Posts
Greetings from Austin St. (a long reading, but please read to the bottom)
Blessed Sunday! I have missed writing to you these past two days! But my editor did a smashing job filling in for me last night. Thanks Bruce!
As Bruce shared with you we held a memorial celebration event at the (near) one year anniversary of Casey’s passing. I really hesitate to say his death and passing is such a much more fitting term. As Christians we are promised an eternal life. So Casey passed from this life onto the next. Yes, his body is gone, but his spirit will forever live in our hearts as well as in heaven with Jesus. The celebration was met with laughter and tears. But in reality it was met with family and friends who celebrated the love of God through Jesus as they saw in Casey’s life. We gave thanks for all of these communities of faith that helped and supported us so very much over the last two years.
I did not script Pastor Joel as to what to say or do except that we wanted the tree planted in Casey’s name to be blessed as well as the table which now resides in the place where he slept for almost a year. Pastor Joel spoke of the table. Not just the place at which we eat daily, but the table of grace where we gather each week in worship, or in small groups in hospitals or in other gatherings where the presence of God is there in the representative elements of bread and wine. We passed the bread and dipped the bread in the wine as it was passed. We shared at this table as communities from Happening, Kairos, Advent Lutheran, St. John Lutheran, immediate and extended family and dear friends. It was such a wonderful way to celebrate the Lord’s presence in our lives. Communion meant so much to Casey as it does to our family. It was the perfect venue for Pastor Joel to celebrate the table.
We then went outside to bless the tree. The tree now surrounded by colorful fall flowers and standing straight and true. It has been almost a year since it was planted and just like our family it has weathered the heat of the summer, the wind and rain of spring and the cold of winter. When it was planted, it began to lean so Bruce staked it with a pole and a rope to keep it straight. So just before the blessing, Bruce removed the rope and the tree seems to be aimed towards the sky ready to receive the sunshine and rain it needs to continue to grow. A memorial stone was given by a friend with a beautiful poem and Casey’s birth and death dates on it. There is also a cross cut out in the body of the stone. We placed the stone so it now rests in the flowers at the base of the tree. This tree will forever be blessed and a constant reminder that life goes on and even when life really contains some tough storms, we can weather them because our roots are anchored in the love, grace and the healing power of the living God. And that a wonderful young man had a profound effect on so many lives. We were blessed to have him in our midst as our son, brother and friend for 24 years.
Psalm 34: 1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
“God is good; all the time. He put a song of praise in this heart of mine.” I love this song. Sometimes this is a hard song to sing when your heart is broken, but God calls us even in distress and grief the first step is Praise. Do I cry daily because I miss my son? Yes! Do I cry because he is in heaven with Jesus? Absolutely not!
Bless the Lord when when troubles are overwhelming. In your greatest distress, search until you find thankfulness.
Take joy in the journey, wear comfortable shoes and carry an umbrella. 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.
PS As my sister-in-law, Sheena, and I were tidying up the table yesterday she brought the chalice of wine to me. She asked me what to do with this blessed wine. I told her if we were Catholic or Episcopalian we would be honor bound to finish off the wine. The volunteers lined up for this job! But in fine Lutheran tradition we poured it on the ground. Guess where? It was poured on the Casey tree. Casey would be so pleased! I am sure he is still laughing at that one now. gc
PSS The singing of “This Little Light of Mine” in the front yard was totally awesome. Completely a capella and with great joy. The dismissal went something like this: “Go in peace and be served some cake!” Thanks be to God. gc
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Happy Saturday.
After the events of the day, Gaylene has called it a day and has asked me to take over for the night.
Updates first. David Russell has come through both of his surgeries well, though he is in a bit of pain from the second at this time. Please include him (and Carme) in your prayers for healing if you haven’t already done so.
Danny has been cleared of any heart issues at the present time and has been diagnosed with a really bad food poisoning episode. PTL.
