The United Methodist Church of Sea Cliff Carpenter and Downing Avenues P.O. Box 190 Sea Cliff, New York Rev. Kirtland M.

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1 HIGHLIGHTS MAY 2011 Page 1 The United Methodist Church of Sea Cliff Carpenter and Downing Avenues P.O. Box 190 Sea Cliff, New York Rev. Kirtland M. Watkins, Pastor Greetings in the name of our Risen Savior, As you have already figured out, I am powerfully moved by the creations of God that He shows to us in the gifts of nature; I am moved to be closer to Him when I look upon the vistas He provides. The sea shore is beautiful powerful at times, peaceful at times I am blessed that He has both provided this, and that He has called me to Sea Cliff to enjoy it, and the ministry here with you. I sit at my desk now and look out my window at the trees; they have that special green the green of new growth and I am reminded, as I look at the new, of the loooooong hard winter that we have had. I give Him thanks for the resurrection and for the ending of that season. Yes, a difficult winter it was, and far more than the weather contributed to that difficult time. How long was that winter, I hear you ask and as I reflect on the answer, I am forced to realize that it was the same length as it has always been it was my perception that made it seem as though it was inordinately persistent. The point that I take from this is that He will ALWAYS provide, He will never leave, and that when I need Him the most, I will find Him close all I need to do is look. In this season of new growth, this season of abundance, let us all pause and contemplate the huge amount of blessings that He has lavished upon us; and while we are about it how about giving Him the thanks and the glory that is due. Let me leave you with a quote from one of the books I am reading, James Moore s Moments That Take Your Breath Away, God always gives us the strength we need at the time we need it. He doesn t give it to us in advance or else we would take the credit. (p.20). Too true In His Name, In His service, Pastor Kirt

2 HIGHLIGHTS MAY 2011 Page 2... UPCOMING EVENTS May 7 th Omega Concert, 8:00 p.m., in the sanctuary May 8 th Blankets + program ends May 10 th Reconciling Task Force Meeting, 7:30 p.m. May 13 th - Thrift Shop Fashion Show, 6:30 p.m. May 15 th - Confirmation Sunday, during the service, 10:00 a.m. May 22 nd Sunday School Promotion Day, during the service, 10:00 a.m. - Hidden Treasure Reveal Day, during the service May 26 th UMW visit to the Brooklyn UMC Home, carpools 11:00 a.m. May 27 th - The Steiners Concert and Covered Dish Supper... SAVE THE DATE - THE STEINERS ARE COMING! Friday, May 27 th A covered-dish supper will be provided For more info, to host a Steiner, or to provide a covered dish for the supper, please call Judy MAIL BAG To Pastor Kirt and all of my friends and acquaintances at church, My mother was so content while attending the United Methodist Church of Sea Cliff. Many thanks to all of you for your heart-warming and loving support during my recent time of sadness. Nancy Lockwood To All My Wonderful Church Friends, I miss everyone in my church family but appreciate all the cards, notes and church bulletins. They come with wonderful memories and friendships. Enjoy the Easter service and lovely spring. Missing you all. Dot Sprague... THANK YOU Dear Friends, Thank you for sharing the March 13 th altar flowers of springtime mauve, yellow, and white. After this past winter s too-long stay, it was a pleasant surprise to enjoy. Many thanks to Chris Stack for bringing them. At least she didn t have to trudge through two feet of slush, snow and ice! Sincerely, Laura Valente

3 HIGHLIGHTS MAY 2011 Page 3... MESSAGE GIVEN AT THE UMW BREAKFAST - Beth Johns My life in the church came right from Mom and Dad. As a preacher s kid, sometimes it seemed we lived in that little white building in Midland Park, NJ. As Mom was the choir director, I was assured a place in the adult choir and joined in 6 th grade. I taught Sunday school when I was in high school. I had the privilege to travel with Mom and Dad to Israel and walk as Jesus walked. And in Sea Cliff I ve joined the choir and the bible studies and served on various committees, BUT the most rewarding faith explorations have been the preparations for children s sermons and sitting on the floor in the sanctuary. Children are honest and curious and believing. It s a wonderful thing to experience! Great rewards can be found through practicing faith. And if you are a person who learns through the visual, take a balloon. People say you can have a lot of fun with one of these. Toss it into the air. Give it a swat. What happens? Nothing! Now blow it up, tie it off, and give it a swat. What happens? It s like faith. The more you put into it, the better it is!!! - Prayer List Healing, Comfort, and Strength of Mind and Spirit Eve Haim Connie Fisher Carol Hap Ajamian Victor Johnston Pastor Watkins For those Homebound and in Health Care Facilities Gladys Baxter Joan Clarke Stewart Gaynor Bob Josephson... THANK YOU FOR THE BACKPACKS Due to the generosity of several members, 10 backpacks have been delivered to the Glen Cove men s homeless shelter program. Donations of backpacks are being accepted on an on-going basis. Bring them to the church office or see Sally Davies. Thank you.... A VISIT TO THE BROOKLYN UMC HOME Dot Sprague Laura Valente On Thursday, May 26 th there will be a visit from our church to the Brooklyn United Methodist Church Home to share lunch, worship, and gifts of clothing and toiletries with the residents. Carpools will form at 11:00 a.m. in our church parking lot. We will join the residents in the dining room for lunch, visiting and then sharing in the Worship Service in the Chapel. If you have clothing suitable for residents or new toiletry items, these would also be greatly appreciated. Please leave donations in the church office and call Chris Stack, , if you have any questions.

