Happy Wednesday! We are on countdown to departure. We will be leaving early tomorrow morning for Galveston. I spoke with T-Mobile yesterday. The cost for using our cell phones on board ship is completely overboard (haha) so the phones are staying in the trunk of the car while we sail the Caribbean.

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.”

As preparations have been made for this cruise we have all purchased new clothes. Nothing really fancy, but appropriate for a Fun Ship Cruise. But more important than what we look like on the outside, what our hearts look like is what God wants to see. Whether we look perfect to those around us is not near as important is how we look in the eyes of the Father. We are embarking on a new adventure with 2000 plus other people and we may not know anyone on the ship but us. It is my prayer that as we travel and meet and greet those around us that the love of God and His holy presence will precede us. When God goes before us what we look like is not what matters because we are clothed in His robe of righteousness, His garments of praise and His cloak of forgiveness. So whether we are dressed in swimsuit, shorts and tee’s or Captain’s Night dress up may we be the reflection of God’s love to each other and those around us.

Tonight I would ask for your continued prayers for Carme Russell as her reconstructive surgery is tomorrow. Also we ask continued prayers for Rhonda’s Bank’s father, who is battling cancer, and Cherri Brown who is back home in Okema, Oklahoma, very weak but recovering and glad to be home. We have one new entry to our prayer list; Tatum Flaming. Tatum is the three year old granddaughter of my cousins Debbie and John Flaming. Tatum has been diagnosed with leukemia and is in Cooks Children’s Hospital in Ft. Worth. Debbie and John live in Corn, Oklahoma and are driving home tonight. I will call tomorrow and see what we can do to help after we get home.

My friends, I will miss writing to you over the next few days. You will be in my prayers. I will have Bruce put pictures on the site of our trip. I love you all. Have a wonderful week.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. 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.

Happy Tuesday! (everybody sing!) We’re making a list, packing a bag, gonna make sure there’s nothing we lag. We are leaving in just one day!

Believe it or not we are going to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Geni told me today, “Mom, you have never been to one of these midnight showings. The crazies will come out!” I will let you know in tomorrow night’s entry.

FYI Rhonda Banks father entered Arlington Memorial today to begin in patient chemo therapy. Carmella Russell will complete her reconstructive surgery on Thursday. Please keep both of these people and their families in your prayers. I don’t have a recent update on my cousin Cherri but please keep her in your prayers also.

Joshua 1:3 “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have given unto you, as I said unto Moses.”

When God spoke these words to Joshua He was telling Joshua of the lands that were promised to the nation of Israel. But not only was God telling Joshua of the lands promised, but was telling Joshua that He (God) would take care of him, his family and the Hebrew people. God promised that His very hand would be present to protect them. God protected the nation of Israel as they crossed the Red Sea. God brought them through the desert. God took them to the Promised Land and a host of other stories of how God powerfully and mightily took care of the Hebrew nation.

As New Testament believers we can rely on this same power. Even though the Israelites got scared and wanted to go back into Egypt and back into slavery(better the devil you know…), God led them on through seas, desert and wilderness until He brought them to the Promised Land. God is relentless in wanting the same for us. He does not want us to go backwards in our faith. God wants us to always go forward. When we fall into sin, God, through Jesus, grants us forgiveness and lets us begin again from where we fell. God does not want us to go back and retrace our steps (back into familiar, comfortable, sinful territory), but to begin anew in forgiveness and grace.

The last few weeks as we have been planning this trip I have carried around guilt and sorrow because our family is one man down. I have not allowed the full joy that God wants for us to be present because I really miss Casey and know how much he would have enjoyed this trip. Yes, I know Casey’s life is far better than a cruise ship. God has given us an opportunity to place our feet on new soil and to experience a brief journey on His ocean creation. God expects us to go forward in our lives of faith no matter what. If I don’t allow myself to experience all of the joy this time can hold then I am living in sin and not experiencing and claiming His promises. I am not “taking joy in the journey!” Wrong!!!

