THE CENTERPIECE
October, 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
As those of you who attended September's meal know, Bob Mates did an
excellent--and indeed exceptional--job delivering a devotion on self-esteem
(later in this newsletter, more details will be provided about that
inspirational devotional). Although the focus of Bob's devotion was
self-esteem (what it is and how to get it), the Scriptures Bob cited also talked
about Jesus as our Friend. When I checked my e-mail shortly after arriving
home from September's meal, I found a wonderful message from Dee Wilson:
Specifically, it was a devotional from Charles Stanley in which he discussed
Jesus as Friend with supporting Scriptures. It is because I liked it so
much, and it touched on some of Bob's September devotion, that I decided to use
it as the springboard for my October Column. here, now, are my thoughts on
what I found to be an inspirational and insightful devotion:
I have often heard it said that most of us have few, if any, true
friends, and this is the exact point with which Charles Stanley began his
devotion. Unlike us, however, Jesus gives us clear and countless examples
throughout Scripture of what it means to be a true friend. Charles Stanley
pointed out, for instance, that Jesus spent a great deal of time with his
disciples, his "inner circle" if you will, with much of His time
having been spent with Peter, James and John. So far, we have
established--as Charles Stanley did--that a true friend both spends time with us
and includes us in his "inner circle." Having read and heard that, you
may be asking yourself what else makes a person a true friend. One answer
to this thought-provoking question is a person's willingness to not only love us
as we are but also to love us just because we are. Does Jesus do this? You
bet! To get a sense of just how lovingly and successfully Jesus loves us just
because we are, we need only look
at such salvation history milestones as the conversion of Saul to Paul,
the tender loving guidance of Mary Magdalene from sinner to saint, Matthew's
transformation from tax collector to apostle, and the cornerstone that Peter
became of the new Church, even though he had three times denied Jesus
"before the cock crowed." To say more about Christ's unconditional and
uncompomising love as discussed by Charles Stanley, I have often felt that my
friends cannot possibly love those aspects of me that I know are ugly and
unlovable, and many of you reading or hearing this may often feel the same way.
Yet, according to Stanley's interpretation of John 15.12-17, we can show Christ
those parts of our personality that we are not necessarily proud of because,
though Jesus does not approve of all that we do, he has trod every place that we
have and so He is no stranger to our feelings, thought processes, hurts and
joys. So the next time you either sing the familiar and much-loved hymn,
"What a Friend We have in Jesus," or read John 15.12-17,
remember to nurture your friendship with the One who is the same yesterday,
today and always: Our Savior, Jesus Christ. If the Charles Stanley
devotion on which this month's column was based inspired you, go to
wwwintouchorg where you'll find daily devotions and broadcasts. if you
have material that you would like me to use for a future column, please feel
free to let our beloved director know by calling him at 412-682-1800 (you can
also e-mail Bob at bluesbobatteleramacom
Blessings, Terri Watson
September's Meal
When September's meal was held on Saturday the 25th, 21 people were in
attendance, four of whom were new, several of whom were people who had been
absent from meals for some time. After enjoying fine food, meal attendees
next enjoyed even finer fellowship in the form of Bob Mates' devotion,
"Self-esteem." The Scrppture on which Bob focused and developed his
well-delivered message was John Chapter 15, verses 12-15. A key point that
Bob made early on was that self-esteem and ego-centeredness are not the same: To
be more specific, Bob explained that self-esteem is love of self as God's
creations whereas ego-centeredness is an exaggerated sense of our importance.
Bob's main point in this inspirational presentation was that we are to have
self-esteem because we are God's handiwork and therefore His works in progress,
but we are not to be ego-centered because by so doing we then put ourselves
before God. Bob next reminded meal attendees that the October 30th dinner
preceeds Ref
ormation Sunday and added that the roast pork that will be served is the
traditional meal that the Center always serves before Reformation Sunday (see
Looking Ahead). Before Pastor Spittel led yet another excellent Vespers
service, we lifted people's joys and concerns to the Lord (for a list of these,
see the Prayer Requests at the end of this newsletter). As always, I
conclude this column by thanking Sherri Crum, Bob Mates, Mike O'Connor, Hannah,
Leigh and Pastor Spittel and everyone who helped with the meal and the September
CENTERPIECE in any way.
CONTRIBUTOR's CORNER
In Sickness and In Health by Kathy Susany
In her September column, Kathy Susany offered her second in what may turn out to
be a four-part series on what our blood is comprised of and how our very
survival depends on what does or doesn't go right with it. Although I have
no way of knowing what additional information, statistics and terminology Kathy
will share this month, I do know that whatever it is will be excellent, timely
and well-thought-out. Although I don't know specifics, I do know that Kath
decided, given the current shortage of flu vaccines, to take a break from her
series on blood and instead focus on the timely topic that the flu currently is.
Although I could say a few more things, I'll instead let Kathy do what she does
so well. So without further ado, I present Kathy Susany's CONTRIBUTOR's
CORNER column, "In Sickness and in Health."
Well, folks, it's time for another column. I was going to continue
my four-part series on the blood; however, I've decided instead to write about a
topic which is quite timely at present, namely, the nationwide shortage of flu
vaccine. Actually, this fubject is related somewhat to the blood, and, in
particular, it's related to the immune system. It is really an extension
of the final part of my series on immunity. So, let's get to it.
In Sickness and in Health by Kathy Susany
I'm sure that you've heard, by now, of the critical shortage
of flu vaccine in this country. I thought that I would take this
opportunity to answer some questions you might have about this situation and to
inform you of steps you can take to prevent your catching the flu. I'll
also tell you what you can do if, by chance, you do happen to get the flu.
How did this state of affairs come about? Well, I,
surely, don't know all the details, but, from what I've heard, it seems that a
British drug company was suddenly shut down, thus, cutting off a large supply of
flu vaccine that was to be sent to the U.S. The drug firm's license to
manufacture flu vaccine was suspended. As a result of this situation, we
are experiencing a shortage of the vaccine. We do not have our usual
allotment of vaccine doses.
What is flu vaccine, and how does it work? Well, inthe
first place, the word "vaccine" comes from the word "vaca",
which means cow because the first vaccine was against cowpox, which is a mild
form of smallpox. When you are vaccinated, you are given a weakened form
of a bacterium, virus, toxin, or some disease-causing agent. The material
with which you are inoculated acts as an antigen. Recall that, in my articles on
immunity, I defined an antigen as being analogous to a "name badge" on
the surface was cells. Antigens induce the formation of antibodies by the
immune system to counteract them. Thus, den antigens are introduced into
the body, they elicit the formation of antibodies by the immune system.
were See my series on immunity called "Operation Microbial Freedom",
especially part two.) When you get a flu shot, you are given an inactive
form of influenza virus; this leads to the formation of antibodies against
flu virus. In effect, your immune system "thinks
" you have the flu and takes steps to control the perceived onslaught
of flu virus. It's as if you got the flu, but you don't get the severe
symptoms you'd get if you really had the flu. This is a form of active
artificial immun;with: active because your body develops flu antibodies; >tificial
because you didn't naturally get the flu. (See my series on immunity, and
my next column about the blood for more details.)
Who should get a flu shot? Well, normally, I'd say that
anyone who wants one should get a shot. My feeling is that "it's
always wise to immunize". Currently, though, since there is a serious
shortage of the vaccine, it should be reserved for those people who are at most
risk of getting the flu.
Who is at greatst risk of getting the flu? The
following people should get a flu shot: infants from 6 to 23 months old;
older people, especially those over 65; people of any age who have a respiratory
or chronic illness or a weakened or compromized immune system; people in nursing
homes or other such hospitals or institutions; and close contacts or care-givers
of those inthe above-mentioned groups.
If you get a flu shot, will you be protected from getting so
blu immediately? No; it takes about two weeks to build up a good immunity; it
takes that long for the flu antigen to evoke a peak antibody response from the
immune system. Until then, you are still vulnerable.
What if you are unable to get a flu shot, and you are unlucky
enough to contract the flu? Things are better than they used to be in this
regard. There are several antiviral drugs that, if taken early en, can
lessen the severity of your symptoms. Two drugs with which I'm familiar
are Tamiflu and rimantidine. Not only can they lessen the severity of flu
symptoms, but such drugs can shorten the course of your illness. The trick
is that such drugs must be taken as early as possible, preferably, at the first
sign of flu. Also, please note that these drugs "1will only against
influenza virus, and not against colds, or any other types of viruses. If
you are at high risk of getting the flu, especially if you are unable to be
vaccinated against flu, you might wish to ask your health-care professional if
an attiviral agent is right for you. Such drugs can prove to be expensive
though, and your insurance company may or may not cover them.
