Happy Thursday! Four down and one to go!! The week before the winter holiday break is always taxing and I think we are all, teachers, students, administrators, custodial staff and all school personnel, are ready for a break. Please pray for all teachers as we work very hard to stay calm on a day that is anything but calm!

We are looking forward to Saturday and finally getting a tree. And maybe just a bit of Christmas spirit. We are also planning to take a brief trip to Memphis, Tennessee to see Bruce’s brother and his family. So far, Bruce, Geni and I have cleared our schedules to accommodate the time frame needed for the trip, but as yet, Travis has cleared all but one day. I hope he can get his shift covered so he can make the trip with us.

Psalm 89:2 says, “I declare that your steadfast love is established forever,…” No matter what, God loves us. He established His love in many ways, but during the season of Advent, He established His love in the birth of Jesus. Jesus was born in humble surroundings and died in difficult circumstances. Remember who Jesus came for? He came for the poor, the outcast, the down trodden and for me, a sinner. He came for those in need of a savior. God’s love is never changing. His love is the same now as it was 2,000 years ago. If you or I had been the only person to ever grace the planet, then God would have still loved us enough to send Jesus to die for us. God loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Wow!! That is a lot of love.

Now that we know that God loves us so much and His steadfast love is established in us, our responsibility is to love others. God came to earth in the form of the babe in the manger, an unlovely place to show that His love goes to the lowest, unlovliest places of all. His love went from the manger to the cross; the journey of a lifetime.

As we rapidly approach the end of Advent and draw closer to the new birth on Christmas morning, let us have new birth in our own lives and love others as God loves us. May the love of the Christ child be born again in our hearts in this season of love and joy. The journey of a lifetime indeed!! Love and joy come to you…Take joy in the journey.

Love you all so 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.