Good morning Children of God,
Today’s Message comes to you courtesy of St Paul members and a McKee family friend who have participated in the Blessing Project. Since God’s blessings are plentiful and ongoing, we will continue to pursue this project. When the Lord gets your attention with an unexpected blessing please feel free to share it with me so that I can include it in a Wednesday Message. In the past on mission trips we called this activity “God sightings” as we watched to see how God is at work in daily living.
Our memory verse tells us to “Keep alert.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 One way to do this is to keep your eyes open for God’s blessings. They are both new and renewed every day.
Below is Wednesday’s Message.
My blessing in all of our current situation was that my son and daughter-in-law had their first baby in January. They were very torn because they knew they had to go to work and really didn’t want to put her in daycare and the cost of the daycare was going to be almost all of my daughter-in-laws salary paid with a printable w2 form, but she also carries the insurance also they felt very stuck. During this lock down period they have both been ordered to work from home and they have worked out a schedule of taking care of their darling daughter. They have been able to stay home and watch their daughter grow and change and enjoy her as well as both still working and keeping their income. This was truly a blessing. Beth VonBlon
I work for my brother in law who is a family practice physician in Delaware. My sister works there some too. And occasionally, depending on Jake’s schedule, Daniel goes to Delaware and stays with my niece and 2 nephews. So, we are in contact at least 3 days a week. That being said, we feel getting together socially is not irresponsible. My sister and her family have been coming to our house every Saturday for a meal. We live in the country, so we are able to go outside and launch Daniel’s rocket or play baseball. We also went to my sister’s house to celebrate Easter. I am blessed for this time with my family who are usually pretty busy with sports and college. My nephew who works in Chicago is also home when he normally wouldn’t be. The pandemic has slowed our lives down enough to get back to family time. Blessings to all of you! Kim Beathard
Jim and my blessing is that we got moved to our condo just in time. (3244 Belstone Dr Grove City) We have discovered we love our new surroundings of the flowering trees, daffodils and green grass that we don’t have to mow! Another unexpected blessing is that Jim has taken a leave of absence from delivering Meals on Wheels which he is adjusting to very well! Jennifer Hamm
During this time of being shut in, I have been reminded of something from my past when God gave me a Gift of Hospitality. When I purchased my first home, it became a place for the family of God to meet each week for Prayer and Bible study (lasted for more than 25 years). Thinking God wants me to do this ministry again. Phil Recob
For me, it is making more cards and using a Bible verse, hymn lyrics or a photo from St. Paul Lutheran to share with our church family. I was trying to send out 5 cards a day, but started running low on stamps and envelopes, so have reduced a bit. I printed the Shepherd’s window from our church onto transparency film so it can be placed in a window to brighten someone’s day. Diana Dellinger
I began four weeks ago frantically making cloth masks for our daughter Louise who is in her last year as an OB/Gyn up in Hartford Connecticut. She called and asked for cloth masks for her whole staff of twenty people stating that the hospital had come and taken all the protective face shields, n95s, and goggles and rightly given them to the ICU and ER staff for their protection.
The blessing I found was in one of my closets. Yards and yards of material for the face masks. The material I have saved to make blankets as the babies are born into our family. I have done this for forty years….
Sooo being her Mom I went to work and called everyone I knew who sewed. God put me in the right place I am surrounded by women who are true quilters.
I didn’t have elastic and so elastic was left on my front porch, two dozen masks were dropped off a day later to send to Louise and her staff.
I went through boxes and being a crafter from long ago found yards of elastic some I cut right down the middle and it doubled the amount…. I told one of my buddies that it really felt like the story from the Bible “The Fishes and Loaves of bread”.
Within the past 14 days my daughter and 12 other residents were exposed to a COVID positive pregnant woman.
