Happy Friday! 

WOW!  End of the first week of CPE.  It has been an amazing week.  We were not originally scheduled to go to the floors until next week, but were far enough ahead in group cohesion that we went to the floors this afternoon.  I am continually amazed at the involvement of chaplains in hospital life.  I have learned today how to chart a patient for chaplaincy purposes.  The goal is to make sure that each patient who enters the hospital receives a visit from a chaplain.  I really loved visiting and praying with the patients this afternoon. 

Yesterday we were at John Peter Smith Hospital.  The program I am in partners Huguley with JPS.  At JPS, when we are on call as chaplains we are to respond to all Trauma 1’s as well as any other calls we receive.  We speak to families in the event of the death of their loved one.  We take family members to view the bodies of their loved one and help to put all of the persons in place if there is an organ donation issue.  We do not initiate the process, but we are there in support of the family as they work through the process. 

The other thing I am discovering is that all of this new learning at a rapid pace is exhausting!!  My prayer for myself is that I will have the stamina for this job especially with the on-call nights and working the next day.  I ask your prayers that I will continue to learn and that God will give me the strength and stamina to make me equal to the task. 

If I do not get a chance to write in the future, it will be because I have been on call all night or I am really exhausted.  But I promise to continue to pray for you and please continue to pray for me.  I never understood the depth and necessity of prayer for pastors until now!!

Prayer:  “Good morning to the One who is both crucified Savior and risen LORD! Today I begin this day as one who is so very grateful for an old wooden Cross that stood somewhere just outside an ancient Jerusalem gate some two-thousand-plus years ago.  I thank You, precious risen Lord, that I have responded to the message of that Cross and now live in its shadow daily.  Today I pray that You will crucify me with You on that Cross that I may die to all that would keep me from Your will.  May I live in such a way that I always reflect Your glory. Amen.”

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1: 18

Every faith has some sort of visual symbol that brings recognition.  Christianity uses the cross, but not just any cross, but the Cross of Jesus Christ.  This symbol of salvation is unique as it allows us to come before it and lay our sins beneath it and go beyond it to have relationship with God who sent Jesus so that we might know Him.  In Christianity there are no other options for salvation.  I love crosses and tend to wear them as jewelry. When I enter certain areas of the hospital I will have to tuck it away for safety, but each time I put the cross on I am reminded that I have been saved by the very power of God.  Any maybe, just maybe, if I wear it around my neck and act on it in my heart someone who does not know about the sweet salvation given freely by God through Jesus will want to know more.

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Love you all and thank you so much for all of your prayerful support, 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 Wednesday! 

I am learning so much in my CPE class!  Tomorrow we go to John Peter Smith but today we toured the nursing home where I will be assigned.  The nursing home is on the hospital campus.  It is a beautiful facility with residents who were very active and very friendly.  The staff is wonderful; very friendly and upbeat and very spiritual. 

My CPE group meets for worship each morning before beginning the work day.  Today we met all of the department managers who all are committed to the mission of the hospital, “Furthering the Healing Ministry of Christ.” 

Today in our group time our teacher asked, “What is your greatest fear about CPE?”  I told them I did not like the word fear because fear is not of God.  But my greatest point of tension is the possibility of being lost in the hospital when called for a patient or family and I won’t get there fast enough.  I will learn my way around I just hope I can do it quickly enough to help those I am called to help. 

Another point of concern for me is will I have the stamina to pull the all nighters at JPS?  There is a sleep room, but I will have worked all day at Huguley and then go to JPS at 6:00 pm for the all nighter until 8:00 am, then back to Huguley to work until noon.  I remember that I chose this, but I am very much in need of your prayers to be able to serve as a chaplain.  Please, pray, pray, pray!!!

Prayer:  “Father, I pray like Jehoshaphat facing the evil coalition: “We have no power…nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20: 12). Father, may Your Holy Spirit teach me what to pray for and how to ask.   I place a “Help Wanted” sign over my heart.  In Christ’s name, Amen.”

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Romans 8: 26

How great is our God who would bring me to His Word when I am in need of an answer.  “The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.”  I have a weakness for directions.  God will help me find my way and I must remember to pray for help and not panic.  I will also pray for strength beyond myself to keep up the energy needed to sustain the rigors of the night and help those who are in need. 

I feel like I am in need of a mountain of prayer. In our weakness we can pray.  The problem is that some of us do not pray until we are really sick or nearing death.  The good news is when we are overwhelmed with so many things to pray about or things so devastating to pray for the Holy Spirit comes to our side and takes the prayer load for us.  The Holy Spirit interprets our prayers to the Father and God will back to us in a way in which we can understand. Right now that sounds like really good news to me. 

To command this type of prayer we must pray in the authority of the name of Jesus and the blood of Christ, praying for the Holy Spirit to interpret our prayers and direct them into the will of God.  We must pray for the cleansing of our souls and the forgiveness of our sins so when we wake up we can experience the assurance that in our weakness it is the opportunity for God to reveal Himself in our prayers and in all aspects of our life.

