Happy Tuesday! Grades are done and turned in! Yea!!! I always feel like a load has been taken off when that chore is done. Tonight’s theology class was on Christian Hope. I really love my theology class. We have awesome discussions and I learn so much. Bruce has been in bed for several hours with a fever. I think it may have broken a bit. Please pray for him to feel better soon.

Tomorrow is the funeral service for our friend Robert Brooks. It will be in Duncanville at 2:00. I will leave school around noon to attend. My student teacher will have her first experience at teaching for half-a-day while I am gone. Please pray for Ms. Lee and my class.

And, our friend David Russell, husband of Carme Russell, is back in the hospital. Due to being in a wheel chair he has issues with pressure sores. He has been running a fever for quite some time and the pressure sores became infected. Carme called me today and announced that her hubby was having a “butt job.” Only Carme would find a humorous way to announce her husband’s pending surgery. Something about her having a boob job and now Dave is having a butt job!! My best friend…gotta love her. Please place these two dear people in your prayers. Carme is also facing some repair work with her reconstruction. They both so appreciate your prayers on their behalf. Our church has most assuredly become a House of Prayer.

Mark 11: 25 says, “When you are praying, if you are angry with someone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins.”

Do you know what the purpose of “passing the peace” is all about during worship? Its original purpose was to go and tell someone you forgive them or let them say the same to you before you share communion. Most of the time we use the “passing of the peace” time to tell others we love them. I think that is pretty awesome, too.

But what happens when there is someone who has hurt us deeply? A hurt that is so deep and so awful that forgiveness seems out of the question. What do we do? Or what happens if we hurt someone? I mean we have knowledge we have hurt someone. What do we do? I think of this verse, and I remember a few things. First, if someone has wronged me then I must forgive them. I must forgive them because if I don’t then I carry bitterness and self-pity around in me and I am living in a wrong relationship. Second, God has forgiven me so many times so who am I not to forgive someone else no matter what.

And if I have wronged someone and I know it, then as hard as it is, I have to go and ask forgiveness. If I don’t ask for forgiveness from the one I wronged then I carry around guilt. Guilt is the pits!! Guilt builds up in you like smelly trash you haven’t taken out in a while. Once you ask for forgiveness then the trash bin is empty and there is plenty of room for God to fill me with His peace.

The question of the night is…Is there unforgiveness in our lives? If so, what are we going to do about it? Are we going to walk around with smelly trash or are we going to let bitterness and self-pity steal our joy? Let us not allow anything steal our joy. Either way, forgiveness works. And this verse comes with a promise. If we forgive the sins of others then God forgives our sins.

Let us take joy in the journey friends. Lots of prayers tonight. 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.