Happy Tuesday! 

I actually had dinner with Bruce tonight in our house!!! Those times have been few and far between over the last nine weeks.  I have the remainder of this week and next week and I will have completed my unit of CPE. 

Today was the last day I would be leading worship so Bruce and I presented a mini concert for our worship at the hospital this morning.  It was wonderful to sing together again.

I am “on call” at JPS tomorrow night and that will be my last “on call” at JPS.  I have two more “on calls” at Huguley and “on call” will be finished.  Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I wind up this most extraordinary adventure in learning. 

Prayer: “Lord, help me to walk in a balance of grace and truth today. Strengthen my health so I may serve You.  Give me this day my daily needs and prosper my finances so that I may serve You with the first fruits of all You have given me. Amen.”

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

3 John 2

I am based in a Seventh Day Adventist hospital for this unit of CPE.  There is a strong element of healthy eating and exercise in the Seventh Day Adventist doctrine.  Each day when I go to lunch there is always a wonderful healthy salad bar with delicious soups and loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables. There is a vegetarian selection of protein as well as a meat protein section in the hot lunch offerings.  The hospital campus has a large fully equipped fitness center and a walking track outside. So there are many opportunities to prosper good health.

But how do we prosper our souls?  Are we growing in the knowledge of the Lord? 

Here are some ways we can prosper our souls.  Let God speak to our lives each day by reading His Word.  Let us spend time each day in close communion with God through prayer and let us ask God to prosper our souls through giving thanks for the receiving of His blessings.  Then let us use His blessings for His glorious purpose. 

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. (Forgive me, but I never sleep at JPS) 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.

Prayer alert:  My supervising teacher in CPE has a daughter who is my age. She was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  The cancer began in her breast and has spread to her lymph nodes.  I do not know her name, but God knows her name. Please keep her in your prayers.  I will keep you updated as more details become available.  Thank you, mighty and faithful prayer warriors. Peace, gc

Blessed Sunday to you all! 

Saturday was a most eventful and joy filled day.  Bruce and I drove to Austin to watch and cheer Travis in a power lifting meet.  He beat his own record with a lift of 765 pounds!  WOW!  He was cheered on by his team mates, Bruce, me, Geni and a young lady Travis has been seeing.  The young lady traveled down with Geni and Travis.  Also, our oldest and dearest friends, Carme and David Russell aka Travis’ god parents drove up to support him in the competition. 

After the meet we all drove to San Antonio to celebrate Geni’s 25^th birthday at our favorite restaurant on the River Walk - Mad Dogs.  It is a British Pub with great food and a fun atmosphere and the best ribeye I have ever eaten.  We told our server that we drove all the way from Arlington just to eat at this restaurant and the manager came over and comped our desserts.  Bruce and I drove back last night.  The kids drove in today.  We had a great time.

Prayer:  “Father, thank You that I can come into Your presence anytime.  There is no problem that will come my way today that will be too big or too small for You.  Thank You for allowing me the privilege of casting every care on You.  Would You please fill me with Your Holy Spirit? May Your Son be seen by my words and deeds.  May my disposition reflect the presence of Jesus in my heart. Thank You for this day. Amen.”

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

Philippians 4: 6

I had a melt down today.  I looked at my schedule for the week and found that I have three “on calls” this week; tomorrow (Monday), Wednesday and Saturday.  Then, in worship, we sang All to Jesus I Surrender and Breathe.  I am at a point in this extraordinary journey of CPE where I am tired of being tired!  So if you combine being tired, anticipating a potentially exhausting week and being in the presence of music directly relating to Casey…the emotional melt down was in the air. Please pray for me this week.

My meditation tonight says that people who are great worriers do not have a good prayer life.  If you do not have God in your life I guess there would be a lot for which to worry.  But because we are children of God and adopted into His family we are NEVER out of God’s presence, love and care.  We do not need to live in fear and we are encouraged by our Creator, God, to bring our circumstances before Him.  The scripture passage says, “let your requests be made known to God.”    

So this morning as I was having this melt down I began to pray that my spirits would be lifted by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Here was my answer:  “Gaylene, Thank you for making your request known to Me and I promised strength for the day.”  God welcomed me into His presence and listened to my plea for help.  I felt better, got a brief nap this afternoon and actually got a bit of studying done. 

The blood of Jesus provided the access into the heart of God and into His presence.  This is great reason for us to give thanks that God hears and answers our prayers.  “Why worry when you can pray?”

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.

FYI:  12  days of  CPE left. And Geni’s actual birthday is Monday, August  6.  Please wish her a Happy Birthday.

