong enough to carry the weight of the world. Have you ever heard that song, “If He carries the weight of the world upon His shoulders, then brother and sister, He can carry you”? God, through Jesus, will give us rest from our weariness if we give our burdens to Him.
So friends, let us trust God with whatever keeps us up at night. Get a good night’s sleep and rest in the One who carries the weight of the world. He loves us so much.
Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
Greetings from Austin St. (maybe!)
Happy Tuesday! Happy Cinco de Mayo! Today has been an interesting day. I traveled with Bruce to Corsicana today. We had a great trip and it was nice to get away even for just a few hours. I also finished reading a Harry Potter book. I have never read a Harry Potter book before and I really enjoyed it. Then the internet went down due to a weird set of circumstances and so I am not sure when we will back online. I may be sending this from Starbucks. Also I was not able to submit my paper due to the internet being down, but my professor was very kind and said to send it when I can. He is a great guy! And the final news of the day is that Fort Worth ISD has been called back to work. I go in on Thursday and we have students on Friday. It has been quite a day!
Psalm 56:8 says, “You have recorded my troubles. You have kept a list of my tears.”
As I approach this coming weekend there will be some bittersweet moments. First, the joy is that our niece, Kendall, will graduate from Texas Tech on Saturday. We are so proud of her and wish her only the best in her chosen field of hotel and restaurant management. She will be fantastic! The family is gathering on Saturday for a brunch honoring Kendall. We will also celebrate Mother’s Day. I rejoice that my mother will be there and I will honor her for the most amazing woman and loving mother I have ever known. I will also take great joy in having Travis and Geni there with me to celebrate this time set aside to celebrate mothers. But I also will miss so very much the one who first called me Mom. Casey was not a mama’s boy, but he did love his mama. And his mama loved him. When I talked to Casey on his last weekend with us I told him how much he meant to me and how he was the one who taught me how to be a mom.
Someone in our church purchased a choir anthem for the Praise and Worship service in honor of Casey. The title of the anthem is “Let Everything that Hath Breath.” It is the most awesome anthem. It has a totally gospel feel and we all really love to sing it. The praise team will be offering this anthem on this Mother’s Day during the 11:00 service. It will rock the house!
As I was writing this theology paper I had to write on the Doctrine of Theodicy; the doctrine of suffering. A large body of my paper is dedicated to this particular doctrine. As I was writing I realized that God suffered at the loss of His Son, Jesus. Because God suffered at this loss, He understands our suffering and loss. The death of His Son broke His heart just as much as Casey’s death has broken mine. I don’t know if my heart will ever mend on this side of heaven, but I positively believe that God’s promise of eternal life with Him will mend this broken heart when I am united with Him when I leave this earth. We have such a loving God who knows when we are hurting and knows when we shed tears and finds a way to wrap His loving arms around us to let us know that we are not alone in our misery.
So as I approach this first Mother’s Day without Casey I will rejoice in the presence of my mom and be exceedingly glad having Geni and Travis at my side and remember with thanksgiving the time I had with Casey. Thank you for letting me work out my grief with each of you in these writings.
Take joy in the journey. Love you, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
PS Please pray for travel mercy for us as we travel to Lubbock with mom and dad on Friday. Also pray for Geni and Travis as they will travel late Friday to Lubbock to be with us.
Happy Tuesday! Happy Cinco de Mayo! Today has been an interesting day. I traveled with Bruce to Corsicana today. We had a great trip and it was nice to get away even for just a few hours. I also finished reading a Harry Potter book. I have never read a Harry Potter book before and I really enjoyed it. Then the internet went down due to a weird set of circumstances and so I am not sure when we will back online. I may be sending this from Starbucks. Also I was not able to submit my paper due to the internet being down, but my professor was very kind and said to send it when I can. He is a great guy! And the final news of the day is that Fort Worth ISD has been called back to work. I go in on Thursday and we have students on Friday. It has been quite a day!