Why worry about the flu? Why is it wise to immunize
when possible? Flu can be deadly. It can lead to a virulent form of
pneumonia, and it can make other conditions worse. It kills thousands of
Americans every year. Since the flu is a respiratory virus, it can
definitely worsen and aggravate such respiratory illnesses as asthma. I
sincerely wish that the vaccine shortage were not as severe as it was because,
this year, flu may exact a toll of death and misery not seen for quite awhile.
All we can do is to ask God to help us in this time of potential misery.
How can you prevent a flu outbreak from happening?
Actually, I mentioned several possible things you can do in my series on
immunity, so, here, I'll just reiterate and summarize what you can do to help
the situation.
When you feel sick, stay home; don't spread your germs all
over creation for others to contract.
Wash your hands thoroughly and often. Besides being
spread through the air, such diseases as flu and colds are spread through
hand-to hand contact. When washing your hands, use a nickle-sized dollup
of soap; scrub the hands thoroughly for at least ten seconds, which is about the
time it takes to sing one chorus of "Happy Birthday". Then rinse
the hands completely and thoroughly. When hand-washing in a public
bathroom, try to use a paper towel to turn off the warm water being used, and
use that same towel to open the bathroom door.
If you must cough or sneeze, do so in a tissue; throw the
used tissue away. Don't re-use the same tissue over and over again.
Disinfect common areas--especially at work--such as your
desk, workspace, and telephone.
How can you tell whether or not you're coming down with the
flu or a cold? You can't always tell. Generally speaking, colds are
milder than flu, and, if you have a fever, it will tend to be lower with a cold.
With the flu, symptoms are usually more severe and more generalized, and fever
will be higher. However, both colds and flu are respiratory viruses, so
you can have nasal symptoms with both. If you are taking an antiviral
drug, since you can't be sure which is which, you must take the drug as
prescribed as early as possible during the course of your illness--preferably at
the first sign of illness. If you wait to see if your illness develops
into more severe flu symptoms before taking the drug, the antiviral agent won't
be as effective. If you actually have a cold, the drug won't work anyway,
but it won't matter; you will not have lost anything--except, perhaps, some
money. You just have to take a chance.
I hope this article has been interesting and informative.
AS always, if you have any comments, questions, concerns, or any other feedback
to any of my columns, please get in touch with our dedicated director and his
fearless dog Max. I'll try to field your ideas as swiftly and promptly as
possible. Thank you for allowing me to contribute to this newsletter.
I'll see you next time.
A LITTLE HUMOR ... VERY LITTLE by Bob Mates
Our dashing Director does indeed have a nack for either creating humor through
puns as only he can, or finding it through e-mailed or web-based jokes. To
borrow from oldtime radio, words that were always part of "The Shadow"
were, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The shadow
knows." Well, as I give you Bob Mates, I say, "Who knows what humor
lurks in the mind of Bob? Bob, and God know. So let's again enjoy a treat
in what I call, A Lot of Humor ... Quite Alot!!
Well, Election Day is almost here. Yes, it is time, once again, to
elect the men and women who will ruin--uh, I mean, run--our country for the next
four years. (What a difference a letter makes!) Now, as you know, from
past columns, our endorsement for the presidency has gone to Maxy-wax, as the
only candidate capable of licking any of his opponents.
In keeping with this policy, and, in the tradition of W. C. Fields,
who, when asked who he was voting for, said: "I don't vote for anyone; I
vote against people!", we offer the following even-handed swipes at both
major presidential candidates.
So how many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a lightbulb?
The Answer is TEN:
1. One to deny that a lightbulb needs to be changed,
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the lightbulb needs to
be changed,
3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the lightbulb,
4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either for changing
the lightbulb or for darkness,
5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new
lightbulb,
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on
a step ladder under the banner "Lightbulb Change Accomplished",
7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in
detail how Bush was literally "in the dark",
8. One to viciously smear #7,
9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has
had a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along,
10. And finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between
screwing a lightbulb and screwing the country.
John Kerry went over to England. While there, he was granted an
interview with the queen. During the interview, he asked her: "Your
Majesty, how can I be sure that I'll have intelligent people around me, to help
me govern?"
"Well," said the queen, "there's a method I've always used, which
I'll be happy to show to you." So saying, she paged Tony Blair, the prime
Minister.
"Tony," she said, when he'd come in, "I have a riddle, which I
should like you to answer. Here it is: Your parents have a child. It
isn't your brother, and it isn't your sister. Who is it?"
"Why, it is I, your Majesty," said Tony.
"Absolutely correct!", said the queen
Well, I can tell you that John Kerry was impressed! As soon as he got back to
the states, he put the riddle to John Edwards. Edwards scratched his head.