It has been almost a year since Casey died. Since that time, some major changes have taken place in our lives and in our home, and today it was time to once again celebrate Casey’s life with us and his life with his Father. Joining us were 40 family and friends. We sang, we prayed, we shared communion, we drank lots of hot chocolate and coffee, cake and ice cream, and we thanked God for giving us 24 years with Casey among us. Tears were shed, but it wasn’t a sad occasion. Some close friends and family members were not able to join us physically, but were with us spiritually. It was a lot of work preparing the house for 40 guests, not to mention the food, but all seemed to enjoy the time together.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. -Romans 10:13 (NIV)
Last week, I was witness to what the love of Christ could do in a really dark place. I spent 3 days in a prison working with a team who worked with 42 inmates who may or may not have had a relationship with God before we got there, but who knew much more about our Lord and God and his Son, Jesus when we left on Sunday. These brothers in white (inmates) knew, for the most part, the words of the Bible, but most of the men I spoke with did not know of the love spoken of in the scriptures. They did not understand what could bring so many free-world men for three days away from their families, away from their work to spend time with inmates they didn’t even know. We shared what we knew with them about God’s agape love.
The Holy Spirit was with us from the beginning of the weekend. Those men who shared their lives in talks with the brothers in white could only have shared what they did through the power of the Holy Spirit. I was overwhelmed many times as I joined with some 90 voices in the gym singing praises to our Lord. Many of us who went to the prison to bring blessings to the brothers in white ended up being blessed by the the brothers. Those also blessed were the many of volunteers who baked cookies for the weekend ( we went through about 1,800 dozen cookies!), donated money in the form of meal tickets and what we call “green agape” to help fund the weekend, and those who made placemats, posters and letters to the inmates. God truly made his presence known inside that prison.
We go back into the prison every month to encourage those new Christians in their own walk of faith. Our task is not to get anyone out, we are just trying to help them see that the Lord is there with them and to help them understand their relationship with our Living God.
Take joy in your journey. 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.
After the events of the day, Gaylene has called it a day and has asked me to take over for the night.
Updates first. David Russell has come through both of his surgeries well, though he is in a bit of pain from the second at this time. Please include him (and Carme) in your prayers for healing if you haven’t already done so.
Danny has been cleared of any heart issues at the present time and has been diagnosed with a really bad food poisoning episode. PTL.
It has been almost a year since Casey died. Since that time, some major changes have taken place in our lives and in our home, and today it was time to once again celebrate Casey’s life with us and his life with his Father. Joining us were 40 family and friends. We sang, we prayed, we shared communion, we drank lots of hot chocolate and coffee, cake and ice cream, and we thanked God for giving us 24 years with Casey among us. Tears were shed, but it wasn’t a sad occasion. Some close friends and family members were not able to join us physically, but were with us spiritually. It was a lot of work preparing the house for 40 guests, not to mention the food, but all seemed to enjoy the time together.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. -Romans 10:13 (NIV)
Last week, I was witness to what the love of Christ could do in a really dark place. I spent 3 days in a prison working with a team who worked with 42 inmates who may or may not have had a relationship with God before we got there, but who knew much more about our Lord and God and his Son, Jesus when we left on Sunday. These brothers in white (inmates) knew, for the most part, the words of the Bible, but most of the men I spoke with did not know of the love spoken of in the scriptures. They did not understand what could bring so many free-world men for three days away from their families, away from their work to spend time with inmates they didn’t even know. We shared what we knew with them about God’s agape love.
The Holy Spirit was with us from the beginning of the weekend. Those men who shared their lives in talks with the brothers in white could only have shared what they did through the power of the Holy Spirit. I was overwhelmed many times as I joined with some 90 voices in the gym singing praises to our Lord. Many of us who went to the prison to bring blessings to the brothers in white ended up being blessed by the the brothers. Those also blessed were the many of volunteers who baked cookies for the weekend ( we went through about 1,800 dozen cookies!), donated money in the form of meal tickets and what we call “green agape” to help fund the weekend, and those who made placemats, posters and letters to the inmates. God truly made his presence known inside that prison.
We go back into the prison every month to encourage those new Christians in their own walk of faith. Our task is not to get anyone out, we are just trying to help them see that the Lord is there with them and to help them understand their relationship with our Living God.
Take joy in your journey. 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.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Happy Thursday!
And the saga continues…the electric saga that is. We are adding to the list of no-longer functioning electronic appliances: one air conditioner and possibly one washing machine. This is rapidly climbing in to thousands of dollars. The insurance company has not called us back as of yet, so I think we will call them tomorrow. We are also going to file a claim with the electric company. Wish us luck in trying to recover the “toasted” items. The pile is growing rather large!
Update: Davis Russell has come through the first surgery very well and is resting for the next one to come tomorrow. Please pray for him as he goes through the second surgery and then into recovery. We pray God’s total peace, perfection within the hands of the surgeon and healing and well-being for our friend.
