Happy Friday, first day of winter! 

Bruce came home last night.  He spent 4 days at Daddy’s house repairing some things and laying some new carpet in the kitchen.  He and Daddy had a great visit.  Even though I missed Bruce I was so glad he could take the time and help out. 

In the last few years I have begun baking cookies, brownies and other baked items to have to share with friends and family, so today I spent the day wrapping gifts and doing some more baking.  Last night one of our dogs snagged an entire bag of chocolate chip cookies from the table and shared them with his brothers.  So I had to bake more this morning. 

Prayer:  Jesus, thank You for being my Savior and for being willing to transform my one and only life. I have no idea what I will face today, but You do. I open my hands and my heart to You. Please use me however You see fit today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

“’So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’ And He said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’ ”

Luke 10: 36-37

Every time I see the Salvation Army bell ringers and buckets I put something in the bucket.  Somewhere I read or heard that “you don’t miss what you give away.”  The story of the Good Samaritan is a great example of this saying.  You know the story: A man fell in among thieves and was robbed, beaten up and left for dead.   Two people walked by him and when you cut to the chase they thought their agendas were more important than helping this injured man.  A Samaritan stopped, bandaged his wounds, took the man to a nearby inn, paid for his lodging and whatever care he needed.  The next day the  Samaritan gave the innkeeper two denarii and told the innkeeper to use this for the care and lodging of this man and then the next time he came through time he would repay whatever the innkeeper had to pay out of his own pocket to care for this man.

Every day we are faced with choices.  Do we help someone if they ask (especially those we do not know)? Do we help the person at QT who asks for gas to get to their destination?  Do we help someone outside of Kroger who needs food for their family?  Do we help someone who comes to our door saying they are hungry and need food for their family?  Do we make the choice to show the radical love of God, do we walk by or do we just close the door? 

What is radical love?  Radical love is seeing a need and meeting it.  Many of you picked an angel from a tree this holiday season.  You saw the need by reading the card and met the need by providing the items of which the family or individual asks.  We make the choice to live today with the realization that God is working all around us placing us in the path of those with desperate need. When we help someone it is not our job to question why someone needs our help or what they will do with what we have provided or even if they are telling the truth.  It is our job to act out the radical love of our Lord and Savior, hope that those we help will be changed and be assured that the ones helped have been changed. After all when we were in need God did not walk past us.

Take joy in this Advent journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Love you all and stay warm tonight, 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 only moved by what I believe and I believe God.