Midweek Message 06/16/2021

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #62

 

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #62. I hope you and those you love are doing well.

 

Every once in a while it is good to look backwards (I don’t recommend it when cutting grass though, especially if you are “obsessed” with straight lines).  Okay, lasso me back into the corral (Diana is good at that with Ryan and me…mostly Ryan). 🙂  Seriously, it is good to look backwards from time to time.  I went back and looked at the very first MM I wrote. It was after the lockdown which asked us not to meet in person as a church body.  Here were my words: “Who’d a thunk it just a couple of weeks ago that meeting together would be our last time for who-knows-how-long?” My hope was that this MM would become a regular feature, be meaningful, informative, and a way to stay in touch. I feel it has accomplished its purpose. And I have honestly enjoyed writing it. For the longest time (what seemed like years) we were unable to meet in person, nor could I come to your house to visit, so this was one way to be “in your house” each week and you didn’t even have to make sure it was clean! That sounds like a win/win to me!! 🙂  This is now #62 and it is hard to believe that except for a week or two, this has come to your inbox. Long story short: I still hope you look forward to reading this and my attempt to communicate.

 

I have come to one conclusion though: doing the MM allows me the opportunity to expand on some things that we can only take a cursory swipe at on Sunday morning. For example…

  • This Saturday is Serving Owen County Together. I have been announcing this the past several weeks. We need helpers from 7-9 to help set up (you can leave after that if you want/need to). We need folks to help man the tents from 9-12 and 12-3. We also need helpers from 3-5 to help tear down everything. There is a break room with water and snacks if you need to go inside for a few minutes. Pass the word along for people to come and check it out, especially if you know people who need help. All items there are new, not used. Shoes, socks, furniture, clothing, food (That would make sense since who would want used food?), and feminine products.  I’m excited to be involved in this effort to serve our community. In fact, you will get to see my friendly (and good looking face…cough cough) as you drive in.  So…any help you can offer will be accepted.
  • This Sunday is officially the last day for the New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center’s “Change for Life” drive. If you took a baby bottle to fill, I’d like to remind you to return it. If you prefer, you can donate online.
  • I want to give a huge shout out to those who have been keeping our lawn cut at OVCF. Each week it has been looking really nice. At the end of the season we will include a big a thank you! There are still a few spots which need filled so your help would be appreciated.

 

This past Sunday, if you were here, you know we went back to serving communion by passing the trays. We will have some of the sealed cups in each tray for those who still want to use them. We have decided to NOT pass the offering plate. There will continue to be a basket on the back table for your offering. You can also donate online or put your offering in the mailbox by the east door.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for your consistent giving and generosity!!

 

In the first service I mentioned Ryan’s week at camp. I failed to at the second. Pastor Ryan and Hope, Linda St. John, Cassie Lehmann, Westin Linville and Macy Carlson are all faculty for Ryan’s Senior High week of Wilderness Camp. There are several young people from OVCF who are campers: Micah Nally, Hannah Pendleton, and Mollie Wainscott. You may want to pray for them!  (Makes you wonder who the “them” is, doesn’t it? Try both). I also heard we had a couple campers the previous week-Kalissa Hamlin and Tatum White.  Sorry I missed you both. You have permission to whip me with a wet noodle. 🙂

 

Each week we bring people to you to pray for.  Mike & Ryan Laws have been on our prayer list ever since I found out Ryan needed a kidney transplant. (He is now 15). Mike donated his kidney to his son. Mike texted me Saturday night and said Ryan is doing phenomenally and has started playing soccer. The plan at this point is to bring them to OVCF on the 5th Sunday in August to share their testimony of God’s goodness.

 

You will get this MM on Wednesday, June 16th. I will be out of the office that day since I was threatened with bodily harm if I wasn’t. (Just kidding. Jo is not a violent person).  We will be celebrating our 48th anniversary that day. We don’t have much planned since next week we, along with Tami, will be heading to Ohio to see Braden, our grandson, play some baseball (Wednesday and Thursday nights). I can say we will be stopping at Hilltop to visit the campers. I’m honored to have spent 48 years with my college sweetheart. I’d be lying if I said it was all peaches and cream or that I was the perfect husband (far from it). But I can testify to God’s grace and goodness in giving me the woman I needed.  Our first ever trip away where no one knew us was gifted to us by someone in the church in 2017. It will be two years this September since you blessed us with the trip to Alaska-what I consider an early anniversary gift. It was the trip of a lifetime. I am also not shy in saying I would go back in a heartbeat. 🙂  We dodged a bullet though since we initially thought about going in 2020, but went in 2019 instead. Whew! So this year we will take it easy. Visit the folks at camp. Find some place to eat (Jo’s one mandate). And enjoy the day together.

 

My words are not few and therefore my space is up. I changed the font so I will have room to include this message on one page. Miracles still happen! I succeeded. Have a great week.  I love you all.

 

Pastor Bill

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