Happy Saturday! Psalm 50:23 “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me.” (Go King James!)

Praise to God is the way to make Satan flee from our hearts, minds and spirits. Stuff happens in our lives. Sometimes the stuff is really horrible. The loss of our son to cancer was by far the most devastating event in our lives. And the realization of that loss tears us up every day. But God blessed us to much in that we got to spend the last year of Casey’s life with him every day. We were witnesses to watch him die to self and live for Christ. As we watched him grow in the likeness of Christ we grew ourselves. We all grew in our faith. Casey never seemed fearful. I think Casey never showed a spirit of fear because he stayed in constant contact with God and for Casey there was no need to fear. Satan tried time and again to steal Casey away from the hand of God. Satan finally gave up when he realized that Casey belonged to God body, soul, mind and spirit.

A joyful heart is the greatest weapon against all evil. The evil some people experience everyday is stress and frustration over stuff. I am learning when the “stuff” (stresses and frustrations) begins to happen that I need to “Have a little talk with Jesus.” It is in those times when the loss of Casey weighs so heavily on me that I can hardly breathe that I need to talk to God and tell Him how I feel. In the times when deadlines need to be met or there is too much month left at the end of the money or when I look at my children with pride and just a little sadness at the fact that they are grown and will be off on their own sooner that I can imagine I need to look up into the face of the Father with a look of love. I know when I do that I will feel a sense of security and the joy that was temporarily displaced but will soon return because of the Presence of God.

Friends, have a little talk with Jesus and watch Satan go on the run. Satan cannot stand a heart that is full of love and joy.

Take joy in the journey. See you in worship. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

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