Make Hay While the Sun Shines

Transcription

1 Vol. 5, No. 7 June 2016 Make Hay While the Sun Shines For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:8-9. The old saying declares, Make hay while the sun shines. This encourages us to get our tasks done when the opportunity presents itself, instead of putting them off. This is good advice. But it does beg the question, What kind of hay are you making? Each and every one of us have many activities in our lives. Where we work, what we eat, where we go to church, who we socialize with the list goes on and on. Examining these activities can give us a pretty good snap-shot of what kind of hay we are making in our daily lives. Sometimes that examination shows to confirm our goals; sometimes it can give us cause for alarm. Am I spending enough time with my children? How am I treating my spouse? Are the members of my church feeling love from me? Do my coworkers see Christ in my daily activities? Am I taking the opportunities the Holy Spirit puts before me to share Christ with those around me? Recently I ve been trying to do a better job of taking care of my health. This has caused more than the usual amount of doctors visits. On a recent visit to one of my doctors, I had the opportunity to engage in conversation with one of the nurses. I have met this young lady a number of times before. She always has a smile and a calming confident manner. But to be honest, before this visit I never took the time to really SEE her. This time something was different. (continued on page 3) CONNECTIONS Page 1

2 Remembering a Brother in Christ Our home Bible study is now less a member. We met at the Spates home once a month. Barbara and Charles invited close friends for breakfast and it became a home Bible study group. The group was Gene and Janice Gloria, Danny Ortiz, Walter Kain and daughter Suzanne, myself, and Charles and Barbara. We had good discussions, laughs, and became close to each other. After months of meeting, we noticed that doctor appointments were more often, hospital visits were frequent among the Bible study group members. As age and medical conditions required more attention, the Spates became aware that 24- hour care was needed for Charles. They sold the house and moved into a senior care apartment. Charles and Barbara were loved by all the group members, and we looked forward to our gatherings. I continued my monthly visits to offer them Holy Communion and always received a big smile from Barbara and saw Charles eyes light up with joy. We had short devotions, communion, and a closing prayer. I shared information on how things were at Immanuel and always reminded them of the monthly Hamburger Fry Charles loved coming to meet with friends and Immanuel members. There were times when I met with both Barbara and Charles, and other times when I met with Charles alone. These conversations were much different: Charles had a lot to say, and his jokes were very funny. In closing, Barbara and Charles made beautiful music together, like an orchestra. The Bible study group has lost Gene, Walter, and now Charles, but what a blessing to be assured of their Christian faith in Jesus Christ. Thanks and praise to God and His mercy. Youth News ~Pastor Perez Meet Phil and Jessie Nelson, our High School Youth Bible Class Leaders! Phil and Jessie are native Northeasterners and moved down from Boston, MA almost two years ago. They quickly became involved at Immanuel Lutheran Church through the choir and volunteering with other special events. Phil is a mechanical engineer for a startup in the natural gas industry and enjoys playing sports, particularly soccer and ultimate frisbee. Jessie is a structural engineer within the commercial and institutional building industry, and likes running and baking. They're excited to get to know the high school students and appreciate your prayers and support in revitalizing the youth program! ~Jessie Nelson CONNECTIONS Page 2

3 Making Hay... (continued from previous page) As we chatted about our children and our commutes to work I saw a person who didn t understand the Christian message. As it turns out she was raised Buddhist, and still identified as such even though she hadn t gone to a temple in years. She was confused because a number of her coworkers watched a tv preacher who was a good speaker but preached a confusing message. She told me how his message seemed to be that if you are good God would bless you with material wealth, but what about all those who didn t have excess wealth? The picture of God she was left with was wrathful and judgmental. As she examined my heart, I was able to tell her about God s unparalleled love and why He sent Jesus. I was able to let her know that God loves HER and Jesus came to take away her brokenness. All too soon our time together was finished. I didn t get the chance to explain all the mysteries of the faith or get her to sign up for an adult instruction class. That s not how life works. As a matter of fact, I m not sure what she took away from our conversation, but I do know I took the opportunity the Holy Spirit provided. I made hay while the sun was shining. I sowed seeds of faith provided by the Spirit. When I left the office she shook my hand and thanked me. I smiled back and said I d be happy to talk more about it any time. It is all too easy in this world to get caught up with the material, the tangible, and the worldly worries of the day. If you don t keep your eyes open opportunities can slip away without notice. So keep your prayers headed to heaven and your eyes focused on those God puts into your path. Let s all make some hay, for today the sun shines. ~In Christ, Pastor King National Day of Prayer The National Day of Prayer is celebrated in this country on the first Thursday of May. Dr. Tony Evans was the 2016 Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force; this year s theme is, Wake Up America. This day is dedicated to prayers for our nation and our leaders as well as prayers for our families and friends. Our sanctuary was open during the day for prayer and meditation. All the ECE children came to pray and learn about talking to God (see photos on page 4). We hosted a pizza and salad supper followed by a Service of Prayer at 7:00 pm. The readings and songs were all very moving and everyone received a blessing from attending. The Immanuel Choir concluded the service by leading the congregation in singing God Bless America. A special thank you to Immanuel member, Xiomara Litinas of Holiday Flowers & Gifts, who provided the beautiful flowers that adorned the altar and the reception table on the National Day of Prayer. Please continue to pray for America. ~Winnie McNamara, Lonnie & Kathy Angst CONNECTIONS Page 3

4

5 To Soon be filled with Friends and Family eating All- You- Could- Eat Fried Catfish and Popcorn Shrimp with all the trimmings. Delicious desserts were plenty COMMUNITY PICNIC

6 The Gym was turned into an air- conditioned fun house for young and old. A plain moonwalk, a pirate ship and a moonwalk with a slide, let the children bounce for hours. Along with the inflatables, there were boat races, a ring toss, a bean bag toss and bobbing for apples.

7 Cathy Swanstrom and Pastor King were real troopers taking the hot seat for the Pie Throwing Contest. From young to old, one by one, people lined up making donations to take a shot at landing a pie in the face of one of our leaders. $ was raised and will go to support the two missionary families in Alaska and the Dominican Republic. Thank you! This event was held in the parish hall, where the fun was shared by all. The laughter was infectious.

8 A great round of BINGO with prizes for everyone filled out the afternoon. The picnic activities finished with handing out prizes from the guessing games and the door prizes. Thank you to all who came & helped make the afternoon one of fun and fellowship!

9 Many thanks to Ms. Vida as she retires! Vida Triana has been with our Early Childhood Education program for sixteen years and seven months. She has loved working at Immanuel and has taught hundreds of children; some who have already graduated from high school. We are so grateful for the work she has done over so many years and the lives she has impacted. Helping children get a good foundation in life and sharing the love of Jesus with them takes very special people. Immanuel has been blessed by Vida's dedication to serve God in this way. Vida and her husband, Arnold, will spend time traveling and spending time with their grandchildren. She is happy to be retiring but has mixed emotions because she will miss the children. She thanks the church and school for their support as well as all the parents and caregivers she has met over the years. ~Lynn Eickemeyer Immanuel School Board Summer Camps 2016 Academic, Athletic, Fine Arts Grades (under About Us ) ~Lynn Eickemeyer Thank You! Vacation season is upon us and the adult vocal and handbell choirs will be taking a break for the summer. Thank you to the following people who served in Immanuel s music ministry this past year: Jackie Anderson, Margaret Beacom, Fred Cooper, Nora Lee Froelich, Olivia Garza, Denise Goehring, Ken Harvey, Virginia Kleb, Joan Luker, Connie Meave, Jessie and Philip Nelson, Lauren Neu, Joel Norris, Tina Petway, Joel Robinson, Laura Suffridge, Barbara Szalkowski, Melissa Theis, Bonnie and Ray Thomas, and Carol and Meredith Whitefield. Thank you for your dedication. You have been a blessing to Immanuel! I hope to see you all again in September. ~Diane Robinson Director of Music Newsletter Staff Editor....Barbara Szalkowski Contributors.. Lonnie & Kathy Angst....Cathleen Chevallier..Lynn Eickemeyer.Karen Evans Pastor Jeffrey King. Winnie McNamara.. Jessie Nelson.....Pastor Claudio Perez. Diane Robinson Graphic Design... Matthew Szalkowski CONNECTIONS Page 9