No news on my cousin Danny yet, but I hope to hear something soon. Please keep him in your prayers.
Mark 14:3 As he sat at the meeting, there came a woman having an alabaster jar of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the jar, and poured it on His head.
The spice called “spikenard” is a medicinal spice used in ancient times for fever reduction, pain relief and has calming properties. Spikenard was also used as a spice that anointed the dead. The burial wrappings were soaked in a mixture of fragrant oils and the body was wrapped in these fragrant cloths prior to entombment. Spikenard could be known as the spice of peace. Spikenard is extracted from the root of the shrub in the form of fragrant oil. For Jesus this healing balm was a foretelling of the preparation for His burial.
Jesus was at a gathering of very important people in Jerusalem when this event occurred. This woman crashed the party. She brought this jar of costly oil for one purpose. She wanted to be close to the Master. She felt drawn to Him. The story goes that she was a woman of questionable reputation and this act stopped the party. Jesus recognized this act as the act of a repentant sinner needing to be loved and forgiven. Jesus’ response to this outcast woman was to hush those who were judging at the party and say that she was honoring Him in preparation for His burial.
Peace, true peace is the acceptance of God’s will for our lives. When sorrow and suffering, joy and gladness, difficulty or success, ease or hardship or safety or danger present themselves in our lives we need to surrender all of these things to the will of God and be in Peace. Draw so close to God that the thought of the bonds of love between the King and each of us brings us great joy no matter what the experiences of life are dishing out!
Take joy in the journey and carry an umbrella. 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.
And the saga continues…the electric saga that is. We are adding to the list of no-longer functioning electronic appliances: one air conditioner and possibly one washing machine. This is rapidly climbing in to thousands of dollars. The insurance company has not called us back as of yet, so I think we will call them tomorrow. We are also going to file a claim with the electric company. Wish us luck in trying to recover the “toasted” items. The pile is growing rather large!
Update: Davis Russell has come through the first surgery very well and is resting for the next one to come tomorrow. Please pray for him as he goes through the second surgery and then into recovery. We pray God’s total peace, perfection within the hands of the surgeon and healing and well-being for our friend.
No news on my cousin Danny yet, but I hope to hear something soon. Please keep him in your prayers.
Mark 14:3 As he sat at the meeting, there came a woman having an alabaster jar of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the jar, and poured it on His head.
The spice called “spikenard” is a medicinal spice used in ancient times for fever reduction, pain relief and has calming properties. Spikenard was also used as a spice that anointed the dead. The burial wrappings were soaked in a mixture of fragrant oils and the body was wrapped in these fragrant cloths prior to entombment. Spikenard could be known as the spice of peace. Spikenard is extracted from the root of the shrub in the form of fragrant oil. For Jesus this healing balm was a foretelling of the preparation for His burial.
Jesus was at a gathering of very important people in Jerusalem when this event occurred. This woman crashed the party. She brought this jar of costly oil for one purpose. She wanted to be close to the Master. She felt drawn to Him. The story goes that she was a woman of questionable reputation and this act stopped the party. Jesus recognized this act as the act of a repentant sinner needing to be loved and forgiven. Jesus’ response to this outcast woman was to hush those who were judging at the party and say that she was honoring Him in preparation for His burial.
Peace, true peace is the acceptance of God’s will for our lives. When sorrow and suffering, joy and gladness, difficulty or success, ease or hardship or safety or danger present themselves in our lives we need to surrender all of these things to the will of God and be in Peace. Draw so close to God that the thought of the bonds of love between the King and each of us brings us great joy no matter what the experiences of life are dishing out!
Take joy in the journey and carry an umbrella. 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.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Happy Wednesday!
Well, the electricity did not get fixed the first time. We had the same experiences last night and into the morning today. But there is good news and bad news. Good news is that the electric company came out a second time and really repaired the issues this time. The bad news is that the damage fried Bruce’s computer. We still haven’t heard from the insurance adjuster as yet, but we have all of our lights and have not experienced any brownouts and power surges tonight. Yea God!! I am afraid I did not sleep well last night. I was a bit nervous about not waking up on time so I was up every hour or so checking the time. I will sleep well tonight.
Isaiah 40:28 “Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary. There is no searching of His understanding."