Psalm 56:8 says, “You have recorded my troubles. You have kept a list of my tears.”
As I approach this coming weekend there will be some bittersweet moments. First, the joy is that our niece, Kendall, will graduate from Texas Tech on Saturday. We are so proud of her and wish her only the best in her chosen field of hotel and restaurant management. She will be fantastic! The family is gathering on Saturday for a brunch honoring Kendall. We will also celebrate Mother’s Day. I rejoice that my mother will be there and I will honor her for the most amazing woman and loving mother I have ever known. I will also take great joy in having Travis and Geni there with me to celebrate this time set aside to celebrate mothers. But I also will miss so very much the one who first called me Mom. Casey was not a mama’s boy, but he did love his mama. And his mama loved him. When I talked to Casey on his last weekend with us I told him how much he meant to me and how he was the one who taught me how to be a mom.
Someone in our church purchased a choir anthem for the Praise and Worship service in honor of Casey. The title of the anthem is “Let Everything that Hath Breath.” It is the most awesome anthem. It has a totally gospel feel and we all really love to sing it. The praise team will be offering this anthem on this Mother’s Day during the 11:00 service. It will rock the house!
As I was writing this theology paper I had to write on the Doctrine of Theodicy; the doctrine of suffering. A large body of my paper is dedicated to this particular doctrine. As I was writing I realized that God suffered at the loss of His Son, Jesus. Because God suffered at this loss, He understands our suffering and loss. The death of His Son broke His heart just as much as Casey’s death has broken mine. I don’t know if my heart will ever mend on this side of heaven, but I positively believe that God’s promise of eternal life with Him will mend this broken heart when I am united with Him when I leave this earth. We have such a loving God who knows when we are hurting and knows when we shed tears and finds a way to wrap His loving arms around us to let us know that we are not alone in our misery.
So as I approach this first Mother’s Day without Casey I will rejoice in the presence of my mom and be exceedingly glad having Geni and Travis at my side and remember with thanksgiving the time I had with Casey. Thank you for letting me work out my grief with each of you in these writings.
Take joy in the journey. Love you, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.
Gcapplenotes@aol.com
I am not moved by by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.
PS Please pray for travel mercy for us as we travel to Lubbock with mom and dad on Friday. Also pray for Geni and Travis as they will travel late Friday to Lubbock to be with us.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Happy Monday! This vacation is still a bit weird, but I am adjusting. I worked on my paper, did some house cleaning and laundry and changed some of the flowers in the front yard. Bruce and I went out to run a couple of errands this afternoon and upon our return home we discovered that we were without electricity. Oncor came out very quickly and it was determined that a squirrel grounded the circuit breaker to the transformer and shut down our house. So we now have a fried squirrel in the backyard.
Tomorrow Bruce is going to install some window boxes planted with the flowers I have picked out. I have found out that several other teachers have been doing unexpected projects with the time we are not at work. My prayers are with those families who are experiencing the flu within their homes and for those families who have had to make alternate arrangements for child care for their children during this week.
Luke 22:27 say, “Who is more important; the one sitting at the table or the one serving? You think the one at the table is more important, but I am like a servant among you.”
Max Lucado relates that the washing of feet was not only relegated to the servants of the house, but to the lowest servant. The servant at the bottom or perhaps the last hire was the one who was on his knees with the basin and towel. At the Last Supper Jesus became that servant. He did not prepare and serve the meal or even clear away the dishes. No, Jesus took on the role of the lowest servant of all and washed the feet of the disciples. Those feet that wore “Jesus sandals.” Those feet that walked hot, dusty roads. Those feet that visited with farmers out in their fields where sheep and cattle grazed (obviously not in Texas!). Those feet that walked out into the lakes and seas and fished with the local fishermen. Those were some nasty feet! No wonder the lowest of the low servants got that job.
