Happy Tuesday!

Happy birthday, Ken!!

We attended Thanksgiving Eve Eve Service tonight. We had a soup and sandwich supper before the service. So many offerings from homemade chicken soup to homemade potato soup and a wide variety of sandwiches. So good!

I set today aside for study and shopping for Thanksgiving. A special thanks to Bruce and Travis for tipping, tailing and snapping 6 pounds of fresh green beans in preparation for cooking tomorrow. There will be 22 family members gathering for Thanksgiving dinner.

Prayer: “Father God, as I awaken this day, I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, over all my life and my physical existence. My life is in Your hands, and I pray for Your healing grace over all my physical weaknesses. May Your grace abound in my weaknesses, and may my inward person be renewed today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Jeremiah 17: 14 “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.”

When Jeremiah wrote these words he was experiencing illness during a time when he was being persecuted by those who opposed him. When this happened Jeremiah cried out to God for His grace and power through this storm.

Each of us experiences illness at one time or another. Sometimes our illnesses are short lived, like a cold, and then there are other times when serious illness happens and we call out to God for healing. However, do we call out to God in praise? Do we still praise Him when our health is not in danger? Do we remember to praise when our health is good? No matter what, God desires for us to give thanks when we feel great and when we are experiencing illness. We do not give thanks for being sick, we give thanks for God’s presence in whatever state we find ourselves. I never understood this passage until Casey sang, “All to Jesus I surrender…” the night of his first chemotherapy treatment. It was at that moment I learned what “You are my praise” really meant. If Casey could praise God as the poisonous chemicals were coursing through his body then I must learn to praise through the rough times, too.

I do not believe God causes illness in us, but I do believe that it is God’s design for us to get better and not become bitter. Healing comes from God whether it is in the form of well-being in body or healing for spiritual distress. All healing comes from God for He is mighty to save and we, like Jeremiah, can cry out to God for His healing grace.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Let us pray for those who are in hospitals and home bound and will not be with family or at home over the Thanksgiving holiday. 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.

Prayer: My little cousin Tatum, who is receiving treatment at Cook’s children’s hospital for leukemia, is doing well and may be home for Thanksgiving. Please offer a prayer for her continued healing and for her family’s continued strength. Thanks, gc

Also, please pray for our friend, Nichole. Two weeks ago she lost her father and just last evening she lost her favorite aunt to stage 4 ovarian cancer. She spoke at her Dad’s service and she will speak at her aunt’s service as well. She is being so brave, but the grief and stress is wearing on her. The holiday time has not made this time any easier. Please pray travel mercy for Nichole, Pastor Joel and their son Caleb as they travel to Kerrville to the service in just a few hours. Thank you, friends and mighty prayer warriors.