"Well, now, John, I just don't know, but I sure will get back to you on
it."
So saying, he left, to go to the men's room. While there, he saw Colin
Powell, and put the riddle to him. Powell answered, "Why, it's me,
John!". Edwards thanked him, and the next time he and John Kerry met,
he was ready with the answer.
"Senator Kerry, I have the answer to your riddle: the answer is Colin
Powell!".
John Kerry was furious. "How can you be so dum? It's not Colin
Powell; it's Tony Blair!!!"
As you spread the word about Maxy-wax's presidential campaign, here are a few
things to keep in mind.
1. Ballot boxes and turkeys are both easily stuffed.
2. Chad is more than a man's name.
3. If you're accused of election fraud, you can take your plce with some
of the great political figures in American history.
4. If voting once makes a difference, just think how much of a difference
voting 5 times will make.
5. If you need legal aid, after following our voting instructions--well,
good luck.
6. Jails are much more comfortable than they used to be.
7. and, finally, our peerless leader's words of encouragement: "If
you ever need a friend, I hope you find one!". MAX FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!
Whoever you vote for, please vote.
MONTHLY DEVOTION by Bob Mates
Whether Bob talks about the modernday Pharisee, the importance of genuine
self-esteem, or whether he weaves his God-given threads of creativity into a
super story, our Dashing Director always has great things in store for his
listeners and readers. We can only know what Bob has in store for us this
month by listening and reading, so let's do that now and in the process, enjoy
an instructional and inspirational devotion.
SELF-ESTEEM
by Bob Mates
John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15:15 I no longer call
you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father
I have made known to you.
Good evening:
I have chosen, as my subject, self-worth. This is certainly a subject
worth speaking about. Everyone feels he or she needs it, and yet, many
people don't have it! How sad!
This is especially sad for the Christian, because we, above all people, should
certainly have a lot of self-esteem, or self-worth. And yet, we
don'tdd,tonight, we'll examine what it is, why we might be able to claim some;
where we get it from, and what to do with it.
First, what is self-worth. Well, it's a conviction that you are important;
that you are worth something. Now, here's where we run into our first
problem. Many people confuse self-esteem with egotism. They believe,
mistakenly, that if they think that they're worth something, they're being
egotistical; thinking more highly of themselves than they ought. Of
course, there's a big difference between thinking that you're okay, and thinking
that no one is as okay as you! A person, with real self-esteem understands that
he's worth something, and we'll see later why he understands this.
So, now that we know what we're talking about, let's see if we, as Christians,
can lay any claim to this stuff.
First, let us note that we were created in the very image and likeness,
spiritually speaking, of God. In Genesis, we read that, when God created
man, he said, "It is very good.". He never said "very
good" with any of His other creations; they were good; man was very good!
You see, we are the crown of His workmanship. That's why we have dominion
over the earth!
Feel pretty good? Well, how about this: God loved you enough to send His Son to
die for you! Now I'm sure that you're all familiar with John 3.16, right? Well,
I'm going to say it, with my name in the appropriate spots. As you listen,
put your name in those spots. Ready?
For God so loved Bob, that He gave His only-begotten son, that, If Bob believes
he should not perish, but have everlasting life. You can do this with any
number of verses, such as Ephesians 2.8-9 and many others. The idea, here,
is to understand that God loves you so much, that He sent His own son, to
die as a propitiation, or appeasement, for your sins. By doing that, He
redeemed you! Some love, isn't it!
Now, the next point ties right in with this. God is our loving heavenly
Father, who wants the best for us! Now, that's another hard one for some folks.
The problem is, it's very difficult quite some people to understand the concept
of a loving father, when all they've ever know is a nasty one. With that,
as their model of patriarchal love, how can they relate to anyone who talks
about the love of our Heavenly Father, when the only father they've known was
nasty! You start to think of yourself as a victim. Victims, by the way,
don't have any self-esteem; they consider themselves powerless against whatever
entity then wish to blame their mis-fortunes on. It's those darned sighted
folks, or those foreigners, or the whites, or the blacks, or the Jews, or the
Christians, or the parents, or school, or, ultimately, God!
And, not only does He love us as a loving father would, but he then adopts us
into His family. WHEREAS, once we were enemies and strangers to God, now
we are friends. Jesus becomes in a big way, our brother! We read in
scripture that we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. In
Galatians, we find that we have all of the privileges of a son, and that we can
cry out to God, calling him "abba, daddy!