Friends, God has placed opportunities before each of us. Don’t be fearful, sad or guilty about God’s plan to use each of us wherever we are. When we take joy in the journey then God works in us to His good purpose.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. 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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

Happy Monday!

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

There is a little chorus I learned from my Women of Faith drive time devotions that goes like this’ “Jesus, You are, You are everything I’m not and everything that I hope to be. Jesus, You are, You are, the maker of my heart. Finish what you started in me.”

About three years ago this month I weighed about 80 pounds more than I do now. I researched and decided to have lapband surgery. When I began this journey of weight loss I prayed that God would allow me this gift and if He did I would be His strong voice for this procedure and the life saving results it can produce. Anyone who has ever attempted any type of weight loss knows that if the intentional act of losing weight does not take priority in your life then you will lose weight , but when you slack off you will gain weight back and sometimes more than you lost than when you began. The last year losing weight has not been a top priority and I have gained 10 pounds.

Today I went to see my surgeon to have the band adjusted once again to help me eat less. I have also begun to regularly attend water aerobics again. I have also not allowed popcorn back into my house, because I tend to not be able to stop eating it once I start. (However, if we get to see Harry Potter before we leave on our cruise, I will eat some movie popcorn.)

A couple of weeks ago when I heard this little chorus and the lyric “finish what You started in me,” it struck me really hard. Here God had kept His faithfulness and I had put weight loss on a back burner until I had time to think about it and really concentrate on “finishing.”

I was nervous about going in today knowing I had gained a few pounds. And instead of being chided or reminded about the gain in weight, I was greeted with hugs and loving support. There was no chastising over “falling off the weight loss wagon.” There was only kindness and a welcome back into the fold.

I began to think that this is exactly how God treats us when we are not faithful and we fall short of the glory of God. If I believe that God brought me to this place then I must also believe that He will not abandon me when I walk off of the path. He will keep me in the way I should go when I ask forgiveness and surrender my weaknesses over to Him. God’s promise is that He will complete every task committed to Him and we are to believe and trust in Him for He is God and He is faithful no matter what.

It is my plan to lose thirty more pounds. I have committed these pounds to God. Am I going to wake up 30 pounds lighter by Thursday morning? No! (Wouldn’t that be cool, though!) But I believe God is faithful and when I call upon Him as I walk, or do water aerobics, or elliptical or just eat popcorn at the movies I believe God will either spur me on to help me stop when the temptations come before me.

God loves us so much that He welcomes us back into the fold of His love no matter what. Even though it is hard to admit when we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we should never be afraid because He is there to welcome us back with His loving and open arms never remembering our failings and giving us a fresh start once again. Pray for me.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. 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 each of you!

The brisket turned out really good. It smoked for 16 hours. I learned a few things throughout this day. First, next time, I will choose a bit smaller brisket around 9-10 pounds. And I think I am going to adjust the rub to not quite a spicy next time. I also feel confident enough to experiment with different types of wood to see if the different wood makes a different taste in the meat. Anyway, I had a long day and I really enjoyed the whole experience. I am more than willing to do this all over again.

I also have some news for all of you. We will be leaving on Thursday for Galveston to go on a cruise. How cool is that! We are really excited. We will be going to Cozumel. We will return on Tuesday. We haven’t been on any type of vacation in a very long time and we need to get away for a few days. We will most likely be eating pork and beans and hot dogs for the next year, but I am sure it will be worth it. I am not sure if I will be journaling while we are at sea as we are not taking computers. There are computers on the ship, but I think they may cost extra to use them. Wish us bon voyage!

2 Chronicles 20:20 “Have faith in the Lord your God and you will stand strong.”

Tonight I would like to share a story that was sent to me in a church news letter. Pastor Joel shared in his sermon today this statement, ”Choices made in faith change the course of our lives.”