Isaiah is telling us in this passage that God knows our every cry. He knows when and why we are tired. He also hears every plea for help. God knows every tear we ever cried and every time we have failed. He knows our every weakness. And yet, He stays with us. He gives us His strength when we are in need. God rejoices in our weakness because His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
It took a long time for me to figure out this statement about strength and weakness. When we are weak then God can come and place more of Himself in each of us and we use His strength.
God asks us to trust Him and to lean on Him and believe that all will be well. Tonight I ask you to pray for our friend David Russell as he prepares for back to back surgeries; one on Thursday and then one on Friday. I also ask for prayers for my cousin Danny. He is a young man in his early 40’s and is having a nuclear heart test tomorrow. Both families are so appreciative of your prayers. We are a praying bunch. Not too long ago I was the assisting minister in worship and I led the prayers of the people. Someone came up to me afterward and commented on the manner in which I did the prayers. I simply responded, “I practice a lot.”
Friends, everyone is fighting some kind of battle. We are all in this life together so let us pray for each other and offer up shoulder, an ear and be “God with skin on,” for someone who is in need.
Take joy in the journey and help someone walk the journey with you. 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.
Well, the electricity did not get fixed the first time. We had the same experiences last night and into the morning today. But there is good news and bad news. Good news is that the electric company came out a second time and really repaired the issues this time. The bad news is that the damage fried Bruce’s computer. We still haven’t heard from the insurance adjuster as yet, but we have all of our lights and have not experienced any brownouts and power surges tonight. Yea God!! I am afraid I did not sleep well last night. I was a bit nervous about not waking up on time so I was up every hour or so checking the time. I will sleep well tonight.
Isaiah 40:28 “Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary. There is no searching of His understanding."
Isaiah is telling us in this passage that God knows our every cry. He knows when and why we are tired. He also hears every plea for help. God knows every tear we ever cried and every time we have failed. He knows our every weakness. And yet, He stays with us. He gives us His strength when we are in need. God rejoices in our weakness because His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
It took a long time for me to figure out this statement about strength and weakness. When we are weak then God can come and place more of Himself in each of us and we use His strength.
God asks us to trust Him and to lean on Him and believe that all will be well. Tonight I ask you to pray for our friend David Russell as he prepares for back to back surgeries; one on Thursday and then one on Friday. I also ask for prayers for my cousin Danny. He is a young man in his early 40’s and is having a nuclear heart test tomorrow. Both families are so appreciative of your prayers. We are a praying bunch. Not too long ago I was the assisting minister in worship and I led the prayers of the people. Someone came up to me afterward and commented on the manner in which I did the prayers. I simply responded, “I practice a lot.”
Friends, everyone is fighting some kind of battle. We are all in this life together so let us pray for each other and offer up shoulder, an ear and be “God with skin on,” for someone who is in need.
Take joy in the journey and help someone walk the journey with you. 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.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Happy Tuesday!
Our house has been experiencing electrical power surges and brown outs sporadically for the past couple of weeks. Today began with these electrical phenomenon and Bruce said they went on for hours. The electric company was called and they said that the wiring at the pole in the backyard and the connectors were old. They repaired the damage to the wiring and connectors but not before we lost 2 TV sets, 1 DVD player, 3 power bars, 1 microwave, 1 IPod docking station and the greatest loss of all was the loss of our beloved Bose Wave Radio /CD player. The power surges fried all of these things.
I gave the Bose to Bruce on our 20th wedding anniversary. We listen to it daily and play music on it nightly. It wakes us up in the morning and lulls us to sleep each night. We also took it with us when we would sing somewhere where there was no accompanist. I phoned the insurance company and they will send out an adjuster in the next 24-36 hours. As Bruce was telling me about all of this on the phone as I was driving home and as I was assessing the loss and how we could recover these things, I was reminded that these were luxuries in our lives and that we could learn to live without them if we need to do so. I gave thanks that we had electricity and we were not in the dark. I gave thanks that I had a gas stove and still could prepare dinner. I gave thanks that the refrigerator was still intact.
1 Kings 3:7 “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father and I am but a little child. I know not how to go out or come in.”
As a first grade teacher I am a mother figure to a lot of my children. And I must admit that I don’t mind being called “Mom” by these children. Mom is a term of endearment. My Mom has always been a person with whom I felt safe, nurtured and could trust no matter what. (You too, Dad!) When I walk down the hall with my students behind me, very often a child walks a bit faster and places their hand in mine as we walk together.