4 HIGHLIGHTS MAY 2011 Page 4... HIDDEN TREASURE REVEAL May 22 nd - during the service!... SPRING SPRUCE UP Join us for a few hours Saturday, May 7 th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. when we do a Spring cleaning of the grounds at UMCOFSC. Come prepared to help prune, trim, rake, and remove debris to the woods. We'll begin right after the Mens' Bible Study (8-9am). All are welcome; ladies and gentlemen, young and old.... THOUGHT FOR TODAY One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil It is anger, envy jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self pity, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked the grandfather: Which wins? The old Cherokee simply replied, The one you feed.... SAVE THE DATE! FASHION SHOW & DINNER Sponsored by: The Thrift Shop Friday, May 13 6:30pm Please join us for an entertaining intergenerational evening of fashion, food, & fellowship. Friends & Neighbors Welcome, too! Dinner will include lasagna, salad, bread, soft drinks, coffee & dessert. Adults - $12... Children under ten - $5 Sign up in the back of the sanctuary; call the church office or Janet Meyer ( ) with your name and the number of people attending. MODELS OF ALL AGES NEEDED!!! Check-out this great outfit I got at the Thrift Shop!

5 HIGHLIGHTS MAY 2011 Page 5...MAY BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARY Birthdays Bess Bell 2 Patrick Pozzi 2 Angie Wolf 4 Keith Clark 9 James Lennon 9 Sara Pozzi 10 Paul Fahey 11 John Abbondondolo 13 Michael Lennon 15 Carol Perkins 18 Ed Lanning 20 Leslie Hartman 20 Lloyd Ninesling 21 Beth Johns 30 Anniversaries Carl & Sara Pozzi 2 Dick & Carol Hartney 9 Russ & Joy Sullivan 12 Louise & Roy Gustafson MEMORIAL DAY PARADE We Have Been Marching Since Let s do it again! Once again, The United Methodist Church of Sea Cliff will be participating in the Sea Cliff Memorial Day Parade. The parade will take place at 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning, May 30 th. We will be organizing at 8:45 a.m. at Memorial Park. Wear your Methodist T shirt if you have one, or red, white, and blue if you don't. So join the fun. Bring the kids! A good showing will let people know that there is much life and vitality in the United Methodist Church of Sea Cliff. Please see Ed Stack if you would like to ride in the parade.... ANNOUNCEMENT Recently, the church has been found with the front door unlocked. PLEASE, if you unlock something, take the responsibility for assuring that it is relocked (if you are not the last out, please pass the duty on to the one that will be). Thank you!

6 HIGHLIGHTS MAY 2011 Page 6 Written by Carol Rescigno It was 2003 when a friend told Ed Lanning about the Rev. Constance Pak and her church. Constance was intelligent, the friend said, and the church was one where people found peace. Ed had always been drawn to places known for their ethnic diversity, and he wondered whether this would be a good fit; but he figured he d give it a try. That church, of course, was The United Methodist Church of Sea Cliff, and it became Ed s spiritual home. The people here drew me in, he said recently. There is such a sense of fellowship, and I ve developed good friendships. Rev. Pak moved to a church in Lake Ronkonkoma a few years ago; and Ed stays in contact with her, too. Ed has lived in Bayville for three years and is a native Long Islander. His parents, brother, two sisters, and extended family are still nearby. The Lannings lived in Oakdale when Ed was born and had moved to Dix Hills by the time he started school. He attended Stony Brook University, earning a bachelor s degree in psychology, and taught middle school special-education classes in Queens from 1985 to He left teaching for a year, taking a job at Living Color Photos in Glen Cove, and then returned from 1991 to 1996, teaching elementary school in East Elmhurst. His present position is with a health and human services organization; where he helps find jobs for people with disabilities. Ed s also back at school this time as a student teacher at Roslyn Middle School en route to earning his master's in education from Touro College. He should have his degree by September. A hands-on kind of guy, Ed says he s enjoyed working on various committees at Sea Cliff Finance and Nominating come to mind but he particularly likes to help out at the church s events: the Mini Mart, the picnic. Many in the congregation know him as a member of the choir, to which he has lent his talents in the bass section since The choir members appreciate his genial wit and wonder when he and John Hinde will take their comedy show on the road. In his rare free time, Ed can be found on a golf course or watching his beloved Mets and says he also keeps an eye out" for a future Mrs. Lanning. Three times a year, he joins his cousin Mary Lanning on outings to Harlem, where they feed and clothe people through her organization, YES Solutions. We go on Thanksgiving and Valentine s Day and sometime around Christmas, he says. We look at it as bringing joy and cheer for a day. Clearly the joy is Ed s too: He always gives a "happy buck" at the next choir rehearsal in observance of each outing, happy with the number of people Mary s group was able to serve on a given day.

7 HIGHLIGHTS MAY 2011 Page 7 On the Light Side WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to Leave the examination room and said, Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side. Very quietly, the doctor said, I don't know. You don't know? You're a Christian man, and don't know what's on the other side? The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough. Do you know why a car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the rear view mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on. Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write. All things in life are temporary. If going well - enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong - don t worry, they can't last long either. Old friends are like Gold! New friends are Diamonds! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a base of Gold! Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end! When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems, HE has faith in your abilities. A blind person asked St. Anthony, "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied, "Yes, losing your vision."