Happy Monday!

Prayer: “Lord, thank You for this new day. I praise You because Your mercies are new every morning and Your faithfulness is great. Thank You that You have a wonderful plan for me. I choose to walk by faith and not by sight today. Guide me, Jesus, as I seek You above all else. In Your name I pray. Amen.”

John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly.”

If there are those of you who have e been reading this nightly writing since the CaringBridge Days you may remember this story. I was at MD Anderson with Casey while he was receiving treatment. It must have been a really bad day because I was really down in the dumps. I found myself walking in the nurse’s pod (the area just outside the patient rooms) and becoming sadder by the moment and feeling completely without hope. It was one of those rare moments when there was no one else outside of their rooms and all of the nurses were with patients and I was alone in the pod. Casey was in a coma brought on by the massive amount of chemotherapy drugs being given to him. I finally stopped walking and said out loud, “Satan, you have no power here. You will not steal my joy or my hope.”

An abundant life in the eyes of God does not mean that we will have earthly, temporal riches. The abundant life God speaks of is a life spent in faithfulness to God and trusting in His mercies and new start each day. The abundant life is a life believing in the hope and joy that only a relationship with Jesus can provide. Satan knows that we can recoup the earthly, temporal losses so that is why he goes after those things so close in our relationship to God. Satan tries to steal our joy, our peace and our faith and replace them with doubt, bitterness and despair. We must stand up to Satan and say, “NO!!”

Jesus offers each of us abundant life in joy and peace and bids us to simply come and claim that life because it is ours for the taking. Abundant life is not some mythical dream but is a gift from a loving God and is ours to enjoy. Claim that life today. By the way, after I stood toe to toe with Satan that day, I went into Casey’s room, found paper and a marker and wrote on it “Satan you have no power here!” And then I taped it outside our door just in case Satan decided to try to break in and steal once again. From that moment on I have ended each correspondence with “Take joy in the journey.” Let no one steal your joy!

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. When you pray remember to praise God and glorify His name with honor and respect remembering that He is the author and giver of each moment of joy, peace and tender mercy. 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.

Please offer prayers for God’s peace and comfort to those who lost family or homes or both in the tornados in Missouri and Minnesota yesterday.