In Casey’s last days I would hold his hand for hours. I held his hand when he was in all of those chemo induced comas. Bruce and Geni were holding his hands when he took his last breath. We were clinging to our son and brother out of love and helplessness. It was the only thing we would do.
God wants us to cling to Him. He draws us near to Himself out of His love for us and our helplessness. God wants us to trust Him with all of our lives. God wants us to trust in Him knowing that He will never fail us. God wants us to cling to Him in our doubts. And God wants us to believe that there is no miracle that He cannot perform. As one of my favorite songs says, “When there is nothing left to do, but just depend on You…”
Let us place our hands in the One who offered His nail scarred hands in love for us.
Take joy in the journey and walk hand in hand with God. Love you all so 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.
Our house has been experiencing electrical power surges and brown outs sporadically for the past couple of weeks. Today began with these electrical phenomenon and Bruce said they went on for hours. The electric company was called and they said that the wiring at the pole in the backyard and the connectors were old. They repaired the damage to the wiring and connectors but not before we lost 2 TV sets, 1 DVD player, 3 power bars, 1 microwave, 1 IPod docking station and the greatest loss of all was the loss of our beloved Bose Wave Radio /CD player. The power surges fried all of these things.
I gave the Bose to Bruce on our 20th wedding anniversary. We listen to it daily and play music on it nightly. It wakes us up in the morning and lulls us to sleep each night. We also took it with us when we would sing somewhere where there was no accompanist. I phoned the insurance company and they will send out an adjuster in the next 24-36 hours. As Bruce was telling me about all of this on the phone as I was driving home and as I was assessing the loss and how we could recover these things, I was reminded that these were luxuries in our lives and that we could learn to live without them if we need to do so. I gave thanks that we had electricity and we were not in the dark. I gave thanks that I had a gas stove and still could prepare dinner. I gave thanks that the refrigerator was still intact.
1 Kings 3:7 “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father and I am but a little child. I know not how to go out or come in.”
As a first grade teacher I am a mother figure to a lot of my children. And I must admit that I don’t mind being called “Mom” by these children. Mom is a term of endearment. My Mom has always been a person with whom I felt safe, nurtured and could trust no matter what. (You too, Dad!) When I walk down the hall with my students behind me, very often a child walks a bit faster and places their hand in mine as we walk together.
In Casey’s last days I would hold his hand for hours. I held his hand when he was in all of those chemo induced comas. Bruce and Geni were holding his hands when he took his last breath. We were clinging to our son and brother out of love and helplessness. It was the only thing we would do.
God wants us to cling to Him. He draws us near to Himself out of His love for us and our helplessness. God wants us to trust Him with all of our lives. God wants us to trust in Him knowing that He will never fail us. God wants us to cling to Him in our doubts. And God wants us to believe that there is no miracle that He cannot perform. As one of my favorite songs says, “When there is nothing left to do, but just depend on You…”
Let us place our hands in the One who offered His nail scarred hands in love for us.
Take joy in the journey and walk hand in hand with God. Love you all so 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.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Happy Monday!
Bruce made it home safely. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. He said the weekend inside the prison was a transforming experience. The only way Bruce could describe these men was that they were “starved.” Not physically starved, but starved for just someone they could talk to and for someone to love them. Someone to listen to them without being judging. They were starving for the Word of God and a witness to that Word. God’s love reaches down in to pits so deep, but His love is deeper still.
Ephesians 6:18 “Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need.”
“Love Him in the morning when you see the sun rising.
Love Him in the evening cause He took you through the day.
And in the in between times when you feel the pressure coming.
Remember that He loves you and He promises to stay.”
Do you remember singing this little song when you were a child? God calls us to pray in the Spirit. He asks us to keep Him in the front of our thinking from the early morning until we close our eyes at the end of the day. This means that before we rise in the morning, rub the sleep from our eyes and our feet hit the floor and before morning coffee, we need to begin in prayer asking the God through the power of the Holy Spirit to guide our steps in service to Him throughout the day. We need to step into His presence before we step into the shower. When I am driving to school, 20 miles, I have my morning prayer time and many times I am silent before God. It is at those times that I think of Casey and how much I miss him.
