THE CENTERPIECE
September, 2004
The Newsletter of the
Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the Blind
535 North Neville Street
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213
PHONE: (412) 682-1800
Bob Mates, Director
Sherri Crum, Associate Director
The Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the Blind seeks to reach out to the visually
impaired of Pittsburgh, feeling their needs, and touching them with the love of
Jesus, so that they may reach out and touch others with the love of Jesus.
THE CENTERPIECE is available in the following formats: Braille, large print,
audio cassette, and E-mail. You may also read the newsletter on the World
Wide Web, by going to: www.firsttrinity.net
and clicking on the "Center for the blind" link.
Terri Watson, Editor From The Editor
In Chapter Twenty-two of Saint Matthew's Gospel, a lawyer asks the Lord what the
greatest commandment is that we are to follow. Jesus responds by informing
him that we are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our minds
and with all our souls. Our Lord then goes on to say that we are to love
our neighbor as ourselves. Upon hearing or reading this, we might feel
compelled to ask for what reason we are to love ourselves. We are to love
ourselves, my friends, because God first loved us; and, because, out of that
love, He created us and put us on this earth to do his will and his works that
only we can do. Because that makes us special, I hope that all of you will
never forget just how special you are and indeed I pray this.
From here you might say, "Well, maybe I can love myself and maybe I should,
but isn't it a tall order to love my neighbor? What if I don't even like my
neighbor? There's no doubt that, given the nature of our humanness, we will most
certainly meet people that we don't even like, let alone love.
Nonetheless, we are to love our neighbor because we must strive always to see
Christ in him or her. No easy task, but something we can continue to grow
in, and in the process make closer our walk with Jesus.
As I close this month's column, I want to say how sincerely I hope that your
summer was richly and abundantly blest with fun and favorite activities because,
YOU ARE SPECIAL!!
Blessings, Terri Watson
May's Meal Regular CENTERPIECE readers know that the meal that was held
on Saturday, May 22nd, was the last dinner before summer break. As always,
May's meal gave attendees great food and even greater fellowship. To say
more about the food, we had a veritable smorgasbord, given the people who
donated side dishes and salads. After the meal, Bob Mates thanked all of
the volunteers without whose help the Lutheran Center's monthly meals could not
take place. Bob also thanked Ayn Apelman for her many excellent
contributions to CENTERPIECE throughout the year and Terri Watson (though I
don't know who she is), for her work on this newsletter. From there our
most dedicated director asked if anyone had prayer requests, and people's needs
were lifted up to the Lord. The spiritual aspect of the evening continued
as Terri Watson presented a program of song and Scripture and Pastor Spittel
concluded with a Vespers service. Finally, thank-yous are extended to
Sherri Crum, Cindy Fe
nger, Bob Mates, Mike O'Connor, Leigh Spittel, Pastor Spittel, Debra
Terhune and a Boy Scout troop for so capably assisting with May's meal.
Thank yous are also sincerely extended to all who donated the sides and salads
that made May's meal a culinary delight.
CONTRIBUTOR's CORNER
NOTE: The following piece was submitted by Ayn Appelman. It is very good
reading, especially, if you're a new Christian. The person, to whom this
letter was originally written, lived in India.
April 24, 2004
This excerpt is taken from a piece I sent to Mr. Nagesh, a ZIEGLER reader
from India, who recently converted to Christianity but has some issues to
resolve. This should apply to any new Christian.
I would like to comment on a ZIEGLER reader's dilemma regarding Christians'
refusal to see doctors or take medications. My answer for him is one
resounding "no!" Not all Christians are opposed to doctors or
medications. That's absurd! It's like saying there's no need for pastors,
elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, or missionaries; God will lead.
Christians serve the Lord in various capacities within the Church or out in the
community--each according to his/her gifts, talents, or natural abilities.
Some are singers. Others are writers. Others work in food banks,
soup kitchens, or homeless shelters. So, Why not doctors, nurses, or other
medical personnel? God can use doctors just as much as pastors. Yes, there
are certain denominations that don't believe in seeking medical treatment, but
they're walking on dangerous ground. They are false teachers and are out
to mislead people-especially, if they know they have illnesses or disabilities.
They remind me of the s
tory in Matthew, where the Pharisees condemned Jesus for healing a
disabled man on the Sabbath. He said to them: "Those who are
sick need a physician. If a sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath, doesn't
the shepherd leave the flock to find it?" So, it's indicative that Jesus
believed in doctors.
