Thursday, May 22, 2014

New Hope E-News for May 22

Announcements

Due to the cake and ice cream celebration of confirmation last Sunday, as well as the Memorial Day holiday, there will be no potluck this coming Sunday.

Purpose-Driven Life!-- This Monday is Day 22!


Community Kitchen Spot

There are a lot of hungry and homeless children of God and the community needs some help feeding them. If you would like to help out, please bring the following items to church this Sunday & put them on the bookshelf.
Plastic Forks, Knives, Spoons
Dinner Napkins
Heavy Duty Sectional Dinner Plates
Dessert Plates


New Hope News

Sunday SchoolWe press forward in Matthew, focusing on Jesus' trial


Pray For:
Norma Capone

Give thanks for those willing to serve in the Armed Forces. May we honor those who have died serving their country.

Those individuals caught up in wars and strife.

Politicians, that the spirit of wisdom and compromise might rest in them

For Steve Hayner, the president of Columbia Seminary and one of the best men I know.


Links











Keith's Random Thoughts

Danielle is now crawling. Quickly. With every inch forward, my sanity slides a bit farther away.
Have you ever dropped something into that space between the driver's seat of your car and the center console? There is a black hole in there, and you know that whatever you dropped is in there, but you can't reach it for the life of you, no matter how you contort your arm and hand. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you can just touch the end of the pen or whatever it was, but you can't quite wrap your hand around it. It teases you, and you give up, thinking your arm will break in at least 14 places if you continue to try and do this. Also, you're moving at 60 mph, making this all the more exciting. In order to reach it, you have to stop the car, open the back door, stick you hand, arm, shoulder and probably half your torso under the driver's seat in the hopes of somehow reaching it. I'm convinced that the space under my driver's seat is probably 71 times larger than it looks.
That's what it's like for me to think rationally about something at home. I can do it, but it's just so difficult, because so many things are racing through my mind most of the time. I'm trying to get dinner cooked while washing the dishes while making sure Caleb doesn't destroy anything while hoping Danielle doesn't put Caleb's toys in her mouth while getting ready for tomorrow, all while Rachel is doing the same thing. The fact that there are two of us means we get as much done as one normal person, giving us more and more respect for single parents each and every day.
Life has seasons like this. I know that every day of life will not be like this. There will be years when we miss this, and there will be years when we are more productive, when we'll be able to volunteer more and focus more thought and energy on what's happening beyond the walls of our house. That time will come.
Right now, though, there are things to enjoy. If all I ever think about is how things will be different, I'll miss a lot. I'll miss tiny blessings and precious moments. I'll miss what God is doing here while I'm busy trying to prepare for what God might do later. It's hard work to be present in the moment, and it can be very difficult to try and enjoy those moments when they are loud and chaotic.
But God has given me here and now, and there is no guarantee of later. It's all a gift, and I try to remember to give thanks to God for now, even if I'm not always sure what I'm thankful for. I may understand later, or I may not, but life is still a precious gift, and it all comes from God.



Text for this Sunday (Click on Link below to read)





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