Are you beginning to feel pretty good about yourself? Well, there's more! God
considers each of us a thing of great value. Jesus explains it this way,
in MATTHEW:
10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny [29] Greek an assarion]? Yet not one
of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 10:30
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 10:31 So don't be
afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. In other words, we are
important to God.
Are you rejoicing? Well, there's more! God has given you a special gift, so
unique, in fact, that no one else can do it in exactly the same way! Here's an
example. Some people have a special gift of carpentry, or cooking, or
writing, or puns! (We won't argue about where the gift of punning comes from.)
The point here is that God gives each of us something which makes us totally
unique, and totally individual. That's pretty amazing stuff, isn't it?
Now, as we move on to where we get our self-worth, we have to look at the last
things we talked about. Now looking back, what do we see? We see that all
of the things that we just discussed are things which God has done for us; he
created us; he redeemed us; he adopted us; he gave us a special gift or talent;
he calls us friends. You'll notice that we didn't do any of it, nor,
anything to merit any of it.
The point is this: we can rejoice in the fact that we have been well-loved, by a
loving caring heavenly father! He doesn't love him because of who we are; he
loves us in spite of who we are! If God, who is perfect, can love you or me,
knowing that, on our best day, we'll never measure up, that's one loving God,
and he must think very highly of us indeed. We must really be special in
His sight!
So, now that we know what self-esteem is, and that we can claim some; because of
God's love for us, we need to know one more thing: what to do with it.
The answer is found in the great Commission, Matthew 28.19-20.
Go, therefore, into all the world, making disciples of men, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For I am with you, even to
the end of the age.
As we proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, we can show people how to
gain real self-esteem; the self-esteem which comes from being so highly esteemed
by God.
PRAYER: O, Lord, I dank thee for thy great love, and that, through it, I may now
feel good about myself. Help me, O Lord, to proclaim thy great love to
those who are in need, that they man gain self-esteem, and eternal life.
In Jesus' name,
amen.
PERSONAL PROFILES
Although most of our excellent, dedicated volunteers are people who are
affiliated with First Trinity Lutheran Church, we do, from time to time, get
other volunteers. One such former vokunteer is Jim Winaught. Because
he attends meals regularly, and has volunteered before, I asked Jim some
questions about his service to and involvement with the center, and got the
following answers: Question: How did you first hear about the Pittsburgh
Lutheran Center for the Blind? Answer: Well, I heard about the Lutheran Center
from Terri Watson. She told me about it in 2002, asked me if I wantgh to
come to one of the dinners and I said yes. The first meal I came to was in
September. Question: In addition to attending the monthly meals, how else
are you involved with the center? Answer: I don't volunteer anymore, but
volunteering in the past, along with going to the monthly meals, is how I've
been involved with the Lutheran Center. I also sometimes go to the Vespers
service that the C
enter has after the meal. Question: As you know, the mission of the
Pittsburgh Lutheran Center for the Blind is to reach out to the blind and
vision-impaired of Pittsburgh, "feeling" their needs, and touching
them with the love of Jesus. How do you feel that the center accomplishes
that mission in your life? Answer: I guess the main thing would be the
fellowship that's part of the meals. The food and fellowship are always
really good. That's also why I liked volunteering. Question: Do you
have any additional thoughts, comments or feelings about the Pittsburgh Lutheran
Center for the Blind that haven't been addressed in these questions? Answer: No,
not really.
Would you like to share how the Center has touched your life? If so,
please call our Dashing and most Dedicated Director, Bob Mates, at 412-682-1800,
or e-mail him at bluesbob%teleramacom. And remember: the most brightly
shining star in the stories that make up this column is YOU!!
BIBLE BITS
Since nothing enables us to strengthen our walk with and love of Christ like His
words and teachings in Holy Scrppture, the purpose of this column is to increas
e your knowledge of the Bible and your love of the Lord in the process. To
help you grow in your walk and your love, I like to have a theme on which to
center this column each month. In September, the multiple themes were
Scriptural passages that used courage and encouragement to help you deal with
fear and anxiety. This month's theme, inspired by an e-mail from Aimee
Yunt, is "the 7 ups." Drink heartily of the following Scriptural
waters: The 7 Ups 1. Wake Up Decide to have a good day. "This
is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms
118:24 2. Dress Up The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A
smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not
look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearances but the
Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:
7 3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave
us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much
listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul."
Proverbs 13:3 4. Stand Up!! . . . for what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be
weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not
give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..."