Dear Reader, I'm telling you this as someone who's been there: As you journey
through this world, you will hear well-meaning, professing Christians telling
you all sorts of negative things, such as: "You need to speak
in tongues," "You have demons and need deliverance," "How
can you glorify God if your eyes, ears, legs, or arms don't work?"
"You lack the faith to be healed," etc. Don't accept it! There's
a difference between sound doctrine and false doctrine. When seeking a
church, make sure it's Bible-based, and its pastors and members compare
scripture with scripture. The best thing to do is use common sense.
Study the Bible, the Word of God, on a regular basis, and pray for guidance
through the Holy Spirit. There are false cults out there-some who profess
to be Christians. So, be careful. Don't let yourself be blown away
by every "wind of doctrine" that comes along. Believe whatever
truth God lays on your heart, and discern what is false or deceptive.
May God bless you and give you all the strength, courage, and wisdom you need to
face the challenges you have ahead of you. Coming from a culture that
isn't used to seeing Christians (the man is from India), you will have a lot of
them! There's a tough battle ahead. But, with Christ in your heart, rest
assured that you can win!
One of the Crowd
by Bob Mates
(NOTE: The basis for this story is the verse in 1 Corinthians 15, in which Saint
Paul says that Jesus showed Himself to five hundred people, after His
resurrection. I always thought that that would be such a neat thing for a
grandfather to tell his grandchildren about. Therefore, this story.)
It was a typical Jerusalem day. Grandpa Isaac sat outside of his house,
surrounded by his grandchildren. He loved them, and they, him. To
them, the greatest pleasure that could be had was listening to him talk: talk
about their late Grandmother; talk about his boyhood adventures, and, best of
all, talk about God. He thought it was very important to tell the children
about God. There were three girls and a boy. The boy would soon
start to study, with some of the brothers. He would be educated in Hebrew,
Greek, and Aramaic. He would learn the Torah, The Prophets, all the wisdom
literature, and would also learn about this new religion, called The Way.
The girls wouldn't receive any formal education, but, they, too, would learn
about The way. For you see, Isaac and his family were followers of Jesus.
Now, as was usually the case, the grandchildren began to shout, "Tell us a
story, grandpa!". Isaac pretended to be peeved. "Tell us a
story!! Every day, the same thing!
How many stories can one old man tell?" "Please, grandpa! You
tell such wonderful stories!" The old man stroked his long beard.
"All right, all right! Let's see. Did I ever tell you about the time
i fought two lions, with just my bare hands?" "Yes, grandpa,"
they said, "you've told that one to us before." "Well;," he
said, "how about the time I rescued your mother from out of the jaws of a
tiger. Did I ever tell you that one?" "Grandpa, mother said that
never really happened," Said Ruth, the youngest girl. "Your
mother talks too much," mumbled Isaac. "Well, I don't have any
more stories." "Oh, come on, grandpa; you must have more," said
Mordecai, and the others echoed agreement. Isaac thought a bit.
Then, he spoke. "Well, children, I think you're all old enough now,
so that I can tell you this story, and you'll understand it. I am going to
tell you about the day I saw the risen Lord, Jesus, may His name be ever
praised." "Grandpa! Did you see Jesus, after He rose fr
om the dead," asked Mordecai? "Yes. I was one of five
hundred people, just average folks, who saw him! I'll tell you about it."
"It was about ten days after Passover. We believers had heard, from
Peter, John, and even some of the women, that Jesus had risen. He'd
appeared to Peter and John, as well as a few others. We weren't surprised
at all that He'd appeared to them; after all, they were big-shots. They'd
been with Him ever since the start of His ministry. None of us folks--us
humble believers--ever thought He'd show Him to us! Why would He? We were
nothing! "Anyway, I had to go into Jerusalem, and get some supplies, and
then, all of us believers were going to meet, to pray and study. Your
grandmother (May she rest in peace.) was with child, (I think it was your
mother, in fact.) and didn't feel up to going that day, so I went alone.