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two “wolves” inside all of us.
One wolf is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false, pride, superiority and ego.
The other wolf is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

In the battle that goes on within each of us which do we feed? Do we feed Evil or Good? To which warrior do we turn to make the choices that change the course of our lives? One of these warriors may win battles, but we know who wins the war. My prayer for each of us is that we not only feed the warrior of faith but we march at His side.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. 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 Three prayer requests: The first is for Carme Russell as she completes her reconstructive surgery this Thursday. The next is for our friend Rhonda Banks’ father as he begins chemotherapy this week. Last we ask for prayers for Cheri Brown, my cousin from Okema, Oklahoma as she recovers from ovarian cancer surgery and prepares for chemotherapy in the coming weeks. Thank you, mighty and faithful prayer warriors. Love you all, gc

Happy Saturday!

…and the smoke goes on…the smoke goes on. This morning at 8:45 am Bruce and I put a 13 pound brisket on the smoker. It is now 10:30 pm and it is still smoking. I have one end of the meat at the correct temp and the other meat is below temp. This is the brisket on which we learn. I think we need several more hours and I am in need of a shower. Next time I will buy a smaller brisket. I will also let you know how it comes out.

Tonight’s verse is Acts 16:25 “Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God as the other prisoners listened.”

I may be singing and praying out on the deck if this brisket doesn’t get a move on. Do you think my neighbors would mind? (LOL!)

Have you ever seen the movie The King and I? When Mrs. Anna and her son are approaching Siam, her son is afraid of the people, their dress and cultures. He expresses his fear to his mother. She (Debra Kerr) begins to sing “Whistle a Happy Tune.” This simple song teaches her son to sing to take his mind off of his fears of the unknown and unfamiliar. Do you suppose that was why Paul and Silas began to sing while in prison? Prison is a place of unknown, unfamiliar and most likely unfriendly. It is a place where trust is unheard of and helping each other is non-existent. Prison is a place where a life of fear is a way of life.

Paul and Silas were men of faith in a place fear. So they began to sing. And then the cool thing is that the Word tells us that the other prisoners listened. Here, in this horrid place, Paul and Silas sang hymns. I don’t know if they sang songs of praise or songs that told of the power of God over their confinement or songs of the hard time in which they found themselves, but whatever kind of hymns they sang it was a comfort to those who were listening. Even in their darkest hour they took their situation to God and shared the love of God and the comfort God can bring to those around them.

Max Lucado states in his book In the Eye of the Storm, “At the beginning of every act of faith there is often a seed of fear.” Even after taking the online course on smoking a brisket and reading lots of methods and watching YouTube videos on smoking brisket there was a bit of apprehension as I took that huge piece of meat to the smoker. I know that smoking meat is totally insignificant to Paul and Silas and their experience in prison. And yet, I found myself praying as I checked on this brisket throughout the day and read the thermometer, adjusted the fire and checked on the temp of the meat. The aroma of the smoking meat wafted throughout my neighborhood. I was in unfamiliar territory as a first time smoker. Paul and Silas sang and prayed and their prayers and songs rang throughout the prison giving comfort and hope to their fellow prisoners.

A group of believers in a small room in Jerusalem prayed for the release of Paul and Silas. It was a small group of believers who were fearful and new at this whole belief in Jesus. Here was a fledgling church pleading for help and yet they were a powerful band of believers because all they had was faith and a God who loved them.
Friends, when we are in unfamiliar and unfriendly territory, sing a song of praise, or a song of help and comfort and call upon the Lord. God will take your song, listen to your heart and, if you sing loud enough, you will share the love of God with those around you.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. See you in worship. 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.

Happy and TGI Friday!

Remember the most amazing event in our lives happened on a Friday 2000 years ago.

Today I went with Bruce to Graford, Texas. Sometimes I go with Bruce as a traveling buddy on longer trips and the job is not supposed to take too long. Well, the gentleman today had 25 interior doors that Bruce had to inspect. A short job this was not to be. So I read magazines and watched this gentleman’s HD-TV while Bruce worked. Bruce takes his job very seriously and always does a masterful job. Bruce does his job well for a couple of reasons. First, he takes pride and responsibility in his work. And second, he values his family enough to continue with a job until its completion and give his employer no reason to doubt his work ethic and to continue to work for this company.

