Dear Friends,
She stood at our table and said, “For the past year, my life has been as much like a country song as you could imagine.” That is the kind of comment that will get my attention quickly!
Sandy and I had gone out for a meal. This young woman was our server and had done an excellent job of taking care of us. While chatting with her for a few minutes, she told us her personal story.
In 2005, several close relatives had died and some others had been diagnosed with serious illnesses. There had been a number of smaller tragedies in her family, as well. Recently, she had dropped out of college because of lack of finances. She was working to save up enough money to get back to school to pursue her goal to be a teacher. Just a few weeks before we met her, her boyfriend had broken up with her and, in the aftermath of the ending of the relationship, he was being quite unkind toward her.
She has a very close relationship with her mother. They developed a strong bond because the husband/father in their family had abandoned them when our server was a little child. Once, when she was a teenager, he tried to make contact but his intentions were selfish, not paternal.
In spite of the background of all this pain and hurt, she had been warm and positive during our time at the restaurant. It had been a delight to be seated in her section. Sandy and I expressed our appreciation to her. In our hearts, her attitude and her character touched us both.
When I thanked her for being an excellent server and keeping such a good attitude, she responded, “Just because I have had a lot of bad things happen to me doesn’t mean that I should walk around and treat everyone like it is their fault.”
Her comment touched me. It is so easy to have a chip on our shoulder in this world. Perhaps we carry the pain of past events in such a way that we are limited in our ability to interact in healthy ways with people. Is it helpful to take the mistreatment we received in one part of our life and let it spill over in negativity into our other relationships?
Talking to this amazing young woman reminded me of a quote I once read. It was attributed to a man who lived as a contemporary of our Lord. Philo of Alexandria is credited with saying, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”
When we greeted this young woman, we could have chosen to be demanding of her. On the evening that we met her, both Sandy and I had some tough things happen in our workday. People I know who work as servers have told me that on occasion people seem to defer the anger and frustration of their work day into their expectations in their dining experience. Since we were out for an evening meal and an opportunity to talk with one another, Sandy and I could have chosen to be disinterested in the server. After all, we were the customers and she was attending to our needs. Most of the time, there is no expectation of a relationship in that contact! Our evening was enriched by the time we spent getting to know our server.
Recently, in a sermon, I offered a reminder of John Wesley’s Rule for Christian Living. It is, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever … …you can!”
Being kind is a choice. Maintaining a good attitude, free to love and share in spite of past hurts, is a choice. How will you choose to live today?
Each Sunday morning, at 8:30 and 11:00 there are services of worship provided at First United Methodist Church where we can come to know a God who is kind to us. Come learn about a Savior who can free us to live and to love in spite of the hardships we have faced. See you in church!
Blessings!
ARM
Rev Alan R Miller +
Something to Think About…
He wanted to conduct. His conducting style, however, was idiosyncratic. During soft passages he’d crouch extremely low. For loud sections, he’d often leap into the air, even shouting to the orchestra.
His memory was poor. Once he forgot that he had instructed the orchestra not to repeat a section of music. During the performance, when he went back to repeat that section, they went forward, so he stopped the piece, hollering, “Stop! Wrong! That will not do! Again! Again!”
For his own piano concerto, he tried conducting from the piano. At one point he jumped from the bench, bumping the candles off the piano. At another concert he knocked over a choir boy.
During one long, delicate passage, he jumped high to cue a loud entrance, but nothing happened because he had lost count and signaled the orchestra too soon.
As his hearing worsened, musicians tried to ignore his conducting and get their cues from the violinist.
Finally the musicians pled with him to go home and give up conducting, which he did.
He was Ludwig van Beethoven.
As the man whom many consider to be the greatest composer of all time learned, no one is a genius of all trades.
God has given each of us special gifts and abilities to carry out His work in the Kingdom here on earth. Are you using your gifts as God intended?
In Christ,
Anita
Kroger Commitment Card Program
For the past several years, many of our members have used the Kroger Commitment Card program to benefit the United Methodist Home for Children and Youth. Through this program, a portion of the total grocery bill was designated to either a school or a non-profit organization. The funds generated were used to provide computers and educational materials for the children in the Methodist Home. In recent weeks, several of our members have mentioned to me that the card is no longer being accepted. In a call to Kroger corporate offices, I was told that Kroger would be phasing out the program. There will be other fund-raising options available through Kroger for non-profit organizations. As soon as the information is available, the details will be provided for the church.
Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir has begun rehearsals again and will soon begin working on the Christmas cantata. If you would like to use your gifts to “make a joyful noise to the Lord,” you are welcome to join the choir on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. Childcare is provided.
The Sunday Night Live Back-to-School Bash will be held at Kevin and Carol Corwin’s home this year on August 21 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. The Bash will be for the whole family for a time of information, fellowship and food. All families with children ages 3 years – 5th grade are invited to come.
