Judy Lentz     Every Day is a Gift From God

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

On my refrigerator are four magnets inscribed “Every day is a gift from God”. Every day in the news and in our personal lives, we are reminded how precious life is and how quickly situations can change where life is no more. The privilege of watching the sun rise or set is one that has been given to us as a gift from God.

I always love when the worship service begins with the pastor quoting this scripture. Even better is when the pastor starts the scripture and we the congregational members end it. Best of all is the song with these lyrics that I learned as a young child. Such a powerful reminder of God’s blessings provided for us.

As many of you know, for the past 3 years I have been coordinating the Palliative Care Ministry along with other team members which is provided to those experiencing serious illnesses who wish to participate. What you may not know is that I also serve as a Palliative Care Doula for those who are not members of our congregation. Recently through the urging of the Lord, I started a Palliative Care Ministry in our southern church. More than 25 individuals are currently being served in one of these

three ways. These individuals demonstrate daily how precious each day is and how we should indeed rejoice each morning when we awaken and be glad for yet another day.

Each time I open the refrigerator, visit a sick friend, minister to a fellow parishioner, sing the song or start the worship service with this scripture, I am joyfully reminded of the significance of the gifts we receive from God daily and I hope you do too.

Prayer:   Dear Heavenly Father – Help us to remember you are the creator of this beautiful world and the many blessings contained therein and that each day is truly a gift from you. Let us rejoice and be glad for all that we have but most of all for the sacrifice your son, Jesus, gave for us. In the name of Christ, Amen

Roy Behling    

GOD'S TOOLBOX

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

In the verse above, Paul talks about being a "workman" for God and studying the Word to hone our skills. If we are to be workman we need some tools, so let's take a look in our toolbox and see what we have:

Safety goggles:    As Christians we need to have some safety measures in place for our eyes, such as what TV and movies we watch, what reading material we use and what type of places we allow ourselves to go.

Level:  A level helps us line things up with precision. That's how we need to approach life. The word of God should be our level so the things in our life line up with the Bible and what it teaches us.

Screwdriver: This common tool is used to put screws in by turning in the correct direction and back them out by turning the other direction. Do we turn the correct way that God wants us to, even if it's not the direction we want to go and would rather back out?

Nuts and Bolts: These amazing little things hold pieces together even under tremendous pressure. Do we count on Christ to hold us together so we can withstand the tremendous pressure of the world?

Adjustable Wrench: They have adjustable heads to accommodate various sizes of nuts and bolts. Are we flexible to situations that arise and adjust to unforeseen events in a Christian way?

Chisel: With a sharp edge at one end it is used to chip and carve into something solid such as wood or stone. Are we busy chipping out the things that are not necessary or Anti-Christian in our lives?

Hammer: As workmen we are going to have to use a hammer from time to time to put things in place. Do we have things hammered into place in our lives such as regular Bible reading, regular prayer and regular worship attendance?

Pliers: Used for grabbing hold of things we are working on, there are going to be some things in our Christian lives that we need to grab hold of and work on such as prayer life, witnessing or something else we are struggling with.

Tape Measure: When we are working on our Christian lives, we need to measure our progress from time to time. Are we doing more for His kingdom than we were a year ago? Are we growing in the faith?

Bible: Studying God's word is what hones our craft and helps us with our skills as a Christian. The Bible is our handbook and it is full of instructions to improve our Christian lives and our relationship with the Lord.

Dear Lord, May the Holy Spirit work in me so that I might better utilize the tools You provide to become a better workman that helps build and expand Your kingdom. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Amen 

Susanne Udvari       Changes

 “See I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:19

We all have changes in our lives.  Change is one of the most difficult things for people to face; however, change is inevitable.  Some days we may be shouting “Praise God!”  while other times we may be crying out, “I need a miracle.”

 I know about these changes as I strive to form a new identity since the passing of my husband.  I know I cannot get stuck in this difficult circumstance holding on to what God did in the past, but I will certainly treasure those past moments and thank God for each one.  I need to embrace the changes God has for me in the future and move forward with trust and joy.

In the same way, Sharon Church must face changes as we look forward with enthusiasm and hope to the arrival of a new pastor!  What has God promised us?  He has promised to never leave or forsake us, no matter what.  In Malachi 3:6 God says, “For I am the Lord, I change not.”  We are so thankful for the time we have had with Pastor Doug, but now we must move forward with a new pastor.

