Enjoy Your Day!

Today Is A New Day

 

Go out and do something kind today!

New Landscaping

Here are some pictures of the new landscaping in front of the church.  You can click on the photos to enlarge them.

 

 

 

 

More Reminders

Thursday, June 20th   Wendy’s Birthday Gathering  11:30  a.m.

Sunday, June 23rd  Bible Study  5:00 p.m.

Monday, June 24th  Care Givers Support Group at Sidney Ambassador  7:00 p.m.

               

Molly Phillips

Molly Phillips, daughter of the Rod McElroy’s and granddaughter of Lillian McElroy will step into the position of executive director of Iowa Public Television this month.  She grew up in Sidney, IA, marching in the rodeo band.  During her 23 years at IPTV she has lobbied at the state and federal level to provide great programming in spite of budget cuts.  Plans are to provide services to mobile devices and to continue what they are presently doing, but just growing it.  She lives in Grimes with her husband and family.

Reminders

Flag Day  June 14th.

Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
~George M. Cohan

Father’s Day Coffee

9:00 a.m.   June 16th,  also Board Meeting after church, congregation welcome.

This and That

Most recently I sat in with a group of people who were interested in joining the church we go to in Omaha.  There were a couple of stories that left me almost speechless.

One woman had attended an Episcopal church for several years.  She said people there hardly ever spoke to her but she just thought it was their way.  She said the first Sunday she attended the Methodist Church more people greeted her than in all the years at her other church.  She has now joined the Methodist church.  There was also a family there and the woman was brought up in some kind of Lutheran church.  When she went to college she chose to attend a Catholic University and her Lutheran church kicked her out for doing so.

The people at these places I would assume all claim to be Christians but the actions they show certainly don’t go along with that.  If your spiritual needs are not being met where you are attending church there is another place just around the corner that can do the job.  You just have to seek and find it.

It is also a good lesson to remember how important it is to just be nice, friendly, loving, and understanding to those who come into our church building.  A little of all that can certainly go a long way and mean the world to someone else.  I want to give a big Thank You to Nancy Newlon for taking over the landscaping project.  It is nice of you to take your time to help us out.  We really do appreciate it.

I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and all the new life in our yards.  It has really been a benefit to me and I have been in a planting frenzy.  Hope the month ahead brings joy and peace for all!!!

Paul Bennett, Board President

Secretary Snippets

All quiet on the Iowa front.  Knock on wood!  Let us be thankful of our blessings, and prayerful for the victims of severe spring weather in other parts of the country.  I shouldn’t rephrase the title of a great piece of western literature to capture the attention of our congregation, especially as it references a tragedy of war which occurs after similar words are announced to soldiers on the eastern front of WW1.  However, it is these words that pass through my mind after learning of the tornados of Oklahoma, as well as the admonition to check the storm cellar, and the realization why we have them here in the midwest.  For with her tornadoes, it seems that Mother Nature is at war with us.  Let us remain vigilant throughout the season, and other times.  I like to think that with a clear mind we are best able to repond to what life throws our way.  Also, it is God’s handiwork that shows in our response to fellows, kin and even strangers at times of disaster.

As for the Board of Trustees of the Percival Church, we prepare for a quiet month ahead by holding a short May meeting.  Nancy Newlon is said to have a basic plan ready for the landscaping in front.  With the re-generation of the ground being the first order of the plan.  More work is planned for the restrooms, as already approved at an earlier meeting.  Enjoy the month of June, everyone.  Work, play, relax, and smell the roses.

Marcia Little, Secretary

Pastor’s Thoughts

Trying to write an article for the newsletter every month has its challenges; especially when it involves creativity and some little point that you hope will be inspirational.  Here is my attempt for June.

Joan’s daughter is here for a short visit and in the state of composing a paper for her adolescence psychology course.  It entails that you take some life experiences from your adolescence and relate it to how the situation influenced your high school years.  You then have to make that relevant to that which is presented in the text by the so – called experts, such as Freud, Piaget, Erikson and others.  Not an easy task!

Focusing on some past event in your youth and how it influenced you as a person is a thoughtful process and not an easy task as it complicates that which is involved in self evaluation.

With God the same can be true.  Revealing through the Holy Spirit some attitudes, habit or behavior that needs changing is not easy.  Old ways die hard.  But, with confession and forgiveness comes restoration and the past is wiped away and we re-focus on the newness of the life given to us in Christ.

That’s what is so wonderful about our Heavenly Father, the past is remembered no more and the future becomes more positive and optimistic.

May His love, joy and peace fill your life each and every day.

Pastor Blaine

Mary Zach’s Retirement Celebration

Click on images to enlarge.

 

 

 

 

 

This table had all the class pictures of the students she taught.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the past 36 years, I have worked under four superintendents and six principals.  I have had about 600 students in first, second, and third grade.  Some of them I call my second generation students because I had their mom or dad in my class.  I hope I have taught them many of the things they will need to succeed in life.  I wish them all the best in the future.  Thank you so much for coming to my Open House.

Mary Zach