Happy Saturday!

Cabin fever subsided today! Geni, Travis and I braved the roads (muddy and wet) and spent the day at The Fort Worth Live Stock Show. It felt great to see the sunshine, some dry streets and the relieved look on the vendors faces and lots of people were in the exhibit hall and eating bar-b-que. The sign that greeted us at the ticket booth read, live animal exhibits have few animals.” We saw a few cattle being prepared for the sale and that was about all. But we wore our boots, had them shined (a stock show tradition for us) and enjoyed the beautiful day.

Prayer: Loving Savior, I thank You for another day and the delightful privilege of loving serving You. I rejoice that Your ways are not grievous, and that Your commands are not harsh. I praise You that Your instructions to me are for me good and for Your glory. Help me today to yield quickly to them. Give me a listening ear, a discerning heart, and an obedient spirit. My Jesus be magnified in all that I do today. In Your dear name, Amen.”

I Corinthians 12: 25-27 “There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and member’s individually.”

Our friend David Russell is doing do well that it looks as if he may come home tomorrow evening or Monday morning. Praise God! He is still going to need help upon his return home. So Bruce is going down to San Antonio to spend a couple of days helping Dave transfer from his motorized wheelchair to bed and with whatever other needs there are to be met. About mid-week, Carme’s brother is coming in and Bruce will come home. I ask your prayers for all of these men as the work and help each other over the next few days until Dave can become independent once again.

This is sort of like a family of God time and place. One of us is in need and as part of the family of God and body of Christ. This passage tells us that we should “care for one another.” Carme and Dave, Bruce and I have cared for one another throughout our lives. Carme and Dave came to MD Anderson and stayed with Casey so Bruce and I could celebrate our anniversary. Carme then came back in January and stayed when I had to go back to work and before Bruce could get there to bring Casey home.

When one of us hurts then all of us hurt and we are called to help when and where we can. We don’t always know how we are going to need to help one another, but God will make us ready and will give us the means necessary to care for each other as the needs arise.

Helping members may mean material things or a ministry of presence. It could mean doing laundry, washing dishes, picking up children from school or providing a meal. As the body of Christ we can pray for each other. We can pray for well-being to be restored, we can pray for peace and relief from stress and worry, we can pray for brokenness to be healed and for pain to cease. And even when we do not know how we can be of help, we can pray for God to reveal to us how He wants us to serve. Then we can be obedient to the call to service. God will not let us down. Let us not let God down.

Remember everyone is fighting some type of battle and God never meant for us to fight alone. So friends let us continue to pray for one another rejoicing together when one of us is honored to be there when one of us is suffering and needs a “family” member for help and support.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Remember to lift one another up in prayer each day. 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 moved only by what I believe and I believe God