Greetings from Austin St.

Happy Thursday!! What an awesome day at school! We held our first annual reading fair as a part of our partnership with Cracker Barrel Restaurant in the “Rockin’ Reader” program. We had celebrity readers reading to the classes. There were visits from Clifford, The Big Red Dog and the cow from Chick Filet,
Bruce left for the Kairos Prison Ministry weekend early this morning. I received a text message during dinner time and this is what it said. “We just got back to the church from the unit; WOW!” Bruce has begun not to feel well so please pray for him to perk up and continue the weekend.

Isaiah 53: 6 “We have all wandered away like sheep; each of us has gone his own way.” How true is this scripture! One of the lessons I really grew into understanding of during this past weekend was how far reaching the love of God is. Jewish tradition practices the tearing of the clothes over your heart if you experience the death of a loved one. This practice could include an actual physical death, but also a devastating separation in a family and the family member is considered death to the family and the Jewish community. When God sent Jesus He never tore His clothes again. God called the nation of Israel as well as the known world into relationship through the revealed God in Jesus. He became like the father in the parable of the prodigal son. The father in that story should have torn his clothes and considered this son who took half of the estate before he should have as dead. But instead this father sat on the porch and waited, watching the road and looking for his son to return. He never stopped loving his son no matter how far away he went and in what condition he returned. The father rejoiced in the return of his son and forgave him. The father restored his lost son to the family with full rights and privileges. He was welcomed back into the family.
God loves us no matter how far away we travel and how far off the path of which He has chosen for us. When we return, God is right there welcoming us and the angels in heaven rejoice with Him as the one who has been lost has now been found been found.

As we walk this journey together let us remember how much God loves us and when we get off of the path, we need only to turn around and he is waiting there with open arms and a powerful flashlight welcoming us home.

Take joy in the journey and hug your babies. Love you all so very much, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis