Thankfulness

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessolonians 5:16-18 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 

In this holiday season, we ought to adopt the attitude of thankfulness not just on one day, but every day. In his book “Life’s Greatest Lessons,” Hal Urban has an exercise that I am going to do and I hope you will too. Take a sheet of paper and title it “I am thankful for…”. Draw two vertical lines so there are three columns. The column headings are “Material Things,” “People”, and “Other”.  “Other” can be freedom, Jesus, faith, health, etc.  Fill in all of the lines on the paper as you think about this. Keep the list handy (or make a few copies) and read over it four times a day. In his over 30 years of teaching, Mr. Urban says this is one of the best assignments he has ever given. Join me in this exercise and let’s see what happens!

Prayer: Dear Father, we should be overflowing with thankfulness for all you have given us but sadly we often complain or take for granted what we already have. We ask that our thankful hearts be a light for others to see the contentment and hope we have in you. Amen.

Cathy Schapmann

Helping Little Ebert of Bolivia

Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God who made them.  To help the poor is to honor God. Proverbs 14:31

Two years ago at the Northminster  Presbyterian Church in Tucson I heard about helping children in need in poor countries.  I heard about Compassion International which is a Christ Centered, Child Focused, Church Based and Committed to Integrity organization founded by a Rev. Swanson.  It is headquartered in Colorado Springs.  It started with 34 orphans in South Korea and today it has grown to serve more than 2 million children in 26 countries.

Compassion is linked to local churches in areas where the need is great.  Compassion reaches out for sponsorships from people who are passionate about helping children learn about Jesus, learning to read and write, personal hygiene and healthy nutrition.

For a small fee each month you can sponsor a child to help him overcome poverty.  Phil and I have sponsored Ebert in Bolivia for two years now.  He is now seven years old and because he has a sponsor he can go to his church school, which also reaches out to his parents.

We exchange letters-some written by his bigger brother or his Mother but Ebert says thank you because soon he will be able to write with the help of his wonderful Christian teachers.  The teachers translate my letters to the language they understand.  We encourage Ebert to continue in school and learn about Jesus.  When we send Ebert a birthday or Christmas gift the money goes to the school who will help the mother buy something Ebert wants or needs.  Phil and I feel we are helping Ebert grow in Christian love.

Prayer: Thank you God for finding Ebert for us to love and help.  Keep him in yours arms so he can grow and become a Christian leader in community, teaching others of your love.  Amen

Eleanor Etzelmiller

You Won!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Everywhere you look there is a flashing sign POWERBALL Winnings 385 Million, Mega Millions Winnings 259 Million, Win $1000 a day by entering TODAY!  What would you do if you won BIG! You can’t know unless you enter; at least that is what the advertisements say.

The financial crisis on so many families is devastating these days, so many families struggle to put a good decent meal on the table, provide footwear for each child, medical care, and transportation to school or work. It’s a day or in some cases minute by minute survival mode.  

We each have our own financial issues and some of us have taken the jar down and counted the change to see if we can pay a bill to keep the lights on, or to just get by for that day. The financial advisors say to reduce your budget give up magazines, give up that daily drive thru coffee, give up that newspaper every Sunday, reduce the number of channels on your tv network, cut back on your travel, or skip a shopping trip to the mall. Many of us may have already done that and those items would be luxury if we could afford just one. 

We have won, through the power of prayer, through each struggle or decision of what to do next, the comfort of prayer and the faith in God that He will guide us in His plan. It may not be easy but He is with us each step of the way.

I felt my prayers were answered when I sat down with a good friend and we started discussing expenses and how it continues to go up. She said she was worried she wouldn’t get to retire at all. I told her my home repairs, taxes, insurance were concerning me too for my future. It started as a thought when she said what if we shared expenses. It didn’t seem a serious conversation or option at the time; but as days passed and we visited it became a reality. It took months of frustrating, time consuming, exhausting physical and spiritual preparation. There was the garage sale, house transfer, many trips to the city mission as both of us were downsizing and combining our life collections. But the final result has been a solution that both of us have grown to love. We each have our own private space, but find it nice to have someone to talk out the daily woes, and share the household and lawn chores. The extra advantage is our pets get along and it enriched their lives too. Again God had a plan...

