Greetings from Austin St.

Happy Wednesday! Intubation tube out!! Bruce said it was a ghastly experience. But it is over and that is good. He did not sleep well last night, but got a few hours of sleep this afternoon. He was out of bed three times for an hour at a time to eat. Each transfer from bed to chair got better each time even though he was really tired after each time. His big red heart pillow is becoming his best friend. Today I teased him when he was laying in bed with his pillow resting on his chest that I thought that this heart surgery was supposed to happen on the inside not an external heart surgery. I really should not have made him laugh. I know he is beginning to feel better because he has already smarted off to his nurse. Tomorrow many tubes will be removed and he should be much more comfortable. Later this evening he asked for the head of his bed to be raised so he could watch some TV. (NCIS!! So he was awake more today. Keep praying!

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, this is the day You have made, so I will rejoice and be glad in it! Give me faith today to trust what I do not see. I want to praise You no matter what comes my way. I look forward to joining heaven and earth in praising You in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Psalm 69: 34-36 “Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it. Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His name shall dwell in it.”

Have you ever thought about faith-based praise to God? Faith-based praise to God is praising God ahead of time not for what He has already done and not what He is doing now, but who He is and what He will do in the future. It is so easy to praise God when all is going well, but it is really tough to praise God when times are tough or we are facing uncertainty. The Chrystie family is facing some uncertainty. Bruce’s restrictions following surgery are not driving for three weeks and not lifting anything weighing more than 10 pounds for three months. Bruce is a home repair man and so these restrictions effectively shut down our business and we live on one income for the next three months. Then there is the issue of rebuilding the business when the doc releases Bruce from doctor’s care. Now is the time to put faith-based praise into action. Yes, we are praising God that this condition was caught before Bruce collapsed. But tonight I am giving thanks from God’s loving presence and assured in the knowledge that God already has a plan in place for Bruce’s business and our financial sustaining during his recovery and the future of our business. I am asking each of you who are our mighty prayer warriors to agree in prayer giving thanks for God’s gracious faithfulness and His perfect timing. But mostly I am resting in the assurance of who God is no matter at what place we are in our lives and praising Him for what He will do.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Rest in the assurance that god has all things under His loving hand and His powerful command. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis