Strength for the Day. Ashes to Fire. ~ Keep Reading ~ June 2014

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1 June 2014 Strength for the Day God hath not promised skies always blue, Flower-strewn pathways, all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God hath promised strength for the day, Rest for the labor, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above, Unfailing sympathy, undying love. Annie Johnson Flint Life is hard, even for one who follows Jesus. Life is hard because we live and work in a fallen and twisted world. Every day we are confronted with a struggle against sin and the effects of sin in our lives. God has promised strength to cope with these demands. But we have to turn to God to ask for such strength. As He provided each day anew for the Israelites in the wilderness, so does He provide for our needs-one day at a time, one thing at a time. We can t find this strength by filling up our spiritual tanks on Sunday and trying to make it to next Sunday. God's strength is given as we go along, with each task. And so we re left to live in continuous dependence on God-just where He wants us. Morning prayers aren t a place to visit and leave. That is where we are to live. And with practice, we will find that we are able to carry on ordinary tasks without leaving the presence of God. In God's presence, the ordinary things like child care and working for daily bread become holy. Satan and the world we live in have a different agenda. They would have us squeeze God s place in our life down to the smallest possible piece-an hour on Sunday perhaps, or an occasional brief prayer. Satan s goal is to persuade us to get God out of government, schools, all public life, and out of our days. But God says to us: No, I want all of you; heart, soul, mind and strength. You belong to me. I have all My gifts for you. Come to Me for My yoke is easy and My burden is light. cont. page 2 Ashes to Fire Ellen P. Later this year, our church family will read Ashes to Fire, a 14-week devotional book by Merritt Nielson. This book is designed to help us ponder in our heart what God is telling us, rather than simply absorbing information from our favorite media outlet. This book should help you to create a closer, more deliberate fellowship with Jesus through worship, personal Bible study, daily devotions, and spiritual readings. Ashes to Fire will encourage us to consider the same passages of Scripture at the same time. Each weekly devotional includes a combination of Scripture reading, prayer, corporate worship, small-group Bible study, and personal journaling. For example, during the first week we ll examine the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert, being tempted by Satan. This devotional is based on Matthew 4:1-11 and related verses in Deuteronomy, Hebrews, and John. The No Shortcuts reflection highlights how Jesus consistently rejected Satan s temptations in the desert by relying on God s promises and guidance. It then mentions ways in which people these days let the world s expectations separate them from the Father. cont. page 2 ~ Keep Reading ~ Joyful Noise Playground Overhaul Study Line-Up...2 June Events...3 Ice Cream Social...3 Help Our Graduates Celebrate...3 Honoring Dads...3 Come Out to the I-Cubs...3 Heartfelt Thanks...3 UMYF Summer Mission Trip...4 Playgroup Splashes Around...4 No Need to Squirm...4 Prepare to be WOW'd...4 Jolly June Days...4 Annual WUMC Picnic...4 Noah's AARP...5 What s So Amazing about Grace?...5 Lunch Bunch...5 To Be or Knot To Be...5 Book Talk...5 Diapers on a Mission...6 Celebration Times...6 Weekly Sermons...6 Like Us on Facebook...6 Follow Us on Twitter...6 June Food Pantry Needs...6 Trinity Supper Club...6 Scrip Cards...6 Contact Info...6 VBS Save the Date...7