10 and fixed at the church property. And we give a portion of the income God has given us, so that the lights will go on, and the heat and air conditioning may run; so that a pastor will preach to us both law and gospel and administer baptism and the Lord s Supper; so that the Word will go forth into all the world through the missionaries we call and send out. Focus on Stewardship For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son (John 3:16). God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays his life down for the sheep (John 10:11). Love means sacrifice. Sacrifice means a humbling of oneself for the good of another. And this is what the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us: Love means sacrifice. We love our families. And we love them by sacrificing ourselves for them. We put their needs before our own. We sacrifice our own wants and desires for their good and for their needs. We love our country. And we love it by pledging our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to defend her. We ask not what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country. We make sacrifices for our country s good and we do it because we love her. We love our church. And we love our church by giving of ourselves, by sacrificing our time, talents, and treasures in service to it. We volunteer to teach Sunday School, VBS, and to serve on other various boards. We help out cleaning and fixing what needs to be cleaned God has called us into these three spheres of family, country, and church. He puts the solitary into a home. No one is an island unto himself. Everyone is put into a family, a country, and a church. In these spheres, God cares for all our needs of body and soul. He employs other members of these spheres to ensure that we have everything we need for this body and life and for the next. These callings place a claim upon us, a claim upon our presence, our prayers, our time, talents, and treasures. They give us a duty. That duty is to love. And love means sacrifice. And sacrifice means that we humble ourselves for the good of another. So then, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:7 11). And love means sacrifice. (Stewardship newsletter insert for March 2016, provided on the LCMS website ~submitted by Kathy Angst CONNECTIONS Page 10

11 Alaska Ministry The Aschenbeck s ministry in Alaska is made possible only by donors like you! Donate online at: Mail donations to: Alaska Mission for Christ, 8100 Arctic Blvd., Anchorage AK Note Keith Aschenbeck in the memo section and 100% of your donation will go to directly support his ministry. Donations are tax deductible. Statements are sent out after the end of the year. Thank you for your support! Contact Pastor Keith: revkeithamc@gmail.com Address: 537 Mushers Way Tok, AK Dominican Republic Ministry To support the Fritsche s work financially, you may send a tax- deductible gift to either of the following: The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO Mission Central Highway E16, Mapleton, IA Make checks payable to The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Mark checks Support of Joel & Clarion Fritsche. Gifts can also be given securely online through the LCMS website, on our online giving page at or call (888) Father s Day The first Father's Day in the United States was observed in Spokane Washington on June 19, It was proposed by Mrs. John B. Dodd in Her father, William Smart raised six children alone after his wife died in childbirth. The Bible says, Honor your father and your mother, so that it may go well for you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. When we listen, obey, love, appreciate, and forgive our dad, that s how we honor him. When you show you love your dad by hugging him and telling him that you love him, that's another way to honor him. You can also appreciate your dad by thanking him when he does things for you. Our dads won't be perfect all the time, we all make mistakes. We should forgive our dads when they make mistakes because God asks us to. And most importantly, don't forget that we also have a heavenly father that cares and loves us no matter what. So if you don't have a father around all the time (or even if you do), God is the father of all fathers. He is there when our father can't be. Excerpt from a Father s Day devotion by Barb Uecker, from earlychildhood-learning-center-blog/104-devotion-for-father CONNECTIONS Page 11

12 Tuesday, June 7 th Menu: Tacos Thursday, June 9 th Menu: Sloppy Joes Dinner in Miertschin Hall: 6:00 pm Activities and Fellowship: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Join us for Two Evenings of Fun for the Whole Family! Word, Song, Games and Crafts (cut here) Summer Family Fellowship Registration Form Parent(s) Name(s): Child(ren) Name(s): 1. Age: 3. Age: 2. Age: 4. Age: Street Address: City: State: Zip: Phone:

13 I hereby GRANT DO NOT GRANT permission for Immanuel Lutheran Church to use pictures of my (please circle one) family on their website for informational or promotional purposes. (parent signature)

14 Immanuel Lutheran Church - June 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 5 Usher Team #2 9:00 am No Communion Adult Bible Class and Sunday School Unveil 10:15 am Oktoberfest am 12 Usher Team #3 9:00 am w/communion Adult Bible Class and Sunday School Unveil 10:15 am 19 Father s Day Usher Team #4 9:00 am w/communion Adult Bible Class and Sunday School Unveil 10:15 am 26 Usher Team #5 9:00 am Adult Bible Class and Sunday School Unveil 10:15 am Church Council and Voters Meeting (Budget & Election) Both TBD 6 Bible 6:30 8:00 pm Bible 6:30 8:00 pm No All Boards Family Fellowship 6:00 8:30 pm Men s AAA 6:30 am Men s AAA 6:30 am 1 No Women s Bible Study Newsletter Deadline Women s Bible 10:30 am 1:00 3:00 pm Family Fellowship 6:00 8:30 pm Unveil 11:00 1:00 pm Unveil 11:00 1:00 pm Unveil 11:00 1:00 pm Unveil 11:00 1:00 pm

15 Immanuel Lutheran Church 306 E 15th St Houston, TX NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO NORTH HOUSTON, TEXAS Return Service Requested To the Family of: Loving God ~ Loving Neighbors ~ Serving Others CONNECTIONS Page 12