Dear Church Family & Friends,
The last few months were full of decisions. As most of you know my plans for October were to take some time off so I could enjoy and celebrate the marriage of my daughter and time with family and friends. Also to take time off for my upcoming surgery and recovery, all of which required planning and the many decisions that it would entail. Some of those decisions were right on cue and worked out beautifully and others didn’t go quite to my plan.
Like you, sometimes when I’m making decisions about the future, I wish that God would give me more information to help make the decisions easier. He already knows the future. So like all of you I often wonder why God won’t share more of it with me? During those times, I try to remind myself of this verse from the Psalms 119:105.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
You see that when we seek Him in His Word, God will often speak to us, prompting us on what steps we should take next. But if He is offering a lamp to our feet and light to our path, that may only help us for a few steps. And no more.
Most of the time we want more details about the future. However, it would probably be more than we bargained for. I’m guessing that God knows we wouldn’t deal well with some of the details if we could see exactly what was coming.
We all need to remember that God’s grace is always sufficient for today. If you ever find yourself wanting more details, remember that God will show you all you need to make decisions that honor Him. He may illuminate our path for two or three steps, but He likely will not show us steps four, five, or six. We have to take the first few before he’ll show us what to do next.
So as November begins and the many decisions that you will need to make, not only in preparation for Thanksgiving and the upcoming Advent season, but also the everyday decisions you make. Remember that God‘s grace is always sufficient and that His grace is found in His word.
As the Psalmist wrote: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Open your bible. Study His word and pray;
“As I make decisions in my life, Lord, I will trust you to illuminate the next step I should take. Forgive me when I want to see more than you are ready to reveal. I will wait on you to guide me.”
In His Service,
Pastor Joe
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22
Something to think about.………..What if you woke up tomorrow with only what you thanked God for today…………
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday School – 8:15 AM in the Community Building
Choir Practice Thursdays at 1pm
You may reach Pastor Joe at 570-465-7303 or his cell #570-267-4570
Every Thursday Pastor Joe will be at the church from 10:30am to 12:30pm
Tuesday, November 1st – All Saint’s Day
Friday, November 4th – Soup and Bake Sale 9am to 2pm
Saturday, November 5th – Soup and Bake Sale 9am to 1pm
Sunday, November 6th – Daylight Savings Time Ends
Tuesday, November 8th – Election Day
Thursday, November 10th – Presbyterian Women Meeting – 11am
Friday, November 11th – Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 16th – Men’s Action Group Meeting – 8am
Saturday, November 19th – Session Meeting – 9am
Sunday, November 20th – Christ The King Sunday
Thursday, November 24th – Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 27th – First Sunday in Advent
Tuesday, November 29th – Newsletter Deadline
Our Soup and Bake Sale To Go is Friday, November 4th, 9am to 2pm and Saturday, November 5th , 9am to 1pm.
Mission for Feed-a-friend through Trehab will start October 23rd. Monetary donations will be asked for instead of dessert items. Those who wish to start giving now may do so.
Choir practice will be Thursday’s, at 1 o’clock at the church. Please consider joining us in singing God’s praises!
Please sign up to host one of the social hours on the Sunday after Communion Service on the first Sunday of the month. Hosting only means setting out what is brought and cleaning up afterward. It does not mean bringing everything to share.
Plastic Grocery Bags – Please give bags to Bonne Travis – these are used to crochet sleep mats for the homeless.
Men’s Action Group ***For help with small projects for church family and neighborhood, please call Pastor Joe Travis at #570-465-7303 or email him at joe.s.travis@gmail.com
Don’t forget our card ministry – If you would like a card sent to a particular person to give them a lift or let them know they are missed or offer encouragement, etc. etc., just give the name and address to Cathe. Cards, envelopes and postage will be provided and placed on a table in the Community Building the first Sunday of each month. As we file past the table on our way to the coffee pot, we will be able to sign each of the cards and Cathe will address the envelopes and mail them.
Loose Change Offerings ( coins and bills)
1st Sunday – Local Missions
2nd Sunday – General Fund
3rd Sunday – Kenya/Rev. Malabo
4th Sunday – General Fund
5th Sunday – Trehab Local Food Bank (whenever there is a 5th Sunday)