"I did my business, and went to the place, where all of us were going to
meet. It was actually a part of the temple, because that w
as the only place big enough to hold everyone. The traditional Jews
didn't pay any attention to us. I found my friend, Moishe, from whom I'd
heard about Jesus. Now, he'd heard about Him from a fellow, named
Nicodemus, who had met Jesus! "So, all of us were sitting there, praying
and thanking God, when, all of a sudden, (I don't know how else to say it.) the
air changed! There was the sweetest smell in the place, and, well, just a
general feeling of tranquility! "And, then, we saw Him! Even though we'd
never seen Him before, (or, at least, most of us hadn't) we knew it was Him! He
stood there for a second, looking at all of us, and then he said, "Peace be
with you.". "I think a lot of us prostrated ourselves before
him--you know, threw ourselves on the ground. He looked at us, and said,
"Have no fear; get up.". Then, (and I don't know if this really
happened, or if it just seemed so) He seemed to look at each one of us
individually, and, as He did so, the greatest peace
seemed to wash over us! It was wonderful! "He taught us from the
Scriptures about His death, resurrection, and how He'd come back to judge
everyone. Then, He again gave us His peace, and, just as suddenly as he'd
come, He was gone!" "Grandpa" said Miriam, "what a wonderful
story. But, are you in the Word?" "Well, no, but brother Saul,
whom the Greeks call "Paul", mentions the incident. And,
besides, why do I have to be in a book? I'm right here; anyone can ask me about
it, and I'll be happy to tell the whole story to them, just as I did to you
children." "What a great story," said Mordecai. "Tell
us another one." "That's enough for one day," said Isaac.
"It's time to get ready to go to the house church. Don't forget to
get washed; I want to be proud of my grandchildren."
In Sickness and In Health by Kathy Susany As regular or even occasional
CENTERPIECE readers know, Kathy Susany is extremely knowledgeable in both
education and experience when it comes to health and medicine. Since
Kathy's topics change on a regular basis, I have no way of knowing what this
month's topic is, but knowing that the treatment of the topic will be skilled
and excellent, I give you Kathy Susany without further ado.
In Sickness and in Health
By Kathy Susany
Well, hi there, everyone. Spring has sprung, summer is nearly over,
fall has almost fallen, and, lucky for you, it's time for one of my
hopefully-interesting and informative columns. Before my article on
medical research, I started a three-part series about our blood. In this
issue, I'll continue with part two of this series. Remember that the
"Terminology" sections may either be read or skipped as desired.
Also, any comments, questions, or feedback on any of my articles are strongly
welcomed. If I'm not explaining anything clearly enough, or if my
explanations are too involved or deep for you, please let me know. Address
any feedback to our beloved PLCB director, or call him at 412-682-1800.
Let's get on with the main attraction:
Our Living River Part Two
If you will recall, last time I mentioned how vitally important our blood
is to our lives. I mentioned that blood is a sticky liquid composed of
plasma, red cells, white cells, and platelets. Plasma contains water,
dissolved substances and proteins. The proteins are globulins and
fibrinogen. Globulins carry substances to our cells and play a role in the
immune response. Albumin, another plasma protein, is necessary for the
maintenance of proper fluid balance. Fibrinogen is involved in the
clotting process, which will be considered either later in this article, or in
the final part of this series. In this article, I'll endeavor to explain
about red cells, white cells, and platelets.
Let's start off with red cells, or, as they are sometimes called, red
corpuscles. First off, what makes red cells red anyway? Well, the short
answer to that question is: red cells contain a protein called hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is a complex protein substance whose explanation is beyond the scope
of this article; I'll refer to it again when I discuss proteins in greater
detail in a future article. However, one thing is worth mentioning about
hemoglobin; one of its constituents is iron-that's right, iron, the same stuff
that is found in the structural supports of buildings. I'll have more to
say about iron in a bit.
From where do red cells originate, and how are they formed? As is true
with all types of blood cells, the red ones are made in the red bone marrow.
If you cut open certain bones, you'll find either red or yellow marrow within
them. The yellow marrow is a fatty substance, but, in the red marrow, all
blood cells are either formed, or, at least, begin life. You'll see later
that some types of white cells start out in the red bone marrow, but mature in
another place in the body. As red cells continue to develop, they lose
their nucleus and become more and more saturated with hemoglobin. Finally,
when they are released in to the blood circulation, red cells are basically no
more than little doughnut-shaped "sacks" that contain hemoglobin.
