Sunday, April 9, 2023

 Blessings

By His wounds we are healed. ~Isaiah 53:5

He has risen just as He said. ~Matthew 28:6

May the glory and promise of this joyous time of year bring peace and happiness to you and those you hold most dear.  And may Christ our risen Savior, always be there by your side to bless you most abundantly and be your loving guide.  ~ Author Unknown

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Good Morning everyone and Happy Easter!  As most of you know, there will be no Easter service today as the doctor has prescribed Pastor Donna a few days of much needed rest.  Let us all continue to keep her in prayer. 

As always, remember to pray for one another and for all the unspoken prayer needs.

Every day Lord, we thank you for Your love and Your guidance.  We thank you for the joys and blessings You so freely give to us. We praise You for the beauty of the earth that surrounds us each day.   How can it not refresh our souls to gaze upon a flower, or to cast our eyes to the sky and witness the beauty of a sunrise or sunset?   In the hard times let us remember it is Your word that gives us strength.  It is Your love and compassion that we lean on for comfort.  Every one of us has trials, everyone has unspoken prayers. Today and every day Lord, we lift those up to you.  Continue to renew our hearts with Your strength and purpose.  Thanks be to God, Amen.

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My dear friends -

As we walked this Holiest of weeks  I thank you for your prayers.  I am home from the hospital and grounded by the Drs for several days of rest. I'm praying and thanking God for each of you my beloved congregation. My heart ❤️ is full of gratitude and thankfulness for His Grace and Mercy in providing exactly the care I needed.

As you listen to Lenny LeBlanc sing "Above All" think what Jesus has done for you ❤️❤️❤️

 

 Much Love
Pastor Donna

 

 Lyrics to "Above All"

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth

Crucified
And laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all
Oh, You were crucified
And laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like the rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Like the rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

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Update sent tonight from Pastor Donna...

My dear friends -

One of my favorite Easter songs and I can just feel the emotion of each person mentioned in the song by Don Francisco "He's ALIVE"

I certainly planned on finishing an Easter message tonight to celebrate with you in the morning, but, we will have our celebration next Sunday as a church family.

I'm doing much better - still not allowed to drive and some medication needs to be decided. Thank you for your continued prayers ❤️❤️❤️

Pastor Donna

"He's Alive"  by Don Francisco

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We do have some "shares" this morning.....

 

Here are some moments from Palm Sunday....

 

Jan was there bright and early for pancake and sausage making.  There was a lot of yummy food brought in to share which made for an excellent breakfast!  Thanks everyone for your delicious contributions!

 We enjoyed Mary's Sunday School class and their part in our Palm Sunday Service.  They entered waving palm branches and also sang, "This Little Light of Mine."

 

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 Fun little interesting tidbits I found on the Country Living website:

16 Billion Jelly Beans Are Made in the U.S. Annually

Although they became the first candy to be sold by weight (rather than price) back in the 1900s, it wasn't until the 1930s that people started buying jelly beans specifically for Easter. Nowadays, enough are eaten each year to circle the globe more than five times.

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About 5.5 Million Peeps Are Made Daily

In 1953, it took 27 hours to make a Peep. Today, it can be done in six minutes. During Easter alone, Americans consume more than 600 million of the marshmallow treat, making it the holiday's second-most popular candy. Chocolate still ranks as number one. Ten percent of people prefer to eat them stale; three percent like their Peeps frozen.

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It's Okay to Hoard All That Chocolate

The suggested maximum storage time is eight to 12 months for milk chocolate, so says the National Confectioners Association. You would need at least that long to make a dent in the largest documented chocolate Easter bunny. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the enormous sweet treat stood 12 feet tall and weighed 6,635 pounds. Dark chocolate lovers rejoice: You can store your confections up to two years if it's wrapped in foil and kept in a cool, dark, dry place.

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Betty Booker and Penny Warren have been busy crafting.... Betty made these two diamond art pieces...

 And Penny did this one....

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 Phyllis Layman has been busy as well making potholders 

Always enjoy seeing what others are creating. Thanks so much for sharing!

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Sharing a photo I found on Facebook. Thought it was really pretty.

 

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 Old churches must not simply stand as monuments to the past but as spiritual grandparents that have invested in the future by passing on their life to others and releasing their offspring to form new congregations. ~ unknown

 

 

 Today's Sunday Church Share..

 

I found this picture on Pinterest.  It stated that this old church is now gone.  It gave way to a McDonalds in Spring City, Tennessee.  

How sad that theses beautiful old churches are not restored and brought back to life. 

 

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Percys Tidbit

 

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An Easter Prayer

by Helen Steiner Rice

God, give us eyes to see
the beauty of the Spring,
And to behold Your majesty
in every living thing -

And may we see in lacy leaves
and every budding flower
The Hand that rules the universe
with gentleness and power -

And may this Easter grandeur
that Spring lavishly imparts
Awaken faded flowers of faith
lying dormant in our hearts,

And give us ears to hear, dear God,
the Springtime song of birds
With messages more meaningful
than man's often empty words

Telling harried human beings
who are lost in dark despair -
'Be like us and do not worry
for God has you in His care.

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 Blessings to you and your family on this Easter Sunday.  Have a great week!