Wednesday Night Dinners
Our Wednesday Night Dinners will begin on September 7 at 6:00 p.m. Each Wednesday there will be a prepared meal for the whole family and then an opportunity to participate in an adult Bible Study, Chancel Choir, Interactive Bible Learning for children (K-5th grades) and a Prayer Ministry for Youth. This is a very important time for the whole family to be involved in learning settings during the middle of each week. The cost for dinner is $5.00 for those 12 years and older, $2.50 for children 3 years – 11 years with a family maximum of $15.00 Reservations must be made and they can be handled in one of two ways – you may have your name put on a “permanent” list and only call if you are not going to be here or you can call each week prior to noon on Monday to make your reservations. To be placed on the permanent list, please call the church office.
A new Bible Study will begin on Monday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the Blue Room. The study is entitled “He Speaks to Me” by Priscilla Shirer. This study looks at how God spoke to Samuel and how He continues to speak to His people today. All are welcome. Childcare is provided.
Youth News
The echoing word that surrounds the description of camp this year has to be AWESOME! Those that I have spoken with after camp used that word more than once to describe their camp experience.
God used our time at Camp Livingstone to draw his people nearer to Him; our young people and adults alike needed an encounter with the living God. That’s exactly what happened- God showed up! He didn’t show up in an overwhelmingly emotional manner, He revealed to us our everyday awesome God. The God that is with us always, no matter where we are, who we are with, or what we are doing. Knowing this brings great comfort to my life knowing that when for whatever reason I may withdraw from God, He loves me so much that He pursues me, never to leave me and never forsake me. My prayer is that God has revealed himself to you just as He did to us last week. If He has not, retreat to a quite place and let Him meet with you.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all those who made our youth retreat to Camp Livingstone an awesome Christ-centered success. Without the support of our church and church family this experience would not have been possible. A special thank you goes out to John Rowan, Joel Chandler, Cindy Chandler, Shay Smith, Kathleen Valentine, Carlie Sohayda, Jeffrey Blankenship and Jennifer Darsey who took a week out of their life to serve Christ as they shared their time, and their hearts with our youth. You folks were an amazing group of volunteers.
I will support First United Methodist Church by…
MY PRAYERS
Grace Stevens, Jim Blocker, Elizabeth Hutton, Ann Powers, Dorothy Stagmeier, Davis Darsey, Jean Jelks, Carolyn Strickland, Chris Varmecky, Liz Muncher, Ethelda Lee, Lynn Bean Lanier, Asa Bailey, Lynn Sikes. Our soldiers and their families. Harold Lynn, Jeff Smith, Ray Barrett, Evan McLain, Ike Sallee, Brian Layer, Bruce Gannaway, James Lockridge, Spence Burnett, John Folker, Jeff Starkey, Shane Baker, Tommy DeLoach, John Grady, Steve Lutsky, Bill Howard, Geoff DeTingo, Jason Matthews, James Lowe, Brian Butler, John DeStazio, Thomas Kupsh, Korey Kramer, Vanessa McCulley, Brian Hudson, Rodney Takahashi, Darryl Bell, Mario Crook, Sub Hall, Jim West, Robb Waters, Donald Smith, Richard Aaron, David Stroupe ,Matthew Wickham, Will Arnett, Justin Blackstone, Joseph Foust, Jerald Smith, Jake Rice, Steven Louviere, John Durst, Tom Mentes, Jon Sullivan, Aaron Duncan, Richard Macdougal, Timothy Plumb, Josh Lamere, Mike Musgrove, Brian Wilber, Patrick Kilby, Bob Warren, Charles Whitsel, Clifford L. McDaniel, Jr.
MY PRESENCE
Sunday School:.................................................................................148
Worship 8:30:...................................................................................154
..............11:00:...................................................................................189
Total Worship:..................................................................................343
MY GIFTS
Received Last Week:.................................................................5,636.95
Received to Date:.................................................................252,867.00
Youth:...........................................................................................181.00
MY SERVICE
Ushers: ......................................................................Dick Webb, Capt.
........................Gerald DeLoach, W. L. Hall, John Long, Trent Long
.....................................Don Martin, Jimmy Martin, Charles Shuman
Security Steward:................................................................. John Long
Assisting With Communion:.........................Berny & Dotty Fermin
..........................................................................Tom & Linda Ratcliffe
Greeters: (Front)............................................Craig & Laura Stafford
Acolytes: ............................Matthew Brown & Ransom Wilkes-Davis Crucifer: .......................................................................Bailey Kitchings
Altar Steward:.................................................................. Judy Shippey
Sound Room: (8:30)..........................................................Alan Darsey
....................... (11:00)..........................................................Bob Dasher
Back-To-School Ice Cream Social and Hymn Sing
Make plans to eat all the ice cream you can hold AND sing some of your favorite hymns in an old fashioned ice cream social and hymn sing on August 14 at 6:00 p.m. in the Social Hall. Come, bring the whole family and a churn of your favorite ice cream for a great night of fun!
