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July 23, 2010
Dear PassWord People, Muggy in Middletown this morning. Everything in my yard growing like weeds…including the weeds. The water hyacinths have overtaken my pond… It is summer, it is good. It is quiet here this morning at my house. Kara left yesterday to meet Donny’s family at the beach, Jeff is long gone to Chambersburg. Even Dog is quiet this morning. Too much quiet. Wednesday evening this week all my kids and grandkids were down; both Becky and Kris have birthdays this month and we haven’t all had rice and beans together for ages. They all manage to arrive within five minutes of each other, except Adam who is working and comes later. The house comes alive….5 children, 4 children- in- law, 9 grandchildren, one husband, and Dog. We eat, rice and beans, banan pezis, Haitian cole slaw, pineapple, watermelon. And then we sing Happy Birthday and switch to very American ice cream and cake. The kids are everywhere; living room, sunroom, basement, outside. Lily gravitates toward the pond. She puts her fingers in, a fish bumps her; she is both thrilled and scared. She now tries again, way too much movement in her eagerness. I try to explain…wait, be gentle, let them come to you, but Lily is Lily and there is no waiting…Always, she has been a strong personality, independent, resourceful, intelligent, quick. The fish come and she grabs at them, despite my admonitions…my fish don’t do fast and quick and swim for their lives. But she joyfully and persistently keeps trying…Jake comes out and Jake is another sort altogether. Jake just turned 6 to Lily’s 7 and a half, but is more serious, more steady. Where Lily acts, Jake thinks. Plus, last time he was here, Jake managed to fall halfway into the pond…he is more experienced at this fish stroking they like to do. Jake knows how to calmly, quietly wait, his fingers gently enticing the fish, rather than scaring them away like Lily does. And this time he is careful; he explains to me that last time he stepped on an unsteady rock and that is why he fell in…. I watch all this of course, alternately chiding Lily to be more gentle as she runs from one side of the pond to the other in her great fish hunt, to being afraid that Luke, who is only three and leaning way too far out, will have to be himself fished out of the pond. They are all growing – much too fast in my humble opinion. But what I find really fascinating, is that their personalities and minds also grow. Even Lily (who is not unlike her grandmotherJ) given time and the experience of doing it wrong, will learn to control her natural impetuousness and become a great fish stroker. All of this, believe it or not, has to do with Philippians 3 that we are looking at on Sunday. Paul keeps reminding his friends in his letter to them to “press on”…to keep moving forward in their faith. Just as children naturally grow up in mind and body and spirit, so Christians must do in their walk with Christ. Come Sunday as we talk about how we mature in Christ.
Announcements:
Summer Adult Sunday School
July 25 "Knowing God through His Names" Ben Mosser August 1 "A Look at the Prophets" Ben Mosser August 8 "What will we look like in Heaven" Ben Mosser August 15 "Woman with the Issue of Blood" Kathy Bistline August 22 "Hannah" Kathy Bistline
“GraceTriumphant” Join us in the Prayer Garden, Sunday evenings, 6:00-7:00 for a brand new Bible Study. Led by Kim Schoen and Brandon Goodling, Grace Triumphant will be a place to explore our faith issues together.
The monthly dinner for July will be on the 26th. The menu is Ham loaf, Potatoes, Vegetable, and Desserts. Again, we will need desserts. The response in June was great and we could use a repeat for this month. As usual serving begins at 4:30 PM. Our last dinner was a success and we want to THANK all of you who provided desserts, helped serve and clean up. We can use that help again. To help serve please see Sandy Robbins.
CALENDAR: Sunday, July 25th. Worship at 8:00 and 10:30. “Pressing On”, Philippians 3:12-4:1 9:15 MiKiWoGo IN THE PAVILION!! ALL KIDS WELCOME, KINDGERGARTEN THROUGH 5TH GRADE! Sunday, July 25th. Grace Triumphant! 6:00-7:00 Prayer Garden NEW BIBLE STUDY!! All welcome. (We will meet inside if it is too hot out!) Wednesday, July 28th 6:00 Garage Night for all youth. Thursday, July 29th 8:00 Breakfast Club. Office Building. Coming Attractions: Kick Off Sunday, August 29th, two services, 8:00 and 10:30, followed by a chicken barbeque dinner. Invite your friends and family. Wednesday Night Live Resume, September 1st. InsideOut Sunday, September 26th. Come put your faith into action as we serve our community. Prayer Requests: Fred Habig, home Larry Robbins, home, doing well. Norm Riggleman, home Our condolences to the family of Leroy (Skip) Espenshade. Skip died early Tuesday morning and his services will be tomorrow at the bethel. Enough. Growing? Your garden? Your weeds? Your children? YOU?
Blessings, Pastor Kim
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