And here is Jesus, King of all the world, the one who fashioned the moon and stars, the one who created the mountains and the seas, the one who created the animals of the land and the birds of the air and all of us, “the one who one day all nations will bow before” (Max Lucado) there He is on His knees washing away the filth of the day! Jesus was on His knees kneeling before the disciples just a few short hours before His death and for what - just to wash away the dirt of the day, as a model for the forgiveness of sins or just to say my friends, I love you?
If the giver of all life and creation can kneel before His closest friends and wash away the filth of the day, what can we do for others just to say I love you?
Just throwing it out there. 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.
PS The paper goes in tomorrow. Bruce is doing a once over twice before submission. Please pray for both of us. Love, gc
By the way, I don’t want to start any rumors. We managed to get hold of Earthlink today. They were having technical difficulties when we were down. They are still in business and, according to the person I was communicating with, are doing well. They assured me that there would not be another incident where we did not have internet service. Bruce
Tomorrow Bruce is going to install some window boxes planted with the flowers I have picked out. I have found out that several other teachers have been doing unexpected projects with the time we are not at work. My prayers are with those families who are experiencing the flu within their homes and for those families who have had to make alternate arrangements for child care for their children during this week.
Luke 22:27 say, “Who is more important; the one sitting at the table or the one serving? You think the one at the table is more important, but I am like a servant among you.”
Max Lucado relates that the washing of feet was not only relegated to the servants of the house, but to the lowest servant. The servant at the bottom or perhaps the last hire was the one who was on his knees with the basin and towel. At the Last Supper Jesus became that servant. He did not prepare and serve the meal or even clear away the dishes. No, Jesus took on the role of the lowest servant of all and washed the feet of the disciples. Those feet that wore “Jesus sandals.” Those feet that walked hot, dusty roads. Those feet that visited with farmers out in their fields where sheep and cattle grazed (obviously not in Texas!). Those feet that walked out into the lakes and seas and fished with the local fishermen. Those were some nasty feet! No wonder the lowest of the low servants got that job.
And here is Jesus, King of all the world, the one who fashioned the moon and stars, the one who created the mountains and the seas, the one who created the animals of the land and the birds of the air and all of us, “the one who one day all nations will bow before” (Max Lucado) there He is on His knees washing away the filth of the day! Jesus was on His knees kneeling before the disciples just a few short hours before His death and for what - just to wash away the dirt of the day, as a model for the forgiveness of sins or just to say my friends, I love you?
If the giver of all life and creation can kneel before His closest friends and wash away the filth of the day, what can we do for others just to say I love you?
Just throwing it out there. 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.
PS The paper goes in tomorrow. Bruce is doing a once over twice before submission. Please pray for both of us. Love, gc
By the way, I don’t want to start any rumors. We managed to get hold of Earthlink today. They were having technical difficulties when we were down. They are still in business and, according to the person I was communicating with, are doing well. They assured me that there would not be another incident where we did not have internet service. Bruce
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Greetings from Austin St. (for real this time)
Happy and blessed Sunday! I am not sure if AT&T is working ahead of schedule or if Earthlink has been resurrected, but we are back online here at 811. YEAH!! We have had a quiet day today. Worship was so wonderful today. Bruce came home around 3:00 safe and sound. PTL! Travis is taking a shift at another store for a friend tonight and Geni has left for Denton. She will most likely be home earlier this week than usual due to Dead Week prior to finals next week.
The first of the graduations will happen this coming weekend. Our niece, Kendall, will graduate from Texas Tech this weekend. Bruce and I will be leaving here on Thursday afternoon for Howe to pick up and take Mom and Dad to Lubbock so they can be there to celebrate Kendall’s commencement. Geni and Travis will be leaving on Friday after the choir banquet and (hopefully) will get to Lubbock very early in the morning. Please pray for travel mercy for all those who will travel to Lubbock including Ken, Sheena and Kendall’s sisters.