2 Strength - from page 1 If you want God's strength, move into His presence and stay there. And when you drift from His presence, don t despair. Just quietly move back into the loving arms of our Father. He ll never leave you to cope with life alone. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 Let the morning bring me work of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 From a Bible tract available at www. Joyful Noise Playground Upgrade Our Joyful Noise preschool is now thriving and one noticeable side effect is wear-and-tear on the grass west of the sanctuary. To resolve that issue, and related challenges involving mud, the staff designed an upgrade to their playground. Their proposal was recently reviewed and approved by our Administrative Board. The first change you may notice is that some concrete will be poured in preparation for other improvements. Most of the cost will be covered by funds raised by Joyful Noise; Becki Strable (director) and her husband will do most of the labor. A poster board showing the planned changes is displayed in our fellowship area. Ashes - from page 1 For Jesus, taking orders solely from God is what He s all about, so He obviously wasn t affected by Satan s wiles. For us, however, it s often easier to overlook God s will and take a shortcut that seems right to us. Yet God is always with us and helps us to do His will, when we ask Him. There aren t any shortcuts in following God s guidance through this life, but the opportunity to live righteously is available to everyone, and has benefits both now and throughout eternity. After reading the Week 1 reflection, you re encouraged to see where Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Psalm 32; and Romans 5:12-19 leads your thinking, and to record your thoughts in the journaling section. Each devotion also includes related prayers. The closing prayer for Week 1 focuses on the need for us to be still and know that God is God. How else can we discern what He has planned for us? God uses a still, small voice; the world shouts and demands. Although you re welcome to buy a copy of Ashes to Fire anytime, copies will be available for purchase at church closer to when we begin this journey Study Line-Up Our Adult Ministries team is excited to announce our church-wide studies for We ll begin with The Externally Focused Life on Rally Day, Sept. 7. Externally Focused Life by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson You re wired to serve. It s how you grow. How your trust in God deepens. Where your faith finds traction. Here s help embracing a lifestyle of service one motivated by more than duty or obligation. That sets you free to discover new meanings in many parts of your life. Dare to Dream by Mike Slaughter This is a startling and inspiring six-week series by Mike Slaughter. Slaughter draws on the Bible and a lifetime of ministry to help us discern God s dream for us and learn to live it out, prayerfully and enthusiastically. Ashes to Fire by Merritt Nielson A 14-week devotional book designed to take readers from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost. The devotional will create an intentional and intensive fellowship with Jesus by guiding readers through worship, personal Bible study, and daily devotionals. Space for journaling each Sunday is also included within the devotional. 2

June Events 1 (Su) *Katya Lauer graduation, 1-5 *Colton Suhr graduation, 3 5:30 2 (M) Mission Quilters, 6:30 Finance, 7:00 6 (F) *Annual Conference, thru June 9 8 (Su)*One Celebration only, 9:30

3 June Events 1 (Su) *Katya Lauer graduation, 1-5 *Colton Suhr graduation, 3 5:30 2 (M) Mission Quilters, 6:30 Finance, 7:00 6 (F) *Annual Conference, thru June 9 8 (Su)*One Celebration only, 9:30 (guest pastor) Trustees, 4:30 9 (M) Prayer Shawl, 6:30 10 (Tu) Imagineering, 7:00 Praise Band, 7:30 12 (Th)Women's Bible Study, 7:00 15 (Su)*UMYF mission trip bake sale * Father s Day meal, noon 16 (M) Mission Quilters, 6:30 17 (Tu) SPRT, 6:30 19 (Th)*Lunch Bunch, 11:30 21 (Sa)*Diapers on a Mission, 10:00 3:00 22 (Su)*UMW Ice Cream Social, 4 5:30 23 (M) Prayer Shawl, 6:30 25 (W)*Playground, 10:00 26 (Th)Joyful Noise Board, 6:00 29 (Su) *UMYF mission trip spaghetti dinner, 10:30 12:30 Our United Methodist Women (UMW) will hold their annual ice cream social on Sunday, June 22, from 4:00 5:30 p.m. on the church lawn. The Waukee Big Band will, once again, be performing. Hope you can find a place on the signup sheet at the connection counter to add your name. We'll need homemade ice cream, brownies, chocolate sheet cakes, pies, angel food cakes, help setting up, help cleaning up, servers and ice cream dippers. If you d like her to add your name to the signup sheet, Patty Myers (MYERS2343@aol.com). Help Our Graduates Celebrate Celebrate Katya Lauer s graduation from Valley High School on Sunday, June 1. The Lauers will gather at Peony Park shelter, rd Street in West Des Moines from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Help Colton Suhr and his family celebrate his high school graduation at his home (1055 SE Waco Place in Waukee) from 3:00 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 1. Honoring Dads Our Church Family Ministries Team will host a Father's Day meal beginning at noon on Sunday, June 15. All WUMC families are invited to participate. If you d like a voice in our upcoming CFM events, you re invited to join this team. If you have questions, contact Beth Baumeister or LuCinda Beltman. Come On Out to the I-Cubs Church Family Ministries has a group of 50 tickets for the I-Cubs game against Oklahoma City on Friday, July 11. The game starts at 7:05, and will be followed by fireworks. Tickets are available first come/first serve; watch for a sign-up sheet on the Connection Counter. Our tickets are in Section 11, partially under the net, and cost $6 a piece. Remember to pay for your tickets when you sign-up. Julie Kaufman will get the tickets to you; please contact her (jbcckauf@msn.com) with questions. Heartfelt Thanks Thank you to my whole church family for the kindness you ve shown my family and me during my hospital stay, and since returning home. The cards, visits, meals, and many prayers have been so appreciated. My knee is healing wonderfully and I ll soon be back to normal. If only I knew what that was Thank you again. We re so honored to be part of such an amazing family. Blessings to you all. - Pam Rumelhart 3

Playgroup Splashes Around Join our WUMC Playgroup at Ashby Park and Splash Pad (3200 38 th Street, Des Moines) at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25.

