We had such a great visit with Dale and Gayle. Their warm, loving spirits made us feel right at home and made us all wish we lived closer to each other. It was hard to say good bye. We hope to be able to get back together again soon. Thanks to cell phones, computers, email, text messaging and something called Skype, we can stay far closer than in years past.

We made it home around dinner time tonight. So, I made dinner. We had a wonderful trip home. Geni drove most of the way and did a great job. I graded papers all the way home. I have only now to post them in my grade book. I plan that activity for our trip to San Antonio on Wednesday. Our oldest friends, Carme and Dave Russell, Casey’s godparents, live there. We spent many of our years of early marriage each New Year’s Eve together playing games and toasting in the New Year. We are looking forward to spending time with them once again. On this trip, Geni has to work and Travis will go with us. I hope there is a trip to the Riverwalk on Thursday, our anniversary. I love the Riverwalk. We will come home Friday sometime. We have never travelled so much during a holiday. I am glad I do not lead this life all of the time. I love our family and our friends so very much, but I also love being at home too.

John 21:12 says, “…they knew it was the Lord.” The other day I was in Target with Geni and Travis. They were shopping and I was reading a magazine in the snack area. While I was reading, some friends I had not seen in a long time came up to me and said, “Gaylene?” I looked up and it was Les and Donna Abbott. We used to be neighbors across the street from each other. They had not seen me since I lost weight and stopped coloring my hair, which is why they did not recognize me at first. I looked up and smiled and then they knew it was me. We had a wonderful visit.

The disciples were in mourning. Just days before, their master had been brutally murdered on a cross. They were His followers. They were grieving and were in fear for their lives. And then they learned that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were experiencing fear, joy, disbelief and a whole range of emotions. So they decided to go fishing. Maybe working would help them sort all of this out. They sent Peter out in the boat and the rest remained on shore. The fishing had been pretty poor and suddenly a stranger appeared on the shore. This stranger told them to cast their nets again. As you know in this story, the catch was “miraculous.” The stranger stayed among them and did not speak. The disciples did not know Him until He sat with them around the fire and He broke the bread. The disciples saw His hands and they knew it was Jesus. They recognized Jesus in something as familiar as the breaking of the bread. They had watched Him break bread so many times. Can you imagine their emotions now? Here was their master in their presence sitting down to dinner just as He had so many times before.

God comes to us in the body of Jesus. We are called, “the body of Christ.” We are Christ to those are around us. How is Christ recognized in each of us? Christ can be recognized in a smile to someone who needs a lift. Christ can be seen in us when we visit someone who is ill and alone. Christ can be seen in us when we take Eucharist to someone who cannot be in worship. Christ can be recognized when we help someone we know or we help a stranger. We don’t have to quote scripture or invite them to church (even thought there is nothing wrong with either of those things!). We just have to be open to the leading of Christ and share Him with others. As Bruce so eloquently says and practices each day, “Preach Christ everyday. Use words if necessary.”

Take joy in the journey my friends. Love you, 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.