Take joy in this new journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some rest. Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Love you and give thanks for all of your help and support, 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 Monday! 

Geni just left to spend her first night in her apartment.  We gathered in our living room after dinner and gave her our blessing and sent her on her way with the reminder that her key still fits our door. 

From Jesus Calling, June 11 “Trust Me and don’t be afraid for I am your Strength and Song.”  I told my family to look at my face tonight because in a short while they may not see it very often.  I have hospital and CPE Orientation for the next couple of weeks and then the race is on. 

I am currently assigned to the Nursing Home (there is a nursing facility on the campus) and overflow floor for the Progressive Care Unit (a step down unit from ICU as patients get better). I have a weekday “on-call” at Huguley and John Peter Smith.  I am doing my weekday on-call duty on Wednesdays.  I will do Huguley on one Wednesday and JPS the next Wednesday beginning June 20 and ending on August 15.  I will have weekend on-call in both hospitals also.  At Huguley the weekend on-call is 8:00 am to 10:00 pm.  JPS is 6:00 pm until 8:00 am.  When I am not on call I do my regular assignments at Huguley. 

There are ten people in my CPE group. They are of different ethnicities, genders, ages and denominations.  Some members of the group are residents and some are interns.  Residents are chaplains assigned to these two hospitals for a year. Those people receive a salary.  Interns work for 10 weeks and earn credit hours.  They are all very nice people and lots of fun. 

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 had been trained in the formalities of the Law.  But it was not until Paul’s Road to Damascus experience that he understood the presence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote “if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation because he no longer lives in the flesh, but in the newness of God’s Spirit.”  Paul knew that before a person can be in Christ that they must be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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! 

I am tired!  After two worship services and taco lunch at church I shopped with Geni the remainder of the afternoon.  Our first stop was WalMart to outfit her bathrooms and her kitchen.  As you can imagine she was shocked as to the things she needed to get started in her new home.  I must brag a bit as she planned for this expense and handled the cost well.  Then we went to Kroger.  We walked up and down every aisle so that she could pay attention to where things were and again she was really surprised as to the number of items in the grocery store that she would need to get started.  I probably said at least a dozen times, “Remember, there is only one of you,” as she tended to purchase multiples of certain items.  I purchased a couple of chickens and some salad and we went back to her apartment. 

After putting all of the food away we had her first meal with all of us present in her living room on the coffee table.  It was somewhat reminiscent of the carpet picnics Casey and his friends would have in his hospital room. We had a great time.  She is not sleeping there tonight, but maybe tomorrow.  There was a problem with an air conditioner leak in her upstairs bathroom, but the HVAC repairman came out tonight and made the necessary repairs.

I begin CPE tomorrow morning at 8:00.  Please offer a prayer that I may stay focused on the things that are important.  Thanks.

Prayer:  “Lord, as I bow humbly in Your presence, speak to my heart. Lord, remind me of Your goodness and mercy.  Fill me with the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Open my eyes to the needs and hurts of those 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

I know how to go into a hospital room and pray with folks, listen to them and anoint them with oil for prayer and blessing.  But I still have everything to learn about how to work in a hospital.  I am glad that through scripture God revealed that I have a teachable heart.  I know I am capable of learning the skills and knowledge to meet the calling placed upon me.  The old saying about “God does not call the equipped.  God equips those who are called according to His good purpose.”  This is the equipping process. 

I must tell you a story.  I have shared with you that I will be working at Huguley Hospital and John Peter Smith.  John Peter Smith is a Trauma 1 hospital.  Almost 25 years ago I delivered Geni at Peter Smith.  At her delivery the nurses thought they heard a heart murmur and she went directly to NICU (Neo-Natal ICU).  I spent the next full week visiting her 2 or 3 times per day driving from Arlington to the hospital in Fort Worth.  In my week long time there I saw a lot of babies in that NICU, but what I did not see were many of their mothers coming to visit.  These babies were so sick.  The one that broke my heart was a tiny perfectly formed baby named Victoria who was in an enclosed isolet.  On the outside of her isolet was a message to her mother.  It read, “Please help my Mommy to visit me, to give me a bath and to hold and rock me.”  I decided at that moment that when I had finished raising my family I was going to hospitals and rock babies.  Perhaps God’s calling was on me even then, because I am going back to the place where I first made a solemn call to a ministry.  God’s Spirit is the supernatural force that speaks truth that transforms each of us sometimes in the silence of words and sometimes in the message written on the isolet of a tiny baby. 

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Love you all and thanks for everything, 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! 

Today I went to our church garage sale and purchased two glass-topped end tables, a drying rack, an over-the-toilet shelving unit and a set of wooden utensils in a container for the new apartment.  I spent a grand total of $20.00 and got Geni some really nice things.  I also spent some time getting towels, dish towels, and kitchen things together out of my kitchen for Geni to start her kitchen.  She still needs a few things like a canister set, but those things will come a bit later.

