Happy Tuesday! 

My intern supervisor looked at the calendar today and determined that I have four more weeks of CPE to go.  I am at JPS tomorrow evening until 8:00 AM Thursday morning.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support.  They mean so very much. 

Prayer: “Father, You are an awesome God! I give You praise and glory for the powerful moving of Your Holy Spirit within my heart.  You have blessed my life beyond measure. You have endowed me with an abundance of joy and peace.  My cup is running over!  If only I could convey the depths of my soul with others so they, too, might know Your grace and mercy. I praise You in the morning as I look forward to the beauty of this day. Hallelujah!”

“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

1 Corinthians 2: 10

Paul states in this verse that God reveals the deepest hidden truths to those who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them.  We can only come to know God and the meanings of His Word through the Holy Spirit living in us.  The disciples who lived daily with Jesus did not fully understand until the Holy Spirit anointed them on the day of Pentecost.

When we come into relationship with Christ in our salvation we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I do not mean that we will begin to extraordinary acts of worship or speak in other languages. What I mean is that when we encounter Christ we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the very essence of Jesus into our hearts. The more we read the scriptures, the more we spend time in prayer, the more we spend time in the company of believers and the more we  take time to serve others, the more we are able to understand the deep hidden truths of God.  It is through reading, study, worship, fellowship and prayer that the Holy Spirit teaches us about God’s will, the ways of God and God’s plan for our lives. 

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

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

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

Blessed Sunday to you all!

Prayer:  “As I awake this morning O Lord, I give You praise for another day of life.  Thank You, Father, that I can live for You because Your Son, Jesus, died for me! May my life be a living sacrifice for You, and may my actions glorify Your name. Amen.”

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

Romans 8: 9

The apostle Paul(Saul) had an up close and personal understanding of this verse.  Saul was well versed and trained in the Law.  He followed and lived his life to the letter of the law with no room for faith experience until he met God on the Damascus Road.  Saul was struck blind by the light of the Holy Spirit. God spoke to him causing him to experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  

This was one of those phenomenal experiences that God imposed on (now) Paul. Paul knew the Law better than anyone, but now he had become a new creation in Jesus Christ.  The impact of Christ on his life was so great that he claimed in Galatians “It is no longer I who live, but Christ that lives within me.”  Paul knew that he must empty himself of the flesh to allow the Spirit of Christ to enter in and be made ready for service unto God in Christ Jesus.  

I don’t know how long it took Paul to understand what God wanted him to do with this new knowledge of Christ in his heart and the Holy Spirit guiding his steps but I feel pretty sure when the scales fell from his eyes...he started on his journey of a lifetime.

Take joy in the journey filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.

Happy Saturday! 

Well, I slept in ’til 7:30 this morning.  Had coffee with Lamar and later Geni and I had our nails done.  Good times!

Prayer:  “Lord, as I bow humbly in Your presence, speak to my heart this very moment. Lord, remind me of Your goodness and mercy.  Fill me with Your Holy Spirit power. Open my eyes to the needs and hurts around me. Guide me by Your Spirit to those who are in desperate need of the Savior. Use me as Your vessel to make a difference.  Grant this prayer, O Lord. Amen.”

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3: 8

As a teacher of young children I often used object lessons to explain concepts. The children seemed to understand the concepts better when I put the ideas on their level. 

Jesus was a master teacher.  Jesus used the lesson of the wind to explain how the Holy Spirit works in each of us.  We cannot see the wind, but we can feel its presence and more importantly we can see its after effects as they are highly visible.  The sound of the wind is the creative supernatural force giving evidence of God’s power present all around us.  God breathes His Spirit in each of us.  We can see the effect of His Word and sometimes, when we are very quiet, we can hear it in our prayers.  What we can see is the result of the Holy Spirit’s power when we follow that voice of God. Then our lives are transformed and are witnessed by others in our daily walk with Christ.

Let us continue to keep the families of those affected by the tragedy in Colorado.

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

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

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

Happy Friday! 

Tonight as I begin this journey entry I echo the prayer requests of the Dean of Brite Seminary for the folks in Colorado who are victims of the gunman in the movie theatre.  None of us will ever understand his actions, the depth of sorrow of those who lost their lives, those who were injured or those who bore witness to this violence. All we can do is be in prayer for all of these people and pray that they will find God in the midst of this horrible tragedy.  May they all find God’s loving presence surrounding them.

Prayer:  “Father God, I come before you to say thank You for a brand new day. I look forward to the opportunities of this day.  I ask You to guide me by Your Spirit throughout the day.  Help me, O Lord, to be salt and light to those I encounter that I might represent and reflect the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I praise You and give You glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

“That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 8: 4

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish the laws of slavery.  The apostle Paul became emancipated from the law of religious legalism. Moses received the Law given by God to expose the sins of the Israelites.  The problem with all of these laws is that they could not set the people free from their sins. These laws could only condemn. 

God sent Jesus to do what the laws could not do.  Jesus had been given the power by God to forgive sins through the power of the Cross.  Our righteousness was not achieved by any good works we might perform, but by this one work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  This indwelling allows us to “walk in the Spirit.” My meditation tonight says that this indwelling allows us to “no longer walk in sin under that old Law, but under the nature of God’s grace.” Now that is some good news!

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Please remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Colorado and their grief, loss and broken hearts.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.

