Happy, happy Friday! I have the most amazing news! Geni Chrystie made the Dean’s List at the School of Education at North Texas!!!! Her grades were really awesome this past fall and the announcement was made today. We are so excited and so very proud of her. She has a choice of receptions to attend and gets a special t-shirt. We celebrated with her and her friend Erin tonight. Way to go Geni!!

I have not heard any late news on Carme or Deb. I will contact them tomorrow and check on their progress. Thank you for your continued prayers for their healing.

Matthew 8:7 says, “Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” Do you remember the wonderful scene from Mary Poppins where Bert the chimney sweep tells Jane and Michael that “good luck will rub off when I shakes hands with you.” I love that scene because all of the chimney sweeps shake the hand of the stuffy dad of Jane and Michael.

The passage surrounding the story from Matthew is so wonderful. It is the story of Jesus healing the leper. Lepers were an ostracized community. They were not allowed in town without first being pronounced clean by the priest and making sacrifice for their cleansing. The leper enters the town and finds Jesus and asks the Master, “If you will, will you heal me?”Jesus answers, “I will. Be healed.” Jesus not only tells this man that He will heal him, but then Jesus heals him in the same breath. What courageous faith the man has and what compassion Jesus has for those who are in need and who believe. Jesus came for the hurting, the hungry, the outcast and the poor.

Here was an outcast man with enough faith and determination to seek Jesus out and believe that he could be healed if Jesus would just touch him. Jesus showed great compassion and respect for the man that he said, “I will. Be healed.”

I believe healing touches are present in our lives. We receive the healing touch of Christ when we greet one another with a Holy hug and declare “peace be with you” during that part of our worship service. Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the promise that God will be with us during all conflict and see us through whatever battle we are fighting. And let’s face it, everyone is fighting some kind of battle. Let us pass the peace through a hug, shaking hands with someone, holding someone’s hand or whatever way you can show the love and healing grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Healing does not always have to be physical. I think spiritual and emotional healing is much harder. How can we be Jesus for others in our life? Listen to someone, send a note, pick someone up and help them run their errands or grab a cup of coffee, make, bake and send some cookies. We forget how powerful the simple touches can be. Jesus said, “I will. Be healed.” In four words Jesus changed the life the outcast man.

Be courageous and radically determined in your faith. Let nothing stop you from finding Jesus and asking for His healing touch. Then share the compassion of Christ with those who are in need of healing. Take joy in the journey my dear friends.

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.