Please bring a picnic lunch so we can all eat together around noon. No Need to Squirm Did you know...our 11:00 celebration includes Children's Church each week?

4 UMYF Summer Mission Trip Junior and senior high youth are invited to sign-up for our summer mission trip at the Connection Counter. We ll be serving Hillcrest Family Services in Dubuque. To help support this mission trip, all WUMCers are asked to bring some extra cash to church on: - June 15 to purchase goods at the UMYF Bake Sale; and - June 29 to enjoy our UMYF Spaghetti Dinner. Playgroup Splashes Around Join our WUMC Playgroup at Ashby Park and Splash Pad ( th Street, Des Moines) at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25. Wear sunscreen and something you can get wet, and we ll let the kids splash. LuCinda will have a bright yellow balloon, so she s easy to spot. Please bring a picnic lunch so we can all eat together around noon. No Need to Squirm Did you know...our 11:00 celebration includes Children's Church each week? If you have a youngster(s) in pre-k through 3 rd grade, they can leave the sanctuary with their teachers after our congregational prayer. A slide on the big screen will be your cue... Prepare to be WOW d Our Vacation Bible School will be held July (Sun. Thurs.). This year s theme, Workshop of Wonders (WOW), will invite youth to: Discover how ordinary becomes extraordinary with God; Experience the love of Jesus; Start an adventure; and Use their imagination and creativity to build their faith. Participants and volunteers should sign-up at the Connection Counter as soon as possible. To ensure you get a t-shirt, be sure to sign-up by June Darron & Suzi Dunn 2 - Ed & Linda Heaton 2 - Bob Myers 2 - Karen Pomeroy 2 - Kevin Slaybaugh 2 - Sarah Stevens 3 - Michael & Amy Schrodt 3 - Merlin Blessman 4 - Rick Caudle 4 - Cassidy Pekarek 5 Dick & Judy Applegate 5 - Kyson Freeze 6 - Dallas Hakeman 6 - Eldred Petersen 7 - Shawna Freeze 9 - Jack Gearhart 9 - Joe Havenhill 10 - Shane Reed 11 - Dave Wempen 12 - Pam Cumpston 14 Jamie & Leslie Cutler 14 - Scott & Peggy Gaulter 14 - Dallas & Linda Hakeman 14 Ken Hopper 15 - Sonia Arnold 15 - Izabelle Barnett 16 - Steve & Harrier Hawbaker Jolly June Days 16 - Fisher Cora 16 - Baylie Evans 18 - John & Kristin Larsen 18 - Stacie DeHaan 18 - Emily Hartley 18 - Stephanie Williams 20 - Dale & Barb Johansen 21 - Don Bailey 21 - Grant Pieper 22 - Angie Gearhart 22 - Jeanine Minshall 22 - Mitch Rossmann 23 - Duane Magee 24 - Dan & Natalie Felt 24 - Bob & Karen Henderson 24 - Don & Deb Morrison 24 - Paige Evans 24 - Linda Heaton 25 - Jeff & Eve Patterson 27 - Mary McCoige 28 - Shane & Tammy Reed 28 - Shari Bender 28 - Cole Kaufman 29 - Matt Basart 30 - Bill Hanson 30 - Brooklyn Hanson 30 - Sandy Hanson 30 - Mindi Slaybaugh Annual WUMC Picnic Of course CFM will have a church family picnic again this fall. Patience, my friend; you ll get more info soon. 4