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven please help us to hear your message, to envision your plan and open our hearts and minds to new adventures. Guide us to helping others less fortunate than us, even when it seems we have nothing left to give. 

Lori Hood

Do the Right Thing

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12: 32-34

I love this verse. I especially love it as we get closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It reminds me to expand the spirit of giving. To worry less about what I have. To invest in things that will always be valuable to me. To take actions consistent with my desires. You could insert something cliché here – family, friends, faith… but it goes beyond that. It’s not about the right gift, or giving away all our things, but instead, reflecting the things we want in our kingdom. 

Doing the right thing for the right reason resonates strongly within me. When I am faced with an especially difficult decision I often need to take a step back. Is what I am doing the right thing, or the easy thing?  Am I lulling myself into the idea that the two are somehow tied together? That I will have a greater personal gain from the easy thing?

I feel like there are times we all pick the path of least resistance – even when we know better. It might be something simple – sending a text or e-mail instead of making a phone call or being face-to-face because the conversation is difficult or painful. It might be something bigger, eliminating a service because it doesn’t make money or it is too hard to staff, even if the people receiving the service need it desperately. Beyond these simple examples may be those that are harder still, forcing someone to do something they really don’t want to do, because the job has to be done. None of those are the right thing and none of them make us feel good. But all of them happen, and you can probably think of personal examples where you have chosen between right, and easy. It’s embarrassing sometimes. Disappointing others. Certainly not something that we would brag about. 

As humans there are decisions that sometimes have to be made in a moment, and we have to live with the consequences. We don’t always get a moment to step back and wonder, we just have to hope that we have done the right thing and that we are reflecting what is best for our kingdom.

Prayer: Gracious God, help me to more easily see between right and easy. Help me to remember those things I treasure and the lessons I have learned to point me in the direction of right. Give me strength in those moments where right is not easy and I fear I don’t have the stamina to press on. Be with me now and always.  Amen.   

Christi Moock

Happy Thanksgiving!

Being of Service to Others

Serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 1 Peter 4: 10

As I listened to the Trustees talk about Stewardship Sunday and thought about my monetary donation to Eastridge Church for 2018, I also thought about the other ways I can support the church.  Many of us volunteer to participate in one of the many missions of the church, such as serving on the Session, Trustees or Deacons, helping with funerals, participating in Bible studies, volunteering at the Gathering Place, and the list goes on. 

I was reminded of something I read by the anthropologist, Margaret Mead, who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” It made me know that all of us have gifts and talents that we can share to serve others in our church and community, and in doing so, have a great impact on the world, be it small or large. We all can be of service.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to take my place as a channel for service to others around me.  Let me give joyfully of my time and talents to insure that your love flows to all individuals I meet. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Carolyn Brandle

Storing Treasures

 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:19-21

Jesus teaches about the orientation we must endeavor to achieve, directing our hearts toward the things of heaven, rather than worldly possessions and desires.  He speaks of moths, rust and thieves as threats to the material goods we strive to attain.  Of course, Jesus is also addressing more broadly the many agents ready and waiting to erode the worldly wealth we are so inclined to try and possess.  

I am inclined to be a saver, or as we sometimes joke, an “archivist,” following in the footsteps of my parents and grandparents.  My more minimalist adult children often respond with a polite “no thank you” when I offer “treasures” that I see as important elements of the history of our family.  Their arguably more scriptural perspective prompts me to contemplate how I might direct my heart more faithfully in sharing the worldly possessions—from financial assets to antique china—with which I have been endowed.  This is especially true during the season of stewardship.  

The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it another way:  “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 

Prayer: Heavenly Creator, thank you for the many ways you care for us as we navigate this physical world.  We ask for your direction in turning our hearts toward heaven.  Guide us in using and sharing the worldly possessions for which we are responsible in ways that bring glory to you and your light to those we encounter.  Amen 

Barry and Alinda Stelk