On Being Grateful for Everything

November 23, 2011

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

On Being Grateful for Everything
By Henri Nouwen
(from Bread for the Journey)

To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy,

But to be grateful for all of our lives—
the good as well as the bad,
the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow,
the successes as well as the failures,
the rewards as well as the rejections—
that requires hard spiritual work.

Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say "thank you" to all that has brought us to the present moment.

As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people
we would like to remember
and those we would rather forget,
we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for.

Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God.


On behalf of the staff and lay leadership of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, I wish you and yours a blessed time of remembrance and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org



NEW WINTER OUTERWEAR MINISTRY
The Administrative Board has approved our lower basement to be used as a distribution site for people in need of cold weather outerwear. Starting Saturday, November 26, from 12pm to 5pm, people in need can pick up items for use this winter. You can help by donating your new or gently used coats, jackets, snow pants, mittens, gloves, scarves, and hats to the donation table in the hallway outside the church office. You can also volunteer a small bit of your time on Saturdays to help with the distribution. Contact Kara Beasley (thereeohrtman@hotmail.com) to volunteer.

SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGING
For the first time, the Missions Committee is sponsoring a service project for anyone interested in ringing bells at Fareway, K-Mart, and Hy-Vee to collect money for the Salvation Army this Advent. In the narthex you will find a full schedule for the Saturdays from November 26 to December 24. One or two-hour shifts are available, and you can share a shift with a friend. This effort helps fulfill one of our initiatives from our 20/20 Vision Plan adopted in 2008.

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS GIFT CATALOG
Before you drown in the craziness of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season, consider giving a gift that will make a real difference. Our Alternative Christmas Gift Catalog features many ways that you can make a charitable donation in honor of a loved one. Agencies include Heifer International, Church World Service, and Self-Help International. Your gifts are tax-deductible and help us achieve our Rainbow Covenant Missions goal for the year. Fill out the order forms included in the catalog and turn it into a member of the Missions Committee on Sundays to receive your personalized gift card that you can give as a gift.

NEW MEMBERS JOINING DECEMBER 11
We have a number of people joining the church on Sunday, December 11, the last opportunity before the end of the year. If you are interested in joining, please respond to this email or contact the church office.

WORSHIP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Do you want to make a difference in a meaningful way on Sunday mornings? Our worship team is looking for people to serve in 2012 as lay liturgists, children’s sermon providers, ushers, greeters, and people to provide altar flowers. Consider using your gifts in any of these important ways. To volunteer, contact the following schedulers: Sue Parker and Kim Luetkeman (lay liturgists and children sermons); Nancy Knapp and Myrna Goodwin (altar flowers); Church Office (ushers and greeters).

OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS MUSIC!
Take time out of your busy holiday schedule to enjoy one hour of live old-fashioned Christmas music with David and Judi Klee on Saturday, December 10th at 3:00pm, at The Spice Rack store in Cherokee. The program will start at 3:00pm. Seating is limited, so come early to get your seat and refreshments for your mid-afternoon break. (The register will be closed from 3 to 4pm, during the program.) The program is FREE and open to the public.