May 1st May Basket Day
May 7th National Day of Prayer
May 10th Mother's Day
May 21st Ascension Day
May 25th Memorial Day
May 31st Pentecost
In our usual celebrations of the Merry Month of May, but now with missing community and isolation alone, we start to think of all those missing events of this month.
Phyllis Layman making May baskets that are taken to those not able to be part of our church gatherings or just a reminder that they are thought of on this day. Mother's Day breakfast prepared by all the appreciative men in our congregation. Sundays spent in fellowship and special prayer days that bring hope and healing for all.
Memorial Day spent decorating the graves of our loved ones and tributes to all the veterans who have sacrificed to allow us to live in a country that is free. A day of gathering with friends and neighbors to lunch together, reminisce and to be thankful for the blessings we take for granted.
This new year of 2020 has brought new fears and United States deaths of 63,746 and counting. All ages, all ethnicity, and along with that, worry and concern for young and old as we try to live a life we have for the most part never known. Following the safety directives of the health care professionals, we have become even more aware of the fragility of life, along with that the concern for all those we do not count as friends or acquaintances. So with the death count rising, as more and more are being diagnosed with this deadly virus let us be reminded....
The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:7 "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold, so when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." (NLT).
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A Note from the Pastor
At the beginning of every year, I state “Expect the unexpected.” Who would have thought that 2020 would bring the arrival of the Coronavirus 19 pandemic? Most of us would have believed the floods of 2019 would have been one of our last large disasters for awhile. However, God has many and varied ways to get our attention and how the Lord has if we have eyes to see and ears to hear what the spiritual ramifications are of what is occurring in our world, country and state. In the 23rd Psalm there is a phrase that should be music to the ears of every Christian as it states” “I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” While I’ve spent more hours inside my home staying put than in recent memories I have experienced a greater presence of the Lord that ever before. He has shown me and given me some understanding and discernment that I could have never known except for the current situation.
As people of faith we are independent of outward circumstances. However dark the outside world seems the Light of Jesus Christ shines even brighter. It radiates a love, joy and peace that the world can’t give and the world can’t take away.
The world can shake and the foundations of earth can be removed but the Lord reigns on high and the Almighty is in control, not the virus. So let each of us rest under and in the shadows of His hands, and remember the words of our Savior , “My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you not as the world give; give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.”
Pastor Blaine Pritchett
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Thought I would leave you with some May basket making memories....
May your days be beautiful like the buds of May~
I did so enjoy seeing pictures of happier events with those that were special friends now living in Heaven.
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