Greetings from Memphis!

Good Saturday morning to you all! I am posting on Saturday morning from Memphis, Tennessee. We had a small problem with the car in Texarkana. We were driving along and there was a clunk. Not good. We went ahead and drove the 10 miles into Texarkana and decided to eat before dealing with the car. At lunch we prayed that whatever was wrong with the car would be the easiest thing to fix so we could be on our way.

Never doubt of the power of prayer and God’s kindness and speed in His answers. We found just the right auto shop and an hour and a half later (and only $26!) we were on our way. We arrived at Dale and Gayle’s house around 8:45 last night to be greeted by Chrysties running out the door to give us hugs and kisses.

Here at Dale and Gayle’s everyone is named Chrystie. There are even four of us with the initials GC. There is Gayle Chrystie, Grace Chrystie, Geni Chrystie and Gaylene Chrystie. Three Chrystie families are present in this house, but are spread from far and wide: one family from Tennessee, one member from North Carolina, one member from Washington state, four members from Texas and one member from California. This is in total contrast to my (Gaylene’s ) side of the family who can (mostly) all be retrieved by going north on Central Expressway out of Dallas.

Do you remember those amazing cinnamon rolls I told you about the other night? Well the crafter of those amazing delicacies is here in Memphis and the rolls will be made today. We are all looking so forward to these creations. I have made this wonderful recipe (after being taught by the master, Grace, a fellow outlaw, to be explained later)) and my neighbors have been known to line up at the door with a plate and a fork as the aroma would escape the house and fill the air with the delicious smells of homemade bread laced with cinnamon, brown sugar and love. These rolls are a wonderful memory for all of us from when all of us were early married and the kids were all small and we would spend Thanksgiving with Grace and her family.

John 12: 45 says, “Jesus said, And whoever sees me sees Him who sent me.”

On the journey to Memphis, Bruce, Geni and Travis did the driving and I sat in the back writing my final theology paper. I actually got 8 pages of it down and still many pages to go, but as I am composing, one phrase seems to be making it into all of the writing; “Scripture tells us that we are born in the image of God.” I follow that sentence with “And we spend the rest of our lives growing in His likeness.” Jesus was identified by the relationships He had. His first relationship was to His heavenly Father. The next relationship, the one He was born into, was His family. We did not get to choose our families. We were born into our families, but Jesus’ family was chosen for Him. God chose Mary and Joseph to be His earthly parents. Can you imagine the faith and trust God placed in Mary and Joseph? He placed the care and rearing of His child into the hands of this poor, young, loving and faithful couple. Do you suppose when Mary and Joseph saw their baby the first time they thought they were seeing the face of God?

When Jesus is born into our hearts we begin to grow in His likeness. When others see us do they see the likeness of God? Do others see in us the One who sent Jesus? I guess what I am asking of all of us is…do others see in us the love of God?

I love family. The treasure I value most on this earth is my family. I was raised in a closely knit, loving family that has always supported and cared for each other with unselfish devotion. My family has always dropped whatever they were doing to come to the aid of one who was hurting, in pain, in trouble as well as in times of joy and celebration and victory. I was raised in a home of unconditional love.

Unselfish, unconditional love is the only kind of love I have ever known. I grew up seeing the face of the One who sent Jesus every day. Were we perfect? No. Did we have disagreements? Yes. Did we mess up? Yes. Was there forgiveness every time? Absolutely and always! Was love always present no matter what? Without fail!

And this weekend I am present within the other side of my family. Gathered together from distances that range the nation in loving reunion to remember how much we love and miss each other and ever reminded that even though we are miles apart in distance that we are close together in love (and cinnamon rolls).

Jesus’ brothers and sisters did not see the face of God in their brother as they were growing up. He was just Jesus, the big brother who got his own room (lol). But Mary knew. Mary knew that her son, her first born, was to walk a road of suffering and a different path that the rest of her children. Jesus would leave His birth home and never return, for God had a totally different plan for this child of Mary and Joseph. Jesus became a part of a different family. Jesus became our brother. As the Son of God, Jesus became our brother. We are all children of God with Christ as our brother. When Jesus died on the cross His blood covered all of us and we now all carry the DNA of Christ.

So I ask once again…when others see us, do they see the face of God? Do others see us as loving members of the family of God?

Take joy in the journey. Love you all and see you back in Texas. 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.