Galatians 6:9-10 5. Look Up!! . . . to the Lord. "I can
do everything through Christ who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13 6.
Reach Up!! . . . for something higher. "Trust in the Lord with
all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your
ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6 7.
Lift Up!! . . . your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything;
instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6
To reenforce and learn from the Scripture verses cited above, ask
yourself the following questions: 1. In what book do we read, "This
is the day that the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad." 2.
The book in which we will find the passage, "He who guards his lips guards
his soul" can be found in the Old Testament. In what Old Testament
book will we find the verse just mentioned? 3. We are urged and encouraged
to pray about everything by the witness for Christ who wrote letters to the
Ephesians and Galatians to name just a few. Who is this writer of letters
to so many churches? 4. Who in the Old Testament reminds us that God does
not judge by outer appearances as man does? When it comes to God's Word, keep
reading, living, loving and learning. A website that can assist you in
this spiritual quest is wwwbibleorg
Looking 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. (As mentioned
earlier, this meal is the Church's traditional meal the day before Reformation
Sunday.) Looking even farther ahead to November, that month's meal will be on
Saturday the 20th. For your spiritual enrichment, remember that a Bible
study always preceeds the meal from 4 to 5 PM and a Vespers service, beautifully
led by Pastor Spittel, follows the meal from 6:30 to 7. To attend
Novemaer's meal, phone Bob by 4 PM on Thursday the 18th at 412-682-1800.
PRAYER REQUESTS
1. For healing for a woman who has become very ill with cancer and will be
facing multiple surgeries.
2. Praise the Lord for the safe return, several months ago, of Norma Jean
Rossi from Germany.
3. May God in all Three Persons be praised for how much better Dee Wilson
is feeling than she had been for a long time: May God's grace, Christ's
compassion and the Holy Spirit's help continue to be upon her.
4. May our Lord, Jesus Christ, continue to bless Harold, Jane Royal's
father, with recovery from a stroke he had in August.
5. Tons of thanks and plenty of praise that the Holy Trinity healed Jim
Winaught of bronchitis.
6. The will of God for your life is simply that you submit yourself to Him
each day and say, "Father, Your will for today is mine. Your pleasure
for today is mine. Your work for today is mine. I trust You to be
God. You lead me today and I will follow." As we read and reflect on
those thoughts, O Lord, may we always strive to walk in the wisdom of your ways,
submit with pleasure to your plans and live being led by your love.
7. As much as it pleases God to bless you, there will be moments when
everything you try goes up in smoke. There will be moments when the one
you counted on most walks away and leaves you groping through blinding tears and
wailing questions of why. Plans and goals can be circumvented by the most
disappointing of times, leaving you learning the art of patience and the
acceptance of a denied request. When we experience disappointment,
desertion and dreams that succumb to smoke, may God, our faithful Father,
console us, uplift us and strengthen us. (Prayers 6 and 7 were based on
and inspired by e-mails I recently received from Aimee Yunt.)
8. May the Savior's healing touch that we read about so much in
Scripture continue to be upon Rhonda Clark as she battles cancer, and Lou
Schreiber as he deals with chronic leukemia. 9. For a woman who was
recently diagnosed with stage-four ovarian cancer: May it be God's will to
perform a miracle for this 32-year-old wife and mother of a 5-year-old son.
May God also bless and be with her husband who is currently serving in Iraq.
10. Praise the Lord that a man who recently underwent open-heart surgery
at Mercy Hospital bounced back so quickly from complications related to this
procedure. (May God continue to bless and speed his recovery.)
11. I thank the Lord whom I love that my great-nephew, Alan Christopher,
has been thriving since his premature birth on March 25th, 2004. Alan's
mom is also doing well, and for that I also thank and praise God.
12. Because we in the blind community can so often engage in behaviors
toward each other that can be petty and judgmental, I'd like to conclude with a
prayer that was e-mailed to me by Saint Paul Cathedral Ladies of Charity
President Ethel Deiuliis:
A Prayer by Mary Stuart Keep me, O God, from pettiness. Let us be
large in thought, word, and deed. Let us be done with fault-finding and
leave off self-seeking. May we put away all pretense and meet each other
face to face without self pity and without prejudice. May we never be
hasty in judgment and always generous. Let us take time for all things.
Make us grow calm, serene, and gentle. Teach us to put into action our
better impulses and make us straightforward and unafraid. Grant that we
may realize that it is the little things in life that create differences, that
in the big things we are all one. And, O Lord God, let us not forget to be
kind. Amen.
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