Psalm 81:10 “I, the Lord, and your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth and I will feed you.”

Each evening when Bruce comes home from work he sits down at the computer and sends in his work summaries for the day. After that he pulls up the site where he receives directives for new door issues. When the door issues seem sparse he gets a little nervous. He has had a few tense days like that this week. I always tell him “Bruce, God has always taken care of us. And He will not let us down now.” (I am usually right and God takes care of us.)

The nation of Israel experienced and witnessed the most phenomenal miracles of which I have ever read. Out of the mouth of Moses, given by the very Word of God, the miracles of plagues, protective pillars of fire and clouds of smoke, great seas parting before their very eyes and a host of other miraculous phenomena. And yet they still were fairly weak in their faith when they came across obstacles to reaching the Promised Land.

God, in this verse, says, ”Look, people. I will take care of you. I will feed you, just open your mouth”. I am sure God just wishes that our faith was more like that of baby birds. You know how mama bird perches on the nest and places the food right in their mouths and those baby birds wait to be fed. They did not work for the food, and maybe their tummies did not get full, but they did not go without.

God has work for each of us to do. We cannot do the jobs He has for us if we are physically or spiritually hungry. Hebrews 13:20 “I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so you can do what He wants.” Hasn’t this prayer been answered over and over in our lives? God is relentless in His efforts to enable us to be His best workers in the Kingdom. God meets the needs of His children. There may not have been a feast on the table, but there has always been food. Sometimes it is a scrambled egg night and sometimes it is steak. God also gives us His Word on which to feast when we are spiritually hungry. There is a never ending supply of banquet food in the scriptures. Once again, God meets the needs of His children.

Take a moment at the table. Give thanks for the bounty set before you and eat with a grateful heart.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. 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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

PS Say a prayer as I am firing up the smoker given to me by my Daddy and prepare to smoke a brisket. I will let you know how it turns out. gc

Happy Thursday!

Psalm 85:8 “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people.”

How many of us have spouses? How many of us have children? How many of us have friends, co-workers, neighbors, parents or anyone else with whom we visit? The common thread in this entire list is that we have conversations with all of these people. A conversation is when two people share thoughts and ideas with each other. If a conversation is held respectfully, one person talks and the other listens. To quote The word in Season, “listening is an intentional act involving purposeful listening with the goal of understanding the other person.” That has to be one of the best definitions of listening I have ever read.

Have you ever noticed as you are in conversation that a lot of the time one person cannot state an entire thought because the other person has interrupted with their own thoughts? (This act personally drives me crazy.) I stopped watching the TV show The View because all of the panelists spoke at the same time and showed no respect for the thoughts of the others on the panel. I have attended meetings where this very same act occurred. In my classroom even teaching young children to listen patiently until one has finished speaking is one of the most difficult skills I teach. But I stick with my plan and before long the children remember to not interrupt and to listen to each other politely and respectfully. We all learn so much more from each other when we practice listening.

Our conversations with God need to be much the same. We tend to talk to God and then hang up the phone without waiting for God to have His turn to speak. God lets us talk to our hearts content. And He so patiently listens. I have come to notice that God seems to collect His thoughts before He speaks. And if we have not already ended the conversation, then He gets a chance to speak with us. Sometimes I think God is just waiting for us to take a breath!

God loves us so much and loves to be in conversation with us. I think the definition of listening mentioned earlier in this passage is so true. Listening is an intentional act. This is one intentional act that takes practice. But I love the second part of the sentence that says purposeful listening has the goal of getting to know the other person. God gets to know us when we talk and we get to know and understand God when we listen to Him.

This verse has such a wonderful promise. The verse says that God will speak peace to His people. Has God ever spoken peace to you? If God has spoken to you as He has spoken to me, you had to be quiet in order for God’s peace to penetrate your heart. I had to stop talking and listen. If you are having fears in your life or if you are seeking peace for your soul, pray this verse. Fear cannot live where peace is present. Ask God to speak His Word of peace to you and believe that God will flood your soul with blessed peace.

Take joy in the journey and stay in the shade. 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.