Actually, under the microscope, red cells appear to be a bit like one little
doughnut inside another one, and without the holes in them. You could say
that they look like little doughnut-shaped disks. Since cellular
reproduction require
s a cell nucleus, and since mature red cells lack such a nucleus, they
are, therefore, unable to reproduce. After about 120 days, mature red
cells die and are broken down; their iron is recycled and is used in the
formation of new red cells. New red cells are constantly being formed in
the bone marrow.
What do red cells do? What is their function in the body? They are very
necessary to life because they carry oxygen to every cell in the body.
Actually, it's the iron component of the hemoglobin in red cells that binds to
the oxygen in the air we breathe. Oxygen is very essential to life.
Without iron, hemoglobin would be useless as an oxygen carrier. We get
iron from our diet; it is found in meat, grains, and some vegetables. You
can also take iron in pill form.
Another nutrient that is very essential for red-cell formation is one of
the B group of vitamins, namely, vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is found in
animal products, especially meat. It may also be taken in pill or shot
form. Some people can not absorb B12 properly because they lack a certain
chemical called the intrinsic factor; this renders them unable to absorb any B12
taken by mouth. Such people must get vitamin B12 shots periodically.
Anemia results when there aren't enough red cells, iron, or vitamin B12.
It can also result if the hemoglobin molecules are "malformed", as is
true in sickle-cell anemia. Nutritional anemias can be corrected by
supplying the missing nutrients. Some anemias such as sickle-cell, are
inherited; they are treated by symptomatic relief or blood transfusions.
These anemias can not be cured at this time.
Terminology Erythrocyte erythro means red; cyte means a mature cell.
Erythrocytes are mature red blood cells that are fully-developed.
Erythroblast erythro means red; blast means an immature cell or one that has not
yet fully developed. Erythroblasts are immature red blood cells, either
those in the bone marrow or those immature cells that are, sometimes, released
in to the general circulation. Corpuscle means little, dying, body; a body
in the process of dying. Red blood cells are often referred to as red
corpuscles; lacking a nucleus, they die in about four months' time. Anemia
a means without; emia means blood. Anemia literally means "no
blood" or without blood". This is, of course, a misnomer.
Yes, it's true; blood loss can lead to anemia, but, as I stated before,
"anemia" means lack of red cells, hemoglobin, and/or nutrients.
Hypochromic hypo means below, or less than; chromic means color. In
hypochromic anemia, red cells have too little red color. Microcyt
ic Micro means small; cytic means pertaining to cells. In
iron-deficiency anemia, the red cells are smaller than normal and lack
sufficient red color, or hemoglobin. Megaloblastic megalo means large or
enlarged; blastic refers to immature cells. Megaloblastic anemia can
result from a vitamin B12 deficiency. The red cells are bigger than usual,
and they are not yet fully developed.
Well, since this column is getting lengthy, and because I don't want to
overwhelm you too much, I think I'll wrap it up here. I guess this series
may turn out to be four parts long rather than three. In the next issue,
I'll discuss white cells, platelets, and blood clotting. In Part Four,
I'll write about blood typing, collection, and testing, and I'll tie up any
loose ends that I couldn't cover in the first three parts. I'll see you
next time; God bless all of you.
A LITTLE HUMOR ... VERY LITTLE by Bob Mates
If you read the May, 2004, CENTERPIECE, you know what a wonderful array of
humorous anecdotes there were in the form of bloopers from church announcements
and bulletins, so what's in store for this month? Only Bob knows, but I bet that
if we read or listen just a little bit more, we'll find out. Let's read
what I always consider to be A LOT OF HUMOR ... QUITE a LOT!!
As any out you who know me are aware, I have a special weakness for puns.
It probably has to do with the fact that I'm from Pun-sylvania! Well, anyway
here's a whole bun of them! I don't remember who sent them to me, but, whoever
it was, thanks!
Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine. A man's home is his
castle, in a manor of speaking. Dijon vu -- the same mustard as before.
Practice safe eating -- always use condiments. Shotgun wedding: A case of
wife or death. A hangover is the wrath of grapes. Does the name
Pavlov ring a bell? Reading while sunbathing makes you well red. When two
egotists meet, it's an I for an I. A bicycle can't stand on its own
because it is two tired. What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead
give away.) Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. In
democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes. She was
engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off. (Heh, heh) A
chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion. If you don't pay your
exorcist, you get repossessed. With her marriage, she got a new name and a
dress. When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds. The man
who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered. You
feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it. Local Area Network
in Australia: the LAN down under. Every calendar's days are numbered.