John 10: 14 says, “Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me.”
Today, Travis and I went to Wal-Mart after worship. As we were leaving I said good-bye to the greeter and called her by name. Travis mentioned to me how much it always surprised him when someone calls his name outside of Starbucks or school, the gym and other places he frequents. He forgets to take off his name tag and people with whom he comes into contact say, “Travis” when they speak to him. He always questions “Why do they know me?” then he remembers he is still wearing his name tag.
Isn’t it wonderful that God knows our name without the aid of a name tag? However, we do wear a name tag, sort of. We carry the name of Jesus. As we are children of God and brother and sister to Christ we all carry the same name. So I guess my question is how do others know us by our name? Most people know me as Gaylene Chrystie, wife of Bruce, mother of Geni and Travis, first grade school teacher, Brite seminary student and a person who loves to sing. But how do others know me, Gaylene, child of God and sister to Christ? What associates me with that name? Is it the fish on my mailbox and the back of my car? Is it the cross I wear around my neck daily? Is it the fact that I am attending a seminary preparing for a professional ministry? I don’t think any of those things prove that I am a child of God. The only thing that proves that I am a child of God is that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for me. I don’t wear a nametag saying, Gaylene Chrystie, Child of God and Sister to Christ, but I carry His eternal, unchanging love and grace in my heart.
So tonight’s question is simply: What does the nametag of your heart say and can others read it without it being pinned to your shirt?
Take joy in the journey. Love you all. Stay well and wash your hands often! Love, 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 and blessed Sunday! I am not sure if AT&T is working ahead of schedule or if Earthlink has been resurrected, but we are back online here at 811. YEAH!! We have had a quiet day today. Worship was so wonderful today. Bruce came home around 3:00 safe and sound. PTL! Travis is taking a shift at another store for a friend tonight and Geni has left for Denton. She will most likely be home earlier this week than usual due to Dead Week prior to finals next week.
The first of the graduations will happen this coming weekend. Our niece, Kendall, will graduate from Texas Tech this weekend. Bruce and I will be leaving here on Thursday afternoon for Howe to pick up and take Mom and Dad to Lubbock so they can be there to celebrate Kendall’s commencement. Geni and Travis will be leaving on Friday after the choir banquet and (hopefully) will get to Lubbock very early in the morning. Please pray for travel mercy for all those who will travel to Lubbock including Ken, Sheena and Kendall’s sisters.
John 10: 14 says, “Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me.”
Today, Travis and I went to Wal-Mart after worship. As we were leaving I said good-bye to the greeter and called her by name. Travis mentioned to me how much it always surprised him when someone calls his name outside of Starbucks or school, the gym and other places he frequents. He forgets to take off his name tag and people with whom he comes into contact say, “Travis” when they speak to him. He always questions “Why do they know me?” then he remembers he is still wearing his name tag.
Isn’t it wonderful that God knows our name without the aid of a name tag? However, we do wear a name tag, sort of. We carry the name of Jesus. As we are children of God and brother and sister to Christ we all carry the same name. So I guess my question is how do others know us by our name? Most people know me as Gaylene Chrystie, wife of Bruce, mother of Geni and Travis, first grade school teacher, Brite seminary student and a person who loves to sing. But how do others know me, Gaylene, child of God and sister to Christ? What associates me with that name? Is it the fish on my mailbox and the back of my car? Is it the cross I wear around my neck daily? Is it the fact that I am attending a seminary preparing for a professional ministry? I don’t think any of those things prove that I am a child of God. The only thing that proves that I am a child of God is that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for me. I don’t wear a nametag saying, Gaylene Chrystie, Child of God and Sister to Christ, but I carry His eternal, unchanging love and grace in my heart.
So tonight’s question is simply: What does the nametag of your heart say and can others read it without it being pinned to your shirt?
Take joy in the journey. Love you all. Stay well and wash your hands often! Love, 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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)