The new carpet was laid in her apartment today.  It is really nice.  She is going to move some things tomorrow, but will probably accept the keys on Monday and begin her life as an adult on her own. (Although, I think she plans to come home for dinner a lot!)

My morning devotion helped bring peace to my anxious soul with these words, from Jesus Calling June 10, “Remember you are on a journey with Me.” All of you know how I feel about journeys.  I must remember to hold tightly to God’s hand when I am anxious about anything.  Remembering God is a daily discipline and I must never lose sight of God’s presence with me.  Remembering God’s Presence with me is what will bring peace to my anxious soul. 

Prayer:  “Father God, I come before You this morning 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 before 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

President Lincoln proclaimed the Emancipation Proclamation, abolishing the law of slavery and bringing freedom to the slaves in the United States.

The apostle Paul was set free (emancipated) from the law of religious legalism.  The Law of Moses was given by God to Israel to expose the sins of the Israelites, but the law could not set the people free from their sins. The Law could not save them, it could only condemn.  Praise God for sending Jesus to save us from our sins without condemnation.  Jesus did what the Law could not do.  This verse from Romans says that Jesus fulfilled the “righteous requirement of the law” at the Cross.  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit enables us to “walk in the Spirit” and not under the law.  Under this new law of love we experience God’s grace and freedom.

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

Happy Friday! 

I went back to Huguley Hospital today for a TB test.  I also received instruction and testing on how to put on a mask.  The mask is to be used if I am called to go into an isolation room with a patient who has a contagious disease that is airborne or contact.  The mask is to protect me and the patient.  I keep learning new things each time I go over there that I never thought about before.  PLEASE keep me in your prayers. 

This morning my Jesus Calling devotion reminded me that God holds nothing back in His love for me and I am not to hold anything back either.  The light of God promises to bring out of the darkness any uncertainties or anxiety I have into His transforming and cleansing grace.  I am excited about this new chapter in my life. I am also nervous about this new chapter and the changes it will bring about.  There is no turning back.  God has all power on heaven and earth and I know I can and will come to God for help.  I know I have a teachable spirit. I also know I have everything to learn.  As you pray for me, pray for me to remember to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving with the desire to be transformed into the servant and representative I am called to be.  Thank you my friends. 

Prayer:  Father, Thank You for getting me up early this morning to hear from You.  Your Spirit has drawn me to my prayer time. Help me to hear exactly what You have to say to me.  O Lord, speak Your truths into my heart and grant me wisdom to respond to Your will and direction.  Use me for Your glory and honor.  Thank 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

God’s Holy Word was written to reveal His person and purpose to those who desire to know Him.  We learn this Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The apostle Paul reminds us in this verse that the Holy Spirit teaches us spiritual things according to God’s wisdom, not ours.  The Word of God is inspired which remains that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter, 1: 21) We have been taught the Word of God so that we might teach others.  So my friends, if we truly want to know God then we must pray for the Holy Spirit to teach us His Word. Time to go to school…

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Come to the Advent Youth Garage Sale on Saturday.  Love you all and thank you for your many prayers and constant support.  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 Thursday! 

I traveled to Hughley Hospital today for processing.  I received my ID badge.  It says Chaplain Gaylene. I received a DPT shot just in case I get bitten or a needle breaks off in me somewhere. (Isn’t that something to think about?!) I go back in the morning for a TB test. Then my real time with them starts at 8:00 Monday morning.  Please pray for me and my family as our lives are going to change once again at least for the next ten weeks.  I hope to keep you posted with writing, but I do not know how the scheduling works.  I only know I work 40 hours per week with some of the time in class, working with a CPE group and time with patients.  There are times I will work in a specific unit and times I will be the only chaplain on call for the hospital.  I have been told there will be times I will be there overnight or throughout a weekend.  This could be interesting…

“I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you face persecution.  But take courage, I have conquered the world.”

John 16: 33

Tonight I am going to share my morning “in the car devotion” with you.  It has stuck with me all day as I have thought of close friends who are suffering earthly persecution.  Sarah Young’s words from June 7, 2012 spoke to me.  These are her words tonight as she has reflected on God’s presence and listened to God’s voice.

“ I AM ALL AROUND YOU, like a cocoon of Light. My Presence with you is a promise independent of your awesome awareness of Me.  Many things can block this awareness, but the major culprit is worry.  My children tend to accept worry as an inescapable fact of life.  However, worry is a form of unbelief; it is anathema to Me.

Who is in charge of your life? If it is you, then you have good reason to worry. But if it is I, then worry is both unnecessary and counterproductive. When you start to feel anxious about something, relinquish the situation to Me. Back off a bit, redirecting your focus to Me. I will either take care of the problem Myself or show you how to handle it. In this world you will have problems, but you need not lose sight of Me.” (I bolded and italicized the previous sentences as I really needed to commit this promise to memory.)

Take joy in the journey.  Trust God, wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  God is awake 24/7 so there is no reason for both of you to be awake! 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.