I think I miss Casey in the morning because I would drop by the hospital in the morning before school and see him. Most of the time I just watched him sleep. I would watch the rise and fall of his chest. When Casey was at home, I would enact the same ritual from my desk chair. I would pray for my son. I prayed for his healing and his well-being. Such a reassuring gesture is the breath of life. I would wait for him to wake up. I would then remember when he was so small I would just hold him and never take my eyes off of him and ask God to never let me forget what he looked like as an infant. Give God your waiting time. Wait in His presence.
At the end of the day as I have laid down for the night, I begin my prayer time with “God, I have come to say good night…” and continue from there. I give thanks that Bruce is beside me and that Geni and Travis are healthy and just a couple of doors down. I give thanks that God has brought me through another day and pray that I have been in His service throughout the day. And my day has come full circle. Give God your last thoughts of the day. Rest in the presence of God.
Friends, begin your day in the presence of God and end your day in His loving arms.
Take joy in the journey. 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 Please add my cousin Danny to your prayers. He is 41 and is having some health issues the doctors don’t seem to be able to identify. He is having some heart tests tomorrow. The first tests that were run showed possible blockage. I hope to more soon. Please pray for Danny and our family. Thanks. gc
Bruce made it home safely. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. He said the weekend inside the prison was a transforming experience. The only way Bruce could describe these men was that they were “starved.” Not physically starved, but starved for just someone they could talk to and for someone to love them. Someone to listen to them without being judging. They were starving for the Word of God and a witness to that Word. God’s love reaches down in to pits so deep, but His love is deeper still.
Ephesians 6:18 “Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need.”
“Love Him in the morning when you see the sun rising.
Love Him in the evening cause He took you through the day.
And in the in between times when you feel the pressure coming.
Remember that He loves you and He promises to stay.”
Do you remember singing this little song when you were a child? God calls us to pray in the Spirit. He asks us to keep Him in the front of our thinking from the early morning until we close our eyes at the end of the day. This means that before we rise in the morning, rub the sleep from our eyes and our feet hit the floor and before morning coffee, we need to begin in prayer asking the God through the power of the Holy Spirit to guide our steps in service to Him throughout the day. We need to step into His presence before we step into the shower. When I am driving to school, 20 miles, I have my morning prayer time and many times I am silent before God. It is at those times that I think of Casey and how much I miss him.
I think I miss Casey in the morning because I would drop by the hospital in the morning before school and see him. Most of the time I just watched him sleep. I would watch the rise and fall of his chest. When Casey was at home, I would enact the same ritual from my desk chair. I would pray for my son. I prayed for his healing and his well-being. Such a reassuring gesture is the breath of life. I would wait for him to wake up. I would then remember when he was so small I would just hold him and never take my eyes off of him and ask God to never let me forget what he looked like as an infant. Give God your waiting time. Wait in His presence.
At the end of the day as I have laid down for the night, I begin my prayer time with “God, I have come to say good night…” and continue from there. I give thanks that Bruce is beside me and that Geni and Travis are healthy and just a couple of doors down. I give thanks that God has brought me through another day and pray that I have been in His service throughout the day. And my day has come full circle. Give God your last thoughts of the day. Rest in the presence of God.
Friends, begin your day in the presence of God and end your day in His loving arms.
Take joy in the journey. 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 Please add my cousin Danny to your prayers. He is 41 and is having some health issues the doctors don’t seem to be able to identify. He is having some heart tests tomorrow. The first tests that were run showed possible blockage. I hope to more soon. Please pray for Danny and our family. Thanks. gc
Greetings from Austin St.
Blessed Sunday to you all!
Isn’t fall wonderful?! I know it was wet today, but I got to wear a sweater today to church and have laid out another one to wear to school tomorrow. I love fall!
Isaiah 53:2 “He hath no form or comeliness; and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him.”
Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord.”
What attracts us to someone? Okay ladies, what first attracted you to your husband or boyfriends? Was it how he looked, how he walked, the way he talked or what he was doing? Gentlemen, I could ask the same questions of you and the women to whom you were attracted and (if you are married) eventually married. As for me being attracted to Bruce; he (and my daddy said it so well) Bruce was the first person I dated with whom I could be totally myself. Yes, I liked the way he looked, loved the way he sang, and he made my heart sing. But as we get older, looks change as does eye sight and voices begin to lose their strength, but he will always make my heart sing. I fell in love with Bruce the first time I saw him.
Isaiah tells us in this verse that there was nothing unusual about the way Jesus will look when He came to earth. There would be nothing overly attractive about Him that would attract others to Him by His physical presence. Jesus did not speak from a huge arena church with cameras and a teleprompter script with a make-up artist to cover the flaws and a wardrobe person to make an appropriate clothing selection. I have heard that if there was a crowd of people you would not be able to distinguish Jesus as being any different than any other Jewish man. So what is it that attracts us to Jesus?
I think for the people in the time when Jesus walked and with whom He came in contact the first attraction was that He spoke with authority. He spoke with the authority of the scriptures about the One who sent him. And when He spoke He did not speak words of judgment. Jesus spoke of the love of God for them. He spoke of forgiveness and how to treat others as they would like to be treated. He spent time explaining to the disciples and crowds of listeners and individuals about the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God here on earth and the Kingdom of Heaven after we leave this earth in death. Jesus explained if we live a godly life with the love of God in your heart and are guided by the Holy Spirit that we all will experience a physical bodily death, just as He, Himself would, but we would live again with Him in heaven. Those who have Jesus in their heart would see Jesus illuminated in their hearts because they are now guided by the Holy Spirit; the very essence of the Master Himself.
God calls us into relationship with Him. He wants all who believe to draw very near and we will see Him as He really is. We will experience joy in finding Him in our hearts as claiming Him as Master, Lord and Friend.
In these days of “looks are everything”, if we don’t like how we look we can get some doctor to change our looks or use enough make-up to cover the flaws, remember that what we look like on the outside will fade and how we look is not what is important to God. What we look like on the inside is what God wants to see as beautiful. God wants us to look like His Son on the inside. He wants us to glow with love, forgiveness, tender mercies and kindness for everyone we meet. For when we meet God face to face He will not ask why we are not wearing Armani, but he will ask to see your heart.
Take joy in the journey. 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!
Isn’t fall wonderful?! I know it was wet today, but I got to wear a sweater today to church and have laid out another one to wear to school tomorrow. I love fall!
Isaiah 53:2 “He hath no form or comeliness; and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him.”
Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord.”
What attracts us to someone? Okay ladies, what first attracted you to your husband or boyfriends? Was it how he looked, how he walked, the way he talked or what he was doing? Gentlemen, I could ask the same questions of you and the women to whom you were attracted and (if you are married) eventually married. As for me being attracted to Bruce; he (and my daddy said it so well) Bruce was the first person I dated with whom I could be totally myself. Yes, I liked the way he looked, loved the way he sang, and he made my heart sing. But as we get older, looks change as does eye sight and voices begin to lose their strength, but he will always make my heart sing. I fell in love with Bruce the first time I saw him.
Isaiah tells us in this verse that there was nothing unusual about the way Jesus will look when He came to earth. There would be nothing overly attractive about Him that would attract others to Him by His physical presence. Jesus did not speak from a huge arena church with cameras and a teleprompter script with a make-up artist to cover the flaws and a wardrobe person to make an appropriate clothing selection. I have heard that if there was a crowd of people you would not be able to distinguish Jesus as being any different than any other Jewish man. So what is it that attracts us to Jesus?
I think for the people in the time when Jesus walked and with whom He came in contact the first attraction was that He spoke with authority. He spoke with the authority of the scriptures about the One who sent him. And when He spoke He did not speak words of judgment. Jesus spoke of the love of God for them. He spoke of forgiveness and how to treat others as they would like to be treated. He spent time explaining to the disciples and crowds of listeners and individuals about the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God here on earth and the Kingdom of Heaven after we leave this earth in death. Jesus explained if we live a godly life with the love of God in your heart and are guided by the Holy Spirit that we all will experience a physical bodily death, just as He, Himself would, but we would live again with Him in heaven. Those who have Jesus in their heart would see Jesus illuminated in their hearts because they are now guided by the Holy Spirit; the very essence of the Master Himself.
God calls us into relationship with Him. He wants all who believe to draw very near and we will see Him as He really is. We will experience joy in finding Him in our hearts as claiming Him as Master, Lord and Friend.
In these days of “looks are everything”, if we don’t like how we look we can get some doctor to change our looks or use enough make-up to cover the flaws, remember that what we look like on the outside will fade and how we look is not what is important to God. What we look like on the inside is what God wants to see as beautiful. God wants us to look like His Son on the inside. He wants us to glow with love, forgiveness, tender mercies and kindness for everyone we meet. For when we meet God face to face He will not ask why we are not wearing Armani, but he will ask to see your heart.
Take joy in the journey. 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.
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