A lot of money is tainted -- It taint yours and it taint mine. A boiled
egg in the morning is hard to beat. He had a photographic memory that was
never developed. (Loved it!) A midget fortune-teller who escapes from
prison is a small medium at large. Those who get too big for their
britches will be exposed in the end. Once you've seen one shopping center,
you've seen a mall. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.
Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses. Acupuncture is a jab well done.
He who talks with a mouthful of cottage cheese has a whey with words
MONTHLY DEVOTION by Bob Mates
Boy!! There's just no end to our dedicated director's talents, is there? From
humor to humility, from slapstick to Scripture, Bob has mastered it all in God's
name and for God's glory. So in God's name and for His glory, let's now
drink the living waters of Scripture through our Director's Devotion.
Are You A Pharisee?
by Bob Mates
18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on
everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 18:10 "Two men went up to the
temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 18:11 The
Pharisee stood up and prayed about [11] Or to] himself: God, I thank you that I
am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax
collector. 18:12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get4' 18:13
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up
to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner4' 18:14
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified
before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18.9-14, NIV.)
Recently, I was shopping, at a supermarket. The lady assigned to take me
around the store was rather mentally challenged. I had to explain to her,
again and again, exactly what I wanted, and it still took several tries, before
she got the right groceries.
When I got home, I wrote an E-mail to a dear friend, talking about the
experience. I admitted that I had trouble dealing with people who were
mentally challenged. My friend gently reminded me that God's grace and
love extend to everyone. She also pointed out that Jesus said,
"Except you become as a little child, you shall not enter into the Kingdom
of God.". She said that her belief was that, perhaps, mentally
challenged folks were a bit closer to the kingdom than some of the rest of us.
I couldn't argue the point.
Now, as I thought about what my friend had written, it started me to thinking
about the Pharisees. We read about them all through the Gospels.
They were usually at logger-heads with Jesus, who condemned them for their
mean-spiritedness, hypocrisy, and their self-righteousness, as opposed to Godly
righteousness. They're easy folks to hate, aren't they? We are happy to
say, "I'm sure glad I'm not like those guys!". And yet ....
And yet, we are eligible, at some time, for membership in the Pharisees' club!
Every time we look at a person, who suffers from mental illness, mental
retardation, or some other handicap, and say, "You know, I just don't feel
comfortable around those kind of people.", we are filling out our
membership application for the Pharisees' Club. Every time we hear about
the mistakes someone has made, and say, "I'd never do that!", we're
putting our application in the mail. Each time we even imply that we're
inherently more righteous than the next guy, we may as well say that we've
received our Pharisee membership card, complete with our name, and the words
APPROVED FOR MEMBERSHIP across the top. Is this a club you want to join?
Let's briefly examine our scripture, found at the beginning of this devotional.
Jesus told this parable, especially for people, who felt confident about their
righteousness. I doubt that the Pharisee, in the story, was really a mean
person. He just had a lot of self-righteousness, which he confused with
Godly righteousness. He knew that, according to the law, he was in good
shape. He didn't hate the publican; just thought he was a bit more
righteous. The publican, for his part, knew he was a sinner! Because he
knew it, he could repent, and, thus, was justified.
There is absolutely nothing about any of us, which makes us more righteous than
anyone else. We're all sinners, who God loved and died for. Whatever
handicaps we may have, mental or physical, are nothing, when compared to the
handicap of being an enemy of God, which is the handicap we all had. When
we receive Christ, we become un-handicapped, in the most important sense of the
word.
The Pharisees, as a sect, are gone. However, because they were an
invention of Satan, their tendencies live in all of us. We are told, in
scripture, to pray for, and strengthen, those less fortunate than ourselves.
We are also told to help our brothers and sisters when then fall, taking heed,
lest we also fall. If we do this, we will be able to withstand the
temptation to join the Pharisees' Club. Believe me: this is one card you
don't want to have in your wallet.
PRAYER: O, precious Father, we come to you this night with gratitude, and
a little confusion. You are such an awesome God, and we lift you up.
Father, we want to do your will. Sometimes, we get in the way when you
want to teach us. Lord, give us the strength to love those who are
different. We are all very different--you created us and loved us
individually. You know us--you know our hearts. Help us to love with
Your Love. Help us to have Your Compassion. Lord, you don't turn any
of us away. Help us to be like you. Lord, we love you--we give you
the praise and glory you so deserve. In the precious name of Jesus! Amen.