It is a helpless feeling to be so far from our children. As a parent my first instinct is to run and protect them. Our son is also a physician and he and his new bride both had covid19 about three weeks ago. Loss of the sense of smell for about ten days, headaches, low grade fevers, body aches and exhaustion….. They have both recovered and are feeling well. That is a true blessing and I am so grateful to God.
I have many nieces, nephews and siblings all working on the frontlines …..
I am trying to give my anxiety to our Lord. Some days are better than others. We are all in this together and I do feel his blessings all around us in our community as we continue to shelter in place.
I feel God’s blessings are woven into our lives and you have helped me look for them
Martha Carroll (Friend of Kathy and Bill McKee)
I have had many blessings during this time, Only a few are listed:
1. We have been able to get out very early in the morning for our walks.
2. We have had more communication with our busy families.
3. Being new members of St. Paul we have not met many people so what a
blessing when we received a call from a nice lady we had talked to briefly
asking how we are doing.
4. Also, we met (by phone) Patrick Sherman, who as a council member, was
checking on us.
5. Real blessings were the copies of the Wednesday and Sunday messages.
6. Looking at less dust. Anna Mae Shook
My blessings are multiple ….I have Bill at my side, together we have our health. In addition our children are assisting with shopping as well as notes and calls of encouragement. Marie Rehbeck
I believe the blessings are from the Lenten Messages and the Sunday Message and the Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday Services that we were able to view on YouTube. So awesome to see church family and the music and the lilies. With all the negative stuff on the news a glimmer of HOPE for our future with our prayers and love and of course Christ in our lives. Also the message on the phone from members and the cards from Dianna Dellinger, so sweet. Thanks to all and much love. Margo Hoffman
My “Stay At Home” Blessings
I thought that during this “Stay At Home” time I would deep clean and declutter my own house. So far I have not done this but instead find myself staring out my kitchen window and watching God’s blessing of nature unfold; green grass sprouting, purple and yellow flowers blooming, trees budding and two squirrels gathering the last of the black walnuts and carrying them across the front porch to their home in the pine trees. It truly is a blessing to have the time to watch God’s earth come alive.
When staring out the window I find myself taking the time to meditate and pray more than I did before. Talking to the one that loves you more than anyone is an awesome blessing.
Friends are great blessings and because of our busy lives it is easy to lose touch with them. Paula, a neighbor friend sent a card to one of her friends each day during Lent. After receiving her card I called to thank her and we got caught up on what was happening in our lives. Another friend Bev, that I neglected to call, worked with me at Ashland and she and her husband were in our Ashland couples card club for 40 years up until last year when he had a stroke. When I called to catch up with her, he answered and said “isn’t this something, Bev never leaves her phone at home but today she forgot it and who should call but you”. I think he really enjoyed our talk. Today was a record, a 3 1/2 hour call to Kim, a football mom friend since Austin’s little league years that I hadn’t talked to since last summer. We talked about many things but it made my heart feel good that she and her husband started going back to church since we talked last. It truly was a blessing to talk to my friends who have been blessings to me during my journey in life.
Vickie Schlosser
Doing more journaling. Listened to all of Handel’s Messiah on the TV. Calling lots of folks to check in.
Larry Baker
I’ve done a lot of reflecting during this quarantine and I’ve been more disciplined reading scripture and other inspirational readings. A few things to reflect on:
Perhaps Corona is opening our eyes to see sacrifices that went unnoticed in years passed.
I think this isolation time is teaching us about gratitude;
We always want to be in control and he reminds us that he is!
Any and everything can be taken away, but God’s word endures forever.
I saw this quote on Face Book, and I honestly couldn’t agree more:
“I believe God is giving the world the biggest altar call in history. Now, is the time to get our hearts right, and closer to him.”
I know that I have had good intentions on spending more time in the Lord’s word and working on my prayer habits, but because of this isolation time, I am finding myself doing more of that, and that truly is a blessing to me, that I intend to continue working on.
Robin Weitzel
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord look upon you with favor
and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Peace and blessings, Pastor Bill