So, let the changes come.  We will not walk in fear, but in faith!  We will trust God with all the changes, and know that He is more than able to help us, and that He even has plans to bless us!

    I would like to share this acronym with you –

               C-hrist

               H-as

               A

               N-ew

               G-ift

               E-ach

               S-econd

Every second, if need be, we can find a blessing.  Changes can be our friend.  Let’s look for God in them.

Prayer:   Lord, thank you for the gifts you give us each day.  Help us to embrace the changes that we must face, and to seek your will in those changes.  Fill us with patience, grace, trust, and love for everyone around us.  Help us to shine for you.  Amen

Kathy Hamsher

Psalm 150 (NSRV)

Praise for God’s Surpassing Greatness

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!

2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!

4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;  praise him with strings and pipe!

5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

I have participated in music in church, school, college and my adult life for as long as I can remember. I never had formal training in music other than what was taught in school, but I love to hear, sing and play good music. None of that loud rock and roll or heavy metal for me. I want to be able to understand the words and be soothed by the music. One of my favorite singing groups is Celtic Woman. Their singing is so pure and clear and enjoyable to both watch and listen to. Another group I have enjoyed is Home Free - an all male acapella group. That means no instrumental accompaniment at all - just pure voices. You might think you are hearing percussion in the background of their singing, but all the sounds are produced by voices.

Music is beauty, harmony and emotion all rolled into one. Certain tunes can evoke a beautiful picture of family or friends doing things together. Listening to groups singing in harmony can make you ask "How do they do that?" Singing an old hymn can bring back emotions and memories of family and growing up in your hometown church.

Good music is soothing to your senses and food for your soul. Listen to music and you will be refreshed. You don't have to be a good singer to sing hymns - just put your heart into the words of the hymns as you sing and you will be blessed by good feelings.

Dear Lord,

Thank You so much for creating music and for giving us the tools to sing or play our own music. There is music in nature in the rustling of leaves, the sound of waterfalls, and the songs of birds and the calls of insects. There is music in our hearts for our family and friends. Just hum or whistle a tune or sing out loud. Be surprised at what music can do for you.

In Christ's Name, Amen, Amen, Amen

Kathy Smith
Deuteronomy 31:8  Don’t be afraid, for the Lord will go before you and will be with you; he will not fail nor forsake you.

My mother needed to downsize to a smaller apartment and several of the boxes were stored at my home.  I started going through the boxes and found the Bible my dad carried with him every day during WWII.  I remember hearing about this Bible but never saw it.  The size is small, three inches by four and a half inches.  It states on the inside cover “A Bible for Victory-Heart-Covered    Pocket size New Testament with gold plated Steel Cover.”  There is no “Hollywood Movie” about the Bible’s gold-plated steel cover that saved his life from an enemy bullet.  But, there is the faith, hope and trust in Jesus my dad had every day of the war from reading this small Bible and keeping it close to his heart.

Dear Lord, please be with the all our troops as they protect our country.  Bring them home safely to their families.  Bless our country as we celebrate our independence.

Grace Peters

Galatians 3: 26-29 NRSV (26) So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith...(29) if you belong to Christ you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

  

Sundays were usually special days in our household. First we went to Sunday School, then to church and after church, we had pizza for lunch. Moods were usually pretty happy, but one exception was the day that our second son learned the story of Jacob and Esau in his Sunday School class. He was out raged that the first born son would inherit the birth right and the blessing.

It took some doing for us to convince him that the law of primogeniture was an Old Testament law and that through Christ, we are all first born children of God. Christ took on our sin and died for us so that we are no longer bound by Old Testament laws. We are ALL children of God through faith not inheritance!

Dear God, thank you for sending your first born son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that all of us will inherit your blessing of eternal life through faith. Amen

THE POETRY OF SHARON CHURCH  
(by members, circa mid-1960'a)
"HIS HOUSE"

It stands on a hill
With spire a-glow
Overlooking the land
That lies just below.
It earnestly beckons
All to come in
For comfort and prayer
Away from the din.
The light in the steeple
Of the church on the hill
Reminds one and all
Of His word and His will.
Come enter its doors,
And here you will find
Peace and salvation -
The need of mankind.
L. R. Therrien