--Prayer Submitted by Rhonda Clark
PERSONAL PROFILES Would you like to share how the Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for
the Blind has "felt" your needs and touched you with the love of
Jesus? Maybe you would but you're just not sure how best to share your
experiences and feelings. With the hope that the following might inspire
future contributions to this column, I thought I would share the kinds of
questions I ask when I interview people for PERSONAL PROFILES. 1.
When and how did you first hear about the Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the
Blind? 2. In addition to attending the center's monthly meals, how else
have you been active with the center, or how would you like to become more
active with the Center? 3. As you know, the mission of the Pittsburgh
Lutheran Center for the Blind is to reach out to the blind community of
Pittsburgh, "feeling" their needs, and touching them with the love of
Jesus. How do you feel that the Lutheran Center has done this in your
life? 4. What final thoughts, comments or feeli
ngs would you like to share about your involvement with the Pittsburgh
Lutheran Center for the Blind? Now that you know that these questions don't bite
(and neither do I most of the time), I sincerely hope (all teasing aside), that
people will step up to the plate to be interviewed for a column that features
God's greatest creation: YOU!!
BIBLE BITS
Since nothing enables us to strengthen our walk with and love of Christ like His
words and teachings in Holy Scripture, the purpose of this column is to increase
your knowledge of the Bible and hopefully your love of the Lord in the process.
In the past, the format I have used for this column has been question and
answer. This month, I am instead going to pick a theme and share Bible
passages that focus on that theme. Since this month's multiple themes are
the heart, the Spirit, not being afraid, and having courage, the following
Scripture verses are offered for your spiritual growth, for comfort and for
strength.
1. "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations
cheer my soul.?--Psalm 94.19 2. "Be strong and courageous; do not be
frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you
go.?--Joshua 1.9 3. "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I
will put within you.?--Ezekiel 3626 4. "Be strong and of good courage
... for the Lord God, my God, is with you.?--1 Chronicles 28.20 5.
"Get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! ... Turn, then, and
live.?--Ezekiel 18.31-32 6. "Cast all your anxiety on him, because he
cares for you.?--1 Peter 5.7 7. "I sought the Lord, and he answered
me, and delivered me from all my fears.?--Psalm 34.4;
SEPTEMBER A Poem
by Terri Watson
We honor the work of their hands: God's gifts to both woman and man ...
in September.
School halls once again come alive with students who fail and who thrive,
in September. Summer waves a wistful goodbye, Autumn utters a chilly
"hi" in September. God turns flowers to leaves, every one, And a
new season has begun ... In September. Farmers thank the Lord for
harvests, And Earth gets ready for a rest ... in September.
LOOKING AHEAD September's meal will be held on Saturday the 25th, and the
reservation deadline with Bob Mates will be Thursday the 23rd by 4 PM.
(The menu for September's meal is a chicken-and-rice casserole which I know will
be delicious given the skill of our capable cooks.) To look even farther ahead,
October's meal will take place on Saturday the 30th with a reservation deadline
of Thursday the 28th. To reserve with Bob for October's meal, which will
be a roast pork dinner, call him by 4 PM at 412-682-1800.
PRAYER REQUESTS
1. For healing and strength for Rhonda Clark as she battles cancer.
2. As Lou Schreiber copes with having chronic leukemia, may he be blest by
God's healing touch.
3. For Dee, Cathy Weber's sister: May the Lord lighten the load of
financial and health challenges she is experiencing.
4. Thanks be to God for the many blessings of the summer season we just
enjoyed.
5. Praise the Lord for all of the meal attendees and volunteers who are
returning for another year of food and fellowship at the Pittsburgh Lutheran
Center for the Blind.
6. As Jeanne Kaufmann's brother continues to fight his battle with cancer,
may the Lord's love comfort him and the Savior's strength uplift Jeanne.
7. For Jane Royal and her father who suffered a stroke in August: May
Christ's compassion heal Harold and strengthen Jane.
8. For Eileen Davis who underwent major surgery on September 9th: May her
faith, and the Father's healing touch bless her with a quick and comfortable
recovery.
9. For ourselves: May we always strive to glorify God by loving Him more
dearly and following Him more nearly.