Happy Friday! 

I took a half day off today.  I got my nails done, made a quick trip to the TCU Bookstore, got the car cleaned up, ordered pizza for dinner and got my hair done.  It felt like a regular life for a few hours.

Travis, Geni and another friend left for Austin today.  Travis is competing in a power lifting competition tomorrow.  Bruce and I are driving down in the morning and back home late tomorrow evening!  Please pray travel mercy for us and please pray that Travis does not injure himself during the competition.

Our beloved daughter turns 25 on Monday.  I am on call at Huguley, Bruce is working, Travis is working and Geni is working.  So we are celebrating in either Austin or San Antonio on Saturday afternoon.  Carme and Dave are joining us in Austin for the competition.  I cannot wait!

Prayer:  “Father, thank You for my health.  Help me today to show my gratitude. May I be sensible to those around me who do not enjoy good health.  Help me to be a blessing to those who are physically handicapped and to those who are sick. Let someone cross my path today who needs a word of encouragement so I can share this prayer.  I pray this prayer in faith, believing that what I have asked will come about. Amen.”

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

James 5: 15a

I pray with folks throughout each day. I always pray a prayer of healing and a restoration to wellness.  Sometimes those who are Christians are restored to wellness on the earth.  Sometimes there are Christians who die shortly after the prayer has been prayed. The other night I was privileged to pray for a woman at the request of her best friend. I was a few sentences into the prayer and the patient passed away gently and peacefully as I was praying. It was such a precious moment. 

The most important thing to remember about prayer is to pray in faith.  This is a prayer of more than just words.  It is a prayer born out of a relationship with God through Christ Jesus. Prayer comes from a heart that believes.  Jesus taught us to pray believing.

So let us pray prayer in faith, said through our relationship with God. praying in faith and believing in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Say an extra prayer for the Chrysties as we journey to Austin and beyond.  Love you, 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 Huguley Hospital:  Chaplain’s Office

Happy Wednesday! 

I delivered worship to the chaplains this morning.  I spoke of how Jesus came among the Disciples after the resurrection.  He did not come in with a flash of light and trumpets sounding.  He came in and stood among them without their knowledge until He chose to reveal Himself to them.  Jesus revealed Himself with these words, “Peace be with you.”  The disciples were hidden away in fear for their lives following the crucifixion.  They were afraid, sad, broken-hearted and away from home.  When Jesus stood among them I believe He surveyed the situation and saw the emotional state of the Disciples and discerned what they needed. They did not need a sermon. They did not need a scolding or any admonition.  They needed a word of peace.

Can you imagine the change that occurred in that room when Jesus quietly, but with full authority commanded peace within the people gathered?  Instead of fear there was joy.  Instead of sadness there was gladness. I can imagine that the tension of being hidden away was lessened.  But I also imagine that it was in that moment the disciples and followers understood the meaning of the cross and why Jesus had to die.  He had to die so that He could rise again and send the power of the Holy Spirit back so that we might have a life with Jesus forever. 

I have had discussions with folks who have faith practices other than Christianity.  Many of those faiths have similar qualities to that of Christianity.  But there is one glaring difference in those other faith practices. We have the only God Who came back! 

In scripture we are not called to be Christians.  We are called to be followers of Christ. So my friends, as a follower of Christ, I pray peace be to you this day. Peace, not that the world might give, but the peace that passes all understanding that only Christ can give. 

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers, and if the opportunity presents itself today…speak a word of peace to someone who needs it, in Jesus’ name. 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 had the most wonderful experience today.  I went to my floor at the hospital where I make rounds and met a new patient.  She is 100 years old.  This precious woman had a vice-like grip as she held onto my hand.  She did not speak English so her daughter translated for her.  I exclaimed, “You are 100 years old.”  She replied, “No, I am 23.”  She was so totally precious.  She gained her strength from her family and her faith.  She sang songs about God to me in Spanish while I was there and I just before I left she pulled me very close to her, hugged my neck, gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek and said, “God bless you.”  She was my last call of the day and I left the hospital with a heart full of joy.  She was totally amazing.  I was blessed.

Prayer:  “Father, You show me Your love abundantly. One of the greatest ways is allowing me to come into Your presence unendingly. What a joy. I do not take that for granted.  Thank You for letting me be a part of Your family. Thank You for loving me that You would give Your only son to die for me. Thank You for placing Your Holy Spirit within my heart. Because I love You today there will be some who oppose me. Give me the wisdom to watch and pray all day long. Amen.”

