Blessed Sunday to you all! What a wonderful day!

Hebrews 11: 1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”

I seems that when I am really struggling God sends me a message through His Word that brings comfort and consolation or peace and assurance or guidance and strength. All of these words mean the same thing. It is as if God is saying, “Gaylene, I am here. You are my daughter and I love you. Just listen and walk in obedience and everything will work out according to My will.”

I have received this message before—when Casey was first diagnosed with cancer. God told me (through a very wise friend) that no matter what, Casey would be okay. Whether Casey’s body was able to sustain life or not, Casey would be okay. Casey’s body did not survive cancer, but God sustained and flourished Casey’s spirit exponentially. God was with Casey here on earth and Casey is most assuredly with God in heaven now.

And through God’s profound faithfulness I will be okay, too. I have spent the last 48 hours with a feeling of being overwhelmed with the possibilities of having to leave my home and family to go to seminary very far away. I am overwhelmed with all of the course work I must take and I am overwhelmed with the reality of leaving a career I have held for thirty plus years. It is a momentary excitement that “I have been accepted into the candidacy process,” and then the reality of all that must be done in order to achieve the goal and enact the calling to which I have been summoned which makes me stop and take account. It is the space between leaving a former life and beginning a new life.

But here is the thing, “Faith is the assurance of things hope for, the conviction of things not seen—by faith our ancestors received approval—because they were willing to be obedient and do what God called them to do. They walked by faith and not by sight—and so must I. Those who were called were used as vessels for God’s good work; one parted the sea, one loaded an ark and one was crucified. The last was resurrected and lives in each of us by the power of the Holy Spirit. These who have gone before me did not fly over but walked each step as led by God in faith. And I, too, must walk in faith with each step as God leads, then I can rest in the assurance that God will be with me. The journey may be long, but the steps are in God’s hands and I will take each step in joy.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. 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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God.