Happy Thursday! I hope this writing finds you well and having enjoyed a beautiful Texas spring day. Just a couple of family pride moments…first, Geni has officially been accepted into the College of Education at UNT. She has met all of the pre-requisites, taken all of the tests and is on her way to becoming a teacher. Way to go Geni! Please pray for her as she continues her studies. Second, Lamar High School Acapella choir took a sweepstakes trophy at the UIL Choral Competition held at Trinity High School today. To win a sweepstakes trophy means the choir must receive all first division ratings on their performance on stage and first division ratings on their sight reading. Way to go Travis! Way to go LHS!

Luke 13:20-21 says, “Jesus said again, what can I compare God’s kingdom with? It is like yeast a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until all the dough rises.”

In the morning we will be leaving for Memphis, Tennessee. Some of the Chrysties are gathering for a brief family reunion. There will be five young people there, some of whom have never met each other. I give them about an hour before they all become fast friends. We are all looking so forward to seeing each other. We will be returning on Sunday. It is my plan to work on my final theology paper during the 16 hours we are going to be in the car and leave the driving to Bruce and the kids. Please pray travel mercy.

We have a sister-in-law who currently lives in Seattle, Washington. When Bruce and I were first married her family lived in Oklahoma City and we used to spend Thanksgiving with them. Grace is known in the family for her wonderful cooking skills. One of her signature foods is her homemade cinnamon rolls made with leftover mashed potatoes. Each time we would go to her house we knew that cinnamon rolls would be made at some point in our visit. The dough is so delicious that I think her kids would just eat the dough before it was baked into the delicious pastry. I would watch her each time she would make this recipe. After the ingredients were measured and yeast added, dough mixed and then kneaded until silky smooth, the dough was then placed in a bowl, covered with a dish towel and left alone to rise. This rising took about two and a half hours. Then the dough was punched down and allowed to rise once again. After the second rising the dough was emptied out onto a floured board, patted out and crowned with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins. The filled dough was then cut into rolls and allowed to rise one more time before baking. The process is lengthy but so very worth each step until the end result is the delicious creation of which the process and ingredients were intended. This creation was crafted out of love for love of family and the joy of creation.

If you make this recipe and leave out the yeast you will have created cinnamon raisin rocks. The yeast makes all the difference. The yeast must permeate the entirety of the flour mixture and then be activated with the added liquid in order to for the dough to rise as it should. There cannot be little pockets of yeast or the dough will not rise properly.

God created us in His image. God did not just create our arms and legs and staff the remaining parts out. God does not want to have lordship over just our hands and feet, He wants lordship over our hands, feet, minds, hearts and our wills. God gave us free will too. He loves us so much that He wants to be intimately a part of our entire being. God can only have lordship over the parts that we surrender over to Him. As we continue to surrender more and more of ourselves over to His will the yeast of His love permeates more of ourselves and we grow in His likeness.

Life may punch us down sometimes, but the love of God never loses its strength and as we continue to grow in His likeness we will continue to rise.

Take joy in the journey. We 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.