“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”

Luke 6: 12

Jesus was a man of prayer.  Jesus would pray in large groups, in the presence of His disciples and sometimes He prayed alone.  Jesus was facing opposition from those who hated Him.  During those times Jesus would go up into the mountains to pray. 

Think about this…If Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray?  I don’t think that Jesus just prayed to be the model of prayer, but needed that time alone with God.  The mountain seemed to be the place where Jesus could be alone with God without the company of the Disciples or the crowds that followed Him. 

Where do we go to meet God by ourselves? As a chaplain I pray with patients and families each day.  I pray with my colleagues and I pray with Bruce every day. So every day when I get on the highway to go to the hospital I pray. My prayer altar is I 30 to I 35 South.  I also make a stop in the chapel as I am going to my floor and pray for my patients before I get on the elevator to patient rooms. These are places I am alone with God.  A prayer altar is not a piece of furniture or a space at the church.  A prayer altar is anywhere we can be alone with God. 

Take some time each day to be alone with God. Try to find a place to be alone with God and spend some time in prayer with Him. 

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.

Prayer alert:  Travis is competing in Austin this weekend.  We will be travelling on Saturday to the competition.  Geni also turns 25 on Monday.  We are in hopes to celebrate her birthday in San Antonio with Carme and Dave following the competition.  We ask for travel mercies for all of us. Thanks friends, gc

Happy Monday! 

Prayer: “Father, thank You for giving me a sound mind and for opportunities in which to serve You.  You know all things. Therefore, I trust You to see me through this day.  For every situation that arises I ask You to control my thoughts and restrain my flesh.  This is a day You have given me, and I desire to be a good representative of You.  Give me Your grace as I live this day for Your glory. Amen.”

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast of my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

I met a patient in dialysis today.  I received a phone call that she needed to see a chaplain.  Upon my arrival I was witness to my first dialysis procedure.  I greeted the woman cheerfully but she greeted me with tears.  I took her hand as asked her what was wrong.  She told me her husband had been killed on Friday night.  He was on the way to pick her up from the hospital when he had some type of episode causing the car to crash and he was killed.  The couple had been married 46 years.  Here is the amazing part of the story.

The pastor of her church is also the police chaplain for the town in which she lives.  He was along with the police officers who were first on the scene.  It was the pastor with the police officers who delivered the news of her husband’s death.  She was granted grace to receive this terrible news by someone she loved, trusted and cared for instead of strangers in uniforms.  She told me “Chaplain, it was a God thing.”  I knew then I was in the Presence of God, His angels of comfort and a woman who was solid in her faith because the power of Christ rested upon her in her time of grief and sadness.

I was granted the grace to just be there with her in all of her tears, sadness, laughter and memories.  She looked so very tired and so I asked her to close her eyes and just breathe.  I began to sing, “I Need Thee Every Hour.” Again, God’s grace and presence was so powerful.  She began to sing with me.  It was a Holy moment for me and a place of rest for her.  Please pray for this dear woman as she begins to heal on so many levels. 

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. 

This morning Bruce, Geni and I worshiped at Cochran Chapel United Methodist Church in Dallas.  A peer of mine from Brite is the Music Minister there and he asked me to sing.  I sang this awesome arrangement of “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.” 

The sanctuary was most amazing.  I walked into the sanctuary and it looked so very much like the sanctuary in the Methodist Church in Howe, Texas.  The stained glass windows were beautiful and in the style of the ones I grew up looking at.  The colors and shape of the sanctuary were remarkably similar.  It was a wonderful worship experience.

Prayer: “Good morning, Lord. Speak to me today; Your servant is listening. My heart is open, and my ears are ready to hear You today. Give me the power to not only hear You but also obey You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Mark 11: 24

There is nothing that is out of the bounds in praying to God.  God is who He is and can do what He says He can do.  God hears all of our prayers and the answers are yes, no and wait.  Whatever the answers are, they are by His will and not ours.  In the study of prayer we have been thinking on this week I have learned that God loves it when we talk to Him because it keeps us in contact with Him and furthers our relationship with Him and increases our dependence and faith when we call upon Him. 

When we pray we need to trust in God.  Trusting in God in prayer is a really effective way to pray.  When we trust in our prayer life we are casting our prayers upon the One who hears them and responds to them.  We leave our cares, requests, praises and thanksgiving in His hands trusting that God will act in accordance with His will for our lives.

Have you ever given thanks that God did not give you everything for which you have asked?  Can you imagine the hot messes we would have endured if we were given all for which we have asked?  Kind of makes you glad that God is God and we are not!

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