Happy Saturday!

James 4: 10—11 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He, who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”

Let the madness begin. Talk about a perfect storm…combine the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo with the Super Bowl in Arlington and that is a recipe for some serious craziness.

Prayer: Gracious Father, today I will come in contact with many people, some of whom are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I yield myself to You so that Your encouragement may flow through me to others. Amen

This week the entire world will be looking at Arlington, Texas and a fair portion of that population will arrive in Arlington. As this city begins to explode with football fans from around the world it seems to me that some of the radical hospitality that Jesus taught His disciples needs to flow through each of us. There will be those who are lost and will need directions. There will be those who are hungry and are looking for a place to eat. There will be those who are sleepy and looking for a place to stay for the night.

Jesus calls on each of us to speak kind words and do kind things. Jesus modeled encouragement in His Word As we have been offered encouragement and taught to encourage then we must offer encouragement to those who will serve those guests in our city and well as our guests. The restaurant workers, hotel staffs, grocery stores and Starbucks Coffee companies (especially the one at Fielder Road and Randol Mill) need our prayers, our patience and tolerance.

We also need to welcome these guests with a spirit of hospitality. These who are so far from home need to feel welcome in this place called Texas as it may be a bit of a culture shock to our neighbors from the north! Let us greet these temporary transplants with sincere and gracious smiles, hearty handshakes and keep them ever mindful by our actions that the love of Jesus, the hospitality and welcoming Spirit of Christ flows through each of us.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Let us remember to continuously lift each other up in prayers remembering that everyone is fighting some sort of battle (even if it is on the football field!). 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.

Update: Bruce, Travis and I will be leaving sometime on Tuesday for San Antonio. Dave’s surgery is scheduled for 9:00 AM Wednesday morning. It is our intention to return on Wednesday. Geni will not be making the trip with us as she must teach a lesson for her classroom teacher and university supervising teacher on Wednesday. Please pray for her as she presents her lesson and travel mercy for us.

Also please pray for all teachers in Texas as budget cuts are hitting really hard. New hires will be very low and staffing issues will be really tough. Thanks. gc