PS A year ago yesterday Bruce had aortic valve replacement.  Tomorrow he will travel to the prison to have prayer and share with those residents and team members who have been through the Kairos Ministry.  God is so good and we are so very grateful.  Please pray travel mercy and safety inside as they travel and minister to those incarcerated.  Thanks. Peace, gc

Happy Thursday! 

I do not have any more “on calls” until next Wednesday!  I still go into the hospital Friday, Monday, Tuesday and half-a day Wednesday, but I get to go home at 4:30.  Bruce and I had dinner at our own table tonight.  We went to the couch to watch Burn Notice where I promptly fell asleep snuggled next to him.  I love home!!!

Prayer:  Father, thank You for getting me up early this morning to hear from You.  Your Spirit has drawn me to my time of prayer.  Help me today to hear exactly what You have to say to me.  O, Lord, speak Your truth into my heart and grand me wisdom to respond to Your will and direction.  Use me for Your glory and honor.  Than You, heavenly Father, for speaking to  my heart.  I love You and praise Your holy name. Amen.

“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

1 Corinthians 2: 13

Do you remember when your children were little and just learning to talk?  They spoke in a language that maybe only you understood and you had to translate words, phrases or needs asked by your young one to anyone not familiar with the child.  The reason we, as parents, can translate is because we live with that little one each day and can usually figure out what the child wants or is trying to say.

God’s Word was written to reveal His person and purpose to those who desire to know Him.  If we live with God’s Word each day we will begin to learn its meanings and messages for us through the power of the Holy Spirit.  God’s Word was written by inspired men of God through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as it taught and moved these writers.  Because the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Word, we can also be taught and moved by the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit lives within us. 

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

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

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

Greetings from the Chaplain’s Office at Huguley Hospital!

Happy Wednesday!  This is my last “on call” for a whole week.  It has been a pleasant “on call” so far and I hope the evening remains peaceful.  Tonight, Bruce met me at the hospital and we had dinner together.  It was really great.  We miss dinner together and visiting in the evenings when I am at one hospital or another.

 

Prayer:  Dear God, I need You.  Thank you for always giving me strength that I can always go to you when I need my faith renewed. Amen”

“Study God and His strength, seek His presence day and night; remember all the wonders He performed.”

1 Chronicles 16: 11-12

“Praise the Lord, our Savior who helps us every day.”

Psalm 68: 19

Tonight for reflection I am using as a guide a book I found in the chaplain’s Office Library; Moments of Peace for the Evening.  The first of the meditation poses this question, “Does it ever puzzle you how the strength and certainty you received from God yesterday or this morning was only sufficient for a while?”  Why do we need to continuously go back to God for re-fueling of strength and sustaining faith? Are we really so weak in our faith walk that we feel we continually need to go to God asking for our faith to be refilled?  Is it possible we used up all of our faith so quickly? 

The meditation tonight claims that God ordered it this way because He loves us so much that He desires that we return to Him on a regular basis not just to have our faith tanks re-filled, but so that we might be in continuous relationship with Him.  We were only promised and given faith for the day and strength for a day’s journey.  When we begin to weary and our storehouses of faith seem to be emptying remember that God’s storehouse is always in abundant supply of everything we need.  All we have to do is but ask. God wants to be in conversation with us so that we might “continually draw from His grace.”

I am reminded of last night’s writing in the story of the golden lampstand placed in the Tabernacle that was continuously fueled by the oil of two trees. The supply of oil was never depleted and the candle remained lit.

So it is with us and our relationship to God through the resurrected Christ and the Holy Spirit. God desires a healthy relationship with all of His children.  The way to maintain a healthy relationship is to stay in contact.   Let us tonight seek His goodness and remember that His desire is to sustain our faith, by His grace and continuous relationship by staying in His presence. 

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

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

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

Happy Tuesday! 

I am sorry I haven’t written in a couple of days. With assignments in my CPE class and ordination writing due today (both are now complete and sent off!), I could not write any more.  All of my brains had leaked out of my head and landed on the pillow.  It is really great to write again.

The 24 hour “on call” at JPS was completely amazing and totally exhausting.  The phone and pager went off during the hospital worship I was leading at 10:30 and did not stop until around 6:30 AM Monday morning.  I was pretty weary physically, but completely amazed at the way God worked in the lives of the patients during that time.

Prayer:  Father, as I begin this new day, I give You praise and thanksgiving for a good night’s sleep.  Thank You, heavenly Father, for the opportunities You’ll place in my path throughout the day.  Help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit that I might use godly discernment as You direct my steps.  Help me, O Lord, to be an example of Your love and goodness to those I encounter today.  In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

Zechariah 4: 6

There is a great story in the book of Zechariah about a vision given by God to the governor of Judah.  In the vision God places a lampstand in the tabernacle with a very special feature.  This lamp collected a continuous supply of oil from two trees.  This oil kept the lamp burning continually.  The lamp symbolized God’s purpose for the Jewish nation to become a light for the Gentiles.

How can we look at this story so that it can have meaning for our lives?  To do that, we can compare the oil that fed the lamp to the Holy Spirit which constantly supplies God’s presence for each of us.  As a chaplain I always hope to bring a word of comfort to the folks I visit.  But when I am on call and it is very busy, not only does my body get weary, but my mind and soul begins to be in short supply of energy as well. Here is the good news, God’s work is not hindered by my weakness nor is God aided by my strength.  I am not called to be the energizer bunny, I am called to be an empty vessel, staying in the presence of God, willing to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to be used for the furthering of the kingdom of God.

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

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

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

Please keep Brenda and her family in your prayers as they prepare a memorial service for her mother.