5 Lunch Bunch Noah s AARP Bring your lawn chair and enjoy the Waukee Arts Council s June 10 'Tuesdays at the Triangle' concert, featuring Exit 113, a popular group from Van Meter that plays rock and roll favorites from the 50 s, 60 s and 70 s. The free concert starts at 7:00 at the Triangle Park in downtown Waukee, with the rain location at Arts Central, 405 Maple Street, just northeast of the triangle. We usually sit at the west end of the park or in the shade of Waukee Hardware, so look there first. There s a concert at the Triangle each Tuesday in June, so you may want to catch all four great events. Our Lunch Bunch meets throughout the summer months, so mark your calendar for Thursday June 19, July 17, and August 21. Lunch Bunch is an informal gathering of WUMC members and we d love to have you join the fun. We gather in one of the Pizza Ranch party rooms at 11:30 and then pray, eat (the buffet is the popular option), and just enjoy each other s company. See you there this summer. Book Talk The summer read for our discussion on Monday, Aug. 18 is Des Moines native, Bill Bryson s, One Summer. This book, just released in paperback, was selected as Amazon s Best Book of the Month in October 2013 and documents the most extraordinary summer of Topics range from Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic, Babe Ruth s 60 home run season, Henry Ford s retooling the Model T into the Model A, Al Jolson appearing in the first talkie', the opening of the Holland Tunnel, the first Mickey Mouse prototype, gangster Al Capone, record flooding of the Mississippi River, and the ominous beginnings of the Great Depression. These are only some of the stories within the story Bryson brings to life with his wonderful wit and eye for details. (This is a longer book than we usually read, so, though you re encouraged to read the entire book, this is a rare selection that you can just read the parts that most interest you if time gets away from you.) Happy reading. To Be or Knot To Be An invasive species called Japanese Knotweed, recently established itself along the east side of our church land on LA Grant Parkway. Special care must be taken to prevent its spread, as evidenced by the attention it drew from the City of Waukee, Dallas Co. Weed Commissioner, and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. After identifying an effective chemical to use, our Trustees began spraying these patches and will continue it, as needed, until the weeds are destroyed. What s So Amazing about Grace? One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as those evil people or those poor people who need our help. Nor must we search for signs of loveworthiness. Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are. Categories of worthiness do not apply. (What s So Amazing about Grace, p. 280) The Thursday Night Study group will meet at WUMC on Thurs., June 12, at 7:00 p.m. If you re doing the book reading, please finish the rest of the book, starting from chapter 15. We ll discuss the chapters and review the videos for the final two sessions. There will be no meeting in July. If you have any suggestions for , please let Deanne know. See you there. 5

You can help even if you can t sew a stitch. You can cut, turn, or pin while others sew.

6 Diapers On A Mission Who: YOU - sewing ability is optional What: Turn T-Shirts into diapers for orphanages When: Sat., June 21, 10-3 Where: St. Boniface Parish Hall Why: Orphanages in countries such as Haiti and Uganda need more cloth diapers. The Waukee Area Churches are uniting to make diapers for orphanages abroad. You can help even if you can t sew a stitch. You can cut, turn, or pin while others sew. If you have a sewing machine, scissors, old thread (any color), rotary cutter and mat, and an extension cord please bring those with you. Join others in our community as we turn 5000 t-shirts into diapers on a mission It s sure to be fun, and a light lunch will be provided. June Food Pantry Needs Let s help stock the Waukee Area Christian Food Pantry with jelly/jam, peanut butter, and 100% fruit juice this month. Trinity Supper Club Thank you to those who donated, prepared, and served food at Trinity UMC on Monday, May 12. We have the privilege of serving again on Monday, July 14. Celebration Times 8:15-9:15 Blended 9:30-10:30 Traditional 11:00-12:00 Contemporary & Children s Church Weekly Sermons If you missed last Sunday or just want to hear Pastor Jamie's message again, visit our WUMC website ( and look under the Ministries tab. Like Us on Facebook "Like" us on Facebook (Waukee United Methodist Church) to see upcoming events or to get the daily scripture reading. Just click the link at the bottom of this . Follow Us on Twitter After signing up for Twitter at you can follow WUMC by searching In the future, we may use Twitter to notify you of events and announcements. Scrip Cards You can purchase Scrip cards for Hy-Vee, Fareway, and Casey's each Sunday. For each card purchased, WUMC earns 3% of the value of that Scrip card. We ll order specialty cards at the beginning of each month, so please make sure you turn your order in by June 1. Contact Info Waukee United Methodist Church 650 Ashworth Drive, Box 26 Waukee IA Rev. Jamie Cutler, jamie@ waukeechurch.org, ext. 202 Pastor s Assistant, rachel@waukeechurch.org, ext. 201 Deanne Caudle, deanne@waukeechurch.org, ext. 203 Jacqueline Conley, jacqueline@waukeechurch.org, ext. 204 Kim Magee, kim@waukeechurch.org 6

7 Sign-up at the Connection Counter, for participants and leaders. 7

Strength for the Day. ~ Keep Reading ~ May 2015

Strength for the Day. ~ Keep Reading ~ May 2015 May 2015 Strength for the Day This is Easter, people! And we are Easter People! The Easter Season, also known as the Great Fifty Days, begins at Sunset on Easter Eve and continues through the Day of Pentecost.